Nothing cures boredom fairly like bikes—and that goes not only for driving them, however wrenching on them too. This is why the father-and-son workforce behind AMP Motorcycles, Michael and Allen Posenauer, are by no means bored.
Based in Offenbach, Germany, the Posenauers began AMP Motorcycles as a approach to spend time collectively after hours. They by no means meant for it to be something past a interest, however their work resonated with others and orders quickly trickled in. That hasn’t stopped them from sneaking in private initiatives each time they will although—like this lighthearted Honda XL 500 scrambler.
“My father bought the 1983 Honda XL 500 R almost three years ago,” says Allen. “He wanted to build it for himself.”
“We had a lot of customer work to do, so we worked on the bike just when there was time and we felt like it. We had no deadline. It was just about having fun, while building the bike to our own expectations as father and son.”
The overly abbreviated tail, small gasoline tank, and lack of entrance fender may appear foolish to some, however AMP didn’t customise this Honda scrambler for severe souls. All they wished was a light-footed seaside runner—stripped down and prepared for shenanigans.
“Our aim was to only have the essentials on the bike,” Allen provides. “We cut off everything we didn’t need, shortened the rear, and removed the passenger foot pegs. The bike is kickstart-only, with a tiny battery under the tank.”
The XL 500’s huge entrance wheel and tall suspension had been nice for pinning it throughout the desert within the 80s, however they had been whole overkill for AMP’s wants. So the fellows took the OEM drum brake hubs, and laced them to shiny new aluminum rims with chrome steel spokes. The new wheels measure 18” back and front, with Heidenau tires providing all-terrain grip and an appropriately chunky aesthetic.
The forks had been lowered to fine-tune the scrambler’s stance earlier than being fitted with recent gaiters. A brand new shock props up the Honda Pro-Link rear suspension system.
AMP tossed the entire XL 500’s bodywork, then redressed it with a mixture of salvaged and custom-made elements. The gasoline tank got here from a pal; it’s an outdated Honda unit of an undetermined mannequin. Michael and Allen cleaned it up, tailored it to the bike, painted it, and re-fitted its unique badges.
A 3-quarter size seat sits atop the cut-and-shut subframe, upholstered in two-tone leather-based. Handmade aluminum quantity boards flank the bike, with an aftermarket alloy fender ending off the tail.
There’s an aluminum quantity board up entrance too, with an LED headlight poking out of it. A set of chromed scrambler bars sit simply behind it, together with a Motogadget speedo, Motone switches, and a brand new throttle. The flip alerts come from Highsider, with the rear items doubling up as taillights.
The XL’s single-cylinder engine was handled to a full service after which painted black with all-new chrome steel {hardware}. The carb was ultrasonically cleaned and fitted with a foam air filter.
The Honda wears a black and white paint job that performs with stars and jagged stripes. AMP went for a glittery shiny silver end on the body (identical to the end on the Kawasaki Z400 that they constructed some time in the past). There’s not an inch on this bike that hasn’t been refurbished and refinished.
A {custom} exhaust system provides a completion, snaking its approach by way of the body and terminating in an aftermarket muffler beneath the seat. Oh, and there’s a surfboard on the right-hand aspect of the bike.
“The bike is exactly what we wanted,” Allen concludes. “It’s the perfect scrambler-slash-tracker for the city—super light, super agile, super good looking. It’s a real head-turner and everyone on the street wants to take pictures of it.”
“It would also be great to ride it to the beach and go surfing—but, sadly, we don’t have any waves near us.”
AMP Motorcycles | Instagram | Images by (and with because of) Marc Holstein and Christine Gabler
Source: www.bikeexif.com