Custom Motorcycle Builds

[DaveM]

Speed Read, September 18, 2022

We kick this weekend’s edition of Speed Read off with two very different BMW K100 customs. Then we bring you a Yamaha Virago, a 250 cc BMX-Cub hybrid, and the world’s first flying motorcycle.

BMW K100 by Jerem Motorcycles Jérémie Duchampt has a knack for building svelte café racers out of bikes with massive power plants. This time he’s worked his magic on one of the chunkiest motors out: the BMW K100.

There’s a sense of mechanical aggression here, thanks to Jérémie’s choice of bodywork. The stock fuel tank is still in play, but it’s been subtly repositioned. Out back is a custom made tail section, complete with a pair of air scoops that play into the bike’s nickname, ‘Top Gun.’

Those scoops aren’t just decorative either. The air filter is actually housed inside the tail bump, with a bespoke stainless steel manifold to control airflow.

Jérémie fabricated a new subframe for the BMW too, and propped the rear up on a Yamaha R1 shock with custom-made linkages. A set of Suzuki TL1000S forks and brakes do duty up front, along with a modified Triumph fender. The wheels come from a Suzuki GSX-R (front) and BMW K1200GT (back).

The bike’s been rewired, and now sports a keyless ignition and a full complement of LED lighting. Jérémie deleted the stock ABS system too, and repackaged all the electronic bits in a hand-made fiberglass box under the tank.

The cockpit features new clip-ons, grips and levers, plus an aftermarket digital speedo. Finishing touches include an inner fender at the back, a swingarm-mounted plate bracket and a four-into-one exhaust system. Jérémie relocated the side stand to the right side of the bike too (if you’ve every owned a K-series BMW, you’ll know why).

Wrapping things up is a very fetching Alpine Blue livery, borrowed from Renault’s catalog. Tasteful blue accents ramp up the style, with satin black finishes adorning most of the BMW’s hard parts. [Jerem Motorcycles | Images by Jonathan Silène]

BMW K100 by Moto Rebuild If café racers don’t butter your toast, how about a scrambler-flavored BMW K100 instead? Resplendent in a matte burnt orange metallic paint job, this perky K comes from Maarten Bressers, who runs the Moto Rebuild workshop together with his father. They built it much earlier in the year, but it’s just gone up for sale.

The guys originally set out to create something slick and balanced, without ditching the K’s angular fuel tank. It now wears new side panels, a matching belly pan, and a slim tail section that sits on a custom subframe. The seat came from Cafe4Racer, with the cover handled by Miller Kustom Upholstery.

Cafe4Racer also supplied the unique rear suspension system, which is equipped with a YSS shock. The dual-sport tires are Michelen Anakees.

Up front are custom yokes, fitted with LSL bars and a Koso speedo. An LED headlight lights the way, with Motoism turn signals keeping things street legal.

Most of the bike is blacked out, but close inspection will reveal a number of 3D-printed badges and covers. The lack of graphics is refreshing, and the 3D BMW roundels add a particularly nice touch.

We’re not sure we’d run this K in the dirt, but we’d happily tear up the streets on it. If you’re into it, you can always holler at Maarten and make him an offer. [More]

Yamaha XV750 Virago by Pinguin Customs If there’s one bike that’s harder to beautify than a K-series BMW, it’s the Yamaha Virago. But Andreas Tauschek over at Pinguin Customs has done a stellar job with this 1981 XV750.

Andreas’ custom Virago blends together various café racer and bobber elements for maximum effect. Gone is the XV’s original laid-back stance; Andreas propped up the rear, and tweaked the OEM tank’s angle to pitch the whole bike forward.

He also grafted on a complete Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R front end. And we do mean complete—the Kawasaki loaned its forks, front wheel and twin brakes, top yoke, clip-ons and even its switchgear. The cockpit’s finished off with new grips and a tidy Koso speedo.

Out back, Andreas ditched the Virago’s subframe in favor of a custom seat bracket. Perched on top is a Biltwell Inc. solo seat, with a set of Tarozzi rear-sets completing the rider triangle. The bike’s been rewired too, and now runs a Shin Yo LED headlight and Highsider taillights.

Lower down you’ll find a two-into-one exhaust system, with an SC Project muffler, and just a hint of neatly wound pipe wrap. A ‘Pinguin’ logo on the engine casing adds a cute touch to this otherwise mean machine. [Pinguin Customs]

Kawasaki Ninja 250-powered BMX Cub by Enggal Modified If you’ve never seen a ‘BMX Cub’ before, here’s a crash course: they’re basically BMX-style bikes built with parts from Honda Cubs (or Cub clones). Indonesia’s Enggal Modified has built a ton of them, but their latest one is a little wackier than most.

Most BMX Cubs have engines that are 125 cc or smaller—but this one’s running the 250 cc liquid-cooled four-stroke mill from a Kawasaki Ninja 250SL, which is good for around 28 hp. And if that doesn’t sound like much, we’d like to remind you just how spindly this custom scoot is.

The Ninja engine sits in a custom-made frame, complete with a custom swingarm and a motocross shock. Upside-down forks from a Suzuki GSX-R do duty up front, and the bike rolls on 19F/17R wheels with Shinko rubber.

BMX-style handlebars are matched to an actual BMX seat. As sketchy as it looks, it’s worth noting that this maniacal moped also has disc brakes at both ends.

It’s the first time Enggal has built a BMX Cub with a 250 cc motor, but we’re betting it isn’t the last. As soon as the shop posted the complete build to their Instagram account, it was sold… so there’s clearly a market for these. [More]

Aerwins XTURISMO hover-bike debuts The future is here: Aerwins has just demoed their XTURISMO hover-bike at the Detroit Auto Show (you can watch the video here). So if you’re a sci-fi nut with an inordinate amount of money burning a hole in your pocket, get ready to place your order.

Specific details on the XTURISMO are slim, but here’s what we do know: it uses six fans to take off and fly, it has a 40 minute flying time, and the claimed top speed is 62 mph. Aerwins lists its weight as 661 lbs—but its maximum payload as just 220 lbs, which rules this writer out. The engine is described as a “gas-electric hybrid powertrain,” but that’s all that’s been said so far.

The company’s plan is to sell the XTURISMO in Japan initially. There, the law doesn’t actually classify it as an aircraft—so you don’t need a special license to fly it. They’ll likely expand their market to the US next year, once they manage to navigate local regulations.

The current model is expected to cost $777,000 when it releases (yikes), with a smaller model planned for the future expecting to cost closer to $50,000.

Is the idea of a hover-bike completely ridiculous and not at all practical? Definitely. Is there a better way to get around though? Heck no. [Source]

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[DaveM]

BLACK BANG BOBBER: Triumph TR5 from Black Cycles X Pop Bang Classics.

For a bike that was originally built to be a comfortable road machine with the ability to be an excellent trials competitor, the Triumph TR5 sure makes for one cool custom candidate. The rebel without a cause, the young heartthrob who died too soon, James Dean had one that he tricked out, so too Fonze from Happy Days, with a bobbed fender and high bars. So, it should come as no surprise that those...

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[DaveM]

Esputnik II: An electric drag racing bike from Spain

Bizarro Corp.’s online store has a T-shirt that reads “café racer is dead.” It’s a little rich coming from a custom workshop with a number of café racers in their portfolio. Then again, the Spanish crew isn’t exactly known for being conventional.

If you need proof, we’d like to present ‘Esputnik II’: an electric drag racing ‘bitsa’ that doubles up as a canvas for kinetic art. Built with Zero and Suzuki parts, and painted by the contemporary artist Felipe Pantone, it’s the perfect example of Bizarro’s unhinged creativity. And it was one of the stars of the recent Glemseck 101 racing festival.

It’s an evolution of ‘Estputnik I’—a bike that Bizarro built three years ago, when they decided to shift their focus to electric motorcycles. They started by pulling the brushless electric motor from a Zero DSR, good for 157 Nm of torque in stock guise. That was shoved into a scratch-built steel chassis, alongside a salvaged electric car battery.

Bizarro took Esputnik I to the Wheels and Waves event that year, and finished fourth in the fabled Punk’s Peak race. Then a global pandemic hit, and the team had time on their hands to put some more thought—and elbow grease—into their creation.

Armed with a digital render of what the Esputnik II should look like, Bizarro stripped the first iteration’s haphazard bodywork off and started over. Work on the front end began with a wireframe, over which the crew hand-formed a new aluminum fairing. It’s vaguely reminiscent of old-style dustbin fairings, just much less curvaceous.

A sleek cover sits atop the frame backbone where you’d expect to find a fuel tank. Behind that is a slim tail unit that echoes modern hyper-bikes like the Kawasaki Ninja H2.

Esputnik’s original chassis has gone largely unchanged beneath the new bodywork. It’s a stretched-out steel affair with a rigid rear end, built specifically for going fast in a straight line. A crude chain guard covers the left side of the rear triangle, and the foot pegs are just short bits of tubing welded directly to the frame.

Propping up the bike are the forks and wheels from a 2000-model Suzuki GS500. There’s only one brake—a Brembo unit mounted up front—but there’s also a regenerative engine braking system that helps to slow the bike down.

Bizarro fine-tuned the drivetrain on this version of Esputnik too. The original motor is still in play, but the battery’s been swapped out for a new one from Zero. And the gearing’s been fettled to optimize the bike for sprint races.

The changes have brought the top speed down from 195 km/h to 165 km/h. But the trade-off is that Esputnik does zero to 60 in 3.1 seconds—matching the Zero SR/S and Yamaha R1.

Power is controlled via a Domino throttle, hooked up to bare-bones clip-on bars. With one brake lever, and no switches or speedo, there’s very little going on in the cockpit.

Most of the bike’s operations happen via a custom-made control box, mounted to the right of the battery. It features three fighter jet-type toggle switches; the first turns the bike on, the second is the starter, and the third does the equivalent of putting the bike into gear. There’s a small charge indicator too.

As for the disruptive artwork, that was all Felipe Pantone’s doing. Bizarro simply handed the bike over to him, giving him free rein to coat the build in his signature style.

Fresh off the block, they then took the bike to Glemseck to duke it out with other eye-popping electric race bikes. They came away with second place, losing only to a 171 hp Energica. It’s a respectable result, but Bizarro aren’t quite done.

Cast an eye over Esputnik’s wiring and finishes, and everything feels a bit slap-dash. But there’s method in the madness—this is effectively a rolling prototype, with much more development planned.

Thanks to the simplicity of electric drivetrains, and their modular nature, there are endless ways in which Bizarro can reconfigure their race bike to go faster. And faster is the goal; the team is planning to tackle the famed Bonneville salt flats, with a target of 262 mph.

How they plan to hit that target is still a mystery, but one thing’s for sure: we can’t wait to see how Esputnik III turns out.

Bizarro Corp. | Instagram | Images by Bizarro Corp and Felipe Pantone

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[DaveM]

FUTURISTIC CANTILEVER: BMW R1200 ST by Recast Moto.

Throughout the history of the motorcycle industry, many a good bike has been a commercial failure, and sometimes through no real fault of the machine itself. Often they were released when other styles of bikes were booming or a single competitor was simply dominating the market. Take the 2006 BMW R1200 ST, not only were superbike the machine du jour, the rival sports tourer Honda VFR a sales...

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[Vector]

Aerwins XTURISMO hover-bike debuts The future is here: Aerwins has just demoed their XTURISMO hover-bike at the Detroit Auto Show (you can watch the video here). So if you’re a sci-fi nut with an inordinate amount of money burning a hole in your pocket, get ready to place your order.

Specific details on the XTURISMO are slim, but here’s what we do know: it uses six fans to take off and fly, it has a 40 minute flying time, and the claimed top speed is 62 mph. Aerwins lists its weight as 661 lbs—but its maximum payload as just 220 lbs, which rules this writer out. The engine is described as a “gas-electric hybrid powertrain,” but that’s all that’s been said so far.

The company’s plan is to sell the XTURISMO in Japan initially. There, the law doesn’t actually classify it as an aircraft—so you don’t need a special license to fly it. They’ll likely expand their market to the US next year, once they manage to navigate local regulations.

The current model is expected to cost $777,000 when it releases (yikes), with a smaller model planned for the future expecting to cost closer to $50,000.

Is the idea of a hover-bike completely ridiculous and not at all practical? Definitely. Is there a better way to get around though? Heck no. [Source]

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Looks great until there is an engine failure.

 

[DaveM]

Retro chic: Slipstream’s Honda CB360 scrambler

The custom scene is scattered with craftspeople that do more than just build awesome motorcycles. James Fawcett is a prime example. As Slipstream Creations he makes furniture, paints bicycle frames, does ad-hoc welding and fabrication jobs, and even upcycles spark plugs to create coat racks.

He also finds time to build custom motorcycles like this delightful Honda CB360 street scrambler. Thanks to James’ extensive skillset and can-do attitude, he does everything from his workshop in St. Louis, Missouri—right down to paint, powder-coating and upholstery. So other than some part-time help from his son, it’s mostly a solo gig.

Slipstream’s portfolio is loaded with small-capacity vintage Hondas that are pared-down, tastefully tweaked and finished in vivid liveries. It was one of those builds (a CL350) that caught the eye of this 1974-model Honda CB360’s owner, and prompted him to reach out to James.

“He had begun the journey of building his own custom bike,” James tells us. “But like many of us, a lack of time, tools, and experience caused the project to stall. That’s when he reached out to us to help make his vision a reality.”

The bike arrived in pieces, sorted into an assortment of boxes and bins. Step one was to inventory the mix of original and aftermarket parts on hand. Once that was done, the guys rolled up their sleeves and dove in.

With the Honda stripped, Slipstream focused on cleaning up the frame. Unneeded tabs were shaved off, and a custom subframe was fabricated with a flush-mounted taillight and turn signal combo LED.

Perched on top is a custom-made seat, with a slim electronics tray tucked underneath. This CB also leans in to the fender-less back-end look, but not at the cost of practicality. Look closer, and you’ll spot a hidden inner fender, mounted to keep dirt out of the pod filters.

The OEM fuel tank is still in play, and looks right at home alongside Slipstream’s other changes. A tiny front fender completes the minimal bodywork.

Slipstream’s builds often straddle the line between custom and restomod, and this one’s no exception. Part of that charm is down to how well James blends old and new parts.

In this case, the Honda still wears its original forks, but they’ve been rebuilt. The rear shocks look vintage, but they’re modern units with preload and damping adjustments. And although the original steel rims were swapped for 18” aluminum hoops, they’re still laced to the original drum brake hubs.

“We often swap front drum brakes for the more modern hydraulic disc systems,” James explains. “But the original front drum brake adds a bit of retro flavor to an otherwise slicker, more modern finish.”

Moving to the front, Slipstream installed a classic headlight, flanked by a pair of Motogadget LED turn signals. They also added an analog speedo, new bars with Biltwell Inc. grips, and modern switchgear.

Just two buttons control all the CB’s major functions, thanks to a NWT Cycletronic control unit. There’s a brand new wiring harness too, along with an upgraded regulator/rectifier, a Lithium-ion battery, and an electronic ignition from Charlie’s Place.

The Honda’s motor has been through a major clean-up and repaint too, and runs with a pair of rebuilt Keihin carbs. Slipstream coated the stock exhaust headers with satin black Cerakote, and added a pair of stainless steel reverse cone mufflers. Since they run so close to the bike, the side and center stands had to be modified to make room.

When the time came to paint the bike, James sent the client a plethora of color and graphics options. But in the end, he was so enamored with Slipstream’s older CL350 build, that he wanted something equally vibrant.

James obliged, coating the frame in white, and hitting the tank with a red, orange and yellow livery. The tank logos are a variation on Honda’s traditional ‘wing’ logo. A subtle hint of colored stitching on the seat adds an extra touch.

Slipstream’s take on the humble CB360 is a fun mash-up of old and new, and a great example of how to tweak a classic Honda twin. James is already hard at work on the next two bikes; a CL360, and a Suzuki VanVan with 14” rims and fat tires.

We can’t wait.

Slipstream Creations | Instagram

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[DaveM]

Café au lait: A Honda CB450 from the Gaucho Highlands

Nothing beats a quick early morning blast through the hills above my house. The air is fresh, the sun is usually shining and I don’t have to share the road with many other motorized vehicles. I do have to share it with bicycles though—and I’m always amazed by how many people choose pedals over a throttle.

This Honda CB450 café racer, however, was built for someone who likes both. It’s the seventh commissioned bike from Bruno Costa, of Caffeine Custom in Brazil. And it’s affectionately referred to as the ‘White Shark,’ thanks to its slim, pearl-white monocoque.

“The owner is a cycling enthusiast who wanted a low and narrow motorcycle for short, fun rides around the Gaucho Highlands’ curvy roads,” says Bruno. “Mixing a classic café racer with modern touches, we built it narrow to highlight the engine and make it look bigger.”

With the project brief finalized, Bruno selected a 1987-model Honda CB450 TR as the donor bike. A stock CB450 would make for a great commuter, but it doesn’t set the world on fire in terms of styling. Bruno and his customer felt the same way, so very little of the original bike now remains.

The first thing to go were the snowflake-style cast wheels. In their place are the five-spoke alloy units from a later model Honda, which also lent its front fork assembly. Finished in dark grey and wrapped in fresh Pirelli rubber, the new hoops look decidedly more modern.

The custom front fender is made of steel, and does double duty as a fork brace. The striking, almost neo-retro design ties in nicely with the LED headlight, donated by a Harley V-Rod. This is bolted to the front end by way of a custom bracket.

Higher up, Bruno installed a custom top yoke with integrated LED warning lights, and a mount for a Motogadget Motoscope Mini speedometer. Clip-on handlebars, new grips, push button switches and bar-end turn signals and mirrors were also fitted. To keep the cockpit clean, all the wiring was routed internally through the bars.

Next up was the single piece tank, seat and tail unit. Bruno describes it as the most challenging part of the build, and it’s easy to see why. Starting with an aftermarket fuel tank, he fabricated a steel seat pan and tail bump, then seamlessly blended everything together.

The seat is trimmed in Alcantara, and although it looks thin, it’s luxury compared to the bicycle saddles the customer is used to. Out back is an integrated LED tail light, shining out from behind a louvered cover. The custom aluminum gas cap and laser-cut brushed steel logos on the tank are neat touches.

Custom bodywork is difficult to get right but Bruno has nailed it, along with the new rear subframe that supports it. The bike got a full rewire too, but since space was limited, Bruno had to get clever.

Everything is packed into a tray under the seat, which can be accessed without removing the bodywork. A small Lithium-ion battery is stashed under the swingarm.

The Honda’s engine was refreshed and got a new coat of paint to match the wheels. The pod filters and custom two-into-two stainless steel exhaust free a few extra horses from the 450.

Aluminum rear-sets were fitted for a racy foot position, and Bruno made an aluminum license plate holder to round out the bodywork.

The end result is a lean café racer with perfect proportions. The weight reduction and tweaked powertrain surely benefits the torquey twin, but it’s the aesthetics that make this a winner.

If there was a motorcycling equivalent of the yellow jersey, Bruno would be wearing it.

Caffeine Custom | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Paulo Pretz

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[DaveM]

MALAMBO: Yamaha XT600 #103 by Lucky Customs.

Brilliant on their steed, incredibly brave but known to be unruly, the Gaucho of South America’s old frontier might be best exemplified in the modern day by the custom biker who lives the lifestyle to the extreme. So, if you want to live your life as an Urban Cowboy, then there really is only one bike that will let you tame the city streets and escape in rapid fashion when your rowdy behaviour...

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[DaveM]

Hommage: Kingston’s BMW R100 pays tribute to Bobby Haas

Bobby Haas left a giant hole in the custom scene when he passed away unexpectedly last year. As the owner and curator of the Haas Moto Museum, he was a bonafide patron of the art of motorcycle customization. And in that role, he formed deep personal relationships with the custom builders that helped to fill his museum’s halls.

With three of his builds already in the Haas Museum, Dirk Oehlerking of Kingston Custom had become a close friend of Bobby’s. So this impossibly elegant BMW R100 is particularly dear to him. Not only is it the longest custom boxer we’ve ever seen, but it was the last Kingston build that Bobby commissioned.

“I discussed a new project with Bobby and Stacey [Mayfield], his life partner and museum director, in July 2021,” Dirk tells us. “At that time, I didn’t know what it would become—all that was clear was that it was going to be the longest BMW R100, and it was going to be Kingston’s fourth motorcycle in the Haas Museum.”

“A Kingston family; related, but each member individualistic. That was my assignment from Bobby and Stacey.”

Dirk started the project the same way he usually does—by furiously sketching out the countless designs that were milling around in his head. Then he stripped the bike down, and set up big cardboard sheets against the chassis, to sketch everything out at a 1:1 scale.

Next, Dirk fleshed out his ideas with construction foam. Inspiration came from the 1930s, “when high speed, aerodynamics and elegance were combined.” By now the project was heading in an art deco streamliner direction, and had earned nickname ‘Eleganza.’

Once Dirk had finalized the BMW’s silhouette, he sent a photo to Bobby, who replied enthusiastically. But four days later, Dirk got a devastating phone call from Stacey informing him of Bobby’s sudden passing.

“I was frozen, shocked,” he says, “I could not and would not believe it. Such a wonderful person is no longer with us? I sank into deep mourning.”

“When Bobby was buried, I was locked down with a video feed from the funeral, and couldn’t say goodbye in person. I covered the project with a cloth and couldn’t work on it for a month, the grief and pain were too much.”

“After a few weeks I received a video call from Stacey—it was an exceptionally emotional conversation from both sides. Stacey told me that the family had decided to let the Eleganza project be completed, as it would have been in Bobby’s best interest.”

Dirk pulled the cloth off the bike, but his connection to the ‘Eleganza’ concept had been severed. He reached out to Stacey and told her that the project needed a new name. That might sound frivolous, but if you know Dirk, you’ll know that he places a lot of value in names.

“Eleganza became ‘Hommage’—a tribute to Bobby Haas,” he says. “It had to be something extraordinary—a work of art, a motorcycle sculpture.”

His passion reignited, Dirk began the arduous task of bringing Bobby’s Hommage to life. We’ve seen the German builder tackle this art deco style before, but we’ve never seen him take the concept to this extreme.

The R100’s elongated full-body fairing was hand-formed out of 2 mm thick aluminum. Divided into four main sections, it’s actually remarkably easy to take apart. Dirk also fabricated a pair of front wheel covers to give the fairing a seamless feel, but designed them to turn with the wheel.

The metalwork is impressive enough, but what really puts this streamliner over the top is the smorgasbord of tasteful details. Up front is a custom-made BMW-style kidney grill, with a headlight hidden behind it. Out back, you’ll find the taillight from a vintage BMW 700 car.

Poking out from the side panels are the boxer’s distinctive cylinder heads, hooked up to custom air intakes that move the carbs to under the bodywork. The customized foot controls, key ignition and choke are all neatly integrated too. And if you take a closer look at the front wheel covers, you’ll notice small cutouts to access the brake calipers, in case you need to bleed the system.

Up top are a set of handmade handlebars, fitted with aftermarket levers and grips. The rider looks down on a vintage-looking speedo bearing Kingston’s logo, and a leather tank belt that matches the seat. The chromed mirror housing comes from a Porsche 356 Speedster.

Other stylish touches include BMW roundels on the sides and front, and a set of chromed fishtail mufflers mounted to handmade exhaust headers.

Most of the donor bike is still intact under the bodywork, with a few notable modifications. The stock fuel tank’s been replaced by a handmade aluminum reservoir, holding three gallons. And the swingarm’s been extended, with a pair of rigid struts replacing the rear suspension.

A swathe of black paint, complemented by gold stripes, takes this graceful BMW over the finish line. And before you ask: yes, it’s rideable.

“The bike runs and is not just a show bike,” Dirk confirms. “I repeat: the bike can be driven and also steered. Of course, it has a large turning circle—but you only need that while maneuvering at low speeds, not while riding.”

Despite this, the Hommage likely won’t rack up too many miles. It’s destined for the Haas Moto Museum, where it’ll take its place as a tribute to a dear friend of the custom motorcycle scene.

Kingston Custom | Facebook | Instagram | Images by M. Eichfeld

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[DaveM]

Speed Read, September 25, 2022

A Honda CX500 headlines this week, resplendent in classic John Player Special colors. We also cover a 1957 Indian Trailblazer, a Magni MV Agusta, a Super73 e-bike destined for Burning Man, and a look back at this year’s Auerberg Klassik event.

Honda CX500 by Charlie’s Atelier For all of its shortcomings, the Honda CX500 is a very versatile motorcycle. It can make a great café racer, scrambler or tracker—and I should know, because my first bike was a CX500.

This stripped-down CX500 café racer comes from Francis Gomez of Charlie’s Atelier in the Dominican Republic. Inspired by the stunning John Player Special liveries of Formula 1, it’s a great example of the CX’s potential.

Francis grafted a Suzuki GSX-R front end to the Honda frame, complete with its forks, wheel and disc brakes. It’s finished off with an LED headlight, with a Motogadget taillight out back. The cockpit sports new clip-ons with Rizoma grips, CNC Racing levers, and Motogadget turn signals and mirrors.

The engine and frame received a healthy dose of black paint, and the stock carbs were taken off in favor of a pair of Mikuni VM34s, complete with velocity stacks. Snaking its way past the new radiator guard is a beautifully made stainless steel exhaust system.

Above the engine you’ll find a carbon fiber tank, modeled after the original. The back end received a whole lot of custom work too, including a short rear subframe and mono-shock conversion. A YSS shock, finished in black and gold, keeps the ride smooth.

The rear wheel cover is made of carbon, and the floating seat is a custom part. Hiding somewhere on the bike is an Antigravity Lithium-ion battery. Michelin Pilot Power 3 tires round out the build, with gold lettering to boot.

In stock form, the CX500 is slightly heavy and underpowered. Francis has done a great job to lighten it up, and the new Mikuni carbs surely work wonders for the engine. As the host of his city’s leg of the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, I’m sure he can’t wait to lead the charge next year on this exquisite machine. [Charlie’s Atelier]

1957 Indian Trailblazer If it weren’t for the big red tank with the Indian logo emblazoned upon it, I would have thought this was a Royal Enfield. Turns out, I wasn’t far off.

This is a 1957 Indian Trailblazer, which is essentially a re-badged Royal Enfield Super Meteor. The 100 mph, 700 cc parallel twin is a far cry from the usual Indian V-Twin fare, but gosh it looks good dressed in red with its Indian accoutrements.

In 1953, Indian was in serious trouble and were bought by Brockhouse Engineering, a company based in England. Brockhouse took the Super Meteor and sent it over to the USA to be rebadged as an Indian. The 45 hp parallel twin was originally taken from the Royal Enfield Meteor, which came equipped with a sidecar.

The Trailblazer got red paint, taller handlebars and a single seat setup with a luggage rack. The front and rear guards also got the Indian treatment and a crash bar was fitted to the front of the frame.

The powerful engine, comfortable seating position and luggage options would have made this a rather nice touring bike in its time. One benefit of the Indian-Enfield partnership was that parts were easier to find. Unfortunately, this didn’t surmount to much, as there aren’t many Trailblazer survivors around these days.

If you’re interested in a piece of American and English history, this bike is being offered for sale. The RM Sotheby’s anoraks reckon it will sell for between $5,000 and $10,000, which is fairly reasonable for a bike like this. [Source]

1978 Magni MV Agusta A full fairing, gold wheels, a curvy exhaust and a whole lot of Italian pizzaz. As far as I’m concerned, that’s the physical embodiment of motorcycle perfection.

Originally delivered to its first owner in Germany as an MV Agusta 750S America, this stunning classic was sent to the Magni workshop in the late 80s for some choice performance upgrades. It was then sent back in 2008, for a full conversion by Giovanni Magni himself.

In stock form, the 750S America is a pretty bike, with no bodywork to hide the stunning four-cylinder engine. Sitting beneath a bulbous tank and pushing its power through a shaft drive, you’d be happy to just leave it as is. But with a Magni fairing, extra power and a chain-drive conversion, it goes from pretty to drop dead gorgeous.

The owner of this particular example bought the bike in 2017 and is now offering it for sale through Moto Borgotaro. The current owner is a long-time Ducati and MV Agusta aficionado and as such had the engine checked over by a Magni specialist.

Only riding 3,000 miles since the rebuild, the video above proves it has the go (and soundtrack) to match the show. All I need to figure out is which body part I should sell to buy this. I’m not a big drinker, so maybe a kidney… [More]

‘Mad Max’ Super73 RX Mojave When the Burning Man festival rolls around each year, social media bursts at the seams with all kinds of wild and whacky content. It’s a flurry of giant motorized vehicles of all shapes and sizes, fire twirling, flood lights and red dust. Lots of red dust.

What better way to kick about the desert campsite than on an e-bike? They’re small, easily loaded onto (or into) a vehicle, and you can glide along without disturbing any of your fellow partygoers.

The Super73 RX Mojave ticks all these boxes and more. It has four-piston brakes, fully adjustable suspension, and chunky tires that will get you out of (or into) as much trouble as you like.

This particular RX was headed to Burning Man, for a YouTube star to peruse the desert delights at his leisure. But one does not simply bring an unmodified vehicle to Burning Man, so Super73’s in-house custom team took charge, kitted it out in a Mad Max junkyard-inspired way.

Like any true Mad Max vehicle, this e-bike wears a mix of hand-made and salvaged parts. There’s a custom lighting setup on the front forks, wrapped in para-cord in case of emergency. Just above it is a front fairing that looks like it was made from a car’s exhaust heat shield.

Hand-made fork guards were bolted on too, while an old Nebraska license plate protects the frame from stone chips. The seat was wrapped in brown vinyl and a sissy bar was bent up and bolted on.

Storage space on e-bikes is usually a bit limiting so the team installed a weathered set of Super73 molle racks. A repurposed air box (complete with an air filter) acts as a saddle bag. There’s an additional storage basket in the center of the frame, with a faux exhaust poking out the side.

It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but what happens in the desert, stays in the desert. At least, that’s how it was before the age of social media. [Super73]

Carbon-neutral fuel at the Auerberg Klassik Once every two years, the town of Bernbeuren, at the foothills of the Alps in southern Germany, explodes in population. With the sound and smell of vintage machinery in the air, the town hosts the Auerberg Klassik—an event that pays tribute to the Auerberg race that was held every year from 1967 to 1987.

The Klassik was started by a bunch of local motorcycle enthusiasts in 2017, 30 years after the last race. The event has something for the whole family, combining historic motorsport vibes with a classic racing lifestyle.

What attracts most people is the historic hill climb. The 3.2 km course wends its way up Mount Auerberg, and hosted 215 motorcycles and sidecars, along with 15 historic racing cars, this year. This included an original 1962 Brabham BT3 Formula 1 car and a 1990 Reynard Opel Spiess—Michael Schumacher’s actual 1990 Formula 3 car.

The hill climb was a timed regularity race with Josef Traubinger crowned “King of the Mountain” on his 1932 Standard. Queen of the Mountain went to Maria Köpf and her Moto Guzzi V7 Sport. The oldest participant was 88 years old and the youngest was 23. There were a variety of prizes to be won, including awards for best dressed and for the people who travelled the furthest to attend the event.

But a big talking point of the weekend, was that over a third of the participants in the hill climb were fueling their bikes with carbon-neutral e-fuel. No, they weren’t running battery-powered vehicles—they were using synthetic petrol.

The fuel was supplied by P1 Performance Fuels in Berlin, who were brought on board to highlight how vintage cars and bikes can be run more sustainably. Interestingly it’s the same fuel that Sebastian Vettel used to power a 100-year-old Aston Martin some months ago.

By all accounts, the 3rd Auerberg Klassik was a great success, hosting 4,500 guests and putting on a great race. It was also announced that the event will run again in two years time. So it looks like I’ll be booking flights to Germany in September 2024. [Images by Sven Wedemeyer]

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[DaveM]

BROADCAST QUALITY: CCM Spitfire Cafe Racer by Partridge Design.

When you hear a motorcycle that was built on television is coming up for sale, you immediately think of some godawful theme bike built in the early 2000s. But thankfully things have changed a hell of a lot since then, and while there is no one mega bike show on the box, some great ones have popped up with genuine builders crafting some slick machines. One such show is Goblin Works Garage and part...

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[DaveM]

DUST HUSTLER: Piaggio Liberty by Ellaspede.

There are just 38 days to go until Dust Hustle 13, where the hoons, loons and goons of Australia will mount their steeds and get to sliding on the dirt track at Queensland’s Mick Doohan Raceway. ‘Dust Hustle is just about good times for people who like to party on whatever rig they ride. It’s a legendary crew of dirt flirt enthusiasts, some radical riding gear & Australia’s biggest ‘inappropriate’...

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[DaveM]

Sportster d’eleganza: A slick 70s Harley ironhead bobber

Copper Chopper wowed us earlier this month with an impossibly elegant SR400 bobber, built from scratch and laden with tasty handcrafted bits. It was Alexey and Igor’s first commissioned build since taking their shop from sideline gig to full-time business. Before that, they’d simply build a bike according to their own taste, sell it and move on to the next one.

That’s how this spunky Harley ironhead bobber came to be. Copper Chopper started with a beat-up donor bike, transformed it with a selection of salvaged and custom parts, and put it up for sale. And, unsurprisingly, it’s already found its new home.

The shiny machine you’re looking at here truly is a far cry from the original 1976-model Harley-Davidson XLCH1000 Sportster that Alexey sourced for the project.

“When I bought it it was in a very poor condition,” he tells us. “Most of the parts were rusty, the heads were leaking oil and the front end was damaged.”

The guys started by pillaging Alexey’s 2013-model Sportster for parts—specifically its forks and rear shocks. They shaved the brake mounts off the fork lowers, polished them up, and mounted a 21” front wheel with a tiny drum brake hub, bought from Lowbrow Customs.

There’s a brand new reproduction 16” wheel out back, also equipped with a drum brake. The tires are vintage-style Firestones.

The old ironhead mill looks clean enough to eat off—but it didn’t start out that way. It underwent a full rebuild inside and out, and an intensive bout of polishing and painting. It’s also sporting an S&S Cycle carb, a choke from Lowbrow Customs and an electronic ignition.

Every last nut and bolt was replaced with new parts, as well as bits like the kickstart pedal, shifter nub and foot pegs. Adorning the outside of the motor are new polished covers, a Copper Chopper ignition cover, and a pair of stubby custom-made exhaust headers.

Sitting up top are a custom-made fuel tank, seat and rear cowl. Everything is remarkably well-proportioned—like how the curve of the tail section subtly mimics the curve of the tank. A lick of blue and white paint adds even more chicness to this svelte bobber, without going over the top.

“I didn’t want this motorcycle to look too custom,” explains Alexey, “but rather as if Harley-Davidson themselves made it back in the day. That’s why I made the tank, fender and exhaust design more traditional and classy.”

That sensibility is echoed in the Sportster’s cockpit. Alexey fabricated a set of narrow, direct-mount handlebars out of stainless steel, equipping them with new grips and custom levers. With an internal throttle and a well-hidden kill switch, the whole setup is as minimalist as it gets.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, Alexey really loves the look of polished stainless steel. “There wasn’t enough stainless porn up front for me,” he admits, “so I made a full stainless polished mirror, since I’d had this idea in mind for a long time. I can only see silhouettes behind me, but that’s enough.”

The front end also wears a classic chromed headlight, with a salvaged taillight attached to a side-mounted license plate bracket out back. The full package is flawless; a timeless ride that would look equally good outside a café as it would in a living room.

But Copper Chopper haven’t built it just to look at. Thanks to the suspension and engine upgrades, Alexey reports that this vintage ironhead is a joy to ride. We’re ever so slightly jealous of its new owner.

Copper Chopper Instagram

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[DaveM]

The Patron Saint of Custom Motorcycles: Bobby Haas, one year on.

From Da Vinci to Botticelli, Donatello to Michelangelo, the Medici family’s greatest legacy is not their vast wealth, political power nor their control of the Vatican, but the great works of art they commissioned through their patronage and support of the Renaissances’ greatest figures. A year ago to the day, the world lost the great Bobby Haas, a hugely successful financier and aerial...

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[DaveM]

Small batch: Renard’s stylish BMW R100 café racer series

Building one-of-one customs for a living would be most motorcyclists’ idea of heaven. However, like an author trying to write the sequel to a smash hit, the pressure must be overwhelming. The team behind Renard Speed Shop in Estonia know all about this, yet it’s never slowed them down.

Their first bike, the Renard GT, was a carbon fiber V-twin dream, offered as a limited production model. Renard followed it up with a slew of world class custom builds, ranging from mild to wild. Now they’re going back to their original formula in a sense, with a series of templated BMW R100 café racer builds.

“We always wanted to build limited run production motorcycles, to continue the same trend we started with the Renard GT,” explains shop manager, William Sarevet. “It’s important that Renard returns to its roots.”

“This doesn’t mean we won’t make any one-off customs. We will—but they must be very special, or offer us a creative challenge and be a pleasure to build.”

Renard has spent the last year prepping this short run of BMW boxer-based machines, to create their interpretation of the ultimate café racer. Each bike starts out as a 1976-1979 BMW R100 touring model, and is then reworked to strike a balance between classic style and modern performance.

Each donor bike gets the full treatment. If you’re claiming to build the ultimate café racer, engine work is a necessity—so Renard have gone above and beyond in this department. The R100 engines are all rebuilt to a demanding spec, using /6 series engine cases and a Renard-designed airbox.

Lighter pistons run inside the new dual-spark cylinder heads, along with a lightened crank and flywheel to help the 1000 cc flat twin spin up even faster. The Bing carbs are overhauled, as are the starter motor and gearbox. Each engine gets blasted and clear ceramic coated, before being fitted with Renard badges.

The exhaust is also custom; 40 mm exhaust headers terminate in stainless steel conical mufflers from Hattech. The rear drive is from an early round case airhead, with Renard sticking to a double-sided swingarm over the single-sided options available.

Moving to the rolling parts, Borrani wheels are laced with stainless steel spokes to Renard’s own hubs and bearing carriers. They are wrapped in Bridgestone Accolade tires, which give modern performance to an old-school looking tread pattern.

The front forks are Ceriani replicas, bolted to Renard custom fork clamps. Modern adjustable shocks run at the back, while the brake discs, calipers and master cylinders are all top-shelf Beringer parts.

Up front is an LED headlight, tucked below a custom shroud. Nestled behind it is a pair of matching analog Smiths gauges. These days it’s all too common to see a combined speedo and tacho—but separate gauges will never not look cool, especially on a classic café racer.

Low-slung handlebars are fitted with Beringer levers. There are fluid reservoirs on both sides, because Renard have opted to fit a hydraulic clutch.

The levers are integrated with Renard’s own CNC-machined switchgear—they bolt directly to the Beringer clamps, and are easily some of the best looking switches in the industry. Leather-wrapped grips and bar-end mirrors add a touch of class.

The whole bike is rewired from the ground up around a Motogadget mo.unit blue. The setup includes a keyless ignition and the ability to track your motorcycle via a smartphone app. A small Lithium-ion battery is hidden away inside the bodywork, while the taillight and turn signals are LED units.

The sleek bodywork is all hand made by the Renard team. A huge amount of work has gone into the tank, seat, dashboard and fenders, and it really shows. The factory R100 fuel tank is an iconic piece in its own right, but Renard has nailed their reinterpretation of it.

The perfectly-proportioned tail unit sits on top of a modified subframe, and the leatherwork on the seat shows masterful craftsmanship.

So far, Renard has built four bikes to their own specifications. But moving forward, each build will be tailored to its owner’s taste.

“We’ve already sold the first four bikes to previous clients and club members,” William tells us. “All the bikes are street legal with approved frames, triple trees, suspension, sound, emissions and engine power upgrades.”

If you’re in the market for a custom BMW that will stand out in a crowd, look good and go extremely well for the rest of your life, you might want to get in touch with Renard. But do it quickly. Build slots for 2023 are limited, and these are sure to sell like hot cakes.

Renard Speed Shop | Facebook | Instagram

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[DaveM]

Quarterflash: Icon’s 80s-inspired Kawasaki Z125

The mad scientists at ICON Motosports spend their days concocting motorcycle gear that runs the gamut from stealthy to totally outrageous. And when they’re not busy with that, they’re hard at work in their Portland garage building wild custom motorcycles to match.

Meet Quarterflash: an 8-bit dream wrapped in a flurry of neon hues, named after a band that came out of Icon’s hometown in the 80s. A little outlandish and extremely saucy, it’s just the sort of custom build that we’d expect from Portland’s finest.

And if you’re thinking that this machine sits a little low for a full-faired sportbike, you’re not wrong. That’s because Quarterflash didn’t start its life as some four-cylinder screamer, but rather as a mild-mannered Kawasaki Z125.

If you don’t know the Z125, it’s pretty much Kawasaki’s answer to the Honda Grom; pint-sized and ready to play. In stock form, the Z125 cranks out 9.5 hp and weighs just 225 lbs. But Quarterflash has spent an inordinate amount of time in the gym, to help unleash its full potential.

The Tennessee-based small-bore parts specialist, MNNTHBX, had something to do with it. They supplied a 155 cc big-bore kit with an upgraded crank, plus their MTake intake (think of it as a ‘big breather’ for a Grom).

ICON also slapped on a full Yoshimura exhaust system, then installed a Dynojet Power Commander and AutoTune kit. With a little fettling, Quarterflash now scores high on both bark and bite.

ICON holds firm to the mantra that you should never skip leg day, so they went to town on the Kawasaki’s running gear too. There’s a MNNTHBX swingarm extender and lowering link out back, hooked up to a Nitron shock with a remote reservoir. The stock 12” hoops are shod with new Avon rubber, with EBC brake pads adding extra stopping power.

But the job was only half done. Realizing that Quarterflash needed a body kit to match its ferocity, the team sourced a sportbike fairing from Airtech Streamlining.

Modeled on the iconic Yamaha OW-01, which is substantially larger than the Z125, the fairing was gently tailored to fit. ICON sculpted a new one-piece tank cover and tail section from fiberglass, finishing things off with a racing foam seat pad and a host of 3D-printed details.

The new bodywork went a long way to convert Quarterflash from pit-bike to pocket-sized retro superbike. All that was missing was an assortment of appropriate accoutrements.

ICON added new rear-set foot controls lower down, with fresh clip-ons and grips in the cockpit. The Z125 runs with Magura brake and hydraulic clutch master cylinders, with the reservoirs mounted to a CNC-machined bracket that sits where handlebar risers normally would. The OEM Kawasaki dash tucks neatly behind Quarterflash’s tinted windscreen.

And then there’s that retina-searing livery. Slathered in graphics that jumped straight out of an 80s arcade game, Quarterflash unapologetically pays tribute to Icon’s latest helmet and jacket designs.

Just like the music, hairstyles and tracksuits of the 80s, Quarterflash isn’t for everyone. But if it speaks to you, we invite you to comb your mullet, roll up the sleeves of your linen jacket, pop a quarter in the machine and hold on tight.

ICON Motosports | Facebook | Instagram

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[DaveM]

PUNCHING ABOVE ITS WEIGHT: Honda Grom by XXII.

People who say ‘good things come in small packages’ are usually just people with less to offer, in whatever way that might be. But then there are people and moments who put absolute truth to the adage; David slaying Goliath, the Miracle on Ice and men like Jack Brabham and John Britten, building their own machines to take on the biggest manufacturers in the world. One man who has always made the...

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[DaveM]

Enchantress: Tamarit’s Baroque-style Triumph Bonneville

Even after more than 120 custom builds, Tamarit Motorcycles isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. In their continued search for motorcycling elegance, the Spanish custom shop has based their latest work on a carbureted 2004 Triumph Bonneville. Named ‘Circe’ after the minor goddess from Greek mythology, the venerable Bonnie has been elevated with hints of Baroque-inspired design.

With such an extensive back catalog, it’s tempting to tread familiar ground. But Tamarit deliberately eschewed trends with this bobber, aiming to create something “classic, beautiful and daring.”

The most radical changes are the Bonneville’s front and back ends. Up front is a gleaming set of chromed springer forks, with a Bates-style headlight sitting between its brass-plated springs. This combination of chrome and brass is a continuous theme, extending even to the wheels and brakes.

Behind the forks are a set of inverted board-track style handlebars, equipped with Biltwell Inc. grips, polished levers, and Motogadget switches and bar-end turn signals. A tiny Motogadget speedo is mounted low on the right side of the springer, like a well-fitted piece of jewelry.

Not much of the original bike remains in the rear portion. The new subframe is cantilevered from the main frame, while the swingarm has been converted to a mono-shock system. Tamarit have used this rear suspension setup on past builds, and it’s great to see that they are still developing the technology.

Not only is it braced and polished, but the swingarm has been extended by about 6” too. A fiberglass rear fender is attached to the swingarm on a brass-plated bracket. The tires are classic Continental treads; they’re spooned onto a narrower-than-stock wheel up front, and a solid disc wheel at the back.

Up top you’ll find the Bonneville’s original fuel tank, painted off-white and adorned with a few finishing touches. The brass fuel cap, gold Tamarit badges and brown leather knee pads are all top class.

The crew wanted to imbue a sense of movement throughout the bike, where one piece flows fluidly into the next. This is most evident in the tank-seat design, where the leather cascades down the tank and into the beautifully sculpted saddle. The drillium in the seat’s subframe is echoed in parts like the swingarm and rear fender brace, adding another level of cohesion.

The back end of the seat pan features a custom-made ‘Circe’ emblem, and a pair of integrated LED taillights. Power is supplied by a small battery hidden in a handmade box under the swingarm.

The bike was rewired from scratch, with everything running smoothly through a Motogadget mo.unit blue control box, complete with a smartphone app. There’s no key—instead, an RFID lock is hidden under the front of the seat, activated by way of a fob.

The engine was blasted for a super clean look, and the cases were polished to within an inch of their lives. K&N air filters help the engine breathe easy, and, to improve it even further, Tamarit made a custom, high-mounted exhaust.

A brass-plated grill protects the rider’s right leg from the slash cut mufflers. After a heat cycle, the stainless steel headers have a golden sheen that matches the rest of the bike perfectly.

The Bonneville also wears new foot pegs, and a sump guard from Tamarit’s own catalog. Sitting just above that is one of our favorite features: the frame’s down tubes have been converted into an oil cooler, with fins that mimic the springs on the front end.

There are countless little considerations like this all over the bike. Tamarit were right to photograph it like an art piece—you could sit and pick up on new details for hours on end.

Tamarit didn’t build Circe for any particular client. Instead, they’re partnering with the prestigious French auction house, Artcurial, to sell it.

If you’re looking for a piece of motorcycle art from one of Europe’s most prolific custom houses, Circe will be auctioned at next year’s Salon Retromobile show, in Paris. After the success of Jade, the last Tamarit bike to be auctioned by Artcurial, we can’t wait to see how the public reacts to this one.

Tamarit Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram

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[DaveM]

Speed Read, October 2, 2022

deBolex Engineering’s latest work sees the Royal Enfield Interceptor turned into a stylish alpine rally support vehicle. We also look at a hopped-up Honda Grom, a blown Ducati Monster S4, a Fantic Caballero Rally 500 scrambler, and a chance to own a Aprilia Moto 6.5… if you really want to.

Royal Enfield Interceptor by deBolex Engineering Our friends at deBolex have been hard at work fulfilling orders for their dB25 series of custom Ducati Monsters. But shop founder Calum Pryce-Tidd still managed to carve out time to accompany Malle London on their Great Malle Mountain Rally recently.

Calum wasn’t along as a guest though—he was the official support mechanic. He needed a suitable vehicle to transport himself, some tools and a little extra fuel, so the shop turned out this tidy Royal Enfield Interceptor in the month before the trip.

“We’ve always loved the 650 Interceptor,” says Calum, “and we’ve been planning on using it as a base for a build for a long time. It reminds us of motorcycles from a classic era—smaller, lighter, simpler and the perfect platform for some tuning. The style of the engine is timelessly classic and the fundamental lines of the bike are pleasingly balanced.”

deBolex shortened the Interceptor’s frame a touch, then designed their own CNC-machined tail tidy to clean up the rear end. It houses a slim LED taillight, with a pair of Motogadget LEDs for turn signals. The new seat pan and rear fender were both shaped out of carbon fiber.

Maxton came to the party with new adjustable fork internals, and a set of adjustable rear shocks to raise the bike slightly. deBolex also added custom yokes, and wider polished aluminum rims so that Calum could run wider tires.

The bike was designed as a ‘quick response’ support vehicle, with a more seriously equipped support van following the pack through the European alps. So it didn’t need to carry too much stuff. Custom racks accommodate a large Malle pannier on the right, and a detachable fuel canister on the left.

The Enfield’s predominantly black paint job is timelessly stunning, but it wasn’t a random pick. deBolex deliberately painted it to match another one of the Rally’s support vehicles: a prototype Morgan Super 3, designed as a collaboration between Malle and Morgan.

By Calum’s own admission, it’s a mild rework for the Interceptor. But it’s a stylish build nonetheless—and he assures us that deBolex has a heap more mods in the pipeline.

[deBolex Engineering | Images by Sam Barham and Calum Pryce-Tidd]

Honda Grom by Alex Poole Based in Wichita, Kansas, 29-year-old Alex Poole is no stranger to small bikes. He learnt how to wrench by helping his dad build mini bikes in their garage—and for the past decade or so, he’s been building customs based on Honda’s cheeky Ruckus pit bike.

Itching for a new challenge, Alex got his hands on a Honda Grom and started formulating ideas. Custom Groms may be new ground for him, but it’s not a new scene—so there are hundreds of aftermarket parts to choose from.

Alex’s build is a mix of off-the shelf and custom bits, masterfully mashed together to create one of the gnarliest custom Groms we’ve seen. First up, he designed a set of custom wheels based on Rotiform’s DIA design, then had them machined to spec. It turned out to be an ambitious project.

For starters, the whopping 8” wide design he had in mind for the back wheel wouldn’t fit with the swingarm. On top of that, Alex had the controversial idea to ditch the right side rear brake, and fabricate a left-side sprocket brake instead. After widening the swingarm by an inch and adding fresh mounting brackets, everything eventually worked.

Alex also added a swingarm extension from Mojo Customs, a lowering link and a new adjustable shock from Fastace. The lowered front forks are from Feign, fitted via a Mojo conversion kit for the Ruckus.

Under the hood, Alex treated the engine to an upgraded cam and an ECU tuning chip. The carb was ported and polished, and fitted with a K&N filter. The exhaust is custom, built with welding help from Alex’s dad.

The bodywork was augmented with fiberglass mid fairings from HRP Motors, side scoops from Ermax, and a headlight shroud and belly pan from Petex. Other upgrades include lowered handlebars, a new front fender, and an integrated taillight.

Thanks to past disappointments with suppliers, Alex decided to tackle this bike’s paint job himself. He built a canopy in his back yard, started marking out a design with pin-striping tape, and picked each layer’s color as he went.

From the custom graphics, to the stretched stance and car-inspired wheels, this Grom feels like the two-wheeled equivalent of JDM street racer. Who else is itching to see what Alex can do with a bigger bike? [Alex Poole Instagram]

Turbo-charged Ducati Monster S4 by Black Cycles Custom Ducati Monsters are hardly rare, by you know what you don’t see every day? A custom Ducati Monster with a turbo charger. Bonus points if it’s the 916-powered Monster S4.

This mental Monster is the work of Australia’s Black Cycles. Their customer had owned the bike, a 2001-model S4, for about three years, when a crack in the fuel tank appeared. He took it to a local shop for repairs and some light custom work, where it sat for almost two years.

Black Cycles founder, Noel Muller, caught wind of this, and convinced the owner to send his bike up to their shop in Brisbane. Before long, things snowballed—and the list of custom work grew longer.

The Monster now sports all-new bodywork, hand-shaped out of aluminum. Noel actually built one set of body parts—and then decided that the bike needed a turbo. Everything was scrapped, Noel sourced a Garrett turbo, and new bodywork was designed.

What appears to be the fuel tank is actually a housing for the turbo’s plenum (in the front) and the electronics (in the back). Fuel is held lower down, in a custom-made belly tank. A waspish tail piece rounds out the kit, mounted to the Monster’s modified subframe.

Other custom parts include aftermarket Ducati 996 triple trees, a later model Monster swingarm, clip-ons, rear-sets and more. Black Cycles also fabricated the turbo’s intake and exhaust, and a bunch of one-off bits to make it all work. The finishes are an intoxicating mix of polished surfaces, white, and textured black.

Noel outsourced the engine work to Bike Therapy, and the wiring to Pop Bang Classics. The bike’s currently at Cube Performance Centre, where it’s being treated to a Power Commander and a dyno tune.

There’s no official word on numbers yet, but you can bet it’ll be fast. [More]

For sale: A 1996 Aprilia Moto 6.5 Once upon a time, a famous industrial designer—known for designing everything from buildings to taps—designed a motorcycle. The motorcycling community lost its collective mind. Some were mad about it, while others were mad that it existed.

Love it or hate it, the Philippe Starck-designed Aprilia Moto 6.5 was, at the very least, memorable. It took the Rotax single-cylinder engine from the Aprilia Pegaso 650, and repackaged it in a new chassis, designed by Starck. The French designer also penned the Moto 6.5’s distinctive bodywork, and its radiator, bash plate and exhaust.

Originally launched in 1995, the Moto 6.5 wasn’t a big seller. Perhaps buyers couldn’t wrap their head around the bike’s unique aesthetic—or perhaps the single-cylinder mill powering it was just too lackluster.

If you miss the Moto 6.5, think it was way ahead of its time or just pine for a 90s Italian thumper, keep an eye on Bonhams’ website. They’ll be auctioning one off soon, with an expected price tag of between $1,600 and $2,700—which pretty much sums up the Moto 6.5’s level of collectability. [More]

Fantic Caballero Rally 500 by Gasoline Motor Co. The Australian shop Gasoline Motor Co. doesn’t just build custom bikes—they’re also Australia and New Zealand’s biggest Fantic dealer. If you don’t know Fantic, they’re an Italian brand that specializes in practical small- to mid-sized bikes with retro flair.

The Fantic Caballero Rally 500 is an attractive scrambler with a 449 cc single-cylinder motor, good for 39.6 hp and 43 Nm. In stock form, it fits right in with bikes like Triumph and Ducati’s own Scramblers. But when the Italian factory commissioned Gasoline to customize one, the crew saw potential for more.

The Rally 500 has a respectable 200 mm of suspension travel at each end—but it rolls on a 19F/17R wheel combo. Gasoline’s first port of call was to give it a boost with a set of custom-laced 21F/18R Excel rims, wrapped in off-road tires from Shinko. They also stretched the swingarm by 4”, so that everything sits just right.

Visually, the Rally 500’s silhouette hasn’t changed much. But Gasoline saw to a slew of small changes that make the bike look just that much more aggressive.

Up front are a bigger aftermarket motocross fender, a PIAA headlight and a tinted fly screen from Dart. PIAA auxiliary lights sit lower down, mounted to new engine guards. The seat was reshaped and re-upholstered with a modern gripper fabric, and the rear was tightened up with a tail tidy kit from Fantic’s own catalog.

Gasoline also installed a performance flywheel, and a ceramic coated exhaust system from Arrow, complete with an upgraded fueling map. The bike is finished mostly in black, save for the custom graphics.

Once the bike was buttoned up, Gasoline loaded it up and headed deep into the Australian desert. With the town of Singleton as their base (which is about a 14 hour drive from Sydney), they produced a short film starring their new build.

It’s called ‘The Road to Red,’ and it’ll be out soon. Until then, you can indulge in the trailer below. [Gasoline Motor Co.]

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[DaveM]

FULLY FAIRED: Royal Enfield Twins Kit by MK Designs.

It’s one of the single greatest feats in motorcycle history, the great success of the Royal Enfield company, who relied almost exclusively on one engine design for decades. The single cylinder motors, with all of their modern updates, remain a fantastic power plant, but the arrival of their parallel twin machines added another impressive weapon to the arsenal. Customisers were quick to jump on...

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