The Swiss maestros at VTR Customs ship the primary {custom} BMW R1300GS that we’ve seen, whereas Radical Speedshop builds a bespoke Moto Guzzi café racer like no different. We additionally have a look at a tidy Yamaha XT500 restomod and a shocking 1949 Triumph Speed Twin bobber.
BMW R1300GS by VTR Customs When BMW introduced its new flagship journey bike, the BMW R1300GS, we knew it was solely a matter of time earlier than we noticed it personalized. Thanks to Switzerland’s VTR Customs, we didn’t have to attend too lengthy.
Big adventure-style bikes with go-fast bits are all the craze proper now. Machines just like the Ducati Multistrada V4 RS and BMS M1000XR are primed for riders who need journey bike ergonomics in a performance-orientated road-going package deal. This might be what impressed the mad scientists at VTR Customs.
Their construct nonetheless resembles a BMW R1300GS, but it surely’s a lot leaner. To pare down the entrance, they changed the windshield with the shortest one obtainable, eliminated the hand guards, and fitted brief brake and clutch levers. A brief entrance fender was fitted beneath the BMW’s signature beak, offering the engine with a contact extra safety from something sloughing off the sticky Metzeler Supersport tires.
Kellermann Atto flip alerts have been fitted up entrance, with an identical set of three-in-one items added to the rear. The rear part has been slimmed down significantly, due to a custom-made cowl that replaces the OEM seize handles and license plate bracket. Along with a {custom} saddle by Yves Knobel, VTR’s adjustments have made the already waspish tail of the R1300GS much more so.
The primer gray M-inspired paint was laid down by Freuler AG, and goes a protracted strategy to lower down on visible bulk additional. The rocker covers have been coated in wrinkle black, the exhaust headers are lined with black warmth tape, and the muffler’s been completed in black (though we’ve by no means heard of ‘Attrapovič’).
In inventory kind, the BMW R1300GS lacks some visible cohesion. But VTR’s model trims the fats to disclose the muscular, road-focused machine beneath. Their R1300GS wouldn’t be our choose for off-rad excursions—however we’d positive like to carve canyons on it. [VTR Customs]
Moto Guzzi café racer by Radical Speedshop We’ve been huge followers of Stefan Bronold’s work since he first launched Radical Guzzi. His workshop might have modified its identify to Radical Speedshop, however he’s nonetheless pumping out a number of the finest trendy Moto Guzzi customs on this planet.
The Bavarian began tinkering with Moto Guzzis as a teen and has by no means appeared again. His specialty is tuning Moto Guzzi’s 8-valve engine to inside an inch of their lives—which is strictly what he’s carried out on this construct, the ‘Fugitive MK2.’
At the center of the bike sits a 1,200 cc four-valve Moto Guzzi engine—one of many extra highly effective motors produced by the Mandello del Lario manufacturing unit. Stefan doesn’t do issues by halves, although.
First, he bumped the capability to 1,400 cc by transplanting the cylinders and pistons from a California 1400. Then, he modified the consumption and exhaust channels and put in a brand new cam with a sharper efficiency profile. There’s additionally a pair of stonking big Keihin carburetors throwing gasoline down the Guzzi’s gullet.
This Italian Stallion was popped right into a Moto Guzzi Bellagio body. The Bellagio began life as a 940 cc two-valve cruiser, however the body shares greater than just a little DNA with Lino Tonti’s masterpiece—the Le Mans 850. With an enormous energy and torque bump, the Bellagio body now has the engine it deserves.
The bike additionally received Marzocchi entrance forks from an MV Agusta F3 (with Wilbers internals), a totally adjustable rear shock from YSS, and a {custom} swingarm. Beringer brakes present stopping energy for the beast, which now weighs beneath 440 lbs.
The entrance fender is carbon and the exhaust is a {custom} piece from Mass Moto. The lengthy aluminum tank has been polished to an ideal shine, which fits the general vibe completely. The trendy café racer aesthetic continues on the again, with a {custom} seat perched upon the trimmed subframe. A smattering of Motogadget elements helps preserve the cockpit superbly easy.
By this level, we don’t simply need to journey a Moto Guzzi constructed by Radical Speedshop… we have to. [Radical Speedshop | Images by, and with thanks to, Sacha Nagel]
Yamaha XT500 by Motogadgets The Yamaha XT500 didn’t actually have any competitors when it splashed onto the scene. Yamaha had set its sights on making a big-bore path bike that wasn’t horrible to journey on the highway, making the XT500 a dual-sport bike earlier than dual-sport bikes existed. It was additionally a really handsome bike and the design nonetheless holds up at the moment.
This 1981 Yamaha XT500 is the work of Jeffrey Wardenaar—a Dutchman with a penchant for large singles.
Jeffrey began his workshop, Motogadgets (to not be confused with the German electronics model, Motogadget), again in 2003. He’s made a reputation for himself specializing in Yamaha singles, the Yamaha XS650 twin, and the Honda XR and XL sequence—so he is aware of a factor or two about enhancing Japanese path bikes.
The XT’s 499 cc single-cylinder mill was by no means straightforward to start out with a kick starter, so Jeffrey fitted an electrical begin. The engine was additionally handled to a whole rebuild with upgrades made alongside the way in which. The work has boosted output to 40 hp—a 25 p.c enhance over inventory.
Up entrance, Jeffrey has fitted the upside-down forks and disc brake from a Honda filth bike. A high-mounted entrance fender was carried over from the unique bike, sitting under a brand new headlight and a full suite of recent rider controls.
The subframe was trimmed down by a couple of inches and the inventory seat pan was shortened. XT500 seats have been well-padded and Jeffrey has maintained this old-school rally bike aesthetic on this regard, which we love. Making the journey much more plush is a set of recent, longer YSS shocks.
The rear fender was shrunk down too, and has an built-in LED tail mild, with the flip alerts relocated on both aspect of the seat. A race muffler, knobbly tires, and a contemporary TZ Yamaha-inspired paint job full the construct.
What’s to not love? [Source]
1949 Triumph Speed Twin bobber by Paul Berger Even as an Aussie, Paul Berger has all the time cherished British bikes. The trait was carried over from his father—so when his mom handed away 11 years in the past, Paul purchased a 1949 Triumph Speed Twin that he and his previous man might rebuild collectively to maintain them busy.
Starting with only a body, engine, and gearbox, Paul knew that they had their work lower out for themselves. The two blokes settled on a hotrod bobber type, with an emphasis on simplicity. Paul’s father was saved occupied with the in depth engine and gearbox rebuilds, whereas Paul himself focussed on the remainder of the bike.
“Getting something to look simple and just right is incredibly difficult,” says Paul. “I think the greatest challenge was not what to do, but what not to do.”
Spitfire Motorcycles in California hooked the fellows up with a resized Harley-style girder entrance fork, with a Fox mountain bike shock ironing out the bumps. A contemporary set of 21F/19R Borrani rims and basic Avon tires allowed Paul to fine-tune the stance, whereas a twin-leading shoe brake was fitted to the entrance for further stopping energy.
Roland Sands Design bar risers maintain the 32-inch-wide handlebars in place, that are fitted with Kustom Tech controls. Being a classic bike, the shortage of switchgear makes for a clear look—however there’s a tiny GPS speedometer fitted. The bike retains its unique six-volt electronics.
The cut up tanks are one other Harley-Davidson half, however they have been extensively modified to suit the Triumph body and move superbly with the strains of the bike. Since it’s a hardtail, the one suspension is the springs beneath the Biltwell Slimline seat. Cooper Smithing Co are the legends behind the tidy rear fender.
The engine was slotted in with a pair of 26 mm Amal carbs and a Mooneyes oil tank slung beneath the seat. The stunning exhaust was made by Bob at Classic All Parts whereas the specialists at Blu-Chrome did the in depth plating and sharpening.
Finished with silver paint from the trendy Triumph Thruxton, this classic bobber is low, lean, and extremely clear. [Source]
Source: www.bikeexif.com