Custom Motorcycle Builds

[DaveM]

VIVA ESPAÑA: Ducati Scrambler Icon by Barnamoto.

We all know how it goes, just a few small modifications we say to ourselves, knowing all too well that it never stops there. Getting out of hand and going crazy is just part of the custom scene, but Barcelona’s Barnamoto decided that every good deed deserves another, and to match their two-wheeled creation a four-wheeled friend would get the same. So, joining their 2019 Ducati Scrambler Icon...

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[DaveM]

Gentleman Tourer: Foundry’s Moto Guzzi V1000 restomod

Tom Simpson is a busy man. As the only pair of hands at Foundry Motorcycle, he’s usually in the workshop six days a week, with the next two years of his diary blocked off. So when a project came in with a limited budget and an eight week lead time, he had to change tack.

The donor bike was a 1979 Moto Guzzi V1000 G5 that had been sourced, unseen, from a dealer in the UK, by a client in San Francisco. The bike was shipped directly to Foundry in West Sussex, with a short brief that immediately turned Tom onto the idea of doing a restomod, rather than a more extreme custom job.

“He wanted a short list of parts fitted, and everything black,” Tom tells us. “Drilled discs, a new ignition switch and the removal of the original seat and mudguards. ‘Clean as possible restomod’ was my first and favorite idea—but having not built a black bike in 10 years, I needed to inject some color.”

“The restomod approach was very much a result of deadline and budget. It was actually quite refreshing, I haven’t turned a bike around this quickly in years and I’m really pleased with how effective the changes are.”

Despite the Guzzi’s neat appearance, the job wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. The client only had photos and a description to go on when he bought it, that apparently employed a lot of poetic license. “It was previously the recipient of a very poorly executed restoration, and a comical (‘professional’) rewire,” says Tom.

“From the off the engine and gearbox felt solid, but out of tune. Four wildly different valve clearances on an engine where they’re supposed to all be the same, the clutch arm clashing with the box, and carbs fresh out of the box but never actually setup. Once this had been attended to it proved to be a trusty lump.”

The motor breathes through the newly-set Mikuni carbs via a pair of K&N filters. Tom installed a new external oil filter too, with a sand cast Foundry generator cover that he’ll be offering for sale soon. The exhaust is pretty straightforward by his standards: the stock headers were blasted and matched to a pair of reverse cone silencers, then everything was finished in black Cerakote.

Another rewire was done with a new Silent Hektik digital ignition and coils, and spread of Motogadget bits—including a mo.unit control box, a keyless mo.lock system and a small digital speedo. The LED turn signals are from Kellermann, with the rear units doubling up as taillights.

Tom rates the stock G5 as “a pretty ugly bike,” so he also ditched the seat, fenders and most of the cockpit. He kept the OEM fuel tank though, but modified it to take a Monza gas cap, and fabricated a bracket to mount the speedo in front of it.

Tom shaped up a new seat too, then had it upholstered in hard-wearing black nappa vinyl by Trim Deluxe. The frame is stock, but had to be re-painted in places thanks to an overabundance of chrome powder coat from the previous job. The fenders are Foundry stock; aluminum items that weight considerably less than the originals.

Up in the cockpit are Biltwell Inc. Tracker bars with Motone switches, a new throttle, and Honda CBR levers with custom cables. A small Bates-style headlight finishes off the front end.

The Moto Guzzi’s running gear is a mix of refurbished and new. Tom serviced the front forks, but replaced the rear shocks with a pair of YSS units. The front brake calipers were overhauled, then matched to EBC discs and braided hoses from HEL.

S. Jago Designs laid down the paint, which took inspiration from other Guzzi models from the 70s, but with a more vibrant green. “The wheel stripes look great when the bike is rolling,” says Tom, “and especially cool as they rotate backward at speed.”

The V1000 was originally meant to attend Moto Guzzi’s 100th anniversary party at Mandello, but that event was sadly postponed. Since the bike was ready and the planning had already been done, Tom’s client decided to go ahead with a road trip anyway.

“He flew to the UK on the Friday, collected the bike on the Monday and was in France on the Tuesday. One week and nearly 2,000 fault-free miles later, bike and owner returned to the UK needing nothing more than a good scrub up, before another attempt to celebrate Guzzi’s 100 again next year.”

A custom bike that looks good and can go the distance? Sign us up.

Foundry Motorcycle | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Marv Clarke

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[DaveM]

BRUTALISM: BMW R nineT by Moto Adonis.

No matter what the creative endeavour, whether you’re a sculptor, making music or building custom bikes, if you want to get paid, then you’re in the people-pleasing business! And oh what a fickle bunch the public can be, one minute you’re the king at the top of your game, the next you’re on celebrity rehab or some other reality TV show for washed up has-beens. But not the crew at Netherland’s Moto...

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[DaveM]

Signing off: Two Wheels Empire’s final BMW K-series build

They say if you do what you love, you’ll never work a single day in your life—but they also say never to mix business with pleasure. After a few years in the custom motorcycle industry, Lithuania’s Two Wheels Empire is calling it a day, and switching their business to e-bikes. And this brooding BMW K1100 cafe racer is their swan song.

“We were happy to be part of the custom world,” says shop founder, Matt. “We’ve built quite a few bikes in the past—but this is the last one for us. We tried to make it into a business, but overall it turned out to be a great hobby.”

Dubbed ‘Casino Royale,’ this 1991 BMW K1100 RS is the third in a series of ‘flying brick’ cafe racers from Two Wheels Empire. It shares the same general style as the first two builds—except that those were based on K100s, and Casino Royale has a parts spec that’s made it the most expensive of the three. Think of it as the evolution of the species.

“It’s still not perfect,” says Matt, “but it’s close to perfection. There’s not much more to improve.”

The K1100 RS is the epitome of 90s BMW motorcycle design, with a big, goofy touring fairing and three-spoke wheels. But none of that fit Two Wheels Empire’s template—so they tore it down, checked and service the motor, and got cracking.

The three-spoke wheels had to go, so the team retrofitted a pair of ‘octagon’ hoops from an older K100. Then they widened the rear rim, so that it could run a 160-wide tire; “barely,” quips Matt. The tires are street-focused Pirelli Angel GT items.

Up front are the upside down Öhlins forks and twin Brembo brakes from a 2017-model Aprilia Tuono 1000 R, held in place by triple clamps from Powerbrick Performance. There’s a custom-built Öhlins shock out back, with a custom clamp holding its remote reservoir. The rear brake disc is a one-off too.

Higher up the crew installed a fiberglass tail section and leather seat, made by fellow Lithuanian outfit Twisted Brothers. A new subframe was fabricated to accommodate it, with an inner fender to keep muck off the motor. The rear end’s finished off with a tiny LED taillight, with a swingarm-mounted license plate holder lower down.

The only other bodywork is the OEM fuel tank, and a carbon fiber front fender. The tank and tail have been painted in Mercedes’ Selenite Magno Grey—a subtler option than the traditional matte black. The tank’s also adorned with artwork from Ian Fleming’s original Casino Royal book cover.

The cockpit’s sporting new clip-ons, with a Domino throttle, Brembo brake master cylinder, and Motogadget speedo, push buttons, bar-end mirrors and turn signals. There’s a Harley-Davidson LED headlight out front, and a pair of Motogadget pin LED turn signals out back.

Under the hood, Two Wheels Empire completely rewired the bike with a Lithium-ion battery and a Motogadget mo.unit controller. They also swapped the engine’s airbox for a K&N filter, and installed their signature four-into-one exhaust that exits via an underslung box muffler on the right. Other touches include custom-made radiator protector trimmings, and a gas cap and foot controls from Powerbrick.

“I would like to say thanks to Fredrik Nystron from Sweden for help with some design solutions and being an investor in the business,” adds Matt. “Also Vidas Mockus for great mechanical and metal work, Juozas Pranskaitis for pictures, and the whole Two Wheels Empire team—especially my wife.”

“As for me, I’m heading for the e-bike industry and looking forward to building my first electric bike in the near future—maybe a custom build, or a motor swap, or a motocross bike.”

We wish Matt and the rest of the team well, but we can’t help but wonder: is this really his last traditional custom motorcycle build? “I’d be interested in making one special K with an unlimited budget—an even more perfect version, one last time,” he admits.

Two Wheels Empire on Instagram | Images by Juozas Pranskaitis and Aušra Vaigauskaitė

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[sikatri]

E-bikes like e-cars are the future. I still have my reservations on e-cars and some of the issues that are starting to pop up. I’ll wait for both to mature a bit.

 

[DaveM]

AMERCIAN DREAM: Prism Supply’s 1952 Harley-Davidson ‘Bronco Bronze’.

Nearly everyone has their own definition of the ‘American Dream’, but the original meaning was not a dream about individual wealth; it was a dream of equality, justice and democracy for the nation. The unfortunate reality was, however, that there was a time in the 1950s when there were barriers in place for people of color to do many things, such as buy their dream motorcycle – even when they had...

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[DaveM]

Speed Read, September 26, 2021

This week’s bikes come in all shapes and sizes. We’ve got a Ducati Scrambler Cafe Racer from Poland, a Suzuki Thunder 125 chopper from Indonesia, and a custom mini-bike from a small Hungarian village. Plus we take a look at BMW Motorrad’s fourth Pure&Crafted show.

Ducati Scrambler 800 by Dixer Parts The oddly named Ducati Scrambler Cafe Racer was an attempt by Ducati to inject cafe racer styling into their Scrambler 800 platform—but it wasn’t nearly as cool as it could have been. Now the Polish workshop Dixer Parts have put their own spin on it, giving it a razor-sharp look, and upgrading its running gear in the process.

Dixer’s Scrambler actually uses Ducati’s OEM fuel tank, seat, removable tail cover and side covers, because those are the parts that actually look good. But they’ve transformed the bike visually with a new front fairing, mounted on special 3D printed brackets.

The Ducati’s killer new livery is noteworthy too. Laid down by Lukasz at LC Grafix, the black and gold paint actually has a holographic effect that pops when the light hits it just right.

But the biggest mod here is one of the subtlest. Dixer swapped the front end for the Showa forks and twin Tokico disc brakes from a Kawasaki ZX6-R. Dixer manufacturers brake discs that are most commonly used for stunt riding, so a pair of those went on too. This Scrambler now has much better stopping power than before, and a full range of adjustment on the forks.

The bike also has a custom mount for the ABS sensor (because there was nowhere to put it on the Kawasaki forks), and a custom-made rear sprocket.

It’s also sporting an LED headlight out front, and a Dixer Parts license plate bracket out front. Lower down is a meaty SC Project silencer, with a sprinkling of Rizoma and Motogadget parts.

It’s a subtle but well judged set of mods, which also shows just how close Ducati were to getting it right. [Dixer Parts]

Suzuki Thunder 125 by Batakastem Workshop One thing that always strikes us about the Indonesian custom scene is the love for, and level of creativity applied to, customizing smaller motorcycles. After all, how many other places in the world will you find a chopper built from a humble commuter bike?

This stunner comes from Indonesia’s Batakastem Workshop, and uses a modest Suzuki Thunder 125 as its donor. “Since we love to create original concepts,” says shop owner Abraham Simatupang, “we combined two classic motorcycle styles—the bobber and the chopper.”

Dubbed ‘Sondang’ (which translates as ‘song’), this petite chop only really uses the Thunder’s motor and forks. The engine’s not stock though: it’s been upgraded with the four-valve head from a Hyosung RX 125. The carb’s from TK Racing, and the exhaust is a free-flowing stainless steel arrangement.

Batakastem fabricated a rigid frame to house it, topped off with a gloss silver finish. The wheels were pieced together using custom-made hubs, stainless steel spokes and 19F/17R aluminum rims.

Up top is a custom peanut tank, with a handmade aluminum gas cap and petcock. The sprung seat’s a one-off too, and sports a traditional pleated upholstery style. Out back is a stubby rear fender, with a unique short, double-railed sissy bar.

Hardly an inch on this chopper isn’t handmade. Batakastem constructed the narrowed yokes, A-frame handlebars, and foot controls and linkages. There’s a classic 4 ½ inch headlight out front, and a side-mounted LED taillight out back.

As cheeky as it is gorgeous, Sondang is another reminder to never take your eyes off the Indonesian custom scene. [Batakastem Workshop]

Pick’n’mix mini-bike by Gábor László Many parents these days struggle to get their kids’ noses out of electronic devices and into nature—but not Gábor László, whose son and daughter would rather ride motorcycles. “I find this more useful than video games, so I decided to build a motorcycle for them,” says Gabi.

The family lives in a small Hungarian village where off-road trails abound, so Gabi decided to piece together a mini-bike that the kids could go wild on. He was working on an extremely tight budget, but the result is a unique rough-and-tumble motorcycle.

The frame, motor, tank and wheels all came from European-made mopeds. The front half of the frame came from a Polish-made Romet Pony, the 50 cc motor from a German-made Simson Star, and the wheels from a German-made Solo. Gabi fabricated the rear half of the frame himself.

A modified Riga-12 (built in Riga, as implied) fuel tank sits up top, with a cap made from an old gas bottle valve wheel. Gabi illustrated the character on the tank himself, then covered it in a coat of lacquer. The wolf is the antagonist from a popular animated Soviet TV show, who is constantly up to no good in his pursuit of a hare.

Gabi also trimmed and fitted the rear fender from an MZ ETZ 250. In between are a host of laser-cut and drilled parts, like the headlight brackets and exhaust heat shield. The seat’s the only part that he didn’t make himself—but he’s planning to replace it with something nicer later on.

We’re struggling to imagine a better childhood than being able to hoon around a forest all day on this little ripper.

Pure&Crafted by BMW Motorrad After an absence of more than 18 months, BMW Motorrad’s Pure&Crafted festival returned to the motorcycle show circuit last weekend. Now in its fourth running, the show combines custom motorcycle culture with live music, sprinkling good food and drink, and lifestyle goods, in between.

We attended the last Pure&Crafted in Amsterdam back in 2019, and had a ball.

This year, the show returned to the city where it was first held: Berlin. It was held the Messe Berlin exhibition center in the Western part of the city, and incorporated the venue’s outdoor Sommergarten [summer garden]. It’s estimated that around 6,000 pairs of feet passed through over the weekend, including visitors, artists and exhibitors.

Pure&Crafted’s various attractions were spread out through the sprawling venue, and included a goods market, with brands like Bowtex and Throttlesnake in attendance. There were various food and drink vendors too, and a special kids area, complete with kid-focused entertainment and a push-scooter track.

Just next door was the ‘Wheels’ arena and the ‘Hall of Fame,’ stacked with custom bikes. Bike EXIF regulars Ironwood, Hookie Co., WalzWerk, JVB-Moto and Renard Speed Shop were all represented, alongside breakout workshops like Zillers Garage.

A pop-up cinema ran motorcycle films from the Lisbon Motorcycle Film Fest throughout the event, while the exhilarating Motodrom kept attendees on the edges of their seats.

As the sun set, various musical acts took to the event’s two stages, headlined by Swedish rockers, The Hives. Jake Bugg, Kadaver and Alice Phoebe Lou also shared the main stage, with artists like Sofia Portanet, Jupiter Jones, and The Picturebookes keeping the secondary stage hot.

Pure&Crafted might be a BMW-run festival, but it’s still a great celebration of the culture where motorcycles and music intersect. Not being there in person this time was certainly a bummer—but there’s always next year. [Pure&Crafted | Images by Frederick Hafner and Rainer Keuenhof]

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[DaveM]

STROKER GENIUS: KTM Two-Stroke Café Racer by Salt Motorcycles.

Australia’s SALT Motorcycle Company have it figured out. They know new road bikes are as refined as they are boring. Which is part of why they’ve built this; a gnarly cafe racer based on a KTM 300 two-stroke weapon — a wild, raw ride that harks back to the halcyon days of motorcycling. Based in Brisbane, SALT are set to fire up production in 2021, with plans to build bespoke road-legal racers...

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[DaveM]

Optical Illusion: CW Zon’s twin-carb Knucklehead racer

When we first saw images of this bike from Custom Works Zon, we assumed it was a restoration job. And it looked like builder Yuichi Yoshizawa would have to use all his legendary skills to get the knucklehead roadworthy again.

It turned out that we were wrong. This remarkable ‘vintage racer’ is actually a ground-up build: a client commission designed to evoke the spirit of classic V-twin competition machines, dents and all.

We’ve never tagged CW Zon as a retro-leaning shop, because most of their creations are sleek and highly–finished. But the best builders have a habit of throwing sudden curve balls, and so it is here. “I imagined an old racer, and imagined how it would get dirty,” Yoshizawa-san explains. “I enjoyed ‘ageing’ it.”

Virtually all the parts are custom-made. A mere handful aren’t, such as the steering neck, seat post and rear axle. Fans of classic V-twins will also clock the S&S KN93 engine—a well-engineered update of Harley’s original knuck motor.

It’s got generator-style crankcases, a capacity increase from 74 to 93ci, and a stump-pulling 83 lb-ft of torque, delivered at around 3,000 rpm.

Yoshizawa has kept the S&S ignition that these engines usually employ, but not the S&S Super E carburetor. Instead, he’s chosen an unusual twin-carb setup that looks terrific, but was extremely tricky to plumb in.

With the help of local specialist Flat Head Power, CW Zon modified the cylinder heads to accept a pair of Linkert M88 carbs. Usually found on war-era Army side valve engines, they’re now sitting on handmade manifolds and operated by a custom linkage.

The hefty OHV engine is hooked up to a kicker four-speed transmission and cradled in a completely custom steel frame, which Yoshizawa built by hand.

Although it’s based on the original FL frame, Yoshizawa’s version is about four inches shorter than stock—which gives the bike a remarkably compact look.

The frame is hooked up to hill climb-style springer forks, based on the factory design used between the wars. CW Zon have modified this design, shortening it by four inches for road use, and narrowing it by around an inch too.

The front brake is typical of that used on old springers, being a twin-leading shoe drum setup. But the wheels, shod with period-correct 400-18 Firestone ANS bias ply tires, are most unusual.

Built by Sansei in Kyoto to CW Zon’s design, the rims are both 18×3.5 inches and attached to custom-machined hubs using hollow pipe spokes. The lathes were working overtime, but the effect was worth it. The rear is especially neat, with a one-off brake/sprocket drum assembly and custom linkage.

CW Zon fabricated all the bodywork in-house, although it looks like it has spent most of the past 80 years being thrashed around a paddock. The tank is even slightly dented; fitted with authentic screw-on caps, it sends gas to the twin carbs via a Pingel dual-outlet fuel valve.

A grimy and weathered flush-fitting nacelle covers the fork springs, but also hides discreet Kellermann LED lighting peeking through a pair of drilled holes. We’re not sure how effective the beam pattern will be—or the tiny matching blinkers—but maybe they’re enough to make the bike road legal in Japan.

The seat looks like a barn find, but it’s entirely new. It’s plush and comfortable, as befits a hardtail, and was crafted (and aged) by CW Zon collaborator Kurei Yonsoku.

He based it on the race seats typically used in the 1930s, and it’s braced by a stay underneath that Yoshizawa fabricated to replicates a traditional casting. The stay is hooked up to an old school shock unit for extra absorption.

All the smaller hard parts are hand-turned, from the hand and foot controls to the beautifully swept bars.

If something looks clunky or grimy, you can bet it’s deliberate. Because all this engineering would be for nothing if the bike looked like a sleek and shiny restomod.

The exhaust system, for example, is the murky monochrome color you’d expect to see on an ancient and unloved bike.

But the nondescript-looking custom pipes were first coated with high temp white paint, and then sooted up. Over time the white may peek through, but for now, it’s a million miles away from the ‘show finish’ you’d see at a Pebble Beach concours.

CW Zon enlisted the help of the Kobe paintshop Aozora Works to get these effects. The skill involved is unreal, from light weathering on the frame to real rust and gasoline streaks on the tank.

Yoshizawa gave the knuck a shakedown a few days ago at the Chirihama Sandflats event, which is the Japanese equivalent of The Race of Gentlemen in the US (or the Normandy Beach Race in France).

And what a sight that must have been. This is one of the best V-twin customs we’ve seen in the history of EXIF.

CW Zon | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Hiromitsu Yasui

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[DaveM]

CARBON CAFE: Suzuki GS550 ‘Tanso’.

‘A good marriage isn’t something you find. It’s something you make, and you have to keep on making it.’ The same can be said for a great custom build, often found as a disaster, but with the same level of love, commitment and hard work, you shape together something that will enrich your life forever. Happily living the dream in Cincinnati, Ohio, Mike Mitchum has found both, sharing his life and...

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[DaveM]

Ride Free: A KTM Freeride EX C electric scrambler

Any conversation about electric motorcycles will eventually turn to gripes about range and charging times. But if you just want to hoon around on trails with your friends on weekends, without alerting the locals, a small electric enduro makes sense. Which is why Tom Gilroy at Purpose Built Moto picked the KTM Freeride EX C for his latest project.

This KTM Freeride model packs 42 Nm of torque into a package weighing just 108 kilos [238 pounds], with a top speed of 80 km/h and a city range of 100 km. So it’s the perfect weekend weapon.

“I was excited to have a ride on this thing,” says Tom, “but I wasn’t excited about the way it looked. Like most E-motorcycles, it had a sharp appearance devoid of any shred of nostalgia. I think that’s a sticking point for converting a lot of riders to electric bikes.”

“My bet was if I could inject a touch of class, a little nostalgia and jam in a bit of PBM styling, I might get a few people off the fence and onto electric bikes.”

Tom hasn’t technically customized the KTM under the Purpose Built Moto banner though. Instead, PBM has teamed up with another e-bike enthusiast to form a new company, Grid Cycles. This scrambler their first official release, and there’s a Zero-based street tracker breaking cover soon too.

The Freeride EX C is made for pure off-roading—so it has no turn signals, no license plate mount, and minimal bodywork. “The teardown was simple,” says Tom. “Being a motocrosser, it’s built to be pulled down in five minutes track side; plastics off, power pack out, subframe gone.”

Tom had the idea to hollow out a vintage-style fuel tank, and turn it into a new cover for the battery, electronics and charge port. So he bought a few aftermarket options, and started measuring. In the end, a replica Yamaha XT500 unit from the late ‘70s ended up being the perfect donor.

Once the bottom was chopped off and the shell modified to fit, the crew fabricated a hinge system to provide access to the components underneath. A push button up front releases the tank from a custom-made latch, with a handle and gas strut to help lift it. Tucked inside the shell is a hidden fabric pouch—big enough to stow a smartphone or a pair of gloves.

Tom didn’t want to hack the KTM’s main frame, so he fabricated a bolt-on chromoly subframe to hold a new custom saddle. Because of the tank’s hinge position, the seat had to be made with a two-piece base, so that part of it could flip up with the tank.

“The idea was to work with the KTM by just modifying the external bodywork,” says Tom. “That way we could more easily replicate this bike. The wheels would stay, the frame wouldn’t be repainted, and the running gear would remain untouched.”

The left side of the subframe includes two extra mounting points, to fit a hand-made chromoly surfboard rack to. It bolts on in a hot minute, and leaves hardly a trace when it’s not fitted.

Up front, the team built a tubular bracket to hold a 5.75” Flashpoint LED headlight, and a pair of LED turn signals. Just below is a hand-shaped aluminum fender, similar to the one PBM put on their Harley Dual-Sporty. The tail wears a set of LED turn signal and taillight combos, and a small custom plate mount.

For the livery, Tom decided to accentuate the KTM’s distinctive orange chassis with a subtle black base and color-matched highlights. The seat was trimmed to match, using a modern gripper fabric.

“The KTM is bucketloads of fun,” reports Tom. “It’s super light, handles well and while the top speed isn’t anything wild, it makes getting there a lot of fun.”

Grid Cycles’ classic twist on the modern KTM has done wonders for its aesthetic appeal too. They’ve taken it from garden-variety plastic motocrosser to retro scrambler, adding a touch of class to its inherently fun nature. We’d say they’ve kicked things off well.

Purpose Built Moto | Grid Cycles | Images by Nine Five Media

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[DaveM]

THE FASTEST INDIAN CHIEF BY RSD.

Back in April of this year, we were given an inside look at three custom builds of the all-new Indian Chief that had been commissioned by the American company. It was clear at the time that the new Chief was designed to return the cruiser to a more simple design and in doing so, allow customisers more freedom without the constraints that overly complex modern bikes often impose.

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[DaveM]

SBK #4: Walt Siegl’s latest Ducati Superbike is his best yet

There’s something lacking in contemporary superbike design. Aside from the odd alluring exception, most modern superbikes look sterile—even if they are lightning fast.

Walt Siegl’s made-to-order, Ducati-powered SBK series is the antidote. Each SBK combines modern performance with timeless styling, sprinkled with cherry-picked parts and a healthy dollop of unobtanium. This is the fourth one that Walt’s built, commissioned by an existing client who already owns one of his Leggero builds.

“I built this SBK the way I would have built it for myself,” Walt tells us. “That’s exactly what the owner asked me to do: build the bike I would want to own.”

Each Walt Siegl Motorcycles SBK uses the same basic ingredients: an aircraft-grade chromoly frame, carbon fiber bodywork, and a special engine built by the Ducati specialist Bruce Meyers Performance. But Walt is relentless in his pursuit of perfection—so SBK #4 has evolved since the first build.

Walt took the brief on this bike quite literally, by using a motor that Bruce had built for a personal SBK project that never happened. “I love Ducati’s long stroke motors,” he says, “but instead of a big monster Corsa engine, I wanted an engine that’s as spritely and responsive as possible, matching the lightness and agility of my SBK chassis.”

“The idea behind the SBK was to build a machine as agile as possible, that steers significantly better than anything you can buy off the showroom floor. Such a bike allows its owner to become a better rider—because riding well and having fun is what it’s all about. High horsepower engines are not necessarily really conducive to having fun, which is why I picked this engine configuration.”

This particular motor uses a Ducati 848 crankcase, a lightened and balanced crank with upgraded bearings, titanium connecting rods, and a 1040 cc big bore kit with Pistal race pistons. Other highlights include ported and flowed cylinder heads with high lift cams, and lightened 1098 gears with an open clutch housing.

“It picks up the throttle like a shotgun blast,” says Walt.

The SBK setup includes a custom WSM carbon fiber airbox, but it’s seen some changes. Most notable is a new fuel injection system inside, designed to reduce air turbulence. The electronics package includes a custom-programmed ECU, traction control and a quick-shifter.

The exhaust headers are unique to this SBK, and terminate in an SC-Project muffler. It has a removable dB-killer that offers an additional 5 horsepower when it’s out.

There’s running gear to match the motor too. Walt specc’d it with Öhlins suspension at both ends, complete with custom internals matched to the bike’s light weight. The wheels are ultra-light carbon fiber units from BST, and the brakes are Brembo radial calipers with Spiegler Performance lines.

All of the bodywork is carbon fiber, manufactured by Indy Performance using tooling masters that Walt made in-house. He redesigned the SBK tank on this project to increase its capacity, and to change the way air flows into the airbox. And, to save weight, the floor of the carbon fiber tank is now the lid of the airbox.

The tail section sits on a carbon fiber subframe, which weighs a paltry three pounds. It’s another part that’s been improved on SBK #4.

“I’m always trying to build the perfect machine,” says Walt, “but I don’t want to give up the visual clues that show that these bikes are largely designed by me, and built with my hands. This is always a conversation I have with myself: which components should carry that visual language of the handmade?”

“I worry sometimes that some streamlined, high-tech looking parts might lose that visual aspect, of all the love and effort that I put into these machines.”

Because of the demands of a race bike, not all components can be made by hand—but everything is top shelf. Up in the cockpit are a Ducati Corsa magnesium upper triple tree, an Öhlins steering damper, Brembo RC master cylinders, a Ducati 1198S speedo, Ducabike switches and Kellermann turn signals. The subtly branded foot controls are Walt’s own products.

The Ducati’s owner did have one special request: the color. “He sent me a picture of a Ferrari SP2 painted in a limited color,” Walt tells us.

“It’s always a bit tricky to try to transfer color combinations that work on a car onto motorcycles—it’s not always successful. Cars, with their big panels, reflect light and show shadows much differently than on bikes, since bikes have much more intricate surfaces.”

The risk paid off though—SBK #4’s livery is simple and striking, complete with a WSM logo that tips its hat to vintage Ducati typefaces. It epitomizes what we’ve come to expect from Walt: desirability, quality, and supreme levels of good taste.

Walt Siegl Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Gregory George Moore

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[DaveM]

RED-HOT: BMW R100 by Incerum Customs.

Whether I’m out on the road, trawling the internet or checking my inbox of a morning, there is never a shortage of motorcycles to look at. Some you simply admire with a nod of the head, others you just want to ride and give them the beans, and a good handful take you down a rabbit hole of exploring a fantasy potential purchase. Then there are the truly rare few that stop you in your tracks...

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[DaveM]

Decade of Dapper Helmet Auction.

The humble motorcycle helmet really has one main job: to save your life in an accident. So it’s only fitting that the latest project by The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR) is to help save more lives by raising money for men’s health. To celebrate a decade of riding dapper, DGR has teamed up with their helmet partner, Hedon, and given ten helmets to ten amazing artists around the world...

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[DaveM]

Rally Restomod: Viba revives the Honda Transalp

There’s talk that Honda has a new version of its popular Transalp dual-sport in the works. And although it might be wishful thinking, we’re secretly hoping that Honda will inject a little retro rally racer style into it. Something like this steezy Transalp from the French custom shop Viba would be nice.

Viba’s lead designer Yann Bakonyi got the inspiration for his 1987 Honda XL 600V Transalp build during a road trip through the Joshua Tree National Park in California. He was driving a Jeep Wrangler at the time, and imagined doing the trip on two wheels instead.

The idea to build a simple, versatile and cool-looking adventure bike was born. Yann’s rework is more restomod than full-bore custom—but it’s sublime in its subtlety.

Given the age of the donor, the first job was a proper tear down and mechanical once-over, and a fresh coat of black for the frame and swingarm. From there, the mission was twofold: tweak the Transalp visually, and make it ride better.

Yann started with the running gear, re-lacing the wheels with new spokes and Excel rims. They’re now wrapped in Avon TrekRider 50/50 rubber, for a mix of on- and off-road grip. The brakes were upgraded with Brembo discs and pads, and braided stainless steel hoses.

The crew finessed the suspension too. The Honda’s OEM Showa forks were fine-tuned with new oil and shims, and there’s a new EMC shock out back. A hidden custom-made ‘shock fender’ keeps things neat and tidy.

Yann didn’t mess with the Transalp’s original bodywork much, and even kept the substantial bash plate that it came with. He did fit a taller windshield though, and sourced a vintage front brake protector from UFO to dress the front end. The seat’s been treated to a new cover too.

Other key upgrades include a reinforced front sprocket pinion, and a programmable DevMoto ignition. Lower down is a sidestand foot extender from Kijima.

One of Viba’s strengths is 3D design and printing, which Yann put to good use here. By 3D scanning the original side fairings, he was able to print special housings to flush-mount LED spotlights into the cavities that used to hold the original turn signals. A set of tiny 3D-printed LED turn signals from Viba’s own catalog are tucked under the front of the fairing.

Another pair of Viba turn signals are mounted out back, along with a slick rally-style LED taillight, built completely in-house. Above it is a CNC-machined luggage rack, with a soft pannier from the luggage company Givi adding onboard storage.

Yann also 3D designed and printed a bracket to mount an aftermarket voltmeter; it clips onto the original fuse box. More upgrades are sprinkled around the cockpit: Viba’s own risers, a set of LSL handlebars, Daytona Sakura grips and foldable mirrors. Out front is an LED headlight originally designed for a Jeep.

Matching those well-judged mods is a supremely tasteful livery, laid over a white base. The sunset colors are a nod to California, the Kanji symbols (which translate to ‘Transalp’) reflect Yann’s love for Japan, and the topographic map behind the fairing belongs to Joshua Tree.

This super-sano Transalp is the perfect example of how small but clever changes can make a big difference. If this doesn’t make you want to spend the rest of the weekend outdoors, check your pulse.

Viba | Instagram | Facebook

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[DaveM]

Speed Read, October 3, 2021

This week, Kawasaki revealed its rather attractive new middleweight, the Z650RS. We also take a look at a sleek XT500-inspired enduro from Poland and a Tinker Hatfield custom collaboration, and pay our respects to the late Bobby Haas—the patron saint of the custom scene.

Kawasaki’s New Z650RS There’s a lot to like about the Kawasaki Z900RS, notably its retro styling, good handling and performance, and Japanese build quality. But it’s also a pretty big bike that weighs 214 kg (472 pounds) and pumps out 111 hp.

Less experienced riders who love the old school looks but would prefer to stay out of trouble now have another option from Team Green: the new Z650RS. It’s a real looker too—especially if you specify the Candy Emerald Green paint that comes with gold wheels.

Under the new skin it’s essentially the Z650 apart from the rear subframe. The parallel twin engine apparently has the same 67 hp output (and exhaust system), but is reportedly tuned more for low- and mid-range oomph. Weight is the same too, at a friendly 187 kg (412 pounds).

Kawasaki has not yet confirmed US availability, but it’s likely to be announced soon. We expect pricing will follow the European precedent, which makes the RS slightly more expensive than the regular Z650. At a little over $8,000, this should sell well. [Kawasaki Europe]

Yamaha SR500 enduro by 86 Gear Yamaha’s XT500 is one of the all-time great enduro bikes: a tough and capable air-cooled single with timeless styling. But although it sold by the tens of thousands in the 70s and 80s, and it’s long in the tooth compared to modern dual-sports, secondhand values are high and most owners are loathe to part with them.

That’s why Poland’s 86 Gear workshop have used an SR500 as the base for this retro thumper. In some ways the SR was a street version of the XT, and 86 Gear have created a stylish 70s-style scrambler using an ’82 SR500 as the donor bike.

They’ve rebuilt the engine, modified and concealed the wiring loom, and grafted on an XT500 tank to ramp up the vintage vibe.

Custom parts include the new seat and the modified subframe it sits on, but the forks and front wheel are genuine XT500. With new YSS shocks at the back, the longer suspension travel also meant installing a chain tensioner.

The lighting matches the vibe perfectly, using replicas of classic designs—a UFO headlight and a TT500 taillight.

As a smart, functional dual sport for light trails, it doesn’t get much better than this. And it won’t require a degree in electronics to maintain. [Via]

Tinker Hatfield X See See Zero SR/F If you’re a sneaker freak, you’ll know the name Tinker Hatfield. He’s Vice President for Design for Nike, and his portfolio includes models such as the Air Max 1 and Air Jordan III. He’s a keen rider too, ever since Michael Jordan introduced him to the delights of motorcycles many years ago.

Hatfield has now hooked up with Thor Drake of See See Motorcycles to create a custom Zero. It’s being auctioned off later this month to raise funds for the Friends of Columbia County, a non-profit that runs a public library in Florida.

This SR/F is a 180-degree switch away from the smooth style of the factory machine, and blurs the line between pure custom and art project.

Working to Hatfield’s brief, Thor ripped off the Zero’s bodywork and gave it a mechanistic vibe with new body panels, plus a new seat and tail unit. The upholstery was designed by See See team rider and tattoo artist Drat Diestler, and sewn up by New Church Moto.

Most of the mods are cosmetic, and for good reason—as any builder who has tackled an electric bike will know. “Have you ever taken apart a computer?” says Thor dryly. “That’s what it was like to custom build. We powder coated and anodized very specific parts in the process, and the final touch was lots of polishing. I also suck at that, but that’s ok!”

The front end is heavily revised though, with new bars, a cleaned-up dash area, and top-spec Öhlins forks. “Maybe they fell off the race truck?” Thor says cryptically. “Not too easy to get—or fit.”

If you like the sound (or whirr) of a unique custom with the name of a modern cultural icon attached, keep an eye on Bonhams’ Modern Decorative Art and Design auction in Los Angeles. The hammer drops on 21 October. [See See Motorcycles]

Bobby Haas, 1947-2021 If there’s anyone who could be described as the patron saint of custom motorcycles, it’s Bobby Haas. So we were saddened to hear that he passed away last Tuesday, at the age of 74.

Max Hazan introduced us to Bobby almost exactly three years ago, and many conversations followed over email. We’ve since featured many of the machines that Bobby commissioned for his incredible Moto Museum in Dallas, which he ran with his partner Stacey Mayfield. It now houses over 230 motorcycles across 20,000 square feet.

Bobby had good taste in choosing his exhibits, and most of the builders’ names will be familiar to our readers. Hazan is in there, of course, and also Craig Rodsmith, Dirk Oehlerking of Kingston Customs, Walt Siegl and Mitsuhiro ‘Kiyo’ Kiyonaga.

The Dallas Morning News has an excellent recap of Bobby’s career; it also reports that he suffered an aggressive case of COVID-19 in June 2020 that kept him confined at home for well over a month.

Unfortunately, respiratory issues resurfaced a few weeks ago, and it was a challenge that Bobby lost.

Aside from his interest in motorcycles, Bobby lived a very unusual and full life, captured in the documentary Leaving Tracks. It’s unlikely that we’ll see a man of his stature in the industry again, and the custom scene will be much the worse for it. [Haas Moto Museum]

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[DaveM]

ALLOY ANNIVERSARY: Kawasaki AR80 ‘Cavalleggero’ by Omega Racer.

‘A century is about events, a decade is about people’, and for the last ten years Markus Pintzinger has ensured that he’s surrounded himself with the best folks; and the proof as they say is in the pudding. He started out with just a laptop to work from and since then he’s built a business that sells custom parts, builds brilliant bikes, and employs a host of amazing people. So to celebrate a...

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[DaveM]

Homemade Sin: A wild custom Dyna from ICON Motosports

Our friends at ICON Motosports in Portland have a unique way of promoting their motorcycle gear. They’re known for producing off-the-wall videos filled with tire smoke and wheelies, and for building bonkers custom bikes that complement the aggressive styling of their goods. ‘Homemade Sin’ is their latest masterpiece; an S&S Cycle-powered Dyna, with Honda bodywork and a bad attitude.

“As ugly as Homemade Sin and twice as fast, she, like most ICON builds, is an acquired taste,” quips ICON’s design director, Kurt Walter.

Described as “obscenely wide and built for glory,” this is a Frankenbike of the highest order. At its core is a T124 Black Edition motor from S&S Cycle, crammed into a 2013 Harley-Davidson Dyna frame, and surrounded by a smorgasbord of aftermarket and scalped parts.

Off the shelf, the 124 ci motor is good for a stonking 131.9 hp and 133.5 Nm—but Kurt says this one makes more, “through use of cantrips and darkish magic.” It inhales through an S&S air cleaner, and exhales via a set of custom-made exhaust headers, with S&S mufflers barking out the back. A Belt Drives Ltd. clutch and chain conversion sends power to the back wheel.

ICON naturally also traded the Dyna’s low-slung cruiser stance for something a little more purpose-driven. Up front are set of upside-down forks, borrowed from a Ducati Monster. The wide yokes are particularly unique: they were made by Ducati in the 2000s, for a factory-sponsored Monster custom build-off.

“This was in the heyday of Biker Build-Off and before the great Italian renaissance, and Ducati was feeling left out of the fat tire fun,” Kurt tells us. “The factory made these obnoxiously wide-glide triple trees, and somehow we ended up with a set. I wanted to use them to remind Ducati that we remember what they did at band camp.”

Out back is a tasty aluminum swingarm from Roaring Toyz, hooked up to a pair of Nitron piggyback shocks. The wheels are vintage Abe cast alloy units, wrapped in 16” Avon Cobra Chrome tires with a chunky 150 up front, and a 160 at the back.

Braking duties are handled by AP Racing calipers, gripping EBC rotors. And if you didn’t spot the massive front disc the first time around, it’s because it’s cut with the same star pattern as the wheel.

ICON cut, massaged and pasted Homemade Sin’s body parts from two different Hondas. The fork shrouds and headlight are from from a 1969 Honda Dream (yes, really), and have been reassembled around an additional oil cooler. Everything’s bolted to custom-made brackets, with a drilled radiator guard to finish it off.

Take a closer look at the headlight, and you’ll see an ashtray where the Dream’s speedo used to sit, and a pop-out lighter where the ignition used to be. “My very first bike was a Honda Urban Express moped,” says Kurt. “I loved that thing; it was the Harley of mopeds. My first mod was wiring in a cigarette lighter to fire up my Lucky filters while riding.”

The fuel tank’s from an early-80s Honda CB90F Supersport; ICON modified it by welding in twin endurance-style fillers. The crew wanted to used the CB900F tailpiece too, but it didn’t quite suit the project. So they rebuilt it digitally in CAD, 3D printed it in-house, and reinforced it with fiber glass.

With no plans to run this wild animal on the street, it’s devoid of things like turn signals and speedos. The cockpit simply features a pair of clip-ons, with Renthal grips, Magura controls and the bare minimum amount of switches.

Once Homemade Sin was all buttoned up, the ICON crew headed for the derelict Middle Georgia Raceway for a proper shakedown. There, they pitted it against the equally gnarly ‘Bone Stock’—a revived 355 ci V8-powered Chevrolet Monte Carlo stock car.

“Bombing the forgotten asphalt of America’s highways and byways is a particular fetish for the ICON crew,” says Kurt. “This time we loaded up our Dyna for a race versus an American legend. Under the blistering southern sun and overgrown kudzu, she would find mechanized salvation.”

“The track had seen better days—cracked and blistered, nature was quickly reclaiming the once glorious oval. It was a fitting venue for a battle of American muscle versus American muscle, Yankee V-twin against southern V8 on a storied Georgia battleground.”

“Pushing serious horsepower through race rubber, they competed for an imagined cup, with nothing but Cicada bugs for witnesses.”

ICON Motosports | Facebook | Instagram

ICON would like to thank their sponsors: Avon Tires, Nitron Racing Shocks, S&S, Roaring Toyz, Klotz, Belt Drives Ltd., The Speed Merchant, Cometic Gasket, PBI Sprockets, EBC Brakes, Magura, Goodridge, Central Auto Body, and Performance Machine Inc.

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[DaveM]

HEAD TURNER: Triumph Speedmaster by Kott Motorcycles.

The use of ‘ram air’ intake designs, either for increased airflow into the engine or for cooling, has been around the motorcycle world for decades. How much of an improvement it makes has always been hotly debated and is determined by so many factors that we’d need to dedicate an entire article to the issue. But it was enough of a thought provoker for some at Triumph, that they literally flipped...

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