Custom Motorcycle Builds

[DaveM]

Time Warp: A ‘vintage’ motorcycle built from scratch

A huge part of the custom scene is making modern motorcycles look older. Removing plastics, softening angles, fitting things like spoked wheels and simple mufflers.

Take that trend to the logical extreme, and you have a custom like this one. It looks like it’s a century old, but it’s only just been built. It comes from the astoundingly talented Alessandro Rorato—a 39-year-old model-making specialist from Veneto, Italy.

To understand the bike, you often need to understand the man. Alessandro showed an aptitude for building things from a very early age, while plundering materials from his grandfather’s workshop. As a youngster, he built not one but two racing cars—powered by motorcycle engines.

After completing his education at the Italian Design School in Padua, he began working on vintage bicycles and motorcycles, set up Plasma Custom, and moved back into his grandfather’s blacksmith’s workshop.

So you could say it was almost inevitable that he would build a machine like this. He can weld, paint and use a lathe—and also call on modern techniques such as 3D modeling when necessary.

“For this project, I was inspired by the motorbikes and cars of the 1920s,” he says. “So I made the frame out of steel tubes, and the 24-inch rims were made by welding aluminum tubes to aluminum hubs.”

Alessandro turned the hubs from solid aluminum, and then precision-drilled them to insert the aluminum spokes. “The rear hub has two ball bearings and a freewheel for starting. For the rear brake I used a chromed drum ring and built the rubber pad and operating system by designing it in 3D.”

The front end has a much more contemporary inspiration: Alessandro points to the hub-center steering system of the Bimota Tesi superbike. “I made all the parts on the lathe, from solid billet,” he explains. “The wheel turns on a steering hub via a central pivot; rotation of the steering takes place via a tie-rod connected to the handlebars.”

The bars were sourced from the Philippines, and were modified and chromed before being installed. There are two levers on the bars: one acts as the throttle, and the other to modify the ignition advance to make it easier to start the engine.

Hanging under the top frame tube are two 80mm Pyrex fuel cylinders joined together by CNC’d aluminum brackets. Further back is a 1950s Brooks leather saddle, and underneath is a very obscure engine.

“The 350cc engine has a modified Lombardini LA65 crankcase,” says Alessandro, who got it from a local farmer. He designed and built most of the rest, though. “The head and cylinder are made of cast aluminum with an intake and exhaust system called IOE.” [That’s ‘intake/inlet over exhaust,’ otherwise known as an F-head.]

The lubrication system is a drip-type. “I used a Pyrex drip tray, and with copper and brass pipes worked on the lathe, I created the oil distribution— which first lubricates the valve rocker, then goes into the motor body,” says Alessandro.

The pedals are used to start the engine, as in some 1930s motorcycles. “You engage the gear, you pedal, and then the engine starts,” says Alessandro. Semplice!

The exhaust system is stainless steel, and started life as a swimming pool ladder, of all things. (“I heated it and changed the curvature until it was perfect.”)

The transmission, despite being a single-speed, was a lot more complex. “I built the gearbox myself, starting with a Minarelli 125 dry clutch. Then I made the gear release, inserted via an external lever, and it’s all mounted in a CNC-machined aluminum casing.”

We’re not sure if this machine is road legal, but it looks perfectly usable as a commuter. Or for pottering around picturesque villages on the Adriatic coast. Who needs traction control or ABS?

Plasma Custom Facebook | Instagram | Images and video by Al Bruni

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[DaveM]

HOMAGE TO THE GLORY DAYS: Ducati 900SS ‘Goodwood’.

It might not have the prestige of its four wheel counterparts, but endurance motorcycle racing at events like Le Mans, remains one motorsports toughest tests of man and machine. The heavily Francophone sport of 24hr racing has largely been dominated by the Japanese manufacturers, with Ducati claiming a sole win at the Barcelona even in 1973. That era however was the iconic period and to inspire...

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[DaveM]

Alpine: An ice-cool Husqvarna SM 630 by Freeride Motos

Some custom builders get locked into one style, while others play all over the field. But Pierre Dhers at Freeride Motos seems to bounce between two very specific styles: scramblers and racers (of both the cafe and track varieties). Now he’s combined both disciplines into one ultra-crisp machine.

Dubbed ‘Alpine,’ this Husqvarna SM 630 was built to meet multiple needs for its supermotard enthusiast owner. “He wanted a different motorcycle with a ‘scrambler spirit’ to ride on a daily basis,” explains Pierre, “and to go to Wheels & Waves. But also to be able to use it on the supermoto track on the weekends.”

Pierre’s biggest challenge reared its head straight out the gate—the brief. He’s used to having a fair bit of creative leeway on builds, but this client had a very specific idea when it came to the design. “The customer doesn’t know that it’s necessary to combine design and technical constraints,” he says, “for example the tank needs to contain enough gasoline to have a certain range on the road.”

The client bought this 2011-model Husqvarna SM 630 specifically for the project. It fit the bill, with horsepower in the high 40s, decent suspension out the box and a curb weight of just 327 lbs [148 kg]. No doubt it’s shed a few pounds during the rebuild, too.

Pierre’s first big task was fabricating new bodywork to replace the Husky’s plastics. Step one was to get the shapes right with foam, then build a new one-piece body out of fiberglass. The unit incorporates a new fuel tank too, with a capacity of 12 liters (about 3.2 gallons).

“For track use, fiberglass is more easily repairable than aluminum,” says Pierre, “and it’s also very light.”

Using fiberglass means having to create a mold—and that meant Pierre could take cues from the OEM parts. While building the mold he duplicated the underside of the original tank, so that he could integrate the stock fuel pump and match the part to the frame.

Underneath the bodywork, Pierre built a new subframe, and re-homed the electronic bits along with a Lithium-ion battery. Up top is a custom seat, upholstered by Christophe at Akotabe.

The client wanted the tail section as short as possible—but Pierre didn’t want to have to build an extended license plate bracket to keep it street legal. So he came up with a crafty solution: the end tip of the tail holds the taillight, turn signals and license plate. But it’s also detachable via just two fasteners, so that the Husky can be converted for track use, pronto.

The same consideration’s been given to the front end. Pierre shaped a fiberglass number board to tuck away the OEM dash, while the headlights are a pair of strong LED projectors on the bars, which are simple enough to unbolt. The front turn signals are wraparound LEDs on the fork legs; practically invisible until you fire them up.

Up top are Magura bars, fitted with Racetech hand guards and an Accossato brake master cylinder.

Under the hood, Pierre left the Husqvarna engine as stock, but installed an anti-dribble clutch from Suter. He also ditched the air box for a Uni Filter pod filter attached to a custom silicon intake. The exhaust headers are stock, but there’s a custom two-into-one stainless steel connecting pipe, terminating in an SC Project can.

Other tweaks include a suspension rework by Sébastien at ORD, and Dunlop Mutant tires for road use. There’s a second set of 17” wheels wrapped in track-specific rubber, because swapping wheels is quicker than swapping tires.

Rémy at Art Scratch handled the livery, finishing the supermoto in Renault’s Alpine Blue with white highlights. The modified Husqvarna logos were designed by the client, and have a personal meaning.

The Husqvarna SM 630 is attractive enough in stock form, but Pierre’s taken this one to a whole new level. All it needs is a third set of wheels for ripping in the dirt, and it’d be perfect.

Freeride Motos | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Clément Lazzaro

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[DaveM]

STRIKING GOLD: BMW R100 ‘The Gold Digga’ By Tossa R.

Tudor Dunev is something of a motorsport renaissance man. On top of amassing a slew of high-profile victories behind the wheel of various race cars — including five consecutive Bulgarian Touring Car championship titles, a VW Lupo Cup championship, a European Drift King title, and a Bulgarian Eco Rally win — the Bulgarian gearhead also owns Top Drift Service, a full-service repair and tuning outfit...

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[DaveM]

Silent Alarm: The first custom LiveWire, via JVB-moto

It’s been a couple of years since Harley-Davidson revealed the LiveWire and sent shockwaves through the industry. It was the first battery-powered sportbike from a major OEM, and it still has no competition.

Milwaukee positioned (and priced) the LiveWire as a halo product, so column inches have been high and sales low. That also means there have been no significant customs based on the LiveWire, as far as we can tell. There’s been the odd paint job, and the Long Way Up bikes were certainly modified, but that’s essentially it.

So our eyebrows went up when Jens vom Brauck dropped us a line to say he’d just finished a custom LiveWire, a commission straight from Harley-Davidson’s mothership in Milwaukee.

Called ‘Silent Alarm,’ it’s a sleek and coherent restyle. At first glance, it’s hard to pin down why it looks so good—much in the same way that Singer 911s and Emory 356s are obviously Porsches, but look subtly different.

Based in Cologne, Jens is the man behind JVB-moto, one of the most acclaimed European custom shops. His style is clean and distinctive and he has impeccable judgment, which made us keen to know what he thinks of the standard LiveWire.

“When I first rode it, in early 2020, I instantly fell in love,” says Jens. “And when Harley asked if I wanted to build a bike for them, I couldn’t say no.”

Jens is no blinkered electric fanboy, though. “I don’t think that electric bikes will save the world,” he says. “I understand all the discussions about eco-friendliness and range, and I think it’s complicated and not yet perfect. All I know is that the LiveWire is so much fun!”

Like all JVB-moto builds, this LiveWire is meant to be ridden. “It’s not a piece of art, or made for an exhibition,” says Jens. “It’s made for the road and everyday life.”

“There are a few really good designs for electric motorcycles out there, but most of what I see is just ‘looking different for the sake of being different.’ Not practical or even rideable.”

Fortunately, Harley didn’t put Jens under any restrictions: they simply wanted a signature JvB-moto design. And Jens wanted the custom elements to be reproducible and road legal in Europe, because he’s planning a small production run of this bike.

The LiveWire is not the sort of bike you can slot a Motogadget mo.unit into, or swap the dash for an old Smiths speedo. So Jens has focused mostly on new bodywork, including a new ‘fuel tank.’ Unlike the other custom parts, this is fiberglass rather than carbon fiber: “Carbon touching high voltage cables might not be the best idea,” Jens observes wryly.

The seat/tail unit, front fender and tiny ‘air scoops’ under the tank are new; the alloy wheels are toned down with carbon fiber covers for a stealthier vibe. The swoopy mini-fairing fitted by the factory is gone, replaced by a simple nacelle and LED headlight—a setup reminiscent of that fitted to the Kiska-designed Husqvarna Svartpilen 701.

Right behind are new bars from LSL, on custom risers that grip the complex stock dashboard. Jens has also added Performance Machine grips and upgraded the front stoppers with a Pro Brake lever. The headlight is supplemented by a pair of Blaze Laserlights, installed in custom housings on either side of the battery pack.

The dynamics of the LiveWire get a boost from a monoshock upgrade. “The rear shock is made by Sport Evolution,” says Jens. “It’s a former Moto2 race team who are now starting their own high-end suspension line. Very good stuff, made to customers’ specs.”

Despite the modern look of this custom, Jens still mostly works analog. “Sketches on the iPad, but after that, everything by hand,” he reveals. “Clay, foam and putty. Lots of dirt. Till the first model is done—then we fabricate molds for the parts to be laminated in fiberglass or carbon.”

It’s only when JvB-moto parts have bigger production runs—such as those sold via KEDO—that Jens gets into 3D modeling. “I guess that will change soon and then I have to catch up quickly!”

Jens’ LiveWire cleverly mixes classic lines with a modern design language—without compromising practicality, or the comfortable riding position. “It’s perfect for nighttime city hooligan cruising,” he suggests, “with a dash of Cyberpunk 2077!”

He’s planning a run of custom LiveWires, rather than selling kits or individual parts. And with secondhand machines becoming affordable—they’re dipping down towards the $20k mark in the US—that would make good financial sense for all concerned. We can feel the LiveWire edging closer towards cult status by the day…

JvB Moto | Facebook | Instagram | Video by Kolle, Alf and Basi | Harley-Davidson Deutschland

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[DaveM]

SHOWROOM STOPPER: BMW R18 by Ironwood Custom Motorcycles.

For the corporate folks at large multinationals, who happen to own motorcycle brands, those tattooed and bearded folk of the custom bike scene must be a terrifying bunch; of which I include myself. Sure we buy their products, but counter-culture people are not really those you want front and centre in your billion-dollar industry. Thankfully for the the boardroom at BMW Motorrad Nederland’s...

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[DaveM]

Max. Steeze: A CB350 Street Scrambler from California

Miguel Castro seems to be working his way through a checklist of custom motorcycle styles. His first build was a cafe racer, but then he moved onto his second: this cheeky Honda CB350 street scrambler.

Based in California, Miguel holds down a day job as a creative director at a major ad agency, and tinkers on bikes after hours. He grew up learning how to wrench from his father, who restored Jaguars for a living. Working under the handle Dia de los Motos, he does just about all the work on his builds himself, barring a few specialist tasks.

Miguel sourced the 1970-model Honda CB350 donor for this project locally. It wasn’t running, but it was a complete bike and had been living in a garage—so at least it wasn’t a total wreck. He tore it down to its bare bones and started conceptualizing.

“My inspiration really came from all the bikes I saw one time at the One Moto Show,” says Miguel. “It really got me wanting to do something completely different than the typical CB350 cafe racers you see. I wanted to bring a bit more of a modern look to this period of bike.”

Miguel’s first step was to rebuild the Honda’s seized motor, with oversized pistons and rings from Wiseco. The cylinder and head work was outsourced, but he handled the rest of the rebuild himself. The new setup includes an upgraded cam tensioner and a Pamco electronic ignition.

The carbs are a pair of Mikuni VM30s, breathing through foam pod filters from Uni Filter. Miguel welded up a set of two-into-one stainless steel exhaust headers, then added an aftermarket GP-style muffler that he grabbed off eBay.

Next it was time to upgrade the CB350’s running gear. A Suzuki GSX-R front end was grafted on, complete with its upside-down forks and twin Tokico disc brakes. A new set of Excel rims was laced up, keeping the drum brake hub at the back.

Miguel also converted the CB’s rear suspension from a twin- to single-shock setup. He welded new mounting tabs onto the frame and swingarm, then wedged in a Honda CBR shock body with a Progressive spring.

There’s more fabrication up top, with a new subframe that holds a three-quarter length seat. The layout includes mounting points for the rear fender and license plate holder, along with gussets with custom logos cut into them. Miguel also incorporated an LED taillight and turn signals into the actual tubing of the rear loop.

Up front are a set of Renthal handlebars, a Brembo brake control and micro switches. There’s a Koso digital speedo too, with a PIAA headlight.

Lower down you’ll find a hand-made battery box, housing a Shorai Lithium-ion battery that’s held by a custom leather strap. Just above it is a makeshift chain roller that uses a skateboard wheel. Miguel rolled the fenders himself too—his first attempt at using an English wheel.

Miguel leaned heavily on 70s influences for the Honda’s eye-popping livery. Amanda Brisebois from Black Widow Custom Paint laid down the paint according to his design, and Ginger McCabe at New Church Moto upholstered the seat.

In case you’re wondering, this sharp little whip is now for sale so that Miguel can fund his next project. And we’re betting it won’t be another cafe racer or scrambler…

“No plans yet on what it will be,” he quips, “but I’m leaning towards a bobber.”

Dia de los Motos on Instagram

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[Greyfell]

Atrocious, IMO.

 

[DaveM]

Tens of thousands ride at the 10th Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride.

Belgrade, Serbia – Photo by Bobislav Bob Bobisavljevic We’re still grinning from last weekend’s DGR Ride – it’s hard not to smile when you’re riding with hundreds of other like-minded individuals astride their beloved motorcycles. This year marked a momentous occasion, where tens of thousands of gentlefolk around the world came together in all their finery to celebrate a decade of riding dapper in...

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[DaveM]

Speed Read, 30 May 2021

The stories that caught our eye this week, including Gene Romero’s Triumph racer being sold, an MV Agusta that an 18-month-old can ride, and a cut-price AC Sanctuary Z2. Plus detailed plans on how to build a 150 kph electric bike for about five large.

Sold: Gene Romero’s 1968 Triumph T120R Bikes with a history don’t come much better than this: a genuine T120R factory racer converted to a street tracker by Gene Romero, who in 1970 famously became the youngest person to win the AMA Grand National Championship.

The Triumph sold a few days ago on eBay for $26,500, which sounds like a bargain to us. It’s a street legal, matching numbers machine, and was sold by Ken Kaplan of the New England Motorcycle Museum. It was one of Ken’s most prized possessions, but the museum desperately needs a new roof — so the bike had to go, to help raise funds.

The conversion was completed around 20 years ago, and the bike has done fewer than 500 miles since. It keeps all the flat track niceties such as a right-side exhaust system and Dunlop K180 rubber, but adds brakes, lighting and instrumentation for road use. The balanced and tuned engine has a 750cc big bore kit, and we’re told it “sounds fantastic.”

Here’s hoping this beautiful machine will get some use in the future, and won’t be hidden away in a private collection. [Via]

MV Agusta Balance Bike ‘Start them young’ in motorcycle parlance usually means popping your five-year-old onto a secondhand Honda CRF50, and watching them do circles in your garden.

If you’re a fan of Italian exotica, though, you can start ’em even earlier with the latest model from MV Agusta. It’s a classy wooden balance bike, painted to emulate the style of a GP bike from the era of Giacomo Agostini.

Suitable for littlies 18 months and older, the balance bike comes with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty, meets stringent European safety regulations, and costs just €165 [$206]. That’s less than the cost of a pair of new levers for the F4 in your garage, which makes it a bargain in our book. [More]

Kawasaki Z2 restomod by AC Sanctuary We know the Japanese wizards at AC Sanctuary for their no-expense-spared Zeds—machines costing upwards of $35,000, with fit, finish and performance far beyond anything that rolled off the production line in the Akashi factory in the 1970s.

But occasionally, shop boss Hiroyuki Nakamura will take on a lower-budget project, like this Z2 750 — number 557 in the long list of RCM (‘Real Complete Machine’) builds. And it hasn’t lost any of that Sanctuary magic.

The most obvious change is the new alloy wheels, with the front dropping down a size to match the 18-inch rear. That’s still a size up from the 17-inchers usually specc’d for RCM builds, but keeps a little more of the retro vibe.

The swingarm is custom, the shocks are new, and the forks have been refurbished rather than replaced.

The engine has been rebuilt, right down to a balanced crank, but is essentially still in stock spec. Nakamura refers to it as a “high-level overhaul, highly reliable” with a “light tune.” The Nitro Racing exhaust no doubt helps with the horsepower figures.

With a new Daytona seat, new Brembo brakes and a Candy Brown version of the iconic ‘Fireball’ colorway on the tank, this Z2 is no half-assed budget bodge. Nakamura says his goal was to make it “amazing as a running vehicle, not a ‘treasure’,” and we reckon he’s succeeded. Even better, you don’t need to be a lottery winner to ride it. [More]

Build your own electric streetfighter Books and guides on ‘How to build a motorcycle’ have been around forever. Decades ago, you could buy plans that covered everything from frame construction to engine design; some books, such as Tony Foale’s Motorcycle Handling and Chassis Design, are still relevant today.

In years past, though, a certain amount of mechanical skill was assumed. And that was just fine, because knowing how to operate a lathe or use welding equipment wasn’t a particularly rare skill.

But the advent of computer-aided design has changed all that. And the website Renewable Systems Technology is now offering $10 plans—or rather, CAD files—for DIY buffs who want to make a 150 kph motorcycle for around $5,000.

There’s also a list of tools and parts you’ll need, including a 72V motor and a GSX-R750 front end. Plus a 32-minute YouTube video for a bit of handholding while you go through the process.

Since we’re not particularly mechanically minded, we’re unsure if the instructions are on-point or a recipe for disaster. But if you want to have a crack at building your own cut-price Zero, let us know how you get on.

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[DaveM]

UNDERSTATED SHOP BIKE: Honda CB900F by Zed Made.

The builder with the half-finished house, the dentist with terrible teeth, and the landscaper with a deadset jungle in his backyard. It’s the age-old story of those who do the best work, are often so busy they can never find time to finish their own. Add in any setback or parts delays and it’s no wonder that when you go to a custom car or bike garage, their ‘shop project’ has seemed to be in the...

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[DaveM]

Ant: Hookie Co. customizes the Cake Ösa electric bike

The compact and modular nature of electric drivetrains makes them well suited to small utility motorcycles. But surprisingly few manufacturers have jumped on this bandwagon. Two names spring to mind: UBCO in New Zealand, and the premium Swedish electric bike brand, Cake.

Cake’s delightfully quirky Ösa is a $9,500 electric utility bike that can be configured with a vast array of accessories, like luggage carriers, cargo racks and even a trailer. But despite the endless setup possibilities, the crew at Hookie Co. in Dresden saw potential for more.

The team bought a pair of Ösas for the shop last year: an Ösa+ and an Ösa lite. The Ösa+ has a 10 kW motor that’s good for a top speed of 90 km/h and a city range of 84 km. The cheaper Ösa lite’s 4 kW motor can only manage 45 km/h, but bumps up the city range to 92 km. Both bikes share the same chassis.

After putting enough miles into their Ösas to figure out what their specific needs were, Hookie started throwing concepts around.

The idea was to retain the bike’s modular nature, but tailor it to their own style. And make it look a whole lot radder in the process.

“The briefing was clear to not build an Ösa that looks like a motorcycle,” says Hookie founder, Nico Müller. “We didn’t want to add a fake fuel tank or fake pipes. We wanted to give the Ösa more a sporty, young and an arty look.”

The Ösa’s main frame backbone acts as an anchor point for its accessories, so Hookie decided to exploit this. They designed a new aluminum body panel to sit on the frame and wrap around it, then 3D printed brackets to attach it to the backbone.

The new bodywork has a big impact on the Ösa’s aesthetics, and creates a canvas to add color or art. But the front part of the bodywork also adds an extra hit of modularity, by providing discreet attachment points for a pair of bags from the German outdoor brand Heimplanet.

Hookie has tweaked the Ösa’s ergonomics too, with a clever adjustment system for the footpegs. The OEM pegs are now mounted on a pair of movable plates, which in turn bolt to custom-made backing plates, attached to the bottom of the frame.

The new saddle is long enough for the rider to shift forward and backwards on, and can take a passenger in a pinch. Covered in Alcantara, it’s also slimmer than the stock unit, which brings the seat height down.

Sitting on top of the battery is another custom add-on: a cargo basket that’s held in place by the bike’s battery strap. It consists of an aluminum body, with a tough elastic band running across the top to keep goods in place.

Up front, Hookie unbolted the Ösa’s original headlight, and bolted on a custom-made bracket to hold a Koso Thunderbolt LED headlight. They also installed their Frozen grips, new mirrors, and their Rapid LED turn signals, mounted stealthily to the handlebars. Out back is a custom frame ‘cap,’ with two LED taillights embedded into it.

One of the Ösa’s body panels is powder coated white, and wrapped in color block vinyls. The other one was painted by Nico, and reads “whenever things get complicated, ride and play hookie.”

Both bikes are sporting a set of all-terrain Bridgestone REC tires, measuring 14×5.4”. It’s a tight fit, but Nico assures us there’s no rubbing… and it means the crew can take their Ösas anywhere, which is exactly what they’ve been doing.

Hookie will be building a limited number of these to order, and, since there’s no cutting or welding involved, offering a kit too. They’ve christened their Ösa design ANT, after the strength of nature’s hardest working insect. “And ants are team players,” says Nico, “just like us!”

Hookie Co. | Facebook | Instagram

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[DaveM]

MR BUNGLE: Harley-Davidson Roadster by Gasoline Motor Co.

On a busy inner-city road in Sydney, Australia, sits a large black warehouse that looks like many in its industrial area. The thing that sets this warehouse apart is that behind the giant roller doors is what can only be described as an Aladdin’s cave of motorcycles. It looks more like a motorcycle museum than a workshop, with rare classics, new and custom bikes everywhere – even stacked up on top...

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[DaveM]

PROJEKT 2K: BMW K100 by Spitfire Speed Shop.

Building bikes to such a level that you’re invited to display at the biggest show in the United Kingdom takes serious skill but building a brand that’s just as successful at the same time, that takes genius. Luckily, Tommo and Dav from Spitfire Speed Shop have both in spades and as their apparel line continues to fly off the shelves, in true Spitfire style, they have never taken their eye off the...

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[DaveM]

Mini-chop: A solid gold Kawasaki W175 from West Java

The Indonesian custom scene is a rich seam of gold, and this compact chop from Tole Motorworks is 24-carat perfection. It’s based on the Kawasaki W175, and not surprisingly, picked up an award at the huge local show Kustomfest.

The W175 is one of those bikes from the big Japanese manufacturers that we never see in the West. It’s a step up from the usual no-frills commuter machines, and blends old school styling with a reliable 13 hp air-cooled single.

A lot of W175s in Southeast Asia get customized after the warranty has expired, usually with paint-by-numbers ‘cafe racer’ makeovers. But there’s also a thriving chopper subculture for W175s, and that’s the direction Tole has gone in.

The workshop is based in the mountain resort city of Bogor and is a one-man operation run by 25-year-old Febrian Ramadhan. He doesn’t have a laboratory-level workshop or a CAD workstation, but he knows how to weld frames and beat metal.

Febrian is helped by his English-speaking brother Ghifara, who gave us an insight into how Tole started. “He was homeschooled because got he bullied, and then went to the Hendriansyah Speed Shop for training in engine mechanics.”

“That was where he got the nickname ‘Tole,’ which means ‘Boy’ in Javanese. He was the youngest trainee there; the others were in their late 20s or early 30s.” Febrian actually built his first bike when he was 15 (and we’ve seen the snapshots of him working at home, welding sparks and all).

But back to this Kawasaki. It bears little resemblance to the factory W175, and looks a good half-century older than it really is. It helps that the front of the frame is a single down tube, but the back half is completely new and is more akin to a vintage hardtail.

“We went for a ‘British chopper’ silhouette,” says Ghifara. “Since the engine is only 175 cc, we wanted to keep the build compact and slim. We chopped out 80% of the frame and recreated the rest.”

Wheels are critical to getting that vintage chopper stance, so Febrian has gone for an F21/R19 setup, using slim Akront rims. The tires are a slender 160 section at the front and 195 at the rear.

The front disc brake is gone—which meant fashioning a new front hub in aluminum too. And the rear drum brake is now on the left side, to clean up the view on the (custom) exhaust side of the W175.

Febrian’s metalworking skills are to the fore on the peanut tank, which is impeccably beaten and garnished with a classic ‘W’ badge, based on the W800 design.

Tole’s client Omar asked for a gold finish on the W175, and named the bike Cahaya Ilahi—which in Indonesian means ‘Divine Light.’ The paint was outsourced to local expert Bronx Kustompaint, and the soft metallic glow is sublime.

Febrian has also fabricated a new tire-hugging rear fender, and an under-seat box to conceal the minimal electrics.

There’s an appealing simplicity to this build, because it’s something of a lost art in the West—where custom shops are constrained by punitive regulations, pervasive electronics and the cost of marketing. Sadly, bikes like this are a dying breed.

Tole Motorworks Instagram | Images by Ghifara Prayudha, with thanks to Hendra Prathama

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[DaveM]

Centennial café racer: A 1,700 cc Moto Guzzi from Spain

Moto Guzzi turned 100 this year, and celebrated with a slew of special edition models. But the crew at Guzzi Motobox in Catalonia had something grander in mind. To pay tribute to the storied Italian centenarian, they set out to build their ultimate Moto Guzzi cafe racer.

The idea of creating a 100th anniversary Moto Guzzi came about rather fortuitously. A client arrived with a whopper of a brief, and since it coincided with the factory’s birthday, the ante was upped considerably.

“The challenge,” says Guzzi Motobox co-owner, Manel Segarra Capera, “was to build a Guzzi that rivals modern day capabilities, has a top quality finish, and looks like a motorbike that has come directly from the Mandello del Lario factory.” A tall order, but one that the shop had confidence in taking on.

Guzzi Motobox (also known as GMB99) was started by Manel’s father 26 years ago, and back then worked exclusively on Moto Guzzis. Manel and his brother Sergi later joined the team, and took over the shop when their father passed away seven years ago. The team has since grown, and, as Manel puts it, “is dedicated to the completion of clients’ dreams.”

They certainly pulled out all the stops to make this dream a reality. This project started with a 2011-model Bellagio donor, but all that’s really left of it is the frame, transmission and final drive. And there’s been a number of changes to the chassis, too.

GMB99 had to shed the Bellagio’s cruiser-like geometry for something sportier, so they modified the steering neck to sharpen the steering, and fettled the rear with a new subframe.

Next they installed top-shelf Öhlins suspension; upside-down forks, and a built-to-order rear shock. The forks are held in place by a set of custom-machined yokes.

The wheels are mismatched but look like they belong together. There’s a Yamaha R1 hoop up front, and a magnesium wheel from Marvic out back. The twin front brake calipers are Beringer’s six-piston Aerotec billet aluminum units, setup with custom carbon cooling ducts for the discs.

It’s an impressive chassis package, but the real story here is the motor. GMB99 transplanted the eight-valve powerplant from a 2008-model Moto Guzzi Griso—then bumped it up to a whopping 1,700 cc. The upgrades include new cylinders, pistons, connecting rods and a crankshaft kit, adding up to “a lot of money,” as Manel admits.

There’s also a pair of 44 mm Mikuni HSR carbs fed by velocity stacks, and a custom exhaust system that terminates in an Akrapovič muffler. The crew has experience in prepping Moto Guzzi race bikes, so they put that expertise to work to rebuild and lighten the bike’s clutch. This cafe racer now makes a reported 142 hp and 160 Nm of torque.

It’s a looker too, thanks to a clever mash up of scalped and custom bodywork. The fuel tank comes off a newer Moto Guzzi V7, but the crew cut it and welded a new piece in, to ‘stretch’ it. The front fairing’s a modified Triumph Thruxton 1200 part, with the addition of a pair of custom-shaped fiberglass aero wings.

The seat’s custom too, upholstered by the Spanish seat specialists MPGas, and sporting more length and padding than most modern cafe racers. And there’s a second one that has space for a passenger, plus a removable set of pillion pegs.

Behind the fairing you’ll find new clip-ons, with Beringer controls, bar-end mirrors, and slick switches from Renard Speed Shop. There’s also a digital speedo with GMB99 branding, and a keyless ignition.

A host of smaller custom touches are sprinkled throughout the machine. Keen eyes will spot a new brace on the swingarm, but GMB99 have also fabricated a new battery box, axles, foot controls and more. The finishes are impeccable too, from the elegant blue paint to the tasteful 100th anniversary insignia.

We’ve seen plenty of Moto Guzzi cafe racers, but few that are this well considered—or this well specced. Bravo.

Guzzi Motobox | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Joan Garcia / Tecniz

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[DaveM]

KILLER KATANA: Based on a GSX-R1000 WSBK by Team Classic Suzuki.

It might be called Covid-19, but it was the year 2020 that took a hit for the whole globe, as everyone did their best to stay safe and sane. With downtime on their hands the guys at Team Classic Suzuki weren’t going to let it go to waste and with most races cancelled for the season they collectively asked themselves, ‘what if?’. The answer to that question; the ultimate Suzuki Katana for the road.

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[DaveM]

Speed Read, 6 June 2021

We’re kicking things off this week with the wildest Suzuki Katana restomod we’ve ever seen. Then we look at a classic Triumph desert sled, CCM’s new Maverick scrambler, and a formal blazer designed for motorcycling.

Suzuki Katana by Team Classic Suzuki We love a good Katana restomod as much as the next guy, but to call this scorching machine from Team Classic Suzuki ‘good’ would be an insult. It’s not the team’s first Katana build—they previously fielded one in the European Classic Endurance Championship. But this one’s built to ride on the street, and is on a whole other level.

It’s technically not a Katana either. The motor’s a 2008 World Superbike-spec mill pulled from an Alstare GSX-R1000 race bike, and overhauled by the crew’s own Nathan Colombi. It’s hooked up to a set of Alstare WSBK headers with a Racefit connector and muffler, and a Yoshimura EM Pro ECU kit. So it’s good for 200 hp at the rear wheel.

The frame’s also an Alstare WSBK affair, but the rear end’s custom. Alpha Performance Fabrications built a new swingarm and subframe, complete with a retro setup sporting twin Öhlins shocks. The wheels are magnesium Dymag CH3 items with a full Brembo brake setup.

Team Classic Suzuki procured a new-old-stock Katana nose fairing from Suzuki’s own vintage parts program, then widened it by an inch to suit the build.

The tail section is from TCS’ own catalog, and was tweaked to interface neatly with the tank. The bike’s finished off with LED lighting, carbon trim, and a slew of top-shelf parts.

Resplendent in a traditional silver livery, and adorned with period-correct Suzuki and Katana logos, this is probably the wildest 80s tribute we’ve ever seen. [More]

Ace Classics Bud Ekins desert sled replica We wax lyrical about the golden age of the California desert sled, but Bud Ekins lived it. He’s the guy that got McQueen into dirt bikes, performed the jump in The Great Escape and kickstarted the legendary Baja 1000 desert race.

This delightful vintage Triumph isn’t one of his—but it’s a damn nice replica. It was built by the father and son team at London’s Ace Classics, for a collector in France who wanted another classic Triumph in his garage. The guys suggested a Bud Ekins build, then got stuck into researching every last detail of how Bud put his bikes together, to get it just right.

Starting with a 1963 Triumph T120 Bonneville TT, Ace Classics worked in lot of interesting details to set the bike apart—like routing the throttle cables over the top of the tank. It’s also got high pipes, braced handlebars, a Bates seat, a skid plate, and an oversized air filter. The front wheel’s from a 1957 bike, because Bud favored the older half-width hub brakes, which were lighter.

Ace Classics also swapped out the rear shocks, fitted off-road tires, and saw to smaller details like bracing plates for the foot controls. It’s the perfect time machine build, and is reportedly fun to ride—so let’s hope it gets to kick up dust once in a while. [Ace Classics | Source]

The Brummell riding blazer This is quite possibly the most niche product we’ve ever come across: a formal blazer designed specifically for motorcycle use. It sounds like a kooky idea, but we have to give Brummell credit, because it’s a surprisingly well-considered piece of gear.

On the outside, the Brummell blazer looks like a typical tailored blazer, and comes in black, navy or checked fabric. But underneath the swanky exterior is a layer of abrasion-resistant Schoeller-Keprotec material, with PU foam CE level 2 protectors at the elbows and shoulders.

The backs of the shoulders are gusseted so that the blazer’s comfy when you’re riding. There’s also a hidden fastening mechanism with YKK zippers, because a simple button won’t do much to keep a blazer closed at speed. And there’s a gilet that can be zipped-in to keep you warm.

The Brummell blazer will retail at a not modest $649, but you can get it on Kickstarter for $529-$549, depending how quick you are. Outside of the Distinguished Gentlemen’s Ride or commuting to a job with a formal dress code, we don’t really see much use for formal riding gear. But some folks clearly do, because Brummell’s already hit its Kickstarter goal. [Kickstarter]

CCM Maverick The independent British manufacturer CCM has been on a roll lately. Its Spitfire range has been well received, and has now grown by one more model: the retro scrambler-styled Maverick.

CCM’s Spitfire models all share the same trellis frame, and a 600 cc single-cylinder Husqvarna motor that makes 55 hp and 50 Nm of torque.

The Maverick continues that trend, and adds a heavy hit of scrambler styling. From the compact fuel tank, to the bench seat and high double pipes, this might just be one of the best-looking scramblers on the market right now.

The Maverick comes with a digital speedo, wide bars and a high front fender. It weights a paltry 145 kilos (319 lbs), and has adjustable suspension with 120 mm at both ends. And it retails for about £9,995 (roughly $14,153) in stock trim, putting it in the same ballpark as the Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled.

That comparison might make it sound expensive, but the Maverick appears (in photos at least) to have fit and finish that’s a cut above most factory bikes. There’s also a certain bespoke feel inherent to bikes from smaller companies that’s hard to replicate. Plus if someone’s out there making retro dirt bikes with punchy single-cylinder motors, we’re all for it. [CCM Maverick | Source]

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[DaveM]

Enduring style: Giving the Street Triple a classic race vibe

The Triumph Street Triple is one of those rare bikes that have been a universal hit with riders all over the world. Ever since the first generation was launched, almost fifteen years ago, riders have raved about its performance and handling.

The streetfighter-esque styling has always been controversial though. The twin headlamps of the first model got the tick from most folks, but the slanted lamps of later models were far less popular. (Even a cursory Google search throws up multiple conversion kits.)

The polarizing looks have triggered the start of many a custom journey for owners of the current Street Triple, and that’s how this story started. This RS model had just 3,000 kilometers on the clock when the owner booked it into Angry Lane of Hong Kong.

Since 2012, the expat Parisian brothers Guillaume and Ben Barras have expanded their upmarket leather apparel business by crafting stylish customs for Hong Kong natives, and even shipping a few bikes overseas. (They’re also now the Hong Kong dealer for CAKE motorcycles.)

“The owner of this Street Triple mostly rides his bike on the twisty roads of Hong Kong,” says Guillaume. “He was offered a trade-in, towards an MV Agusta Superveloce, but he loved this Triumph too much.”

It’s not hard to see why. The 765cc powerplant is one of the top middleweight engines in the sports category, making the Street Triple RS the ultimate street bike. A hefty 121 horsepower output is matched to 41mm Showa upside-down forks, an Öhlins STX40 shock, and a Brembo M50 brake setup.

“The client sent us a couple of pictures—including one from Bike EXIF—asking if we could give the Street Triple a more aggressive look, while keeping the bike mechanically stock.”

Guillaume and Ben love to mix old with new, so they decided to go for an 80s endurance racer look. They removed as many plastics as they could from around the engine, plus the seat cowl, the passenger pegs and brackets, and the huge headlight assembly that juts out well ahead of the bars.

Fiberglass parts arrived from Airtech Streamlining in California. “We opted for a race half-fairing, and a Moriwaki-style cowl,” says Guillaume. “Both were cut and shaved to achieve the look we were after.”

“The issue with big fiberglass parts is that they twist easily; if you’re not careful, parts can be distorted and look odd. Our friend Tom, who welded the brackets, had a very hard time trying to keep the fairing straight.” The cowl required a substantial trim to make it fit and match the proportions of the fairing: after cutting about a third off the original, everything matched perfectly.

An Evotech tail tidy is used to discreetly attach the license plate, and a pair of vertically stacked brake lights adds to the classic vibe. A tiny full-carbon hugger keeps dirt off the underside of the tail unit.

In Hong Kong, Angry Lane are known for their leatherworking skills as much as their bike building, so the seat pads are both luxurious and minimalist. They’re hand-made by Ben, using high-quality Italian hide on the sides and waterproof leather with a grippy ‘digital’ print on the top—sourced from the English specialist Pittards.

The front end is now finished off with a Koso LED headlight, clip-ons from the German maker ProBrake, Motogadget’s tiny mo.blaze pin indicators and a full carbon fender. The stock muffler was replaced with a Spark titanium unit—which knocks six kilos off the weight and adds a few horsepower. An Antigravity Lithium battery saves even more weight.

“The original Street Triple weighs only 166 kilos dry, and now it should be around 152,” says Guillaume. “That gives it a power-to-weight ratio similar to the Superveloce.”

For the colors, the brothers and their client chose three Porsche hues from the late 70s: a brocade red used on the 924 in 1977, plus highlights of oak green metallic and tobacco metallic. The owner got all his old parts back, and since Angry Lane left the grinder on the bench, the Street Triple can be returned to its original state quite easily.

Which is sadly fortunate, because over the weekend the owner hit a patch of oil in a corner and the bike slid out from under him. He’s fortunately unharmed, but Angry Lane are going to have to order a new fairing and seat cowl.

If you’re lucky enough to have a 2020 Street Triple in your garage and fancy replicating this look, drop the brothers a line—they’ll be willing to create an extra version of the kit for your own bike.

Angry Lane | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Ben Barras / Angry Lane

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[DaveM]

BIRMINGHAM BEAUTY: 1972 BSA B50MX ‘Museum bike’.

There was a time in motorcycling history when the BSA brand was king, not only did they build some of the best bikes in the world, they were also the largest manufacturer by volume. But perhaps the success of the brand was also its downfall, management chose to simply sit on their hands and failed to keep pace with the development boom that would arrive in the late ’60s from Japan and continental...

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