Custom Motorcycle Builds

[DaveM]

Trick Brick: Retrorides’ immaculate BMW K100

When a workshop focuses very tightly on one model of bike, it’s usually a good thing. They get to know what to modify, and what to leave alone. And where to get the biggest bang for the buck.

That’s the philosophy of the Brazilian shop Retrorides by Lourenço. Founded by brothers Gustavo and Rodrigo Lourenço and their father José, they’ve carved out a niche building very sharp BMW K series café racers—like this dark and handsome K100 RS.

The Lourenços are based in a town a couple of hours away from the huge city of São Paulo. Their company is known throughout Brazil for its slick work on cars and trucks, as well as BMW motorcycles.

It’s obvious where the passion lies, though. “I’ve always been obsessed with the K series,” Gustavo confesses. “The engines of these bikes fascinate me. I’ve done countless projects with them, but this time I wanted to do something different.”

Sadly, José passed away in December—but he would be very pleased to see the work his sons have done on this build. Retrorides have always focused on improving the lines of a bike, and that’s exactly what happened with this project.

They’ve taken inspiration from the more basic 1980s models of the K series, which were ‘naked’ roadsters, but made a critical change to the trickiest part of the styling—the fuel tank.

The original tank had a distorted bottom line, designed to accommodate the radiator. It looks reasonable when all the OEM bodywork is in place, but as soon as you remove anything, it resembles an isolated jigsaw piece.

“The ‘naked’ K100 had a small ‘radiator protector’ next to the gas tank,” says Gustavo, “so we started the project from this part. The most difficult task was to transform this piece into something to be admired, in the café racer style.”

After hours of design and several discarded models, Retrorides hit on the solution: a flush-fitting panel with a grill that complements the other lines of the tank.

After modeling the part in 3D, Retrorides manufactured it on their 3D printer using carbon fiber, with the grille machined out of billet aluminum. It’s one of the neatest solutions we’ve seen, and instantly transforms the looks of the K series.

There’s more stylish problem-solving to be found ahead of the bars, with a new fairing that wraps around a circular headlight. This is another piece of 3D design and printing, and incorporates the iconic kidney grille from BMW cars. This grille is also CNC machined out of aluminum.

The restyle is completed with the new tail unit, which sits on a truncated subframe. The creases mimic the contours of the gas cap, and there’s a built-in LED taillight. To keep things even cleaner, Retrorides have flushed in the rear turn signals as well, which are made from clear acrylic. It’s yet more attention to detail that gives this K100 a smooth and appealing visual flow.

“At this point, the design was basically done,” says Gustavo. “So it was time to start on the mechanical parts and details.”

Stance is critical, so the crew began with the wheels. They took a pair of 17-inch rims, finished them off in bronze, and adjusted the offset of the rear wheel to align it with the frame. The tires chosen were Heidenau K73s, an exceptionally grippy compound originally designed for supermotos.

New brake rotors were CNC manufactured, and there are new four-piston calipers at the front. They’re attached to USD forks from a Honda 599/Hornet, which are grafted on using new upper and lower triple trees made from CNC machined aluminum.

“With the handlebars, we decided to do something different,” says Gustavo. “We inverted the bars across the top of the headlight nacelle.” The result is good: there’s none of the empty space you’d get with clip-ons.

CNC’d aluminum mirrors and discreet Motogadget turn signals bookend the handlebars, and Retrorides also made a mount for a Motogadget Motoscope Mini speedo.

Much heavier work is evident at the back end, notably a new subframe machined from aluminum. Following the lines of the fuel tank, it’s anodized in black. It also hides a compact lithium battery and supports the new seat pad, which is upholstered in black leather with diamond-shaped seams.

Underneath is a new horizontal rear suspension setup, designed and sold by Retrorides and well known in the custom K series scene. Designed for monolever bikes and machined from a solid block of aluminum, it also ‘opens up’ the back end visually.

The engine required little work: with around 90 hp on tap, it’s got plenty enough grunt. A new stainless steel exhaust system frees up the breathing though, and Retrorides have machined up four eye-catching velocity stacks on the intake side.

Subtle grey BMW paint for the bodywork contrasts with the black finishes elsewhere, with extra pop coming from the bronze color of the wheels and intakes.

It all hangs together just beautifully, and that makes it one of the best K-series customs we’ve seen yet. Gustavo and Rodrigo have done their father proud.

Retrorides | Instagram

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[DaveM]

Speed Read, June 12, 2022

This week’s custom cocktail includes a Looney Tunes-themed Ducati, a no-holds-barred BMW R18 and a fine-tuned Triumph Scrambler 1200. Plus details of Europe’s first all-electric bike festival.

Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled by MotoCorsa If anyone’s going to send us a Looney Tunes-themed Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled to feature, it’s the Ducati dealership that gave us the Manigale calendar. The team at MotoCorsa in Portland likes to keep their hometown weird—and it shows in the custom bikes they create.

The story of this whacky Desert Sled starts with ex-NBA pro, Martell Webster, who originally commissioned it. He was partly inspired by Space Jam, and by how his grandmother used to keep him out of trouble by making him watch cartoons. So he got Eddie Slepicka of Bent Metal Customs to paint a set of Looney Tunes graphics all over it, while MotoCorsa attended to a wish list of trick parts.

The first set of upgrades included an Arrow exhaust, and a hydraulically-actuated dry slipper clutch from Kbike to replace the OEM wet clutch. Not only does it look rad, but it gives the bike that essential “hey bro something’s wrong with your clutch” Ducati rattle.

Martell originally used the bike to chase his kids around on their minibikes, but soon realized that a Zero electric bike was better suited to the task. So he asked MotoCorsa to sell it for him.

The bike sat for far too long—until the annual One Show rolled around, and MotoCorsa needed something for their stand. So they bought the bike from Martell and threw another round of changes at it.

Top of the list was converting the Desert Sled into a supermotard, so the crew slapped on a set of 17” wheels, built by Dubya in California with black anodized Excel rims. Dunlop Mutant tires were spooned on for a mix of supermoto steeze and real world usability. The team also tidied the tail up with a New Rage Cycles rear fender kit, complete with LED turn signals, and installed Ducati Performance LED turn signals up front.

Other add-ons include Evotech hand guards, adjustable CRG levers, and a billet clutch cover, cam belt covers and sprocket cover from Speedymoto. An eBay search yielded a pair of Yosemite Sam valve stem caps, and a Looney Tunes crossbar pad from a kid’s Huffy BMX.

Now that ‘Daffy Duc’ is complete, and the One Show is over, it’s for sale again. Go on, you know you want it. [MotoCorsa | Images by Mike Luci]

BMW R18 by Radikal Chopper A lot of BMW R18 customs we see are simple nip-and-tuck jobs. But honestly, if you’re customizing the biggest boxer motor-powered bike that BMW has ever made, shouldn’t you go all-out? That’s what Radikal Chopper in Milan did.

The commission for this extravagant R18 came from Raffaello Polchi, the owner of the Officine Riunite Milanesi bar in Milan.

Andrea Radaelli at Radikal Chopper got the call, which means that Raffaello was clearly not after something mild. Andrea is an award-winning builder with a reputation for doing things that are, well, radical.

“The bike has to be my own creation,” he says. “I don’t feel like dredging up or modifying a concept already set up and done very well by others.”

He says his inspiration came from the BMW motorcycles of the 1920s through to the 1940s, and the BMW R37 in particular. But he’s thrown everything at this build, creating a potent cocktail of aluminum, brass and even wood.

Almost everything you see here was shaped by hand, working from a simple concept sketch. The wheels are one exception—they were machined from billet aluminum to Andrea’s spec. The brakes are custom too, as are the forks.

Andrea’s craftsmanship is on full display here. Note the finned cover on the front of the engine, and the way that motif is repeated on the underside of the fuel tank. And check out the dainty subframe on which the custom-made wooden seat unit floats.

Keen eyes will also spot the lack of a clutch lever. Instead, there’s a foot clutch and a hand shifter lower down; a first for the R18. But that’s the only major change to how the bike is operated—it still has its original speedo and wiring, and even the wheel sizes are standard.

Despite how unapologetic it is aesthetically, this R18, dubbed ‘Magnifica,’ actually weighs 100 kilos less than the stock bike. We also have to high five Andrea for replicating the R18’s fishtail exhaust design, but at a reasonable size. [Radikal Chopper]

Triumph Scrambler 1200 by JvB-moto Of all of Triumph’s modern classics, the Scrambler 1200 is probably the hardest one to customize. That’s because it looks so good out the box—right down to its slim seat and twin reverse cone mufflers. But if there’s one thing Jens Vom Brauck is good at, it’s fine-tuning a bike to visual perfection.

The man behind JvB-moto has done such a fine job with the Scrambler 1200, that, to the untrained eye, it looks almost factory. But the more you unpack it, the more you realize just how much he’s improved it.

The project is a homage to a bike that Jens released ten years ago. Called ‘The Rumbler’ and built using an air-cooled Triumph Scrambler, it was built in collaboration with Jochen Schmitz-Linkweiler at LSL for Uli Brée, the organizer of Triumph Tridays. The bike was a hit, and the guys recently got to talking about the possibility of repeating that success.

Jens explains that he wanted to make the Scrambler 1200 “more modern, compact and powerful, just like it feels. The design language had to be more modern and more minimalist, without loosing the classic proportions and some vintage design clues of the stock bike.”

JvB-moto actually produces parts for air-cooled Triumph Scramblers, but none of them fit the new Scrambler 1200—so Jens had to start from scratch.

Up front, he designed a new headlight nacelle and dash mount, framed around a new LED headlight. The design is so compact, that the dash is actually designed to flip up to access the steering lock.

Other JvB-designed parts include a new left hand side cover, a new exhaust heat shield, the front fender and fork guards, and a slim rear fender with an equally slim LED taillight. The seat was reshaped to suit the new design, and recovered in a weather-resistant fabric. Slick little 3D-printed turn signals from Motoism were fitted at both ends too.

While Jens was busy with all of that, Jochen went to town on the Scrambler’s running gear. He fitted a 19F/18R wheel set, then shortened the suspension to match. Handlebars and levers from LSL, Arrow mufflers and Bridgestone tires round out the parts spec.

The other simple, but highly effective, change is the color scheme. The tank wears a no-nonsense matte paint job—and a number of parts have either been de-anodized, polished, painted or coated. Just like the original Rumbler, this Triumph Scrambler means business. [JvB-moto | Images by Marc Holstein]

Reload Land electric motorcycle festival In less than two weeks, Berlin will play host to Europe’s first ever all-electric motorcycle festival, Reload Land. Expected to attract about 20 exhibitors and up to 5,000 guests, the event will showcase electric motorcycles, scooters, e-bicycles and customs.

The show will feature familiar faces like Hookie Co. [below], JvB-Moto, DAB Motors [above], Trevor Motorcycles, Super73 and Zero. The program includes everything from a custom bike exhibition to test rides, plus it’s a great opportunity for small electric start-ups that have only been online until now to make their physical presence felt.

Reload Land runs from the 24th to the 26th of June, at Craftwerk.Berlin—a 33,000 square foot, double story community workshop. Entrance is free, and there’s a ‘silent’ ride out on the Saturday evening, followed by an afterparty at Deus Fountain Berlin.

Are you going?

[Reload Land]

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[DaveM]

SIDE SHOW: BMW R100 & Sidecar from WYLD Garage Co.

The turn of the 20 th century is one of the great periods of innovation in human history, and transport was at the forefront, with the horse and carriage being swiftly overtaken by a bevy of motorised vehicles. As both the bicycle and then the motorcycle became an affordable and often desirable form of transport, there needed to be a way to ferry a passenger in style. The answer was the sidecar...

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[DaveM]

Kaffeemaschine’s Guzzi tourer puts the “Gentleman” in GT

Axel Budde believes that motorcycle travel should be done in style. He’s the founder of the Moto Guzzi specialist shop, Kaffeemaschine, who have just built the third machine in a limited series of Guzzi 850-based Grand Tourers. And just like everything else they’ve produced, it’s impossibly elegant.

Kaffeemaschine’s GT series was conceived last year, when a client requested a bike that prioritized comfort for longer rides. It got Axel thinking about how seldom he sees classic bikes out on the open road—and how the touring scene is saturated with overloaded modern adventure bikes. So he put his imagination to work, and built the first two GT prototypes.

The latest build follows the same template, albeit with subtle refinements. It’s based on a 1982-model Moto Guzzi 850T4, but most of the original machine has been upgraded with Kaffeemaschine parts.

The work started with the Guzzi’s motor. The crew overhauled it with a balanced crank, a lightened flywheel, an electronic ignition and a modern alternator that would play nice with the new Lithium-ion battery. Also in play are a set of Dell’Orto PHF carbs, and a pair of stainless steel Kaffeemaschine exhausts.

Previous GT machines from the German workshop were bored out to 1,000 cc, but Axel didn’t see the need here. The engine improvements have bumped the torquey V-twin’s output to 76 hp—and a diet has brought its weight down to 184 kilos [406 lbs]. That’s ample for lazy weekend tours.

Most of the weight was saved on the bodywork, which is all new, and made from carbon fiber. Kaffeemaschine used the same molds that they designed with the first two GT prototypes, and plan to make more in the future.

The aesthetic is slick and understated, just like all of Kaffeemaschine’s customs. The tank is a their own design, but it’s loosely modeled on the Laverda SF.

Up top is an elegant luggage rack, designed to carry a tank bag via a bespoke quick-release system. Both the seat and tank bag are covered in matching aniline leather, and there’s a transparent pouch on top of the bag for maps, or a mobile phone running a navigation app. Plus there’s a USB charge port nearby too; it’s hidden in the main steering stem nut.

There’s more packing space under the seat, where a carbon fiber box has replaced the stock side covers and air box. It’s lockable, and has enough space for a wallet, phone, water and a pullover.

Extra care’s been taken to make sure this gentleman’s tourer rides as good as it looks too. A new set of Ikon shocks do duty out back, while the forks have been refurbished with upgraded FAC internals.

The 1980s tourer now rolls on 18” wheels, featuring San Remo rims, stainless steel spokes and Heidenau K34 tires; vintage treads that use modern compounds. The classic Brembo brakes have been restored, and upgraded with Le Mans discs, stainless steel lines and modern Brembo master cylinders. And Kaffeemaschine have installed their proprietary rear brake torque support.

There’s some subtle wizardry going on up in the cockpit too. Custom riser clamps double up as a speedo mount, holding a Kaffeemaschine-branded speedo. Low-slung handlebars wear new grips, bar-end LED turn signals and a single mirror, and the key ignition’s given way for a keyless RFID system.

The polished switch cluster on the left side is Kaffeemaschine’s own design, and one of the classiest we’ve seen. Traditional round head- and taillights, and new rear-set pegs, round out the parts spec.

Naturally, this 850’s finishes are as well considered as its upgrades. Axel and his team showed maximum restraint, with a simple livery and a tasteful balance of black and polished parts.

Now that this ‘GT850’ is all buttoned up, it’s for sale—along with its own tool kit, bike cover, owners manual and TÜV certificate. In the meantime Axel is working on ideas for the next GT model, like a new front fork setup. And that means he’ll be taking it on a long trip to put it through its paces.

“I’ll be wondering, once again, what all the other riders have inside of their massive panniers,” he says wryly.

Kaffeemaschine | Facebook | Instagram

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[DaveM]

DYSTOPIAN VISION: Yamaha XSR900 ‘Akira’ by Deus.

Sometimes it seems that you really can have too much of a good thing and that just might be the case with Yamaha’s stunning and incredibly popular sport heritage range of motorcycles. The line-up that includes motorcycles for all types of riders gives a retro vibe to these very modern machines, and there is even a range of special editions to pay homage to classic Yamaha’s like the two-stroke RD...

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[DaveM]

Cloud 9: A BMW R9T from a Dutch dream team

You don’t often see custom shops collaborating. But as they say, a rising tide lifts all ships—and a joint venture between two leading builders from the Netherlands has resulted in this wild café racer concept based on the BMW R9T.

If you’ve been riding along with Bike EXIF for a while, you’ll likely know one of the builders: Arjan van den Boom of Ironwood Motorcycles. Based in the capital city of Amsterdam, he’s built some of the most attention-grabbing customs in Europe, with a hard-edged style and an aggressive approach to stance.

The other man behind CNCPT Moto and this R9T is Timothy Somers of Powerbrick. He’s 70 miles down the road from Arjan in Rotterdam, the second biggest city, and specializes in custom parts for old and new BMWs.

Most R9T customs amp up the retro vibe, but ‘Cloud 9’ is a vision of the future. It’s an unusual and highly conceptual build, and not surprisingly, it didn’t happen overnight. Plans were formed two years ago, but due to Covid, progress was slow—until a deadline to make the Bike Shed show in London popped up.

Arjan describes the look of this R9T as ‘neo futuristic.’ “I guess it’s our idealistic approach to the future of customizing, a teleport into 2084,” he says.

“We decided to go for a monocoque-style body in ASA thermoplastic, with edgy repeating outlines on the frame and engine.” But despite the advanced looks, the body was shaped first in traditional clay, before being digitized and then 3D printed.

The monocoque effect is an illusion. “The body is in two pieces, otherwise it’s not mountable,” says Arjan. “There is a rear section with the seat, and an upper front piece. It’s mounted onto the stock mounting points, which is what we wanted.”

The airbox arrangement is also interesting. Remove the black grill, and off to the side is a DNA filter in a 3D-printed filter box. But you can stick your hand right through the opening. (“Hold my beer!”)

The new bodywork meant a new fuel cell. So a shoebox shaped cell was welded up from aluminum, and designed to use the OEM pump and connectors. Then lenses for the lighting were printed up from synthetic polymer resin, with powerful LEDs hidden behind.

Arjan’s regular offsiders helped with the specialist jobs: the slimline seat pad was upholstered in leather and Alcantara by Silvermachine, and the ghostly silver paint was shot by Jacco from Royal Kustom Works in Dordrecht.

Other visual mods include CNC’d valve covers, and a new front cover for the boxer engine. The forks have been upgraded with hydraulic cartridge internals from Matris, plus carbon tubes supplied by CeraCarbon. (The monoshock is from the Dutch maker TFX.)

Lightweight 17-inch carbon wheels from the Slovenian specialist Rotobox
drastically reduce the unsprung weight, and they’re shod with ultra-sticky Pirelli Diablo Superbike slicks.

Cloud 9 is finished off with a complete custom stainless steel exhaust system—right down to the mufflers—with a hand-bent aluminum plate belly pan aligning with the lower pipework.

The bars are dressed with new controls and a speedo from Motogadget, plus Beringer brake and clutch masters. And those pops of color? They were provided by local heroes Brothercoating, just around the corner from the Ironwood workshop.

It’s an intriguing result coming from what Arjan describes as a ‘napkin design.’ But then again, the best ideas are often scribbled on the back of an envelope.

“Seeing this project coming to life, going from clay to printed polymer, was a satisfying process,” he says. “Still, our brainchild is a prototype—and just the beginning of bigger things to come.”

If you’re going to BMW’s huge Pure & Crafted festival in Berlin at the start of July, you’ll be able to inspect this R9T there. Even better, it’ll be for sale afterwards—just contact Arjan for details.

CNCPT Moto Instagram | Ironwood Custom Motorcycles | Powerbrick | Images by Paul van Mondfrans Lindén

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[DaveM]

GOLDEN AGE: Ducati Monster by Black Cycles.

The Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu is perhaps one of the wisest men to have ever lived, delivering clear advice by which to live. And his statement that “he who does not trust enough, will not be trusted,” perhaps best encompasses the relationship that has resulted in this stunning custom machine before you. Simon the bike’s owner sent a 2000 Ducati 916 from his home in Sydney, Australia...

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[DaveM]

No money, no problem: A turbo’d Suzuki GS650 bobber

Building a decent custom motorcycle on a slim budget is a tall order. But you know what’s even harder? Doing it with no budget at all—unless your name is Edi Buffon.

Operating as Machine 1867 out of Sydney, Edi’s known for his wildly imaginative machines. This Suzuki GS650 bobber is a typical Machine 1867 build; completely radical, and laden with complex solutions to non-existent problems. And yes, he really did build it without spending a dime (well, almost).

“While contemplating my next build and becoming increasingly busy as my business progressed,” says Edi, “I remembered that I had a Suzuki GS650 in storage. It was a bike I had tinkered with several years earlier, but lost interest in as other projects took priority.”

“I removed the engine and set it up on my fabrication table along with the wheels, and took a step back to contemplate my next move. I decided to set the goal of a zero budget build, by just using what I had on the shelves and making everything else.”

Edi’s first job was to choose between super- or turbo-charging the Suzuki. He settled on a turbo, and then began conceptualizing his build in real time, as is his way.

“I started bending some tubes,” he explains. “This was going to be a rigid frame with the engine as a stressed member. I set the rake at 35 degrees and the wheelbase at 1,550 mm—numbers I’ve used before.”

“As I progressed, the bike revealed itself: my version of a drag bike. I opted for a twin tank setup, as I have done previously, as it is an effective way to hide electrical components.”

“Now that I had a direction, I set about building this thing.”

Edi finished the frame first, then turned his attention to the exhaust and turbo setup. On the right-hand side of the bike is a repurposed Webber carb, sitting atop a handmade manifold. Most of the suck-through turbo system is custom—from the plenum, to the blow off valve and even the nipples for the boost gauge and pressure regulator.

“Real estate was quickly disappearing,” says Edi, “but I managed to mount the external fuel pump under the seat, as well as the tiny battery, which only supplies 12V power to the fuel pump. The bike requires a roller starter as it is a total loss system.”

The exhaust system was put together from pieces of the original headers, and pieces of 3” pipe from a box of offcuts. When Edi ran out of 3” pipe, he used some 2.5” sections he had—repurposing a flange from a four-cylinder system to match the different diameters together.

“I aimed the dump pipe and exhaust upwards,” says Edi, “because it looks menacing and impractical—and I had no other option. Now when I squeeze myself into the riding position, I have an exhaust burning and deafening me on my left, induction noise on my right, and stuff poking my ribcage.”

By this point any semblance of practicality had gone out the window. So Edi decided to go all-out with the front end too, fabricating his own take on the Druid girder-style forks made by A. Drew and Co. in the early 1900s. The design is remarkably elegant, and uses a pair of mountain bike shocks that Edi had lying around.

Its svelte appearance belies just how much work went into it, though. “There were quite a few parts and engineering challenges to work out,” Edi explains. “However, this is now my favorite front end setup and I’m sure I will use again it in the future.”

Next, Edi welded a set of handlebars to the forks, then fabricated a set of knurled grips, along with inverted levers for the clutch and throttle. You read that right: this bike uses a lever-actuated throttle. The rear-sets were pieces together from a number of scalped parts.

Edi’s last major fabrication job was the GS650’s new split tanks. “I had no design in mind,” he says, “just a simple shape to follow the top backbone. I like that you can see the reflection of the engine in the bottom panel.”

Edi polished up the twin tanks, painted the custom tail section and forks black, then experimented with a chemical bluing process on the frame and various fittings. When it came to the final assembly and plumbing, he chose to put all of the fuel and vacuum lines on display, to add to the bike’s mechanical aesthetic.

He did eventually have to crack open his wallet though, to pay for upholstery and some ceramic coating work. “Money well spent,” he admits.

Most of us wouldn’t be able to conceive a build this outrageous—let alone create it with nothing but talent and a few leftover parts. Edi is nothing short of a true custom motorcycle wizard.

Machine 1867 | Instagram | Images by Andrew Jones

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[DaveM]

Speed Read, June 19, 2022

The Spanish masters Tamarit give us a peek at their 101st build, Norton reveal the revamped V4SV, and CCM throw the wraps off the Classic Tracker. Plus news of a most unusual 1924 Harley-Davidson that went under the hammer, and a heavily modified Moto Guzzi from Italy.

Triumph Bonneville T100 by Tamarit Motorcycles Tamarit Motorcycles are no strangers to the readers of Bike EXIF. The Spanish workshop has pumped out more than 100 customs to date, shipping them to customers all around the world.

This is Veneno, their 101st build. Starting with an air-cooled Bonneville T100, the Alicante team sunk over 500 hours of work into the bike—including a monoshock conversion and a new swingarm, which is now a homologated part.

Dirt bike tires lay the foundation, leading us to a flat track inspired front end. The cockpit has been shrunk down to a minimum, using LED lighting and parts from the extensive Motogadget catalogue. There is a spring design in between the top and bottom fork clamps—a detail I found very confusing until I noticed that this styling exercise is repeated on the vast majority of Tamarit bikes.

A gold Tamarit logo stands out proudly against the gloss black tank, perched above nickel-plated engine cases. A Zard 2-into-1 scrambler pipe, in black, runs along the right hand side of the bike and terminates right over the new monoshock swing arm.

As the focal point of the bike, Tamarit claim this setup increases stability and comfort over the old twin shock setup. (I’ll just gloss over the fact there’s no front fender or fork brace up front.) A single bobber-style seat has been welded onto the frame, adorned with a beautiful leather saddle. Rear lighting is cleverly integrated into the seat base.

Part street tracker, part bobber, part scrambler—Veneno blends these styles to create something new. It doesn’t quite rev me up like other Tamarit builds, but I can’t deny that it is a striking machine. [Tamarit]

The ‘new’ Norton V4SV Norton hasn’t exactly been in the news of late for positive reasons, thanks to crimes committed by the jail-dodging Stuart Garner. But the new owners of the historic British brand, TVS Motor Company, are on a mission to change that.

Aiming to bring Norton back from the brink (again), this is the re-engineered V4SV. Originally released over two years ago, TVS took the old bike and have made a multitude of reliability, manufacturing and performance improvements.

Based out of a brand-new facility in Solihull, the re-engineered V4SV sports a 1200cc, 72-degree V4 engine. Producing 185bhp and 125 Nm of torque, it’s down on power when compared to its 200+hp Italian counterparts but it’s still no slouch.

The chassis and bodywork, however, are top-notch. The aluminum tubular frame is welded and polished by hand and the glorious swingarm is milled from aluminum billet. The bodywork and under-seat fuel tank are carbon fiber, the latter being reinforced with Kevlar.

There’s a full suite of Öhlins suspension, and the wheels are either cast OZ Racing items or carbon fiber BST units, depending on your color choice. Speaking of colors, you can choose from Manx Silver or Carbon. I’d choose Manx Silver, one of my favorite Norton colour schemes of yore.

TVS are prioritizing the deposits placed before they acquired the company in April 2020, and rightly so. At £44,000 this is an expensive piece of British engineering—almost double the price of a 2022 Ducati Panigale V4S here in Australia.

The ex-CEO is a lingering aftertaste that will be hard to get rid of, though. I hope the re-engineered V4SV is the palate cleanser Norton so desperately needs. [More]

CCM Classic Tracker More than a few Bike EXIF regulars will know CCM, but to the general public outside the UK, it’s one of the more obscure motorcycle marques. Founded in 1971 by Alan Clews, Clews Competition Motorcycles made quite a name for itself in off road racing.

Fast forward to today and we get this: the Classic Tracker. Built around CCM’s success in flat track, it features a hand-welded steel tubular frame draped around the 600cc single-cylinder engine. Other than the frame, engine, wheels and bodywork, there’s not a whole lot to the Classic Tracker and I guess that’s the whole point.

CCM still builds bikes by hand and it shows. From the frame to the machined billet parts, the details on this bike are exquisite. The new twin exhaust with carbon fiber end caps is exclusive to the Classic Tracker line.

The Classic Tracker is specc’d with Petrol Blue bodywork, black wheels, forks and seat. The upgraded Heritage Chrome’ package comes with Liquid Mercury bodywork, silver forks, a brown leather seat, a Monza fuel cap and gorgeous gold wheels. Petrol Blue does it for me, but I’m also a huge sucker for gold wheels and can’t help but think they would go well together.

Prices start at £10,695 and if you haven’t used the bike configurator on the CCM website yet, I suggest giving it a go. Take off the lights, slap a number plate on the front forks and you’re left with a bona fide flat track machine. [CCM]

Harley-Davidson JDCA/B For most of its 119-year history, Harley-Davidson has stuck to tried and true methods of motorcycling. But when the MoCo was in its infancy, it was a slightly different story. Starting in 1903, for about a decade H-D was solely focused on selling reliable machines to the general population.

Come 1914, when the company was pimply-faced and full of big ambitions, it did what all pre-teens do: started experimenting.

No, I’m not talking about mind-altering chemicals and free love. That would have to wait until the AMF years. I’m talking about racing, and this very orange 1924 JDCA/B is one of those early experiments.

Possibly a one-of-one factory creation, the JDCA/B had a particularly interesting engine design for the time: the spark plug is right next to the exhaust valve, over the combustion chamber. This configuration of the Harley “F-head” engine never went into production, due to reliability concerns, but it did have some success on the track.

In 1915 at the Maywood Motordrome in Chicago, factory H-D racer Otto Walker set an average speed of 89.1 mph for over 100 miles, a new world record. He led for most of the 300-mile race and this is where Harley got the ‘Chicago’ engine name from.

This Chicago-powered JDCA/B has been lovingly restored to its former glory and was recently offered for sale at Mecum Auctions. It’s essentially a bicycle with an engine slung down low, as a stressed member.

As was common in the day, the bike is also sporting Flying Merkel forks and handlebars and there are no brakes. Yep—you read that correctly. To slow down, the rider had to hit the kill switch and cross their fingers that the engine compression would slow them down from speeds in excess of 100 mph. Give me a long, straight, preferably uphill stretch of road and I’d love to give this thing a go. [Via]

Moto Guzzi cafe racer by Rusty V Dario Di Mauro of Rusty V Motors has a passion for vintage Italian style. And looking at these photos, you can certainly tell. This Moto Guzzi started its life as a California II and as you can see, it’s come a long way from its cruiser beginnings.

As far as I can tell, the only thing remaining from the original bike is the frame. Everything else is new. There’s a Marzocchi upside down front end with a 17-inch front wheel and Brembo Gold Series brakes (that may have been donated from a Ducati).

The tank looks like an early Moto Guzzi V7 unit and the seat is also new. Respectively, they have been painted and upholstered beautifully. Actually, everything looks like it’s been treated to a fresh coat of paint, and I’ll bet the electronics have been updated as well.

The engine and gearbox are from a 2003 Moto Guzzi V11 Scura with the internals upgraded and the flywheel lightened. For a hint of vintage flair, Dario is rocking (ha!) early round-barrel rocker covers.

A 160-section rear tire was squeezed onto the back wheel and the stock hub is laced to a new 17-inch cross-spoked rim. The soundtrack is supplied by Mistral, who fabricated a complete exhaust system for the bike.

Dario set out to create a true cafe racer and with the lightened bodywork and performance upgrades, he’s managed it in style. As a Guzzisti myself I am biased, but Dario’s creation gets a solid 11/10 from me. [Via | Images by Andrea Paternò Studio]

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[DaveM]

SPOILED BRAT: BMW R100 #132 by CRD.

If there is a totally stock BMW R series motorcycle out there, it must be starting to feel like it’s been left behind, with nearly all of its siblings converted into some form of custom bike or adventure machine. And proudly laying claim to having turned dozens of the German boxers into beautiful bikes is Spain’s Cafe Racer Dreams, but they’re also willing to adapt and learn, and for their latest...

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[DaveM]

Road Burner: A slick K1100 RS from Powerbrick

In the mid 90s, the K1100 RS sat at the top of the BMW range. It was the sport tourer par excellence, at home on the autobahns and interstates. A fully-loaded RS would be nudging 600 pounds on the scales, but that mattered less than its ability to cruise at triple-digit speeds all day long.

Fast forward thirty years, and there are much better machines than the Reisesport (travel sport) for long haul mile-munching. But the K1100 has good bones, and the inline four engine, laid over on its side, has both torque and power to spare. Which makes it an excellent choice for a custom bike, especially if the heavy fairing is starting to show battle scars.

This spectacular café racer is one of the sharpest K1100 builds we’ve seen, and suggests that the platform is coming of age in the custom scene.

The man behind the machine is Tim Somers—the founder of the Dutch BMW parts specialist Powerbrick. Tim made his debut on these pages last week, when we featured the R9T he built with his compatriot Arjan van den Boom.

This solo effort is very different to Cloud 9, but just as appealing, with stripped-down visuals matched to clever engineering. Tim’s background is industrial design, and he’s gone to town on this K1100—using CNC machining for the aluminum and stainless-steel parts, and 3D printing for the front and rear bodywork.

“The visual lines were my main focus,” he tells us. “I wanted to build a bike that made sense from every direction, with the main line being the top curve—running from the front of the headlight over the tank to the rear cowl.”

“It makes the bike ‘low’ and gives it an aggressive stance.” That stance is accentuated by the swingarm, which has been extended by 15 mm (about 5/8”) despite the complexity of the Paralever design.

The swingarm is hooked up to a YSS G-Racing monoshock, which has adjustable hi-low speed compression as well as the usual range of knobs to twiddle. It’s flanked by Powerbrick’s own rearsets, milled from aluminum.

The front end has been completely overhauled, with modified S1000RR forks. These are attached using Powerbrick’s own triple tree kit, crafted from aluminum, anodised in black, and fitted with adjustable steering stops and an insert for the Motogadget motoscope mini digital instrument.

The clip-ons are furnished with Motogadget bar-end indicators and Biltwell grips, and Tim has also installed a Brembo RCS19 brake master to feed the Brembo HPK GP4-RS monobloc radial front calipers and Serie Oro discs. They’re connected by Venhill brake lines.

The K1100 RS engine pumps out around 100 hp in stock form, but Tim has boosted this with DNA air filters, new ignition parts from NGK, and top-spec Bosch EV14 injectors.

He’s also grafted on a free-flowing stainless steel exhaust system: a 4-into-1 layout terminated with a stubby muffler. And temperatures are kept in check by an aluminum radiator from RC Racing, plumbed in with Samco silicone hoses.

Tim has kept the heavily scalloped standard tank but ditched the rest of the bodywork—which must have saved more than a few pounds of weight. A new subframe keeps the lines tight and provides a connecting point for the revised monoshock arrangement.

Under the hood, there’s a new electrical system wired up to a control box which allows engine tuning via Bluetooth. There’s also a NOCO lithium battery with a discreet Ctek charging point alongside.

If all this butters your toast, you’ll be glad to know that the K1100 is for sale. Tim will even include a Ctek charger, and swap out the Pirelli Diablo Rain race tires for road legal rubber.

Tempted?

Powerbrick | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Paul van Mondfrans Lindén

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[DaveM]

RING-A-DING-DING: Yamaha DT400 by PBM.

A shiver ran down my spine at the first sight of this motorcycle, the memory of a freighting experience brought back to life by just two letters, DT. Then listening to builder Tom Gilroy recall his early encounters with the same bike let me know I wasn’t alone. AG/Farm bikes are a big thing in Australia and for many of us a ride on an uncle’s two-stroke on the farm was our first experience on two...

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[DaveM]

BMW R00: A conversion kit to turn your airhead electric

Switching classic cars to electric power is becoming almost commonplace. There are companies and kits that can electrify everything from old Land Rovers to Rolls-Royces. Ford is getting in on the game, offering the Mustang Mach E GT motor as a ‘crate’ engine. And if you have the cash to spare, Jaguar’s own restoration department will even drop an I-Pace motor into your vintage E-Type.

Motorcycles are a different proposition, though. There’s less space to hide an ugly battery, the tech is biased towards four-wheelers, and motorcyclists as a group are less accepting of electric power than the average car driver.

That makes Luuc Muis something of an outlier, because he’s just developed and released a kit that turns BMW airheads into electric motorcycles. You may already have heard of Luuc: he’s a Dutch product designer, the founder of LM Creations, and most famous for his Indian Scout Bobber called Hasty Flaming Buffalo.

Taking an R-series frame as the base, Luuc has created a bolt-on electric drivetrain that replaces the existing engine—but keeps the gearbox and the rest of the driveline. And it looks rather amazing, too.

The prototype shown here uses a BMW R80 donor bike. But Luuc believes it’s possible to bolt the system to all R-series bikes built between 1969 and 1995—with just minor modifications to the top tube in some cases.

The most intriguing aspect of this conversion kit is the way Luuc has integrated the electric motor. He’s reverse-engineered and cast new engine cases using 3D scanning, with internal mounts to accommodate the motor, controller and wiring.

“For the battery pack we took a similar approach,” he says. “We 3D-scanned an original R80 gas tank and frame, and designed a battery pack that would fit without requiring any welding of the frame.” (For an R100 frame, you may just need to remove some brackets.)

“It’s actually possible to mount all the original engine components to the new casing, to return the airhead back to its original look. But that would add a lot of useless weight!”

The power unit is the commonly available ‘QS138’, rated at 72V and 11kW. Along with a clutch adapter, it’s housed in a new aluminum body that bolts to the gearbox—just like the original combustion engine. The unit includes a built-in controller and a DC converter that plugs into the 12V wiring system.

“The electric motor is capable of 7,500 rpm, so the speeds are the same as the original engine—which redlines at 8,000 rpm,” says Luuc. “The torque curve is of course different. But the riding experience is very similar, with the gearbox still functioning.”

The 4.3kW battery pack mounts on the frame just like the original gas tank. “The battery power is capable of a calculated urban range of 80 km,” says Luuc. “It weighs about 24 kg, a little bit more than the weight of a full 22-liter R80 fuel tank.” It’s rated for 2,000 charging cycles, which totals 160,000 km (about 100,000 miles).

There are two options for the 230V charger: a 1.8 kW or 3.3 kW system. The faster system charges the battery to 80% in about an hour, and to 100% in another hour. The 1.8 kW system takes about twice as long, but since that charger is a lot smaller, it is possible to mount it on the bike instead of keeping it offboard in the garage.

The battery cover is smooth fiberglass, ready to be finished with primer and paint. “It’s possible to modify the original gas tank and fit that over the battery pack,” Luuc notes, “but it’d be advisable to line the gas tank with a non-conductive material.”

Why not house the batteries in the famous boxer ‘cylinders’, we wondered? “We thought about that, but it wouldn’t be possible to make an easy and safe system,” says Luuc. “In the case of a crash with the cylinders touching the ground, we didn’t think this was a great idea—since 72V will hurt!”

The other modifications are as simple as possible. “We wanted to emphasize the EV part,” says Luuc. “So we removed the cylinders, carbs, intake and front engine cover. But we mounted a low profile top engine cover to give it some ‘body’.”

The R80 frame has been converted to monoshock rear suspension, using parts from a wrecked R100 RT frame, and a new YSS shock. All unnecessary mounting brackets were removed from the frame.

There’s a minimalistic subframe with a little kick-up, to support a simple custom perch from MJ Seats and a single Kellermann Atto rear/brake light array. All the frame components were freshly powder coated in gloss black.

The front suspension is from a KTM 390, hooked up to a BMW F650 front hub. The wheels are F19/R18 and have stainless spokes laced to aluminum rims. “We mounted the widest tire possible in the rear without having to make any modifications to the swingarm or offset the rim,” Luuc reports. The tires are Michelin Roadmaster Classics: “A great basic tire for urban use, as is the bike itself!”

Despite the complexity of the kit, installation is relatively easy and Luuc supplies a video to customers. And the next step is to get the conversion kit certified to the EU R100 EV safety standard—which will make it possible for owners to alter the registration paperwork and officially list it as an electric motorcycle.

It’s possible to buy the elements of the kit individually, but LM Creations will sell you the complete package for €9,450 (US$9,945) with the 3.3 kW charger (or a little less for the 1.8 kW with onboard charger). And for an extra €1,450, Luuc’s crew can install the kit into an R-series airhead of your choice.

For folks who love the idea (and acceleration) of electric motorcycles but can’t stomach the styling of the commercially available offerings, Luuc’s creation should tick a lot of boxes.

If you’re within riding distance of Berlin, head over to Reload Land this coming weekend—it’s the first festival dedicated to electric motorcycles, and the BMW R00 will be on display.

Luuc Muis Creations | Facebook | Instagram

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[DaveM]

Debutant: A custom Yamaha MT-07 from a new Belgian shop

The popular Wheels and Waves festival returns to sunny Biarritz next week after a two year hiatus. So it’s safe to assume that some European workshops are frantically buttoning up their bikes to show off at the event—or to compete in the infamous Punks Peak hillclimb.

Newcomers Wayders are ahead of the curve though. They’ve just completed their first custom bike, a Yamaha MT-07 café racer, with time to spare. And it’s a knockout debut performance from the Belgian outfit.

Wayders is a two man crew, made up of friends Olivier Nadrin and Didier Hermann. Didier is the technical whizz; he owned the European chip tuning company, Tuning Box, for thirty years. Olivier’s background is in photography and videography, so he props up that end of the business.

The guys first connected when they helped each other customize their personal bikes. They eventually launched Wayders, then cranked things up a notch earlier this year with a new 1,900 square-foot workshop, packing everything from heavy tools to a photo studio.

The Yamaha MT-07 is the first custom to roll out of the new shop, and was built purely to show off the company’s abilities. We’re more used to seeing XSR700 customs around here, but the guys specifically had the MT-07 in mind as a donor.

“We chose this model because it is in the top three of the most sold bikes in Europe,” says Olivier, “probably because of its affordable price. We like the peculiarity of the bike’s frame, and there aren’t many custom MT-07s around.”

Wayders started by grafting on a set of 41 mm upside-down forks, borrowed from the MT-07’s bigger sibling, the MT-09. They used the MT-09 yokes too, but shaved off the OEM speedo and ignition mounts. A small Daytona speedo now sits in a 3D-printed bracket, with the ignition located on the left side of the motor.

Mounted to the forks are a set of adjustable clip-ons, fitted with Brembo brake and clutch controls. Wayders kept the original switches, but installed new Ariette grips and Motogadget bar-end turn signals.

A new Wilbers shock was wedged in at the back to complement the upgraded front suspension. But since the stock brakes were left alone, since they cope just fine with the MT-07’s 74.8 hp output and relatively low curb weight.

Wayders also kept the 17” alloy wheels, but wrapped them in chunky Pirelli Rally STR tires. And if the idea of scrambler tires on a café racer gnaws at you, rest assured that the guys are considering a switch to racier rubber.

Yamaha’s entire MT range is known for its Neo Tokyo-inspired aesthetic. It’s cool in its own way, but it’s also far removed from the style that Wayders was after here. So they ditched the MT-07’s stock plastics and hacked off its subframe to refine its silhouette.

The result is a machine that plays on both sides of the fence. Look at the bottom half, and the unapologetically modern vibe of the 689 cc parallel-twin engine dominates. Isolate the top half, and the classic lines of a textbook café racer shine through.

To pull this off, Wayders sourced a replica Benelli Mojave fuel tank, then modified it to fit the MT-07’s quirky frame. The original fuel cap was repurposed up top, and a stealthy box was fabricated to host the battery and electronics underneath.

The livery was executed by Couleurs Ardentes, and takes inspiration from one of Bell’s carbon fiber Bullitt helmet designs. It features a ghosted checkered flag motif, applied using a hydro-dipping technique. Finishing touches include milled aluminum tank badges, and gold striping to match the suspension components.

Out back is an all-new subframe, designed to mimic the design language of the rest of the Yamaha’s frame. A custom seat sits on top, featuring upholstery by Atelier Sellerie & Garnissage.

The seat is secured by sliding the front in under the edge of the fuel tank, and snapping the back in place with a magnet. Removing it reveals a 3D-printed tray, complete with a handmade leather wallet from Trip Machine Company. There’s a tiny LED taillight integrated into the underside of it.

Other 3D-printed parts are the radiator shrouds, sprocket cover and chain guard. Wayders also installed an LED headlight on custom-made brackets, rear-sets with custom-milled foot pegs, and a new rear brake master cylinder.

The airbox was ditched for a pair of mesh-covered velocity stacks, while the exhaust muffler was swapped for a blacked-out SC Project unit.

Olivier and Didier are days away from loading their MT-07 up and heading down to Basque Country for Wheels and Waves. We’d be shocked if they didn’t come back with a full order book.

Wayders | Instagram | Images by Olivier Nadrin

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[DaveM]

BACK COUNTRY CUSTOM: KTM 890 Adventure R by Saku Moto.

It wasn’t that long ago that the mention of KTM simply meant one thing, dirt bikes, but the rise and rise of the Austrian manufacturer has seen them now sell as many street bikes as off-road machines, and their commitment to motorsport looms large from Supercross to the Dakar and the bright lights of MotoGP. It’s a cliché, but the winner’s really have been the customers, and if you want a...

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[DaveM]

427 Tracker: A zesty custom Yamaha RD400 from Canada

Nothing screams “it’s the weekend” quite like a two-stroke street tracker. All the more if it’s a Yamaha RD400, and it’s dressed in a traditional black and yellow uniform—with speed blocks, of course.

This svelte little number, dubbed ‘427 Tracker,’ is the work of Smyth Innovations. Based in Ontario, Canada, the workshop is run by Cam Smyth—an industrial designer-turned-custom bike builder. He’s been at it full time for a decade already, and works with a network of friends and local businesses to get things done.

The 1976-model Yamaha RD400 made its way onto Cam’s bench along with three other RD400s of the same vintage. One client had bought all four donors, with a view to mixing and matching the best bits to build two complete bikes. One bike was to be a restoration job, while the other was to be a street tracker.

While working out the details of each, Cam caught wind of the Dream Build Off—an online custom contest organized by Roland Sands Design and Geico Motorcycle. He figured the street tracker RD would be the perfect candidate.

Cam and his crew had their work cut out for them though. The donor they picked as a starting point was very far from being roadworthy.

“It had a 1979 Daytona tank and a few other mismatched bits and backyard modifications done to it,” says Cam. “Everything needed to be replaced or rebuilt, right down to the engine. The pistons and cylinders were scored, the engine covers had kissed the asphalt once or twice, and the left engine case had lost a fight with a chain.”

Once Cam had figured out a design direction, work could begin in earnest. The engine was stripped down to its bare cases, which were blasted, powder coated and reassembled with new seals and gaskets. Lurking inside are a new crank and pistons, bored-out cylinders and a few other go-fast mods.

On the outside you’ll find a set of radial fin performance heads from HVC Cycle, a hydraulic clutch and a modified front sprocket cover. The team even cleaned up some of the factory trimmings, and shaved off the cast writing on the cases.

The list goes on; oversized Banshee intakes, V-Force 3 reed valves, Mikuni TM32 carbs and a custom exhaust system built from two sets of vintage DG expansion chambers. The original wiring was tossed too, and redone with a new VAPE CDI ignition kit and a Lithium-ion battery.

The frame wasn’t spared either. Smyth Innovations de-tabbed it, then cut off the rear section and built a new subframe, with supports that mimic the lines of the stock RD400 side covers. An assortment of gussets and brackets were fabricated to suit.

Then came a smorgasbord of suspension mods. A set of 2006 Suzuki GSX-R600 forks were mounted up front, and tweaked to accept a pair of KTM fork guards.

The lower yoke is from the Suzuki too, but the top yoke is a heavily modified LSL part. The team trimmed it to make space for the RD400 tank, shaved off its ignition bracket and added a mount to hold a Koso gauge cluster. Just behind it are new handlebars, fitted with Renthal grips, modified Brembo levers and welded-on micro switches with LED backlights.

There was more work to be done out back, where Cam had a very specific idea in mind. “We knew we wanted an aluminum swingarm, to help give the bike that vintage trick look,” he says. “And to make the bike look right on 19″ wheels, we needed to add a couple inches to the length.”

The guys started with the swingarm from a 1981 Yamaha IT250, then removed the original shock mount, trimmed the fat, fabricated a new mount and braced everything. The setup also includes new end blocks, and some deft machine work to make the entire axle system more user-friendly.

The wheels are 19” Sun Rims, laced to two different model Yamaha YZ hubs, with stainless steel spokes supplied by Buchanan’s. They’re wrapped in Dunlop K180 tires; a prize sponsored by Dunlop during the early rounds of the competition.

Since this flat tracker is destined for street use, it has brakes at both ends. The setup includes Kawasaki Ninja 300R calipers, with Galfer rotors, pads and lines. All the little bits like the axles, swingarm pivot and steering stem nut, were machined from scratch.

For the bodywork, Cam swapped out the Daytona tank for a standard RD400 unit, which was subjected to a whole host of mods. Most notably, a Kawasaki Ninja 650 filler neck was welded in to accommodate a flush-mount gas cap from Vortex. The tank’s mounting angle was tweaked too, and the fuel tap hidden away behind the carbs where it’s still accessible, but not quite as visible.

“The gas tank is painted in 2006 Yamaha 50th Anniversary Yellow Pearl” Cam explains. “It’s a modern take on the traditional Yamaha 0026 Competition Yellow.”

Sitting aft of the tank is a custom-made seat and tail unit, designed to carry the tank’s silhouette through to the rear. The design was first mocked up with cardboard cut-outs and pieces of string, to make sure everything flowed perfectly. A hit of Alcantara on the seat pad adds a classy touch.

It’s hard to spot the taillight at first, but that’s by design. Cam used a Koso Hawkeye LED, then mounted it under the tail hump behind a smoked acrylic pane.

“From the beginning, if we were going to build a street tracker it had to look more like a flat track racer than a street bike,” he explains. “And for us that meant completely hiding the lights.”

To achieve this up front, they mounted two 6” LED bars behind a hand-formed acrylic number board. The lights are set at different angles, to operate as high and low beam headlights. Everything sits on custom mounting hardware.

Smyth’s 427 Tracker nails the trifecta of two-strokes, flat trackers and Yamaha iconography. Sadly, it didn’t take home first prize in the build-off—but it’s a winner in our book.

Smyth Innovations Instagram | Images by Pawel Wnek

Cam would like to extend special thanks to his family, friends, and sponsors that made this project happen!

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[Vector]

How much fun would that be? YEAH!

 

[DaveM]

Road Tested: Gear from Icon 1000 and Malle London

Our team reviews understated jackets from Icon 1000 and Malle London. Plus a glove that blends retro style with Mad Max sensibilities.

Icon 1000 Upstate riding flannel I can geek out about gear for hours, but I’ve got hardly anything to say about Icon 1000’s Upstate riding flannel. Which is precisely what’s so great about it. On paper, it’s a no-nonsense riding shirt that blends style and safety—and in the real world, it does exactly what it says on the tin.

From the outside, the only things that give away the Upstate’s riding-specific nature are Cordura reinforcement panels on the elbows, and a subtle reflective stripe across the back. For the rest, it’s a piece that will blend seamlessly with your casual wardrobe.

Available in either blue or orange, the exterior not only looks spectacular, but has a fantastic hand to it too. It’s heavyweight in its construction, but soft to the touch, just like a proper heritage flannel. Inside you’ll find a mesh liner and a full set of D30 armor—including a generous back protector and two placement options for the elbow pads.

The Upstate is warm enough for mild to slightly chilly weather—and when it gets colder, the long and roomy cut leaves plenty of space for layering with a hoody or sweatshirt. (Plus it’s a godsend for dad bods like mine.) Size-wise, Icon’s chart is spot-on, so go with that.

A heavy duty YKK zipper does duty up front, covered by a wind flap that’s cinched down with press studs. The zipper is a two-way affair, so you can split the bottom open if the jacket’s longer cut doesn’t gel with your riding position. The collar’s secured with press studs too, so that it won’t flap around in the wind.

You also get two chest pockets, two zippered hand warmer pockets, and a Napoleon pocket on the inside, which includes Icon’s customary miniature St. Christopher medallion. The chest pocket flaps can be folded up and stowed in hidden recesses, revealing a pair of mesh air vents. It’s a clever idea, but it’s a bit fiddly to operate with gloves on, and doesn’t add a ton of airflow. Equal consideration’s been given to the cuff zippers, which have mesh gussets that allow air into the sleeves on warmer rides.

My only gripe is that the Upstate’s mesh liner can be itchy against my bare skin when I’m riding with just a t-shirt underneath. But it’s a minor niggle—and it hasn’t stopped it from becoming a staple in my gear closet.

Tested by Wes Reyneke | Love How it looks, fits and feels Could do without Unnecessary pocket vents Price $225 – $240 | Buy

Icon 1000 Outdrive glove The Portland-based gear powerhouse loves playing on nostalgic themes with their gear, and their Outdrive glove is a prime example of this. It’s a short-cuff design that takes cues from classic automobile driving gloves, and injects a little Mad Max-inspired style.

The real trick here is that the Outdrive is far more lightweight than it looks—without sacrificing toughness. It’s made from a synthetic material called Ax Laredo, which looks like aged leather while claiming excellent abrasion resistance. I thankfully haven’t crash-tested the Outdrive, but I have another pair of Ax Laredo gloves from Icon, and they hold up well against normal wear and tear.

Extra protection comes from an additional Ax Laredo panel on the palm, and a D30 section up top that’s hidden behind carbon-like knuckle protectors. The knuckle protectors add a modicum of rigidity to what is otherwise an extremely supple and comfortable glove. It helps that Icon have designed it with boxy pre-curved fingers, and a padded accordion panel on the back of the hand.

All of the Outdrive’s finer details are as stealthy as they are stylish. The perforations that are scattered throughout not only look good, but increase airflow, making this a great warmer-weather glove. And Icon’s branding is about as subtle as it gets.

Like most gloves I own, my pair had a little bit of overstitch here and there—but it was easy to tidy up, and nothing had come undone. That aside, the Outdrive looks to be well made, and the pull tab and hook-and-loop closure at the wrist have yet to show signs of wear. As for using a smartphone with it on, it’s a little hit and miss, and I’d love to see Icon through touchscreen-specific fingertips into the mix.

I’m a fan of shorter gloves and of Icon’s neo-retro styling, and the Outdrive ticks both of those boxes for me. Add supreme comfort, extra knuckle protection and a reasonable purchase price, and there’s a lot to love.

Tested by Wes Reyneke | Love Stealthy style Could do with Better touchscreen compatibility Price $55 | Buy

Malle Racer Jacket Our pals at Malle London have struck a perfect balance of classic style and modern functionality in their Racer Jacket. I got mine in 2019 on the Great Malle Rally, where we rode 1,500 miles in five days from the southernmost point of the UK to the northern tip of Scotland. Rain or shine, my ass was in the saddle, and it’s these trips that have informed the design and function of Malle’s gear.

Made from British waxed canvas with a waterproof membrane, the Racer will keep you safe and dry. The British know better than anyone how important it is to be prepared for the inevitable soggy ride through the countryside.

The jacket features extendable sleeves, air vents, seven pockets including two interior pockets for your cell, and a headphone port so you can stay connected. For protection, there are two layers of abrasion-resistant Kevlar and a five-piece race armor kit from Knox in the back, shoulders, and elbows. The asymmetric front zipper is a nod to vintage café racer flair yet maintains a modern cut and aesthetic.

The fit is true to size but with the density and amount of materials in the jacket, it can fit snugly, so pay close attention to the sizing chart provided by Malle. Ultimately the Malle London Racer jacket is classy, functional, and the perfect complement to any café racer fantasy.

Tested by Gregory George Moore | Love Classic style and weather proofing Look out for Snug sizing Price £449 | Buy

Icon 1000 images by Devin Paisley | With thanks to Triumph Cape Town

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[DaveM]

FROM BOLOGNA TO BANGKOK: Ducati Sixty2 by Crafton Atelier.

If I told you this custom motorcycle was built by a group of craftsmen not far from the Ducati factory, you’d probably think of a workshop somewhere in the rolling hills around Bologna. But such is the global growth of the entire motorcycle industry, that not only is this Ducati Sixty2 built in the company’s Thailand factory, which produces 20,000 bikes a year, but it’s also the very first custom...

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[DaveM]

Speed Read, June 26, 2022

Ironwood says goodbye to older bikes with their last carb’d custom. We’ve also rounded up another fresh Triumph from Tamarit, a Zero with handcrafted bodywork, KTM’s new 450 Rally Replica, and a modern homage to the Ducati 750 Sport.

Honda GL500 by Ironwood Custom Motorcycles Arjan van den Boom is no stranger to these pages. He’s been making custom bikes since 2012 and has been rather prolific, to say the least. What might come as a surprise, is that you’re looking at the last carbureted bike that Arjan’s Amsterdam workshop, Ironwood Custom Motorcycles, will ever produce.

For older motorcycles, Arjan has partnered with Wyld Garage Co. in Arizona, who are producing bikes of his original style to order. But Ironwood is moving away from its BMW boxer roots, and towards modern ICE and electric motorcycles.

Arjan’s based his last ‘vintage’ build on a bike I am quite familiar with: the Honda GL500. I began my motorcycling career with the GL’s poor brother, the CX500. I modified my old CX too, but I certainly didn’t go to the extent that Ironwood has.

Up front, they’ve grafted on a Ducati Monster 1200 front end, complete with radially-mounted Brembo brakes. An LED headlight is cleverly attached to the forks, in front of a Honda CB750F fuel tank. The long and wide tank looks to have been a perfect choice, as it ends neatly where the new rear subframe begins.

Speaking of, the ugly OEM subframe is where most CX/GL-based builds fall down—and it looks like Arjan and the Ironwood team share this opinion. Starting from scratch, the new subframe supports a very svelte leather seat, cantilevered over the back end. The exhaust is all new, and I like how it terminates behind the foot pegs, putting the enclosed rear wheel on display.

Taking a back seat to customer work, this GL took Ironwood a full two years to build. According to Arjan, the long-term investment has returned dividends by way of improved aesthetics, a great soundtrack and an even better ride. [Ironwood Custom Motorcycles | Images by Paul van Mondfrans Lindén]

Triumph Bonneville by Tamarit Motorcycles The team at Tamarit has been busy. Hot on the heels of the bike we featured last week, here’s another of their spicy takes on the older carb-fed Triumph Bonneville T100.

This Bonnie is a lot more to my liking in terms of style compared to the last one. Tamarit calls it one of their “craziest bikes,” and have dubbed it ‘Silenzio Bruna!’ (Bonus points if you get the reference.) While the flat track-inspired design is not particularly outlandish, there are some striking details.

I’m a sucker for gold wheels and metal flake paint and Tamarit has done a great job with both of these aspects. The blue paint against the brass-plated wheels is stunning, and there is even more bling by way of the number plates, finished in gold flake. The frame has been chrome plated and the engine cases have been polished to match.

The real centerpiece of the build is the monocoque tank and seat unit. The whole thing is hydraulically assisted and lifts as one piece. Not only is this very impressive from an aesthetic standpoint, but it must also be mighty practical when servicing the bike.

The electronics have all been upgraded thanks to Motogadget, and the stock Bonneville cockpit has had some tweaks. The flat track bars are taller and wider than stock, and the mirrors, switches, throttle and grips are all new.

The gauge cluster has been replaced by a Motogadget Tiny speedometer, neatly deposited betwixt the bar risers. Lighting is, naturally, all LED and the ‘headlight’ is slung down below the front number plate.

There are countless other details that I’m glossing over. And while the studio shots of the bike look great, I bet it would look next level parked in the sun with all that glitter. [Tamarit Motorcycles]

Zero SR/F by Bizarro Corp Do you have an all-electric Zero Motorcycle, but think it needs a retro-futuristic injection? Well, have we got news for you; this is a creation of that very ilk.

Based on a brand new Zero SR/F, Bizarro Corp teamed up with Zero Motorcycles Madrid to create this special aero kit. Opening its doors in 2014, Bizarro has pivoted away from fossil fuel-powered motorcycles recently, in favor of electric ones.

One of the best things about this kit (other than the look) is that it is completely interchangeable with the original fairings and bodywork. That requirement was baked into the brief, so Bizarro left much of the base bike below, focusing their efforts on hand-forming a full complement of aluminum bodywork. With low slung bars and waspish rear end, it all makes for a very racy silhouette.

If this is destined for a race track, then consider it finished. Even though it would be silent, unleashing 110hp and 190Nm of torque on an open track sounds like a lot of fun. [Bizarro Corp]

2023 KTM 450 Rally Replica The Dakar Rally is one of, if not the most, difficult and physically demanding races on the planet. It’s a grueling two-week event held at the beginning of each year, with competitors split up into several categories. Limited to 450 cc, the motorcycle category is largely dominated by a few brands—most of which fall under the KTM umbrella.

Over the last decade, KTM has claimed the top step of the Dakar podium eight times. Since 1979, they’ve won it 19 times. So to say that KTM is successful at Dakar is a gross understatement.

Drawing on that success comes this: the 2023 KTM 450 Rally Replica. As the name implies, it’s a full-spec, ready to race Dakar bike, almost identical to the winning machinery used by the KTM Factory Racing Dakar team. With only 70 units being built, these are morbidly limited edition.

You do get a lot of race-winning kit for the privilege though. This factory race bike comes with the same fuel-injected 450 cc single, chromoly frame, Pankl transmission and WP XACT suspension as the team bike. And you even get the same Akrapovič exhaust.

As a recent adventure bike owner myself, stuff like this makes me weak at the knees. That could be because race-bred machinery like this is beautiful in its own ugly way. It could also be because of the price tag—KTM hasn’t revealed it yet, but last year’s iteration was an eye-watering $27,000. [More]

The Crafton Atelier Crafton 01 For this week’s Speed Read I opened up the first link Wes sent me, and was greeted by this silver Ducati, built by Crafton Atelier. I’d never seen the bike before, but I could tell it was based on a Ducati Scrambler. Still, it was oddly familiar—something about the lines and silhouette of the bike piqued my curiosity.

I scrolled down the page to discover that Crafton Atelier based its concept on one of my favorite motorcycles: the Ducati 750 Sport. The Crafton 01 isn’t a direct copy of the 750 Sport though—it’s more of a modern homage to the original design. And Crafton has pulled it off incredibly well.

Using the Scrambler as their starting point, they crafted a new tank from aluminum, equipping it with a flush-mounted filler cap. The tail is made of fiberglass, topped with a beautiful black leather saddle.

The exhaust system is hand made, and so is the electrics tray, neatly hidden under the new seat. This is balanced atop a new subframe—a huge improvement on the rather swoopy factory design.

Crafton has integrated the OEM seat latch into a new position under the electronics tray too. This seems like a small detail, but I’ll bet it’s a welcome one when it’s time to change the battery or service any of the other electrical components.

The lighting has been upgraded to LED and the stock speedometer is integrated into a new headlight housing. This keeps the profile low and keeps the ECU happy by running everything through the stock cluster—ABS braking system included.

The Crafton 01 is one of the best Ducati Scrambler-based customs I’ve ever seen. It’s elegantly understated—but then again, so was the 750 Sport. [More]

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