Just a BMW Scrambler

BlitzSchlag

"Flash of lightning"... the latest R100 by Cafe Twin"

found on: http://www.inazumacafe.com/2016/02/blitzschlag.html

Kingston Customs CXL500

CX500 customs are popping up all over the place at the moment, but the vast majority of them tend to be head down, bum up, cafe racers.  In fact, Dirk and his crew at Kingston Customs in Germany have already blown us away with one such CX earlier in the year.  So, when a customer approached Kingston with the brief that he needed an ultra reliable, everyday bike that he could ride off road, the CXL 500 idea was born.

Now, we have no idea if the story behind the origins of this project is true or not, but what the heck we like it, so we’ll tell it.  The owner of this bike has horses.  In the summer, he used to ride down to the stables on a cafe racer and the horses used to become restless in the paddock.  One day a horse whisperer told him that it was the aggressive riding position on the bike that made the horses edgy and fearful.  And so the brief for an upright, off-road, less horse aggravating bike was born.  Apparently.

As Honda had built a CX 500 and an XL 500, it was obvious to Dirk that he needed to build a Honda CXL 500 Scrambler.  So a ’79 model bike was stripped completely and the frame was glass bead blasted and modified, before being painted.  Kingston themselves then handmade the seat, the battery box, the front and rear aluminium mudguards, the radiator grill and the 2 into 1 exhaust manifold.

They also treated the engine to some thermo-sensitive coating, fitted some K&N’s, and married up a Speed Products exhaust pipe to the aforementioned manifolds.  The result is a perfectly decent, and totally useable 50hp.

The luxurious looking paintwork was clearly influenced by old Honda Enduro bikes from the seventies.  In fact, the level of finish on this build is so damn good that the bike itself looks like it could have been in the official Honda line up in 1979.  But we’ve come to expect that from Kingston.  Great, original ideas, executed flawlessly.

We wouldn’t be surprised if this particular build divides opinion.  But then we also wouldn’t be surprised if Dirk and his gang deliberately build bikes that challenge conventional thinking and cause a little controversy.  And anyway, the horses obviously like it, so who cares.  Thanks to Dennis Zetlitz for the great photos, and thanks to Dirk for once again sharing his jaw dropping (and horse calming) work with us in The Shed

found on: http://thebikeshed.cc

Yako’s Bekano

As gangly trackers continue to give low slung cafe racers a literal thumping in the popularity stakes, certain donors rise to the top; and it’s normally the Honda XR which most type into the search bar first. There are alternatives abound, but they require a little more looking for, like Suzuki’s long-standing DR650. Not commonly found in the EU thanks to the interfering luddites in Brussels, Suzuki instead deemed fit to bring the flatulent Freewind to our shores. But as with the Dominator, behind the plastic lies the prime ingredients for a thumpingly good time.

Yannick Gosset from Dijon in the heart of France sure noticed it. As someone happy to turn his creative hand to a diverse range of media, Yako steadfastly straddles the world of art. Painting both classic frescoes and spraying top notch graffiti, as in our world of bikes, he cares not for the boundaries defining the old and new.
Also a dab hand at building and restoring furniture, it’s his appreciation of material properties that help Yako form this build. With no pretense of being a pro-builder, Yako is like many of us, just a garage tinkerer. Working away in his spare time, without the pressures of clients and profit.

So it was the 1998 Freewind lying deflatedly at the back of his workshop that sparked an imagination. The somewhat insipid styling not really doing it for him, there was soon 25kg of ‘unnecessary’ parts on the floor. Despite being stripped back the bike was to be his everyday ride, so had to remain functional; a twin seat, decent lighting, mudgards all required.
But in that pile on the floor lay one big problem. Freewind builders take note: Once the loom had been simplified no amount of fiddling managed to breath life into the bike. Even Suzuki mechanics pulled out their hair at this mystery failure. Yako finally figured out that the original ignition switch contained an LED that signaled the CDI. Without it no spark, no bark. Lesson learned so back it went.

Working out of a shared creative space, a fellow artist Florent Gautier, happened to be a dab hand with the welder and helped Yako get the bike’s foundations in place. The entire rear end of the bike was redesigned, using various cardboard models, Illustrator sketches and finally with the aid of a giant frikkin’ laser, the sheet steel frame was bolted on.
It certainly defines the character of the bike, along with its name: Bekano. A sly nod to the famous Mecanno toy, it shares the looks of the perforated metal pieces that formed hours of childhood wonder for many of us. The look continues around the bottom edge of the tank, helping bridge the integration with the seat. As Yako wanted, it adds a creative, fun aspect to the bike.

The tank is another rare item, and forgive yourself if you couldn’t place it. Originally residing on a ’70s Malaguti Cavalcone Cross 50cc, it was pilfered to transform the look of the Freewind. The inset storage and leather cross straps beautifully combine form and function, meaning no more thigh-jabbing from pocketed keys when riding.
The primary colour-way for the bike was shades of brown, “a Cappuccino with a dusting of chocolate”. Used to working with vintage items, Yako wanted the bike have that old-timey influence, but without sacrificing a quality finish: “For me, to renovate or build a motorcycle requires a clean, new look, so no question of painted patina, rusted effects or faking age!”

So with the vintage looks, comes a modern reliable engine; and no need to mess it about. It remains completely original apart from a K & N filter; itself awkward to find thanks to Suzuki’s twin carb setup. Though it’s the reason the Freewind could pass emissions tests when the big DR couldn’t.
A DanMoto silencer on the end of a single piece bent stainless header is about as clean an exhaust setup as you’ll find; tucked neatly away so as not to fry your calf in traffic. Fully rebuilt rims clad in Twinduro tyres give pavement pounding traction while trusted Renthal bars and grips get the riding stance just so.

The bike has been more or less finished for a year now, but refreshingly Yako wanted to spend time tweaking the Bekano to remove all those little snags you find once a fresh build hits the road. Now debugged, he has a fantastically unique ride to rip about on and all put together for less than £2000. With 50-odd bhp and only 130 kg to haul along you can bet there’s a broad smile on his face.

found on: http://thebikeshed.cc

RR 1 Bobber Build Part 2

Yamaha Virago XV535

Yamaha Virago XV535 – 2003 Customs, The Spit Fire

                    

Hello readers, do you miss me? I am busy these days, so did not have time to create the article and because no one sends motorcycle to the studio of otomotif.org editor. This evening I checked the email turns out there is a reader who comes from the Japan send some pict of a motorcycle.

He told that this motorcycle is a motorcycle manufactured by Yamaha, full name is Yamaha Virago. Some people also call it: Yamaha Virago XV535. I know, this motorcycle has stopped production since 2003.
According to Nakagawa as the sender of this pict, i count he have 8 pieces photo of Yamaha Virago XV535 – 2003 Customs. He said that in Japan today bobber syndrome has been increasingly flourishing, like snow in the spring. Yamaha Virago XV535 – 2003 Customs, specially sent by Nakagawa for otomotif.org because according to her personal observations otomotif.org has been appreciated as a trend setter for japs ​​style in Indonesia.
Thank you for your appreciation for Nakagawa, I feel still dreaming even if it is true otomotif.org has become a trend setter for the Japs Style. Good luck to Nakagawa and team, who refused to take the time to observe the development of my personal blog.
I always wait for information related to the world of custom motorcycles. For the other readers, If you have information about custom motorcycles do not hesitate to contact me here.








found on: http://otomotif.org/xv535#more-1094

Lions Den Customs – Cub 001

The Yamaha XS is a popular choice for an array of custom bike designs, and this little 400, nicknamed Cub/001, has gone down the scrambler route, a trend that seems to still be growing, not only have recent years given us a wider choice of dirt focused tyres, but I think that Scramblers have a greater sense of fun than say a Café Racer, so their popularity will continue to grow and we will continue to see fun bikes of all sizes wearing nobblies. This build is the first to come from Lions Den Customs, a collective of custom motorcycle builders, musicians and cooks, their goal is to have a venue where all of this happens in one place. The Lions’ Den. A music venue, next to the workshop with a café in between to satisfy all those comfort cravings. They’re working hard to turn this dream into reality, a task we’re familiar with ourselves.

As well as building a lovely little bike, Daniel Thomas tells his own story really well, so here it is:
“This 1977 Yamaha xs400 was found outside a barn in Devon. Almost rusted beyond repair, it was brought back to London in pieces to begin its transformation. The bike was stripped down to the last bolt so that each individual part could be restored before even thinking about the design of it. Once this was under way, thoughts about what the style, look and feel would be for the first Lions Den Customs motorcycle. Inspired by posters of Steve McQueen sitting on some scrambler, I knew quite early on I wanted it to have knobbly tyres and a rough, ready to ride feel”.

“Engine parts came back from being blasted and the process of rebuilding it began. New parts, from the ground up were used, from bearings to piston rings. It is now like a new engine. It will be hard to ride it like one for the first few miles! The starter motor and clutch were removed to lose a little weight and resulting in kick start only for that classic sound when starting a bike”.

“The tank came from a 400 special. They aren’t very pretty and it looked too heavy when sitting on the frame. To give it more shape and add to the classic look I was after, I knocked some knee indents into the sides. It created much more interesting lines, particularly when standing behind the bike. It also got me rethinking the paintwork design. I ripped off the petrol cap and fittings knowing that I wanted a pie crust type cap and eventually found one which was later welded in. It adds another level to what has now become a beautiful tank”.

“The frame was heavily modified. All unnecessary fittings were removed and the back end chopped with a loop welded on for the flat seat. I also made a tray for the electrics to be housed in, which was welded in underneath the seat. As it is kick start only the tray could be very shallow as only a small battery is needed. With grinder in hand, I moved to the front of the bike and chopped off the fittings on the fork legs for a front mudguard as I knew from the beginning I wasn’t going to have one. Chopping off those fittings gave the forks a cleaner look and also gave more clearance for the massive Continentals I planned on fitting”!

“I switched over the swing arm for one that meant I could have a rear disc as I felt it suited the look a little more and better stopping power is always a good thing. To achieve a more aggressive scrambler look I fitted some longer shocks, lifting the back end up. This also helped with clearance between the rear mudguard and the massive tyre that would adorn the rear wheel”.

“With the majority of the hardcore fabrication done, I moved onto the finer details as the bike was really starting to take shape. I made up the brackets for both the headlight and taillight out of aluminium, ending up with a drilled and polished design that worked well with the look I was going for. It became a theme as I then made up the number plate bracket with the same design, which happened to match the rear sprocket.  I also made a barrel for the new ignition out of stainless steel, which is tucked away, in front of the tank. I ground out the welds and polished it up to match the other brackets”.

“It was finally time to start the thing up. I fitted the modified loom and after a few kicks she fired up! An incredible feeling after hours and hours of hard work. It was at this time that I met Greg from Black Shuck Kustom. We discussed my initial thoughts for the paintwork. I knew I wanted both gloss and satin black and an antique gold for the logo. A ‘Y’ shape would follow the lines of the tank, highlighted by a gold pinstripe. Greg offered some of his own creative ideas, which included the satin stripes, harking back to the original Yamaha designs. The end result has surpassed my expectations. Gloss black, which has endless depth and a mesmeric quality. Rich gold that makes the lion look royal and powerful. The wheels match the quality of  the diamond cut ones on sports cars. A testament to Gregs talent and hard work”.

“With the bike in colour, we took it for a spin, setting off car alarms along the way. For only a little 400 it sounds thunderous with the cocktail shaker exhausts. It handles well and most importantly gives you the feeling that only a real motorbike should. One of freedom and excitement”.
I’m sure you’ll agree that this beauty looks great fun, and as Daniel is a London lad, I’m going to be on the look out for this bike whizzing around town, it should be easy to find; it’ll be the one buzzing down the street with an orchestra of car alarms playing its theme tune.

found: http://thebikeshed.cc/2014/11/21/lions-den-cub-001/

Custom Built: Dirk Senz’s Yamaha XS400!

                    

When talking about motorcycles, we often hear what is called with “Passion”. An important question for today! What is the most cherished in your life? This is probably one of the stories that can inspire your life. Because when we talk about motorcycles, doesn’t mean we should always talk about the engine and the bike style.

The first thing is Passion, then what’s the second thing that you had in your mind when we talking about motorcycles? probably many of you will answer the second question with “Love”. And this is a 1981 Yamaha XS 400, the owner of this bike is Dirk Senz, from Germany. A bike that was born out from the sense of love.

Dirk Senz, I’m rider with the passion to build and modify. “Original is whack”. It’s my second build up. The first bike is a cafe racer with chrome and polish. For this Yamaha XS 400 2A2, I named her as the “Blacksheep”. A simple idea when building the Blacksheep, she should be black and not shiny, unlike as most of you imagine.

For me as an amateur builder, the XS 400 is a good low budget base. The middle class engine, but fascinating. This bike was built for my wife and she wanted it non shiny. She chosed the colours black and brown. I have made a mix of glaze and matte black parts, with some brown highlights.

The engine was tuned with a 1M0 camshaft, a little bit of more power. Chassis, brakes, electric are new or restored. The frame was cut and a frame loop was welded. So the bike was ready for a single seat. I installed an oldschool fuel gauge at the tank.

Some of the other features that make this bike look so beautiful is mudguards originally for a chopper on the rear tire. A pair of bar end mirrors, leather grips, classic handlebar, a pair of bar end turn signals, early-style tail light, speedometer etc. are accessories.

If you’ve upgraded parts, what make did you choose and where from? Some parts on this Yamaha XS 400 2A2 has been upgraded. The fork, yokes, wheels and brakes are taken from a Yamaha XJ 600 51J. The swingarm comes from a SRX 600. And for the tank is from the Yamaha XS 400 special.

Tell us about the finish, logos, or design? The base colour of the bike is black (only black), technical parts like frame is powdercoated black matte. Brown parts like riser are also powdercoated. Special parts have brown leather inlayes (corresponding with seat), forkcovers, grips and tankemblems (own creation).

How does the bike ride? stable, comfortable, safety etc. As you have read previously, this bike is designed with love for a woman who lived in your home. The riding position is very relaxed. As the german saying goes, “To travel not to race”. It sounds better in german (“Reisen statt rasen”).

If you asked me what I would do next, about the new project? 2015 has started and some inspiration has come into my mind, buy an old trail bike. Don’t know what to do, just wait for the right time to give notice to you what is the latest that has been built. We look forward to it and just be patient.


found on: http://otomotif.org/xs400

CAFE RACER CX 500 Guido

Suzuki gn 125

LM#34 "Cherry" Suzuki GN125

Marca: Suzuki
Modelo Base: GN125
Año: 2010







found on: http://lolanamotos.com/index.php/motocicletas/item/108-lm34-cherry

Development of a custom motorcycles family

Development of a custom motorcycles family for the central america market, using the base of the Suzuki GN 125 & 250 cc. 
Specs from The Cariblanco:
- Psycho Frame - - 125 // 250 Suzuki Engine - - 18" Rims wheels - - 18 " Dual purpose tyres - - Front and rear 220mm disks brake
- Custom Psycho exhaust - - Custom front and rear fender - - Leather Psycho seat - - HD lights and directionals
- Racing number plates - - Psycho Fuel Tank - - Wrinkle paint engine - - Powder coat pieces - - RPM Counter
- Surf racks quick release
Headquarters based in Costa Rica.




found on: http://gascapkustom.blogspot.de/2012/11/the-cariblanco-design-story-by-arnau.html

Honda xl 500

Honda XL500 ‘Swart Gevaar’

Tucked away in Cape Town’s quaint Bo-Kaap area lies Los Muertos Motorcycles—a relatively new custom shop with a store-front-slash-café. During my first visit I noticed a stripped down ’81 Honda XL500 lurking behind the coffee counter, with a unique twin exhaust system that immediately piqued my curiosity. A few months later Swart Gevaar* was completed and standing in the same spot.
LMMC’s original plan was to build a street scrambler to thrash about at the Kalahari SpeedWeek. Honda’s venerable XL500 was the perfect candidate because of its reliable engine, scrambler frame and the nostalgia associated with it. So they scoured the net, found one in great condition and promptly set about tearing it apart.

The bike wasn’t ready in time, however, so the decision was made to stretch the build. And, according to LMMC owner Craig Wessels, turn it “into an angry, belligerent little bastard that would suit its name. A bike to have fun on, and a great city runaround too—no sidewalk curb too high!”

The XL was stripped of all its plastic bits, including the tank. This was replaced with a Yamaha XT250 unit, finished in gloss black with artwork by local artist David Brits. (In case you’re wondering, Ingozi is the Zulu/isiXhosa word for ‘Danger.’)

LMMC ditched the airbox and fitted a Mikuni carb to help the XL500 breathe better. The exhausts were built by BSE Performance, and tucked away under a custom aluminum tail unit with an integrated light. This, along with the raised front fender, was hand crafted by local metal shaping guru Barry Ashmole. The engine casings were given a coat of VHT wrinkle, and a slim brown leather seat was added to punctuate the monotone color scheme.
To get the stance just right the wheels were replaced, with the front dropping down in size to 18” to match the rear, and shod with Maxxis off-road rubber. The stock suspension was retained but completely rebuilt. Finishing kit includes a smaller headlight (mounted high in the tradition of the old XLs), tiny, relocated turn signals, and ProTaper SE bars.

LMMC clearly accomplished what they set out to … An angry, belligerent little bastard? You bet. And with just enough irreverence and pipe wrap to send the purists running for the hills.

Swart Gevaar is for sale—email Steve Pitt at Los Muertos Motorcycles if you’re interested. And even if you’re not buying, the LMMC website is worth a look.
* ‘Swaart Gevaar’ is Afrikaans for ‘Black Threat,’ and was a propaganda term used by South Africa’s Apartheid regime.

found on: http://www.bikeexif.com/honda-xl500