Jimmy Messina obtained a lung most cancers analysis in 2019. Soon after, the mechanical engineer and skilled race mechanic stop his day job with a view to endure chemotherapy. However, Messina wasn’t going to let unlucky circumstances cease him from realizing his goals of constructing a one-of-a-kind customized bike.
“After his diagnosis, Jimmy had to leave his job because of the constraints of his chemo treatment. So this project became part of his fight against cancer,” defined Messina’s father Michel. “Our main goal became the development of a prototype with the aim of manufacturing a small series of bikes in the USA, and in a way, live the American Dream.”
The father-son duo turned to Buell and Voxan for inspiration, however Messina had his personal body design in thoughts for RD Kustom’s first construct—the SR1. After sourcing a Buell S1 Lightning V-twin for the mission, Messina digitally modeled components with Solidworks 3D and produced prototypes with a 3D printer.
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Constructed from aircraft-grade aluminum, the body consists of a 7075 tubular twin spine mated to entrance and rear “blocks”. The light-weight body will increase each weight financial savings and rigidity by adapting the 1,203cc V-twin as a harassed member. A Ducati 1198 fork and braking system shores up the entrance finish, whereas French suspension specialists EMC helped Messina notice his personal undercarriage-mounted reverse monoshock design.
Items just like the 17-inch Marchesini wheels, CNC-machined triple timber, and alloy single-sided swingarm sheds extra kilos, however the SR1 doesn’t simply trim the fats, it additionally good points muscle. In inventory kind, the Buell engine pumped out 101 horsepower and 94.8 lb-ft of torque. Messina outfits the ageing mill with twin 39mm Keihin FCR carburetors, hi-flow filters, and a customized 2-into-1 SC-Project exhaust for some additional oomph.
With such a radical tackle an American darkhorse, RD Kustoms makes the SR1 stand out much more with an angular, KTM-esque aesthetic. From the diamond-shaped headlight cluster to the two-toned airbox/gas tank combo to the sharp tail unit, the customized roadster’s kind not solely follows its perform but additionally elicits emotion. That concord of fashion and substance immediately captured the eye of the general public.
“The motorcycle was unveiled in Italy for the finale of the AMD European motorcycle championships,” added Michel Messina. “Jimmy’s bike won the ‘Best of Show’ amongst 70 other motorcycles built by professional workshops. The win also earned him an invitation to the World finale in 2023.”
Source: www.rideapart.com