Building a custom motorcycle that loosely resembles a café racer is easy enough. But building a café racer where every part harmonizes with the next—and the finished product is actually rideable—is easier said than done. Both of those sentiments are reflected in the story of this shiny Triumph Street Twin café racer from MFix Workshop.

The Vietnamese crew was presented with a 2016-model Triumph Street Twin that had already had some work done—but still needed a makeover. The owner had fitted the fuel tank, seat, and tail cover from a Triumph Thruxton 1200 R, plus clip-ons and different forks. But the whole thing felt a bit off.

“Everything seemed to be slapped on just because the bolts would fit,” says our contact at MFix, Giang Nguyen. “The stance of the bike was pitched so far forward, that the owner struggled to keep himself from getting thrown off every time the front brake was pulled and needed a massage after every commune.”

“To say that he was frustrated with the bike would have been an understatement. It wasn’t a question of trying; we had to make it work, or the bike would have been sold. We salvaged what he had already done to the bike, improved it, and, most importantly, made it functional.”

Giang is quick to admit that MFix had a head start with the build. Since the Thruxton bodywork was a good fit for the Street Twin—and since it had cost a pretty penny—it stayed on. But the workshop still had their work cut out for them.

At the top of their list was fixing the bike’s geometry. “We believe that a proper café racer shouldn’t require a visit to a chiropractor every other day,” Giang quips. “So the first thing we did was readjust the stance to fix the horizontal line of the whole bike.”

MFix slid a set of adjustable Showa forks into the yokes. Ironically, the new forks came from a Triumph Thruxton R too, as did the aluminum swingarm. A set of Nitron rear shocks connect the swingarm to the revised upper shock mounts.

The Street Twin now rolls on a tasty set of Kineo wheels, wrapped in Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S22 tires. Burly nickel-plated Brembo Niken calipers do duty at both ends, with twin discs up front.

As MFix was tearing the bike down to send the frame off for a fresh coat of paint, the owner hit them with a request that would dictate the creative direction of the project. “He asked, ‘How much chrome plating could we add to the bike?’,” says Giang. “From then on, we set out to give it a new livery.”

“I think we’ll probably get a lot of heat from the community for this much chrome. But for us it was a question of how far we could go with the chrome without making it look absurd—and also before the local chopper club started inviting us to their hangouts.”

The engine was dismantled, and its aftermarket ribbed covers were sent away for chrome plating. MFix wanted to add at least some variation to the bike’s textures, so they had the rest of the engine sandblasted to a matte finish. A similar trick was used on the forks; the uppers were chrome-plated, while the bottom bits were painted silver.

“The idea was to reverse the usual usage of chrome on parts that should be highlighted,” explains Giang. “I guess we could say that chrome is the new black. So for the rest of the bike, we took apart anything we could to recolor it based on that motif.”

Moving to the cockpit, MFix picked chromed brake and clutch assemblies from Roland Sands Design, and predominantly silver Motogadget components that include the switches, bar-end turn signals, and tiny speedo. Black Motogadget grips offer at least some contrast.

The frame and bodywork were all chrome-plated too, naturally. Finishing touches include an LED headlight, a custom-made radiator guard, a new bash plate, and a chromed-out two-into-one exhaust system from Zard.

Retina-searing finishes aside, Giang adds that while this Triumph Street Twin café racer might not be MFix’s wildest custom to date, it was still a massively rewarding project. “We thought it would be a cool story to share if someone out there is also frustrated with their build,” he adds.

“Owning and customizing a bike should be fun. It’s all in the journey, and sometimes visiting a professional will help you reach the destination.”

MFix Workshop on Facebook | Instagram

In KTM’s ongoing quest to build more powerful motorcycles and design weirder headlights, the Austrian powerhouse has just yanked the covers off the new KTM 1390 Super Duke R and 1390 Super Duke R Evo. The news comes almost without warning—unless of course you read the tea leaves, and recognized the release of the new KTM 990 Duke at EICMA as a precursor to a redesign of KTM’s flagship naked streetfighter.

The new KTM 1390 Super Duke R celebrates the Duke series’ upcoming 30th birthday with more power, better suspension, and a smorgasbord of subtle refinements. It looks angrier and wilder than ever too, adopting many of the aesthetic tweaks seen on the 990 Duke. KTM 1390 Super Duke R Evo goes a step further, with electronically controlled semi-active suspension.

The Super Duke’s new 1390 designation indicates a capacity bump for its already punchy V-twin engine. KTM increased its bore from 108 mm to 110 mm, pushing the displacement to 1,350 cc. That makes it good for 10 more horses and 5 Nm more torque than before, bringing its output to 190 hp at 10,000 rpm and 145 Nm at 8,000 rpm.

The updated mill also sports a variable valve lift system via a shifting cam that behaves according to where in the rev range you are. According to KTM, it’s there to ensure optimal power and torque throughout the whole range, with variable fuel mapping to meet Europe’s ever-tightening emissions standards. The Super Duke also features a redesigned airbox and ram air system, new throttle bodies, and a repositioned top-feed injector that promises smoother power delivery.

We’ve ridden the outgoing Super Duke, and, while it’s no slouch, it’s also remarkably manageable. If we’re being honest, its motor didn’t need an update—but if the changes to the 1390 are as good as advertised, it’ll be primed for peak shenanigans. Revised gearing at fifth and sixth gear should make it even more of a blast at top speed, too.

The Super Duke’s chassis hasn’t changed much, but it’s been augmented with new suspension components. 48 mm WP APEX open cartridge forks prop up the front, adjustable for compression, rebound, and preload. Out back, a WP APEX piggyback shock splits its compression adjustment into high- and low-speed adjusters.

The Super Duke EVO takes all that and adds the latest version of WP’s ‘Semi-Active Technology’ system. It’s an electronically-controlled variable damping system that adapts in real-time, based on your riding style and the road surface. There are five damping modes, selectable from the Super Duke’s TFT display.

An extra ‘Suspension Pro’ pack is available ex-factory, which includes additional ‘Pro’ and ‘Track’ suspension settings. It adds the ability to set suspension preload electronically according to your height with three base settings, and it includes an anti-dive setting. Then there’s the ‘Factory Start’ feature, which automatically lowers the rear wheel at a standstill for more traction off the line; not unlike the start systems used in MotoGP.

Stopping power comes from twin four-piston Brembo Stylema monobloc calipers up front, gripping 320 mm discs. A 240 mm disc sits out back. A new Brembo master cylinder offers more adjustment than before, while a self-venting system means that the clutch and brake master cylinders don’t require regular bleeding.

Electronic aids include multiple riding modes, ABS, traction control, and optional extras like anti-wheelie control and launch control. The optional track mode comes with two display settings for the bike’s TFT screen, so that you can choose to focus either on your lap times or telemetry data.

The KTM 1390 Super Duke R has undergone a number of visual changes too, starting with its headlight. Taking the traditional alien-like Duke headlight design to new heights, the deeply recessed LED unit follows the same lines as the 990 Duke’s new light. The setup is split into daytime running lights and a ‘regular’ headlight, with sensors that adjust the LED intensity according to ambient lighting conditions.

A new 17-liter [4.6-gallon] fuel tank sits up top, flanked by sharper shrouds that echo the geometry of the headlight. Out back, the tail section has been trimmed down to the extent that it’s shed its taillight; taillight duties are now handled by the rear combination turn signal LEDs. The rider geometry is slightly sharper too, thanks to a subtle repositioning of the tank and handlebars.

Like its predecessor, the Super Duke is compact, angular, and lean. But it’s considerably more aggressive-looking now, with a spec sheet to match. Naked streetfighters might not be our usual fare, but we can’t wait to swing a leg over it.

Source: KTM | Images by Rudi Schedl and KISKA GmbH

The modern-day Honda CB350 is one of those motorcycles we wished was available in more parts of the world. It first broke cover in India, where it’s produced, and later rolled out to Japan as the rebadged GB350. You can get it in Taiwan too, where it’s officially called the Honda H’ness CB350—but you can forget about buying one in Europe or the USA.

That’s a real shame, because the Honda CB350 is about as adorable and approachable as factory bikes get. Its 348.4 cc single-cylinder engine squeezes out 21 hp and 30 Nm, and it sports modern amenities like LED lighting. It’s not too bad looking either; handsome enough in stock trim to give bigger modern classics a run for their money.

As cute as it is though, there’s always room for improvement. Mark Huang of Mark Motorcycles in Taipei, Taiwan shares this sentiment—which is why he’s developed a stylish collection of bolt-on parts for the Honda CB350 and GB350.

Plug-and-play kits are becoming increasingly popular among pragmatic custom motorcycle builders who are looking for a steady income to keep the lights on. Expensive one-off custom bikes are great to ogle, but building them is time-consuming. A steady supply of custom parts is good for business—and it gives you a stash to dip into if you need to make big changes quickly.

There’s nothing over-the-top about Mark’s scrambler-inspired take on the humble Honda CB350, but that’s entirely by design. “Because the CB350 is a perfectly proportioned motorcycle,” he tells us, “I only made changes to a few parts to make the bike better reflect my style. And so that the bike can be changed quickly, the parts can be replaced without modifying the frame.”

Still, Mark’s casual approach belies how much work went into getting this kit from concept to production. He started by buying a suitable donor to use as a test bed, then stripped off everything that he figured could be improved.

The OEM fuel tank and side covers were deemed tidy enough to stay, but the Honda’s modern-looking fenders were binned. Mark designed new fiber-reinforced polymer fenders with a classic street scrambler aesthetic. The fenders ship with all the brackets needed to fit them, and the rear fender wears a stylish Lucas-style taillight.

Mark’s Honda CB350 also swapped its alloy hoops for an all-new set of spoked wheels with alloy rims. They measure 19” up front and 18” out back, and wear Shinko dual-sport tires.

A 5.5” Bates-style headlight replaces the stock unit, with a neat Koso speedo perched just above it. The cockpit also features high, laid-back handlebars fitted with vintage-style switches, new grips, and a single underslung mirror. Mark wisely kept the bike’s original handlebar clamp; a branded part that recalls the designs on classic Hondas.

It’s worth mentioning that all of these parts don’t just come with the bracketry needed to mount them, but also every last wire and connector you need to make it all work. Mark’s gone to great lengths to make sure that there’s zero guesswork when putting everything together.

It’s the same story with the exhaust, where a slim reverse cone muffler attaches to the stock header via a custom-made connector pipe. Other add-ons include new rear shocks and classically styled turn signals mounted on bolt-on brackets.

Perched atop the CB350 is an impossibly chic seat that looks more custom than off-the-shelf. You can order it in either leather or a synthetic fabric. Finishing the build off is an eye-popping 70s-inspired paint job, courtesy of Mark’s friend, Jeffery.

All of the parts shown here are already available, and Mark has wasted no time in putting them to use. No sooner had he buttoned up his prototype build, than he got a commission for a near-identical Honda CB350 [below right].

The client wanted a black and grey livery and lower handlebars, but the rest of the spec sheet is the same. And with its more subdued tank graphics, it could easily be mistaken for a neatly restored classic.

We would have been perfectly happy with a bone-stock Honda CB350 in the garage—until we saw these two bikes. The combination of the CB’s best bits (like its beautiful black and chrome engine), and Mark’s judicious changes, has taken it from unassuming entry-level retro to irresistible street scrambler.

Mark Motorcycles Facebook | Instagram | Parts store

Our friends at Australia’s Purpose Built Moto lead the charge this week, with a stunning custom Ducati Monster S2R that recalls the iconic Paul Smart Ducatis. We then hop over to Indonesia to profile a sassy Yamaha MT-25-turned-adventure bike, look at a vintage Triumph T140 from Spain, and drool over a classic Honda CB450 with a modern engine swap.

Ducati Monster S2R by Purpose Built Moto Hotdogs and ketchup, pasta and Parmigiano Reggiano, Ferrari and the color red; some things were just made for each other. For us, it’s Ducatis with teal green frames and silver metallic bodywork.

This used to be a bone-stock Ducati Monster S2R 1000—until the team at Purpose Built Moto got their hands on it. Tom Gilroy and the gang were minding their own business when a guy named John walked into their Gold Coast workshop and asked them about Ducatis. He didn’t own one (yet), but he had a dream and a referral from Cube Performance—another Queensland local who specializes in Ducati tuning.

PBM helped John track down a Ducati Monster S2R donor a casual 1,000 miles away, in Melbourne. Regardless, the guys had the bike packed up and shipped so they could start work.

In the meantime, John had found a body kit for the Monster, designed by the Italian automotive designer, Paolo ‘Tex’ Tesio. Since he was so head-over-heels over it, PBM had one shipped to them too. With the donor bike on the bench, the team started by installing the Paolo Tex fairing with a PBM LED headlight.

Neatly tucked away behind a polished aluminum windshield, and keeping the dashboard minimal, is a tidy Daytona gauge. Biltwell Inc. grips were fitted, along with a Domino throttle, PBM switches, and alloy brake and clutch fluid reservoirs. The whole bike was naturally rewired with a PBM control module too.

The body kit also included a stunning, sculpted yet sumptuous single-seat rear end, which is just to die for. The PBM guys fitted one of their shop’s tail lights into the back, but made a custom lens for it so it integrates neatly with the Paolo Tex seat. Jamason from Timeless Auto Trim made the seat pad and upholstered it in black Alcantara.

Jutting out from beneath the seat is a custom exhaust system. The twin Termignoni mufflers that cap it off don’t usually come in black, but the crew made them that way just for John.

While the body kit was going on, PBM stripped the engine out of the bike and rebuilt it with fresh heads, and high-compression pistons. The ECU was then flashed by the aforementioned Cube Performance.

With everything back together, the frame was painted in that glorious Paul Smart colorway; the cherry on top of a perfectly delicious cake. This custom Monster’s desirability is absolutely off the scale, especially with current S2R prices. It might just be one of our favorite bikes of the year. [Purpose Built Moto | Images by Brandan Trudinger]

Yamaha MT-25 by Batakastem Workshop It’s no secret that adventure bikes have gotten way too big for most riders. Even though most factories’ flagship dual-sports are bristling with the latest tech and suspension mod cons, all of them are tall, heavy beasts. This Yamaha MT-25 adventure bike from Indonesia’s Batakastem Workshop is the answer to this problem.

Abraham Simatupang, head honcho at Batakastem, was approached by a customer who had recently bought a 2015 Yamaha MT-25 and was looking to spruce it up. Dakar styling, with design cues from the Yamaha Ténéré 700 and Husqvarna Norden, was the brief. Not only would it transform the MT into a go-anywhere, do-anything bike, but it would also suit the customer’s tall frame.

With the bike in the workshop (which is just outside Jakarta), the crew got to work. The factory-cast wheels went in the bin, replaced by a set of dirt-friendly spoked wheels in proper off-road sizes. A new front end was grafted on, along with dirt bike tires and a pair of Brembo calipers up front.

Details around the bodywork are slim, but if we know our friends over in Indonesia, we’re betting that everything is handmade. The fairing, tank shrouds, and side covers look so good, they could be OEM.

This is exactly the kind of approach that Abraham had with the entire bike; it had to look like it had just rolled off the factory line. The tall, narrow seat is generously proportioned which fits both the owner’s frame and the Dakar vibe. A custom luggage rack was fitted to the rear and would look absolutely on point loaded up with bags.

The dashboard is another nice touch. To keep it stock-ish, and for all the electronics to function as Yamaha intended, the factory dash was relocated into a rally-style navigation tower, tucked behind a custom screen. LED lights were fitted all around, with the headlight sporting a grille, flanked by Norden 901-esque yellow fog lights.

ProTaper handlebars were bolted on, along with a set of crash bars and a chunky belly pan. The bike was then finished off with a custom paint job (heavily featuring Yamaha blue, of course) and a custom exhaust pipe.

Is Batakastam’s adventurized Yamaha MT-25 the antidote to displacement (and size) creep? We think so. [Source]

Triumph T140 by Bolt Motor Company Bolt Motor Company specializes in high-performance café racers, often outdoing themselves with each new build. However, when a customer presented them with his grandfather’s 1972 Triumph Bonneville T140, they chose a more sympathetic route.

The bike was in a bad way, but because the client had such a strong emotional attachment to the bike, the Bolt team was happy to collect parts until they had everything they needed to revive it.

The front forks were torn down and rebuilt with fresh seals and springs, and the Bonnie got all-new brakes, wheels, and paint. A set of stainless steel guards was installed, along with a new headlight, handlebars, and grips.

The client had delivered the bike to the Bolt Motor Co. workshop in two old orange-picking boxes—so this became the inspiration behind the splash of orange paint on the tank. The rest of the tank is pearl white, which, together with the vintage Triumph logos and round side plates, creates a classic look that will never go out of style.

The 50-year-old engine needed a lot of love, as did the gearbox. So they were torn down and completely rebuilt with fresh components, guaranteeing another half-century of use. Bolt rewired the bike next and refurbished the brakes with new parts.

There’s a bit of a desert sled vibe going on, so an aluminum bash plate was fabricated and installed in front of the rebuilt motor. A two-into-one high-mounted exhaust was fitted too, complete with a Supertrapp muffler.

The original seat pan was (surprisingly) still serviceable, but the padding was too far gone. With fresh foam, the seat was upholstered by Tapizados Llop (Bolt’s go-to trimmer). It’s thinner than the factory unit, but it cuts a more modern line with how it follows the frame all the way around.

This vintage Triumph T140 might not be as gutsy as Bolt’s usual offerings—but we’d be proud as punch to own it. [More]

Honda CB450 by Ellaspede A lifelong car guy, Stephen is a lover of all things Japanese—especially Hondas. So when he decided to get into motorcycling, he settled on a 1971 Honda CB450 as his first bike. But when he rode it down to Ellaspede’s workshop in Brisbane, Australia, he quickly realized that he hadn’t picked the easy road.

“I thought I knew the history of the CB450 when I bought it, but this quickly turned out to be inaccurate,” explains Stephen. “I can vividly recall Leo at Ellaspede asking me how I managed to ride this bike over mountains down to Byron Bay, let alone the short ride from my place across the river to Ellaspede. The engine was kaput with horrendous compression and a cracked top end, which certainly explains how bloody hard it was to start.”

Dropping into Ellaspede to do a simple café racer build, Stephen discovered that the engine rebuild alone was going to cost twice what the bike originally cost him. Going back to the drawing board, the guys at Ellaspede suggested an engine transplant from a modern Honda. Stephen thought it sounded like a much better idea, so he went off and bought a complete 2013-model Honda CBR500R.

The original frame, tank, and side covers are all that remain from the 71 CB, with the guys choosing to transplant everything else from the newer CBR. The front end went on, as did the swingarm and wheels. Not only has it refreshed the look of the old CB, but it’s also given it a longer wheelbase, a pair of 17” wheels, and modern suspension.

The mono-shock swingarm was converted to a twin shock arrangement with a pair of YSS shocks. The wheels are wrapped in Pirelli Diablo Rosso II’s and the lighting is a mix of Motogadget and Koso items. A single Daytona Velona gauge keeps the rider’s cockpit focused and clutter-free.

The engine was shoehorned into the frame and was ready to go after some slight modifications—like relocating the oil filter and fabricating a new airbox. A pair of radiators from a KTM SXF motocross bike were fitted, along with aftermarket cooling fans. The bike also uses an external fuel pump, and custom stainless steel exhaust system with a Yoshimura Japan R11 MotoGP muffler.

Lastly, the rear end was shortened to make way for a custom seat. A modern interpretation of the original perch, it was upholstered by John Moorhouse Ergo Seats. Rothmans’ racing blue on the tank and side covers adds extra style points.

The refreshed Honda is a brilliant mix of old and new that’s as unassuming as it is clever. We hope Honda is taking notes. [Ellaspede]

Tourists flock to Indonesia for its beaches, volcanoes, and temples. But our interest in the Southeast Asian archipelagic state is more mechanical in nature. The Indonesian custom motorcycle scene is brimming with creativity and talent, and the country’s top custom builders have become a force to be reckoned with on the international stage.

Andika Pratama is one of the Indonesian scene’s shining stars. He runs Krom Works—a three-man operation in South Jakarta. But the commission for this elegant custom Harley Sportster came from 7,000 miles away in Geneva, Switzerland.

The project kicked off when Andika got a call from the M.A.D. Gallery in Geneva. It’s an art gallery run by MB&F—a watchmaking company that creates intricate and neo-futuristic timepieces. Sharing that ethos, the gallery houses carefully curated pieces that epitomize the intersection between art and machines.

If you’re familiar with Krom Works’ portfolio, you’ll know that that pretty much describes Anika’s signature style. Using skills passed down from his father, he’s a master of manipulating metal into organic forms to create highly imaginative machines. But this build is no static sculpture; peruse the Krom Works Instagram feed, and you’ll see photos of it out on the road.

Andika picked a Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 as a donor for the build, but he hasn’t used much of it beyond its drivetrain. The V-twin motor is now cradled in a bespoke frame, crafted out of stainless steel plates. The frame sashays its way over the engine and between the split tanks, with brass cladding to add contrast.

“When making a custom bike,” says Andika, “the most important thing is to have a strong basic concept, because that’s what determines the final result. If you look closely, there is a line that connects from the front to the back of this bike, and a combination of classic and futuristic design.”

The front suspension is custom; a girder-style arrangement pieced together out of handmade aluminum components. Custom-built handlebars swoop out from the top of the fork, wearing little more than leather-wrapped grips and trimmed levers. Andika again used brass to add tasteful contrasting details—like the concave grill over the recessed headlight and the tidy fastener caps on the pivot points.

Hardly anything on this Sportster is plug-and-play. Even the girder’s shock is custom, made up of components salvaged from multiple bikes.

It’s the same story out back, where Andika built a braced aluminum swingarm with a unique linkage system. True to form, you’ll find more brass details here, and another hand-built shock that’s tucked into a split in the rear part of the frame.

Bolted neatly into the swingarm construction is a tight rear fender. It’s flared at the end, where an integrated taillight sits behind a brass grill, mimicking the headlight design.

The wheels are particularly trick. Andika picked 21F/18R spoked rims, then laced them to a set of mid-80s Honda CBX550F hubs. They look like drum brakes from afar, but they’re actually inboard ventilated disc brakes; a great-looking design that never caught on for Honda.

“I used spoked rims so that the appearance remains classic,” says Andika, “but the drum-and-disc brakes add a modern element.” Firestone and Coker tires round out the package.

The bike doesn’t have too much in the way of bodywork. The handmade stainless steel tanks hold fuel in the left half and oil in the right half, both via pop-up filler caps. Copper piping carries oil to where it needs to go, routed to trace the silhouette of the frame.

The split tank design is echoed in the skinny V-shaped seat, while the judicious use of brass on the frame’s backbone and the seat pan ties the whole design together. Other neat details include the short (and no doubt raucous) exhaust system, the sprocket cover, and the brass air intake. All of them wear the same louvered design, complementing the head- and taillights.

Andika pitches his creation as a neo-futuristic riff on classic board trackers, and he’s nailed it. The fact that it would look just as good in a gallery as it would out on the street is a testament to Krom Work’s ability to ride the line between art and motorcycling.

Krom Works Facebook | Instagram

Six months ago, BMW Motorrad gave us a taste of the first major overhaul to the immensely popular R nineT—the renamed BMW R 12 nineT. Since then, murmurs have persisted that the R 12 nineT won’t be the only new bike released on the updated heritage boxer platform. The Bavarian powerhouse has just confirmed this, with the unveiling of the new BMW R 12 cruiser [above].

Yes, cruiser. Despite the legacy of the oft-maligned BMW R1200C and the lackluster reception that the R18 has received, BMW is insistent that what the people want is a boxer-powered cruiser. That said, the R 12 might be their sharpest stab at the genre yet… provided that you’re happy to play fast and loose with the definition of ‘cruiser.’

As has been the custom with BMW’s heritage bikes (and competing bikes like the Harley-Davidson Evo Sportster and Triumph Bonneville), both R 12 variants are essentially the same bike, dressed two ways. The way we’re reading it, the R 12 nineT roadster [above] is the flagship of the range, while the R 12 cruiser comes in as a stripped-down, easier-going, and presumable cheaper sibling.

If you missed our previous coverage of the new R 12 nineT, we’ll bring you up to speed. The new R 12 platform uses pretty much the same 1,170 cc air- and oil-cooled boxer powerplant as the outgoing R nineT, capable of 105 hp at 7,000 rpm and 115 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm. But it’s been repackaged in a new chassis, with several notable changes beyond just its new valve covers.

The R 12 platform uses a brand-new tubular steel main frame with a bolt-on subframe. BMW’s proprietary Paralever shaft drive-slash-swingarm still does duty out back, but the single shock it attaches to has been placed at a far more diagonal angle. This not only looks neater, but it presumably also allows BMW to fettle chassis geometry to suit different versions of the R 12.

The R 12’s air box has been relocated to under the seat, so the nineT has lost its distinctive ‘snorkel.’ The exhaust is new too, featuring a pair of conical mufflers that almost look too good to swap out.

From here, the two models’ spec sheets diverge. The R 12 nineT roadster gets fully adjustable 45 mm upside-down forks and a rear shock that’s adjustable for preload and rebound, with 120 mm of suspension travel at both ends. Together with its 3.50×17” (front) and 5.50×17” (rear) wheels, it has a 1,511 mm wheelbase, a rake of 110.7 mm, a steering head angle of 62.3 degrees, and a seat height of 795 mm.

The R 12 cruiser boasts the same style of suspension as the R 12 nineT, but with fewer adjustment options and with travel reduced to 90 mm. The front wheel is bigger and narrower (2.75×19”), while the rear wheel is smaller and narrower (4.00×16”). The wheelbase is 1,520 mm, the rake is 132.5 mm, the steering head angle is 60.7 degrees, and the seat height is 754 mm.

Both bikes wear alloy wheels in standard trim (spoked hoops are optional), with twin radially-mounted four-piston brake calipers gripping 310 mm discs up front, braided steel brake lines, and cornering ABS as standard. The R 12 weighs 227 kilos [500 lbs] wet, while the R 12 nineT tips the scales at 220 kilos [485 lbs].

It’s also worth noting that the R 12’s engine is down-tuned from the flagship model’s. It’s been cut down to 95 hp at 6,500 rpm and 110 Nm at 6,000 rpm, presumably to fit in with the ‘easygoing’ ethos that it’s gunning for.

The two bikes also feature different bodywork. On the R 12 nineT, the redesigned tank, seat, and tail hump cut a much more classic silhouette than the nineT used to, with a near-perfect fly line running through the bike. The redesign also puts the handlebars closer to the rider—a mod that the previous model sorely needed.

Moving the R 12, you get a more compact, tapered fuel tank, inspired by the toaster tanks on classic /5 boxers. The bikes share the same triangular side covers, but the R 12’s seating arrangement is very different. BMW’s material shows the R12 in various guises, including a version with a bobbed seat and the tiniest rear cowl, and a version that proudly wears a generous cruiser-like rear fender.

We’re not clear on which is the default setting, but we’re pretty sure it’s the latter. Combined with the R 12’s high handlebars and chunky stepped seat, the bike has a pseudo-vintage Sportster vibe that we’re completely ambivalent about.

On the one hand, it’s a heck of a lot prettier than the late-90s design of the R1200C. On the other, the R 12’s relatively high (for a cruiser) stature, distinctively modern swingarm, and sporty foot peg positioning are at odds with its cruiser dress. Besides, we’re not sure anyone even asked for a cruiser version of the R nineT.

Time will tell how the market reacts to the R 12. Meanwhile, the way that BMW has dressed these two bikes speaks volumes about how malleable the new platform is. The real story here is that BMW was able to put two different fuel tanks on two versions of the same bike—something that wasn’t previously possible with the R nineT.

The outgoing R nineT Roadster, Scrambler, and Urban G/S were all stuck with identical bodywork. It limited not only how much BMW could restyle each bike, but also how much work customizers had to do if they wanted to build truly unique custom R nineTs. By building a simpler frame, and retaining the nineT’s bolt-on-and-off subframe design, BMW has left the door wide open for customization.

The same sentiment might not hold for the R 12’s updated electronics. The LED lighting suite on both versions is nice, but lovers of modern classic motorcycles might balk at the built-in traction control, dynamic torque control, and myriad riding modes. The R 12 nineT gets four riding modes out of the box, while the R 12 borrows the R 18’s dismally-named ‘Rock’ and ‘Roll’ riding modes.

BMW does say that the R 12’s LIN-Bus system makes the electronic system modular, and therefore easy to customize. But we’re not entirely sure how much freedom that offers you, and how much of it you can swap out before things stop turning on.

But if you like modern tech on your bike, the good news is that BMW has thrown some spicy optional extras into the mix. If the analog dials (just a speedo on the R12; a speedo and tach on the R 12 nineT) are too retro, there’s a slim (and very stylish) TFT display available ex-works. USB-C and 12 V charging sockets are included, as is a keyless ignition and Bluetooth connectivity.

Other optional extras include a quick-shifter, hill start control, and heated grips. BMW also has an extensive range of bolt-on bits, including their top-shelf CNC-machined Option 719 parts.

There’s no word on exactly when the R 12 nineT roadster and R 12 cruiser will leave the factory, nor what they will cost. We do know that each will come in a ‘base’ colorway, with two extra liveries available for an additional fee.

Whether or not you’re on board with BMW’s latest attempt at building a cruiser, the real question here is how many more R 12 variations we’ll see. An R 12 Scrambler feels like a no-brainer, and we can’t help but feel that the bike’s streamlined frame has great potential for a truly low-slung bobber.

Only time will tell.

Source: BMW Motorrad

It doesn’t take just a sharp eye or a deft pair of hands to build a great custom motorcycle—it takes both. The best custom motorcycle builders are either multi-talented folk, or they run teams that cover all the bases.

Jacek Mulak of Cardsharper Customs in Lublin, Poland is the whole package; brains and brawn. But he recently decided to level up, by collaborating with a multi-disciplinary designer to build custom bikes under a new banner. This dishy BMW café racer is their first build, and it’s a strong debut.

Jacek’s partner in this endeavor is Michał Ćwiek, the multidisciplinary designer behind MOCNO Studio in Lublin. The two are collaborating as Morfen; Michał acts as lead designer and handles paint and finishes, while Jacek is Morfen’s mechanic and fabricator.

For their opening salvo, the duo treated Michał’s 1985 BMW R80RT to a serious glow-up. Dubbed ‘The Archer,’ the build sports a sharper silhouette, an array of one-off parts, and a timeless livery. And if you take the time to examine it closely, you’ll uncover a handful of unique details that put it a cut above your garden variety BMW café racer.

Jacek tells us that he and Michał wanted to play with traditional café racer elements, but combine them in a way that would create something modern and aggressive. A big part of that was getting the stance inch-perfect—which the guys achieved by fettling a bunch of little details to create a big impact.

First, team Morfen shortened the front forks and swapped the R80’s side-mounted rear shock out for a longer unit. The R80’s quirky OEM wheels are still in play, but they’ve been redressed in contrasting finishes with subtle striping and branding. The vintage-style Shinko tires sport loud ‘Marfen’ logos to grab attention.

Next, Jacek raised the rear of the fuel tank and fabricated a new stainless steel subframe. Rather than opt for a flat line from front to back, the subframe is gently stepped. But since the subframe rails run parallel to the bottom edge of the fuel tank, the overall design is as cohesive as it is razor sharp.

Bookending the BMW’s fuel tank are a bikini fairing and a compact tail section. The former started out as an off-the-shelf piece, before Jacek trimmed it to suit the project and capped it with an orange windshield. The saddle and tail bump were fabricated from scratch.

Equal consideration was given to the BMW’s power plant. Swapping the original airbox for a pair of pod filters is a common mod on old boxers, but the area where the airbox used to be is often wasted in the process. Here, Jacek built a box to house the ignition and some of the electronic elements, then flanked it with two aluminum ‘radiators.’

The engine was judiciously finished in gloss black, with all the right bits polished to add some tasteful contrast. Custom-made badges adorn the primary engine block, while underslung stainless steel exhaust headers terminate in modified aftermarket mufflers. The entire exhaust system has been ceramic coated; a welcomed alternative to black heat wrap.

With the BMW’s physical stance sorted, Michał had the arduous task of crafting an appropriately handsome paint job. He opted for a riff on British Racing Green, complemented by pinstripes that echo classic R-series designs, with a twist. By adding an indent in the pinstripes that sit on either side of the tank, and adding black areas to the bodywork, Michał managed to trim the down bike even more (visually, at least).

The subframe was polished to match the highlights on the engine and wheels. But almost everything else was redone in black, using a smorgasbord of finish types.

Finer details include a new upper triple clamp, a Daytona Velona speedo, and clip-on handlebars. Morfen tapped Highsider for the bike’s lights, switches, and grips, then wrapped the latter in leather. Stunning custom-made tank roundels finish off the build in chic fashion.

Jacek and Michał clearly work well together—which is why this won’t be the last time we see Morfen’s name. The duo plans to build more custom bikes together, with a particular focus on BMW café racers. We’ll be keeping a close eye on them.

Cardsharper Customs | MOCNO Studio

CCM Motorcycles epitomizes the symbiosis between motorcycle manufacturers and the custom scene. The boutique British brand’s offerings are all based on the same lightweight single, and they all riff on popular custom styles. So motorcycle customization is quite literally baked into what they do.

Now CCM is taking things up a notch, by offering a commission service that will pretty much go as deep as your pockets allow. This CCM Tracker and Roadster are the first two commissioned bikes off the production line—and despite how good they look, they only scratch the surface of what’s on offer.

The concept is as simple as it is brilliant. The six models currently in CCM’s catalog are all built using the company’s likable Spitfire platform. The Spitfire uses a twin-spar chromoly trellis frame, with a 600 cc single-cylinder motor kicking out 55 hp.

CCM uses different subframes, seats, wheels, exhausts, handlebars, and finishes to give each model its distinct style. And with a dry weight in the region of 145 kilos [320 lbs], depending on the trim, each is barrels of fun in its own way.

This approach means that each CCM model is effectively a custom Spitfire—so all that CCM has done, is make the customer part of the customization process. And the way they’ve set it all up means that there are myriad ways to approach it.

Customers can order a base version of each CCM model, or they can choose from various primo versions of the bike that include various customization options and parts upgrades. With that selection as a starting point, the customer can then personalize individual bits and pieces via a configurator on CCM’s website. There are 20 points of customization out of the box, with the potential for more if the website doesn’t quite cater to your needs.

Paint is the most obvious option on the table. You can pick from a preset selection of bodywork and frame colors—or you can select the ‘bespoke’ option for each, and liaise directly with CCM to come up with something fresh. It’s the same story with the seat; choose between vinyl or various leather colors, or go full custom.

You can also choose between carbon fiber or color-matched bodywork, and pick the color of your bike’s anodized parts, right down to every last little fastener. Various handlebar options, different radiator and headlight protectors, leather and luggage options, and a smorgasbord of carbon fiber and aluminum trim bits.

On the performance side, CCM offers an upgraded engine map and a different-sized rear sprocket to fine-tune your bike for off-the-line pop or high-speed cruising. You can select the color of the stock J.Juan brakes, or upgrade to a Brembo system. Color options are available for the forks too, and the front and rear suspension are both upgradeable to Öhlins parts.

Each model has a couple of exhaust options, including full titanium systems. You can swap out the wheels on select models, or upgrade from the standard Excel rims to swanky Dymag hoops. And if the configurator’s options don’t float your boat, you can reach out to CCM to discuss further options; since most of these parts are interchangeable, nothing is off the table.

The black and yellow street tracker shown here has the distinction of being CCM’s first commissioned build. It started as a CCM Tracker, but it now sports a fluorescent yellow frame and a whack of black finishes. All the bodywork has been painted in a deep midnight black color, along with all the carbon fiber trim.

Every last part has been hit with either a black Cerakote or anodized finish, punctuated by yellow accents on the headlight nacelle, levers, and 19” flat track wheels. Together with a host of other parts and finishes, including Alcantara upholstery, this CCM Tracker carries a price tag of £21,598 [roughly $26,989] over the base model’s £12,495 [about $15,613].

The brand’s second commission is this pink and silver CCM Roadster, fetching a price tag of £17,841 [about $22,297]. This bobber’s striking paint job is not one of CCM’s standard options but was a special request from the client. The fenders and headlight cowl are painted to match, but the frame and wheels are black.

It’s dressed with several CNC-machined parts and sports the Roadster’s optional twin exhaust system. Twin Brembo brakes add extra stopping power to the front, while carbon fiber covers adorn the engine. The contrast diamond stitching on the seat is a nice touch too.

Both of these bikes also feature CCM’s new dash layout, which uses a round digital speedo to juggle all the requisite information. It’s one of numerous improvements that CCM is rolling out on their 2024 bikes—though they haven’t released a full list of model year updates yet.

Other bits—like the bikes’ bar-end mirrors, swingarm-mounted license plate and rear light brackets, and tidy chain guards—all add up for a pair of bikes that could easily pass for high-end customs.

It takes CCM a matter of weeks to piece a custom-ordered bike together, with the option of having it delivered or picking it up from the factory. But there’s a catch; as it stands, CCM’s motorcycles are only available in the UK. (They assure us that they’re in the process of investigating international distribution.)

And if you’re wondering, these bikes are made to be street-legal. Since CCM is an actual motorcycle manufacturer, the base models and all of the options on offer are homologated for road use.

When a motorcycle company touts the ‘factory custom’ tag, we usually cringe at what they might end up producing. But CCM has knocked these two bikes out of the park. We’ve been fans of the Spitfire since day one, and the possibility of tweaking it from the factory is highly appealing.

Our heads are already spinning with ideas.

CCM Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram

The donor bikes for this week’s selection of tasty customs couldn’t be more diverse. First, XTR Pepo offers up a custom Ducati Scrambler. Then we feature a Royal Enfield Bullet 500 from Indonesia, a vintage Triumph TR6 Trophy from Down Under, and a Cyberpunk-inspired Kawasaki ER-6N.

Ducati Scrambler by XTR Pepo Pepo Rosell is no stranger to the Ducati brand. Not only did he work for a few Ducati importers, but he also started the Spanish workshop Radical Ducati, which pumped out scores of lithe, fast, Italian twins from his Spanish workshop. These days he runs under the XTR Pepo banner, and this custom Ducati Scrambler is his latest build.

XTR Pepo bikes have a distinct, performance-first style, which tends to dictate their final aesthetic. It’s a fantastic approach to building bikes that are stripped of anything unnecessary which almost guarantees a wonderful ride. The 2017-model Scrambler is no different, with Pepo upgrading the suspension, ergonomics, and engine.

To kick things off, Continental Conti Sport Attack 4 tires were spooned on and the front wheel was covered by a fender from a Scrambler Classic. The Kayaba forks were left alone, but the rear shock was upgraded to a YSS unit. Now sporting a custom spring rate, remote reservoir, and adjustability for rebound, compression (high and low speed), and preload, the back end is well planted.

Rizoma bars, Domino grips, a quick-action throttle, and XTR levers take care of the cockpit. Ducabike rear-set footpegs and an XTR flat track-style seat round out the rider triangle.

The engine was treated to a DNA filter and XTR-branded muffler, built to spec by Sparks. The engine breathes easier now, with a healthy 80-plus horsepower on tap. A 900SS master cylinder and Fren Tubo brake line feed the single radial-mounted Brembo front caliper. Lighting was kept simple, with a single round headlight and LED turn signals.

The custom paint was inspired by a Spanish comic book called ‘Makoki.’ The splashes of red, yellow, and green are taken straight from the cover of Makoki and suit the bike to a tee.

The stock tank was spruced up with silver metal flake paint and gold pinstriping, and carbon fiber side covers were added, complete with a cutout to access the rear shock.

It’s another form following function build from XTR Pepo—and another XTR Pepo special that we desperately want to ride. [Source]

Royal Enfield Bullet 500 by Frontwheel Motors Kustomfest is not only Indonesia’s biggest custom bike show, but it’s also one of the most interesting events on the international circuit. The variety of build styles is staggering—and the fact that each bike needs to complete a basic gymkhana course to prove that it’s rideable adds extra depth to the event.

The show also attracts myriad international guests and judges. Among those in attendance at this year’s event were Winston Yeh of Rough Crafts, Toshiyuki Osawa of Cheetah, and Masse Jacop of Fat Boy Design and Mooneyes Bangkok. All three agreed; this was their favorite bike among the scores of entries.

Based on a humble Royal Enfield Bullet 500, this sharp bobber was built by Frontwheel Motors in collaboration with the auto racing team, Rea Racing. The idea was to build a low and lean performance bobber with shades of classic hot rod design.

The single-cylinder Royal Enfield Bullet 500 hardly screams ‘performance,’ so the team bumped the the engine capacity to 535 cc, increased the sizes of the intake and exhaust valves, and installed a new FCR carb. A single conical muffler handles the soundtrack, adorned with a custom-made heat shield.

Moving to the wheels, the crew laced up a new set of wide 16” rims, wrapping them in new rubber from Allstate. Small details abound—like the Harley Panhead-style risers that clamp the new bars, and the CNC-machined levers that are bolted to them. Other touches include a burly sump guard and a drilled fork brace.

All of the Bullet’s bodywork is new—from its teardrop fuel tank to its stepped and tapered tail section. There’s a lot of detail work here too, like the chromed bracket that secures the front of the seat, and the quirky taillight design. Look closely, and you’ll spot the speedo; a tiny digital Motogadget unit that’s been Frenched into the top of the tank.

Finished in mostly silver with a brushed texture, the Bullet has earned the nickname ‘Eleanor.’ Although that seems like an obvious reference to the film Gone in 60 Seconds, the name was in fact picked because it means ‘shining light.’

Eleanor not only won the favor of those three international judges, but it also bagged the overall trophy for the best European chopper or bobber in the show. And it’s easy to see why. [Images by Suseno Adhi P.]

Triumph TR6 Trophy by Greasy Knuckles Believe it or not, this 1967 Triumph TR6 Trophy was rescued from underneath a tarp in some guy’s back yard in New South Wales, Australia. Its second lease on life is thanks to Steve Wong (A.K.A. Greasy Knuckles), who converted the pretty piece of British engineering into a beautiful desert sled.

Steve started by stripping down the bike to see what was worth saving, and what was not. He got rid of the stock fenders, bars, switchgear, lights and exhaust. With just a frame, engine, tank, and seat, he got to work.

The tank was in pretty good condition, so after he resealed the inside it was cleaned and adorned with a hand-painted racing number. There was a small luggage rack on top of the tank, which Steve replaced with a throttle cable strap. It’s a mod that old-school desert racers did to run the throttle cable over the tank, making swapping broken ones quick and easy.

The suspension was rebuilt, with the rear end getting raised by 30 mm—another common desert sled trait. The engine was in good nick, but Steve still replaced a bunch of oil seals and overhauled the clutch with new parts.

The TR6 featured a single carb, which Steve prefers for tuning and looks. It was given a relaxing ultrasonic bath before it was reconstructed and slapped back on. In keeping with the scrambler theme, a set of high-mount pipes was fitted.

The wheels were too far gone, so the hubs were blasted, painted, and laced to new rims with stainless spokes. Fitted with Shinko trials-style rubber, they look amazing under the new fenders. New bars (with a distinctive curved crossbar) were installed, along with new switches that necessitated a full rewire of the bike.

If you’re drooling over this bike as much as we are, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s currently being offered for sale on the Collecting Cars website. Go on, who doesn’t love a good desert sled [Source]

Kawasaki ER-6N by Treasure Garage The Kawasaki ER-6N has always struck us as a bit vanilla—aesthetically, at least. We’re sure it’s a perfectly capable and easy-riding bike, but the looks are rather off-putting.

It also doesn’t strike us as a bike that’s easy to customize. But thanks to the crew at Treasure Garage in Bali, Indonesia, our opinion of the Kawasaki ER-6N is about to change. They’ve just taken a bone stock ER-6N and transformed it into a futuristic street tracker. And it’s incredible.

Inspired by the video game Cyberpunk 2077, the Kawasaki wears all-new bodywork, painstakingly beaten from aluminum sheeting. The front end features custom front fork guards and a MotoGP-style wheel cover, sitting beneath a blacked-out nacelle with a new projector LED headlight. The red ring around the headlight is a nice touch and gives us flashbacks to our days playing Portal.

The tank is another custom item, as are the radiator shrouds—which also house the front turn signals. A matching radiator guard and belly pan was fabricated too, for both aesthetic and functional reasons. The swingarm, hilariously, has an under-mounted wing; another MotoGP-inspired touch that we can’t get enough of.

Treasure Garage wanted a single-seater design for the back end, so the neo-retro tail unit sits atop a custom subframe. This was easier said than done, because the ER-6N features a side-mounted rear shock, which had to be relocated to get the seat to work with the custom stainless steel twin exhaust. The mufflers are tucked beneath the seat, terminating just below a custom LED tail light.

We could pore over this bike for days and bet it’s brilliant for ripping through the crowded streets of Bali. By itself, each piece on this motorcycle is a work of art. Together, it’s a masterpiece. [Source]

“I’ve never sat on a running Norton before,” photographer Marian Sell announces proudly. He’s just finished dialing in this 750 cc Seeley Norton Commando—a process that involved multiple heat cycles, ignition timing adjustments, carb syncing sessions, cylinder head re-torques, and valve clearance resets. Now, a year after buying it as a rolling chassis, Marian’s first functioning Norton is finally complete.

“It runs like a clockwork,” he adds. “It reminds me of the Porsche 928 my grandfather owned when I was a kid, in terms of the engine sound and feel. It has a very solid pull in the mid-range too.”

The Seeley Norton couldn’t be more different from Marian’s regular daily runner—a street-legal Husqvarna FS450. But it’s not the first time he’s flirted with vintage or British machinery. He’s been fiddling with bikes since he was a kid—and he once bought a mid-30s Norton with the intention of restoring it.

“When I was 16 years old, I started tuning my Vespas and Lambrettas in Germany, because my friends and I were very competitive,” he tells us. “Whatever mechanical skills I have now came from the world of Italian scooters.”

“In 2014 I went to the Manx Grand Prix on the Isle of Man, and for the first time I saw a non-scooter motorcycle that I really appreciated; a 1936 Norton International 30. A few months later I bought one in Canada, in a completely disassembled state, thinking ‘I can just wing it.’ But a few years later I gave in and contacted NYC Norton.”

As its name states, NYC Norton is a Norton specialist shop in New Jersey, owned by the knowledgeable Kenny Cummings. Marian’s 1936 project might not have panned out as planned, but it did introduce him to Kenny and the two soon became friends.

“Every time I walked into Kenny’s shop,” says Marian, “I had to pass this row of fantastic-looking race bikes. Norton Commandos, Matchless G50s, Manx Nortons, Nourish Engineering; people would pay money just to look at these bikes. Kenny is a rock star and a celebrity in the vintage racing world—his bikes are some of the finest motorcycles I’ve ever seen.”

“At the end of last year, Kenny told me that his friend John was looking to sell his race bikes, so I visited NYC Norton again to take a look at them. But instead of buying a full race bike, I got my hands on a rolling chassis that was collecting dust in the corner of Kenny’s shop.”

The chassis came from a race bike that John had built together with the Canadian Norton guru and racer, Herb Becker; a short-stroke 500 cc Commando. The bike scored multiple AHRMA (American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association) wins and podiums, before being retired.

Marian snapped it up and started taking stock. The package included a Seeley Mk2 replica frame, built by Roger Titchmarsh in the UK. It came with 18” Akront wheels, a Fontana four-leading-shoe front brake, a Manx rear hub, and Ceriani GP forks.

“With Kenny’s help and expertise, I started buying ingredients for a Seeley Norton Commando 750 street-legal racer,” says Marian. “I built the bike so that it can be raced in the AHRMA 750 class, which requires the components to be true to the specific era of the build. As an example, I decided on round-slide Mikunis, because flat slide carburettors weren’t yet a thing in 1969.”

“I assembled the engine cases and top end at Kenny’s shop under his supervision, and from there I moved the build into my living room. I stripped the paint to reveal the beautiful bronze brazing from Roger Titchmarsh and started building custom brackets. I guess everything on this bike is custom, since, as Kenny says, there’s no ‘Seeley shop’.”

For the engine, Marian used a Molnar racing crankshaft and crankcases, matched to a Norton Commando Combat cam and heads. The transmission is a five-speed affair with GP-style shifting (one up, four down), while the belt pulley and clutch come from Maney. The engine’s fed by a pair of Mikuni VM32 carbs and exhales through a two-into-one exhaust from Minnovation Racing in the UK.

Marian bought the Seeley Norton’s rolling chassis with Molnar fuel and oil tanks already installed, so only half of the bodywork had to be sourced fresh. A Kirby fairing was fitted to the bike; it and the race-style tail section are finished in black to contrast the traditional silver tank, as it should be.

The Norton has all-new wiring too, with a new loom strung around a Motogadget mo.unit control box, tucked beneath the seat. The turn signals, switchgear, and tachometer are from Motogadget too, but the latter’s been disguised with a replica Smiths face to give it a period-correct look. The LED taillight is from Australia’s Purpose Built Moto, the rear-set pegs are from NYC Norton, and the tires are Avon Roadriders.

There’s a smorgasbord of less apparent mods too, but right now, Marian is focused on how much fun he’s having riding the thing. “I’m not used to riding this low to the ground,” he explains. “This Norton wants to tilt, and feels very stable on the straights as well as in the turns.”

Marian is also quick to add that he has a long list of people to thank for helping him put the Seeley Norton together—aside from Kenny, of course. Aleksey at WorksMFG helped to fabricate the exhaust and did some additional bronze-brazing work. Marian’s neighbor, Julian Potulicki, who happens to be an oil painter, did the artwork on the fuel tank, oil tank, and windshield.

Roger Titchmarsh fabricated additional brackets to hold the fairing and headlight in place, Joel Levine took the tacho apart and fitted the Smiths face, and Marian’s friend, Andi, offered endless support and electrical advice.

“And my girlfriend Annalise has been, and still is, very patient about having a bike in our living room. It’s easier now that the bike is all in one piece, instead of having a thousand pieces of oily, British motorcycle Lego flying around.”

Images by Marian Sell | Instagram | NYC Norton

Originally conceived as a spicy combination of Sportster and big-twin components, it’s no surprise the Harley-Davidson Dyna has become a hooligan staple on the streets today. The Dyna served as a lean intermediate for 27 years before being absorbed into the Softail line after 2018, and if you ask us, the absence of a twin-shock, big-twin cruiser is still felt today.

With such a long production run, Dynas can be found just about anywhere, that’s the good news, and the average 20-year-old bike can be had for around $5,000—even less if you’re willing to put in the work. Furthermore, the aftermarket for these bikes is WIDE, and the twin-shock arrangement is often an easier avenue for modification than the Softail.

Maybe you don’t see yourself as a Harley guy, or even a Carhartt-clad Dyna bro, but we’re certain you’ll find something to envy among our top Harley-Davidson Dyna customs.

Sureshot’s 1997 FXDL ‘DST’ “Slender and skinny customs are the style of my shop,” says Takuya Aikawa, and this 1997 FXDL wears all the hallmarks of the Chiba, Japan-based Sureshot’s brand. Wearing a custom Softail-inspired rear suspension and powered by a 96 ci big twin, there’s obviously more to this Dyna than meets the eye—the winner of top honors at the Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show.

The concept for the build was to seamlessly integrate a Softail-style rear suspension in place of the Dyna’s twin-shock rear, all while preserving the linear backbone of the old rigid-frame HDs. In line with the concept, Aikawa calls this built ‘DST’, short for Dyna Softail.

Seeking something a bit more exotic than HD’s own Softail components, Aikawa sourced a Ducati S4R swingarm and reworked it heavily to fit the Dyna. A mono-shock from Racing Bros in Taiwan suspends the whole setup, and it’s mounted on full display between the seat and hand-made aluminum fuel tank. A more svelte tubular backbone replaces the stock square tube, and the downtubes were modified to keep the chassis’ rigid-frame vibe.

Along those lines, Aikawa fit the DST with a custom set of one-off wheels sized 21F/18R—his favored ratio for skinny choppers. Fascinating pieces in their own right, both are fabricated from multiple machined pieces, with the spokes offset to one side and the brake calipers and hubs contained within the width of the rims. New triple trees help keep the skinny look up front, and the custom minimalist nacelle honors old-school HDs with a new-school twist. [Kazuo Matsumoto]

MB Cycles’ 2016 Dyna Low Rider S ‘Cross’ Heidelberg, Germany-based MB Cycles is no stranger to custom Harleys, but this high and mighty Dyna Low Rider S was certainly a diversion from their normal low-slung choppers and bobbers.

The impetus for the scrambler-inspired Low Rider, dubbed Cross, came about when a customer came to MB for a custom Harley but didn’t have an exact style in mind. “He used to be a professional dirt bike rider, so I proposed the idea of making something with a bit of off-road character—and enough power to have fun,” says builder Martin Becker.

A 110 ci Twin Cam-powered 2016 Dyna fit the bill perfectly, and Martin warmed the engine with a set of Andrews cams, a Screamin’ Eagle air cleaner and a two-into-one exhaust from MCJ with a valve to adjust its volume on the fly.

From there, Martin set to work giving the chassis a serious altitude adjustment with the addition of a complete Rebuffini Indianapolis Special front end, and an extended swingarm from Krüger & Junginger with Öhlins remote-reservoir shocks.

To add some attitude to the Dyna’s geometry, Martin fabbed up a new rear subframe with a tidy rear loop to support the custom two-up saddle. Two pairs of gnarly pegs from Rebuffini and the moto-style bars from Biltwell reinforce the bike’s off-roady aspirations, as do the meaty Bridgestone AX41 knobbies. While Martin indicated that a set of spoked wheels from Kineo would eventually be installed on the Cross, we’d venture to say the stock wheels have never looked better. [MB Cycles]

ICON’s 2013 Dyna ‘Homemade Sin’ “As ugly as Homemade Sin and twice as fast, she, like most ICON builds, is an acquired taste,” says ICON’s design director, Kurt Walter. To his point, you’d be hard-pressed to find a less conventional Dyna, as this one sports an amalgamation of Honda bodywork, a Ducati front end and a big, hanking 132 hp S&S T124. Willed into existence by the speed freaks at ICON, ‘Homemade Sin’ is the ultimate HD antiheroine.

With its insanely wide stance and hunched-over posture, it’s hard to imagine that the bones of this bike were once a 2013 Dyna. ICON loaded the frame with a fresh T124 Black Edition engine from S&S Cycle, displacing 124 ci and good for 132 hp stock. This one’s been hopped up even further with S&S add-ons, custom pipes and what ICON calls “cantrips and darkish magic.”

The elephant in the room is clearly that front end, though, and it’s a particularly wild piece of Ducati history. Per ICON, Ducati had made these super wide yolks available in the early 2000s for a factory-sponsored Monster bike build-off, and ICON somehow ended up with a set on the shelf. It’s an off-the-wall look, but purposeful when paired with an aluminum swingarm from Roaring Toyz, Nitron piggyback shocks and a pair of 16-inch Abe cast alloys.

If that wasn’t enough to petrify your average hog enthusiast, the bodywork certainly will be, as it’s made from Honda leftovers. A ’69 Honda Dream donated its fork shrouds and quirky headlamp, and if you look closely, there’s an ashtray where the Honda’s speedometer used to reside. The tank comes from an early-80s CB900F Supersport, and it’s modified with twin endurance-style fillers. The tail section is also based on the CB900F design, but ICON modified its dimensions in CAD and 3D printed and glassed a new one.

Once finished, ICON gave Homemade Sin a most fitting break-in at the defunct Middle Georgia Raceway—pitting their V-twin creation against a 355 ci V8 Chevrolet Monte Carlo stock car. If the impetus for the project is lost on you, do yourself a favor and enjoy the next 2 minutes and 36 seconds of Days of Thunderdome. [ICON Motosports]

NCT’s 2009 FXD Dyna Super Glide ‘Eleanor’ Whether it’s the original 1974 H. B. Halicki version or Cage/Jolie 2000 remake, most every motorhead knows ‘Eleanor’ from Gone in Gone in 60 Seconds. She’s a muscle-bound Mustang, that can outrun just about anything, and the inspiration is quite apparent in NCT Motorcycles’ 2009 Dyna Super Glide build.

NCT’s head honcho David Widmann had a complete cosmetic transformation in mind, but not before the chassis received an attitude adjustment from fabricator Manuel Tilke. The rear subframe was shortened heavily, now just long enough to surround the solo seat and support the Öhlins piggyback shocks. The front end was upgraded in a similar fashion, with an inverted fork from Showa USD. Befitting its name, the Dyna now has a purposeful, straight-line stance.

The 96 ci V-twin was deemed up to the task after a complete overhaul, and the crew at NCT sauced things up a bit with a new air cleaner and custom pipes with Akrapovič mufflers. While the front header hugs the frame, the rear header snakes over the transmission and up between the slim rear fender and shock—likely one of the more fitting applications of header wrap.

NCT raided the shelf for Eleanor’s fuel tank, a stock HD item taken off an earlier HD Street 750 build. The rest of the bodywork consists of sharp angular fenders and side covers, all finished in bronze with blue accents. The bars are carbon from LSL, and the bike has a full suite of motogadget electronics.

While Eleanor was a main attraction at Europe’s Bike Week back in 2017, David couldn’t resist making the bike a daily driver afterward. “She’s a totally comfortable and powerful bike,” he says. [NCT Motorcycles]

Sureshot’s 1998 FXD Dyna Super Glide ‘Phase III’ There’s no mistaking Takuya Aikawa’s style in a custom Harley-Davidson. Beyond the signature slim stature and show-stopping detail work, Sureshot’s HDs are always a delightful mix of something old and something new. Armed with a hand shifter and a custom front end that tips its hat to Harley’s old-school springers, Sureshot’s 1998 Dyna Super Glide is a feast for the eyes. One that earned him yet another title at the Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show.

Like last year’s Mooneyes winner, Aikawa started with another Dyna, this time a 1998 FXD Super Glide, and got to work on another mono-shock rear conversion. The rear swingarm was made custom from aluminum and is suspended by a RacingBros shock. Aikawa reworked the frame extensively to taper back to the new rear, and the chunky OE backbone was replaced with oval tubing. That said, the new front end is certainly the highlight of the build.

The design is immediately reminiscent of Harley’s leading-link forks of the rigid-frame era, with an old-school top clamp and the bottom yolk integrated into the fork legs. Instead of springs, a pair of adjustable RacingBros air shocks provide dampening. While Aikawa states that the setup took a lot of fine-tuning to work properly, it’s certainly one of the best custom forks we’ve laid eyes on.

The one-off billet aluminum wheels (19F/18R) are textbook Sureshot, and while they have the appearance of standard nine-spoke alloys, a closer look reveals a snowflake pattern in the billet. The front rotor mounts directly to the wheel itself, while the back brake hides behind the sprocket, leaving the wheels completely unobstructed from the right.

Aikawa warmed over the powertrain with a set of billet aluminum cylinder heads from Speed and Science, a Keihin FCR41 downdraft twin carburetor with velocity stacks and an Ultima 2” belt drive. Adding to the vintage appeal is a handshifter of Aikawa’s own design, made from connecting rods and CNC-machined linkages.

‘Phase III’ is a machine you could spend hours pouring over the details on, fitting for a machine that took home the Mooneyes ‘Best Detail Work’ trophy. [Kazuo Matsumoto for YENC Magazine]

It’s no secret that we’re suckers for a good dual-Sporty around here. The premise of turning a V-twin cruiser into a dirt-flinging scrambler is not only cheeky, but it proves the Sportster’s endearing versatility. And this Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 scrambler is a stellar example of the genre.

It’s the work of Ruler—a Japanese custom bike workshop headed up by Takeshi Mizuta. Mizuta-san racks up more mileage each year than most, commuting 75 miles by bike every day. So he’s all about building custom motorcycles that are fun and functional.

Ruler has a couple of Sportster scramblers under its belt already, but this project called for a little extra spice. “The owner’s order was to create a style that no one else has,” Takeshi tells us. “We received several images of custom bikes by overseas builders from him, so we started production using those as references.”

A 2002-model Harley-Davidson XLH883 Sportster served as the donor for the build, so Ruler’s first job was to radically alter its stance to suit the requisite style. Then it was time to swap out its bodywork and kit it out with the right mix of aftermarket parts.

Takeshi gave the Sportster a boost by lengthening the OEM forks and swapping the stumpy rear shocks out for a set of longer RacingBros units. The stock hubs were re-laced to 19F/18R rims; a big step up from the bike’s bobber-like 16” rear wheel. Then Michelin Anakee Wild tires were fitted to ensure an appropriate amount of roost with decent enough grip on the road.

The brakes are original, but they’ve been upgraded with new GTS rotors. And if you’re wondering if they’re up to the task, it’s worth noting that Ruler’s performance strategy was more about shedding weight than increasing power—so the Sporty should be easy enough to slow down.

It’s also why Takeshi didn’t mess with the 883 Sportster’s engine. Other than a new Dyna S ignition, and upgrades to the intake and exhaust, the engine’s still stock—on the inside, at least. On the outside, Takeshi trimmed away as much of the cam cover as the bike could live without.

The forward-facing air filter comes from Vance & Hines and sports a rather swish-looking forged carbon intake manifold. The two-into-one exhaust headers are Ruler originals, as are the generous heat shields, while the high-mounted muffler comes from HP Corse.

Moving to the bodywork, Ruler ditched everything except for the Sportster’s fuel tank. “I wanted to preserve the Sportster feel,” Takeshi explains. “After all, this tank is the Sporty’s hallmark.”

Ruler did make one change to the tank; the filler cap has been moved higher to eke out a tiny bit more capacity. The Sportster’s new stepped solo seat is a custom piece, featuring muscle car-inspired upholstery. Ruler trimmed off the bike’s rear fender struts, then installed universal enduro fenders from UFO at both ends.

Fans of old adventure bikes will immediately identify the inspiration for this Sportster 883 scrambler’s twin headlights. Taking cues from the iconic 1980s Honda XLR250 Baja, Ruler mounted a pair of PIAA LED projectors in a custom-made cage. Since the arrangement dominates the cockpit, a small aftermarket speedo was mounted just off the left fork leg.

MX-style handlebars are fitted with Kuryakyn grips and mirrors, and PowerMadd hand guards. Kuryakyn also supplied the bike’s new foot pegs, while the tiny LED turn signals and taillights are Kijima items.

From afar, this custom Sporty looks like it’s been murdered out like a million before it. The client did indeed request a black paint job, but Ruler responded with a smorgasbord of dark finishes, courtesy of their go-to painter, FFF. Look closely, and you’ll spot wrinkle, matte, gloss, Cerakote, and DLC black coatings throughout the bike.

The fuel tank and fenders are particularly radical, featuring a gunmetal and black zebra pattern. If there’s a colorful livery that would look better on this Sportster, we can’t picture it.

Now that this ferocious dual-Sporty is all buttoned up, Takeshi has named it the ‘Brutester.’ It’s an appropriate moniker for a bike that looks like it belongs in the wild.

Ruler Instagram | Images by, and with great thanks to, Kazuo Matsumoto

As one of its pre-eminent voices, Winston Yeh’s contribution to the modern custom motorcycle scene is undeniable. But where does he draw influence for his Rough Crafts creations from? This custom Harley Fat Boy offers a surprising clue.

“I’m a huge fan of the chopper era,” Winston tells us from his studio in Taipei, Taiwan. “West Coast Choppers, Motorcycle Mania, Biker Build-Off; these were my heroes when I was still in school. The wild, fat rear tire, high handlebars, and Frisco tank look was the pinnacle of badass-ness for me.”

Winston’s custom Harleys are far removed from the raked-out, gaudy made-for-TV choppers of yesteryear. But if you ask him, those old-school machines are never far from his mind. It’s why the Rough Crafts aesthetic rides the line between old and new so well.

It’s also why, when given free rein by his latest customer, Winston decided to explore the idea of a modern chopper-inspired performance cruiser. “The customer came to my shop,” he tells us, “pointed at one of my Softail builds, and said ‘How can you top that one?’ The only rule was that the riding position needed to be easygoing—but, other than that, it was basically an open brief.”

“That said, with Taiwan’s super-strict rule of no frame modifications I technically couldn’t call it a chopper, since I wouldn’t be chopping anything. So I set out to create as much of a chopper vibe as possible with the stock geometry. The idea was to create a chopper silhouette with all the right performance elements in place.”

Although it’s hardly recognizable, Winston used a 2022 Harley-Davidson Softail Fat Boy as a donor for the build. As its name implies, the Fat Boy wears a fat 240-wide rear tire from the factory, so it has the widest swingarm of all of Harley’s current Softail models. Putting a wide rear tire on this build was a must, so picking the Fat Boy was a no-brainer.

Straight out the gate, Winston swapped the Harley’s wheels for a pair of ultra-light carbon fiber hoops from BST in South Africa. The front wheel is a 3.5×21” five-spoke item, chosen for “that vintage invader-style look.” The solid 8.0×17” rear wheel isn’t in BST’s catalog, but it’s an older design that they still have a mold for, so they manufactured it as a one-off for Winston.

The front tire is a Pirelli Night Dragon, and the rear is a 240-wide Pirelli Diablo Rosso that was designed for the Ducati Diavel. The brakes are Rough Crafts-branded Beringer 4D parts. Beringer’s 4D system uses two stacked discs per caliper, offering maximum braking power from a small footprint.

Moving to the suspension, Winston specced the Fat Boy with blacked-out Öhlins parts at both ends. The forks are shortened Öhlins FF521 units, shortened to get the bike’s stance right. They’re dressed with Rough Crafts brake mounts and billet aluminum fork protectors from Kraus, and they’re held in place by a set of CNC-machined yokes.

A shorter-than-stock Öhlins HD503 shock props up the rear. Look closely, and you’ll notice that it comes with its own preload adjuster, mounted on the right where the OEM unit normally sits.

Despite the broad rear tire, the Fat Boy now looks much more compact than before. It also helps that it shed its stock bodywork in favor of a set of custom parts.

A custom-made Frisco-style fuel tank takes center stage, shaped with subtle scallops in Rough Crafts’ typical style. A BT Choppers seat (with fresh upholstery) sits behind it, floating above a blank-off plate that hides the stock wiring, but offers access to the rear shock. A bobbed fender hugs the rear wheel to finish things off.

Taking inspiration from the performance chopper heavyweight Roland Sands, Winston decided to forego typical chopper handlebar styles in favor of a West Coast performance-inspired setup. Rough Crafts handlebars are perched on tall Rebuffini risers, with a top clamp that integrates the tiny speedo from an H-D Street Bob. The new switchgear is from Rebuffini too—a plug-and-play kit that plays nice with the Harley’s OEM CAN bus system.

A Rough Crafts headlight and tiny Rebuffini LED turn signals sit up front, with a pair of three-in-one Rough Crafts LED taillights out back.

Winston not only has his own range of Rough Crafts accessories, but he also has a special range of Rough Crafts parts that are produced by Arlen Ness. This build wears Rough Crafts x Arlen Ness grips, floorboards, and foot controls. The teardrop air cleaner comes from the same collection, as do the cam and rocker covers.

The exhaust system is a twin header and box muffler combo that Winston’s been using on his more aggressive builds lately. Finishing off the parts spec are a Rough Crafts gas cap and a Rebuffini clutch housing.

As always, Winston built this Harley Fat Boy by tapping into his network of regular collaborators. CT-Garage handled assembly, while SFC Simon Fiber Craft added carbon fiber veneers to all the right parts. Rover Works Custom Paint handled the livery, playing with gloss and matte finishes over the carbon fiber, and punctuating the design with delicate pinstriping.

2 Abnormal Sides produced a set of stunning tank badges and pushrod collars. His jewelry-style handiwork is an unmissable detail on any Rough Crafts Harley, but here, he’s gone above and beyond with a special silver adornment for the top of the tank.

“It includes the Rough Crafts logo, the owner’s name, and even his personal logos all over,” says Winston. “The hardest part of this over-the-top request was how to add more, without making it too flashy. So I had to carefully choose which parts had to be shiny, and which parts had to be subtle—but still make something that the owner would be proud to ride.”

This luxurious embellishment, and the Fat Boy’s mostly murdered-out look, has earned the bike the moniker of ‘Sovereign Raven.’ Sharp graphics on the wheels add a final modern and sporty touch, while the super-sano space above the front cylinder head adds a nod to the stripped-down choppers of old.

“I’m not sure how people will react to the words ‘performance’ and ‘chopper’ in the same sentence,” Winston admits, although he doesn’t seem particularly fazed. As long as his customers keep asking for them, he’s going to continue exploring this new school take on the bikes that captured his imagination all those years ago.

Rough Crafts | Facebook | Instagram | Photos by JL Photography

In case you missed it, the massive annual motorcycle trade show, EICMA, has been happening all week. We’ve covered more EICMA news this year than we usually do—but as the show draws to a close, we’ve spotted a few additional titbits that we didn’t get around to.

Below, you’ll find news on the new Ducati Panigale V4 SP2 30° Anniversario 916, MV Agusta LXP Orioli, the Honda NX500, and Royal Enfield’s electric Himalayan prototype. And if you’re missing your weekly dose of customs, rest assured—Speed Read will return next week.

Ducati Panigale V4 SP2 30° Anniversario 916 Limited editions are all the rage right now, and Ducati desperately wants in on the action. So they’ve unwrapped the Panigale V4 SP2 30° Anniversario 916—a 500-unit limited-edition Panigale V4 that pays homage to the iconic Ducati 916.

Designed by Massimo Tamburini, the Ducati 916 was a big deal when it hit the scene in 1994, and later etched its name in history as one of the Italian company’s most significant motorcycles. And even though Ducati has made significant progress in the last 30 years, bits of the 916’s DNA are still visible in their modern motorcycles.

The Panigale V4 SP2 30° Anniversario 916 celebrates the Ducati 916’s upcoming birthday with a special livery and a sprinkling of wallet-emptying parts. The paint job gets its inspiration from the 916 that Carl Fogarty won the Superbike World Championship on in 1999. The mostly red scheme is punctuated by splashes of white on the front fender, nose, and tail section, with some subtle tri-color striping in the mix.

‘916’ and ‘Ducati Corse’ logos adorn the sides of the fairing, instead of the sponsor logos that Foggy’s bike wore. A ‘1’ on the nose pays tribute to Foggy’s title, though we’re not sure we’d be brave enough to cruise the streets (or take to the track) with a superbike that makes such a bold claim. A gold 916 logo with laurels sits atop the fuel tank, while a laser-engraved billet aluminum top yoke bears each bike’s number.

The 30th anniversary Panigale also wears a brushed aluminum fuel tank, which, although not directly influenced by the 916, does look rad.

This limited-edition superbike is kitted with more than just a fancy livery though—it also swaps its wings, front fender, and wheels for lighter, sexier carbon fiber parts. It has carbon fiber cooling ducts on the front brakes, an STM EVO dry clutch with a carbon fiber cover, and adjustable billet aluminum foot pegs.

The Panigale V4’s quick-shifter can be configured to operate like a traditional road bike or like a race bike, and there’s a built-in data acquisition system too.

It comes with its certificate, cover, and a track kit with a bunch of blank-off parts that let you remove everything you wouldn’t want on the track. In keeping with that theme, the Panigale V4 SP2 30° Anniversario 916 only has one seat.

Specs-wise, the Panigale V4 SP2 30° Anniversario 916 matches the Panigale V4S. So that means it makes 215.5 hp, with Brembo Stylema front brakes, and adjustable Öhlins suspension. If that sounds like your cup of tea, get your orders in quick; Ducati is only making 500 of these. [Ducati]

MV Agusta LXP Orioli MV Agusta teased us a couple of years ago with the Lucky Explorer 9.5 concept—an adventure bike that mimicked the legendary Dakar-winning Lucky Strike-sponsored Cagiva Elefant. Now they’ve revealed the version of it that’ll go to market, with several rather large caveats.

Renamed the MV Agusta LXP Orioli, the bike has emerged as a high-end limited-edition model. Or, as MV Agusta puts it, “the world’s first luxury all-terrain motorcycle.” LXP presumably stands for Lucky eXPlorer, while the Orioli bit refers to Edi Orioli, the Italian motorcycle racer who won the Dakar Rally four times (twice aboard the Cagiva Elefant).

Limited to 500 units, the MV Agusta LXP Orioli uses the company’s new 931 cc triple-cylinder liquid-cooled mill. Weighing in at 57 kilos [126 lbs], the engine delivers 124 hp at 10,000 rpm and 102 Nm of torque at 7,000 rpm, with 85% of the torque available from 3,000 rpm. It uses a double overhead camshaft design with DLC-coated cams, a counter-rotating crankshaft, and a hydraulic clutch.

The chassis uses an alloy perimeter frame design, with a removable subframe and an aluminum swingarm. Adjustable Sachs suspension offers 210 mm of travel at each end, and the bike rolls on burly 21F/18R Excel rims with aggressive Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross AX41 tires. Brembo brakes handle stopping duties, with two of the brand’s tasty Stylema calipers up front.

The seat height is adjustable between 850 mm and 870 mm, ground clearance sits at 230 mm, and the LXP Orioli has a wheelbase of 1,610 mm. According to MV Agusta, the rider triangle has been designed to offer a balance between long-distance comfort and off-road control, and the bodywork and windscreen have been designed to create a ‘calm zone’ around the rider and pillion.

The bike comes kitted with all the tech stuff that’s become de facto on large adventure bikes. There’s LED lighting all around, a big TFT screen in the cockpit, ABS and traction control with a six-axis IMU, multiple rider modes, adjustable engine braking, anti-rear wheel lift, cruise control, a keyless ignition, smartphone connectivity, a GPS-enabled anti-theft device, and cruise control.

As a limited edition model, the LXP Orioli also comes with a number of extra bits and pieces. You get crash bars, an aluminum bash plate, auxiliary LED lights, and MV Agusta-branded aluminum panniers. You also get a full titanium Termignoni exhaust system, but it doesn’t come pre-fitted. Instead, it’s shipped in a special box that resembles the crates that gear is transported in during the Dakar Rally.

The box also includes a bike cover and a certificate of authenticity. And as a bonus, Edi Orioli will even sign your LXP Orioli.

Visually, the LXP Orioli is pretty faithful to the Lucky Explorer concept that we’ve already seen, save for some minor tweaks. It’s an attractive enough machine, even if the graphics only slightly remind us of that iconic Lucky Strike livery.

MV Agusta will start shipping the LXP Orioli from the end of the first quarter of next year. There’s no word yet on what it’ll cost, but we’re guessing you’ll need deep pockets to book one. There’s also no word yet on whether or not MV Agusta plans to release a ‘regular’ version of the LXP later on, but it’s probably safe to assume that they will. [MV Agusta]

Honda NX500 Honda’s big announcement at EICMA this year was their new E-clutch. It’s an electronic clutch triggered by the shifter pedal that eliminates the need to use the clutch lever, and it’ll be available from 2024 on a select couple of models.

They also showed off some mild model updates—most notably, the popular and affordable Honda CB500X adventure bike. No, the CB500X doesn’t get Honda’s new E-clutch, but it does get a new look, a new name, and a few key changes.

It’s now called the Honda NX500—a throwback to the nomenclature of the legendary NX650 Dominator. We’re ambivalent about the name, but we are glad to see that Honda has updated the bike’s styling.

The CB500X was visually bland, bearing a close resemblance to the company’s commuter-friendly NX750X. The new NX500 has the same angular, utilitarian look—but the redesigned front fairing and tail section, and the updated color options, have made it a lot more palatable.

There are no changes to the NX500’s frame or its agreeable 471 cc parallel-twin engine, but it does sport updated tech. Honda has tweaked its fueling for better low-rpm acceleration and more even power delivery across the range, and they’ve added a rear wheel traction management system. There’s also LED lighting and a new TFT display in the cockpit.

Honda has also swapped out the NX500’s wheels for new, lighter-weight items, and tweaked its suspension to perform better. New accessory packs are available to kit the bike out for long-distance, off-road-focused, or commuting needs.

It’s not a major update, but it’s a welcomed one. We loved the CB500X for its user-friendly balance of price and performance, but it just didn’t quite hit the mark for us overall. We’d happily park an NX500 in the garage for daily commutes and weekend shenanigans. [Source: Honda]

Royal Enfield electric Himalayan prototype The updated Royal Enfield Himalayan broke cover this week, sporting the company’s first-ever liquid-cooled engine. But that’s not the only project that the Indian marque’s been working on. This is Royal Enfield’s electric Himalayan prototype—and if it looks a little cobbled together, that’s because it’s very much a work in progress.

Royal Enfield has lofty goals for their first electric adventure bike. Where most electric manufacturers are focused on urban mobility, Royal Enfield has set their sights squarely on sustainable adventure riding. They aim to build an electric motorcycle that can explore the Himalayas—a region that the company calls their spiritual home—without negatively impacting the environment or riding experience.

According to Royal Enfield’s press release, the mission was less about seeing “how many batteries could be squeezed into a motorcycle,” and more about improving the adventure riding experience “by allowing the rider to listen to the soundtrack of the Himalayas.”

The bike follows the same general design as the petrol-powered Himalayan, but with myriad differences that gear it towards electric power. The proprietary battery box acts as a central structural element, and the bodywork incorporates more sustainable materials like organic flax fiber-reinforced composites.

Royal Enfield’s development team has been testing and refining the bike as they go—putting it through its paces in the Himalayas, and in a wind tunnel.

You’d assume that charging stations are a rare sight in the Himalayas… but you’d be wrong. The local government is in the process of rolling out EV charging stations, with a view to electrifying adventure travel in the region. So although an electric Himalayan adventure ride might not be viable right now, it will be in the future. [Royal Enfield]

Any clown with an adjustable wrench can take a bike apart (the term basketcase exists for a reason), and if you go in without a plan, that’s exactly how the next owner will take delivery of your abandoned dream—in boxes. But you do have to break a few eggs to make an omelet, and for our beloved $400 CB550F, we need to tear the bike down to its bare bones to see what we’re working with. And that means the custom diamond-stitch saddle, cruiser bars, cushy footpegs and other fragments from its past life have got to go.

While our CB will eventually be torn all the way down, that’s not my goal just yet. Instead, I want to declutter the bike as much as possible, reducing it to its core components. Having the engine, suspension and both wheels on the bike helps you keep the overall dimensions in mind, and lets you visualize changes in geometry and where to add or subtract ‘visual weight’ to keep the bike balanced. But in the meantime, try to look past the trashed paint and crusty old parts and fasteners while we square away our vision.

Your preferred method may be a pencil and paper, or maybe you’re talented enough to fabricate what’s in your mind from scratch. However, the average garage builder works with a limited budget and rarely has a wall full of parts to experiment with. You’re often working with a handful of carefully selected universal aftermarket pieces and finding the best way to incorporate them onto some old relic seamlessly.

Following that methodology, breaking the Honda down to this point was a pretty simple affair. The fuel tank and seat were barely attached to begin with, and the entire rear fender assembly came off with a few bolts and electrical connectors. The battery tray, airbox and carburetor assembly have to come out in a certain order, but that was no fuss, and all the wiring connectors came apart as intended. Hell, I didn’t have to torch a single bolt in the process—surprising—considering the amount of rust on this old pavement princess.

With all that out of the way, we can finally have a bit of fun. Our CB550 wears an old set of aftermarket bars, with plenty of height and backsweep, resulting in upright, cruiser ergos. Ditching those for a set of low and wide tracker bars changed the bike’s stance in quick order, and this set came to us from our friends at Lowbrow Customs. They’re inexpensive, have plenty of width to fine-tune our setup and the chrome fits our old-school aspirations for the CB.

The next piece I was dying to test fit was our new Street Tracker seat from Tuffside. Chris at Tuffside styled us with a high-quality, made-in-the-USA seat with black pleated upholstery and threaded inserts designed for the CB550. In order to get it sitting right on the bike, a couple of hooks and the hinge for the factory seat had to go, and I used a cut-off wheel to start and then roughed them in with a flapwheel. We’ll revisit these areas with a smaller abrasive wheel on a die grinder later when we finish de-tabbing the frame—the last thing you want is unsightly marks on a tube from being overzealous with an angle grinder.

With the bike’s attitude and ergonomics significantly shifted, I have a great reference point to start planning the next modifications. There are still plenty of tabs to trim, and I’m going to massage the frame a bit more to get the seat where I’d like it to be. And while I wasn’t sure about the stock tank initially, I’m sold on it now. It’s got nice lines and fits the motorcycle’s fun and functional look. That two-tone brown paint has grown on me a bit now that the seat and side covers are gone, but we’ll probably repaint it, and the light rust inside should clean up easily with a rust remover.

There’s plenty more I want to mock up on our Honda CB550 tracker, but I think we need to get our wheels and tires sorted out first to keep things balanced. Our stock rims are heavily corroded and have several broken spokes, so I took the opportunity to order some aluminum hoops and new spokes—a full wheel rebuild special is on the way. Also, we’ve got some gnarly rubber courtesy of Bridgestone that will completely change our motorcycle’s look.

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with two considerations for the comments section. The lack of a front fender on a pseudo dual-purpose machine is as big of a faux pas on this site as header wrap and tan leather, but I was considering trimming our beat-up stocker to somewhere around the green tape lines—yea or nay? Also, after omitting the stock gauges, I started really digging the factory Honda status lights on the bar clamp. They can probably be seamlessly integrated into our upcoming motogadget electrical system, but could just as easily be ditched for a standard bar clamp. I’ll leave it to a vote.

Big thanks to Motogadget, Tuffside, Bridgestone, Lowbrow Customs and Biltwell Inc. for supporting our Honda CB550F tracker build.

Toshiyuki Kozaka doesn’t have a massive profile outside of Japan. But in the Land of the Rising Sun, he’s established himself as the go-to guy for working on vintage bevel-driven Ducatis. Looking at this achingly beautiful Ducati 900 SS restoration, it’s easy to see why.

Kozaka-san runs his business, Switch Stance Riding, from a small workshop in Amakusa. It’s a city in the Kumamoto Prefecture that’s spread across several islands off the coast of Japan’s most southwesterly island, Kyushu. And the only reason we know who he is is because we have a mutual friend; the German photographer, Marc Holstein.

“I’ve known Toshi since we met at Wheels and Waves a few years ago,” Marc tells us. We became friends, and since then we’ve spent time visiting each other, going to motorcycle festivals, riding, and surfing together.”

The last time Marc visited Switch Stance Riding, Toshi had just finished up the Ducati’s year-long restoration. Which turned out to be serendipitous for us, because Marc was able to photograph it and fill us in on its backstory.

Back in 2016, a devastating earthquake hit Kumamoto—causing significant human casualties and leaving trillions of yen worth of property damage in its wake. It also did a number on this late-70s Ducati 900 SS, wrecking the bike’s fairing, side covers, fuel tank, tail cowl, and muffler in the process.

A few years passed before the beat-up 900 SS eventually made its way to Switch Stance Riding. Toshi was tasked with returning it to its former glory—but we’d argue that he took it a step further. The classic Super Sport looks better than factory, with not a hint of the state it was in when Toshi started.

Toshi started by stripping the Ducati down to its nuts and bolts and giving everything a thorough clean. “We focused on every single detail on this bike,” says Yoshi, “even down to the screws used. And we tried to improve the overall condition by only using genuine parts.”

Part of Yoshi’s job was discerning which parts could be saved, and which had to be binned. He managed to repair the fairing, side covers, and tail cowl, but the fuel tank was too far gone. So he sourced and fitted an aftermarket aluminum Imola-style unit instead.

A lot of the parts that you’d assume are brand new are just original bits that have been meticulously restored. That includes the shiny Conti mufflers, which were repaired, re-chromed, and re-fitted. Toshi refurbished the OEM suspension too, but he swapped the wheels out for the alloy hoops from a later model Super Sport.

The engine was rebuilt to its factory spec, with a new wiring harness to ensure reliability. The lights, turn signals, and controls are all period correct.

For the paint job, Toshi called in Orvis One—a Kumamoto-based paint shop that specializes in vintage bikes. They slathered the bike in an impossibly deep jet-black finish, with hand-painted gold graphics throughout. Toshi picked one of the vintage Super Sport’s less common liveries, but one that is nonetheless indicative of the era.

“The colors were mixed to tone down the overall exterior appearance and give it more of a uniform look,” he tells us. “The frame was painted matte black, providing contrasting black tones to create a sense of playfulness.”

Mitsunaga Auto Interior Design upholstered the seat, replicating the original stitching design, but opting for a heavily textured fabric that has a more luxurious look. A brand new seat zipper does duty at the back and every last fastener has been cleaned and re-plated.

The whole thing really is clean enough to eat off of, with just the tiniest bit of patina to remind you that this is, in fact, a classic motorcycle.

“It’s a well-built machine that focuses on taking traditional design to the extreme,” Toshi confidently adds. “We hope that it’ll recreate the type of excitement that will make you want to buy the Tamiya models from your childhood.”

Since we can’t own the real thing, we might just have to do that.

Switch Stance Riding | Facebook | Instagram | Images by, and with thanks to, Marc Holstein

Riding a Royal Enfield in the Himalayas is a bucket list item for many motorcyclists. This fact is not lost on the Indian company—they’ve just updated the utilitarian Royal Enfield Himalayan adventure bike with refined looks, better suspension, and a first-ever liquid-cooled engine.

Unveiled at EICMA in Milan this week, the new Royal Enfield Himalayan sticks to the same ethos as its predecessor. It still has the appearance of a simple, robust machine, designed around the company’s philosophy of “everything you need, and nothing you don’t.” That said, the new Himalayan does have some additional frills.

For starters, it now sports a radiator behind its front wheel. That’s because the Himalayan has traded its 411 cc air-cooled lump for Royal Enfield’s brand-new Sherpa 450 engine. The Sherpa 450 is not only new to the Himalayan—it’s also the first liquid-cooled powerplant that Royal Enfield has ever produced.

The single-cylinder 452 cc mill is good for 39.5 hp at 5,500 rpm and 40 Nm at 5,500 rpm; a decent jump over the outgoing model’s 24 hp and 32 Nm. More notably, it reached 90% of its torque from 3,000 rpm, giving it tractable power at low revs—useful for crawling over gnarly terrain. The power boost also makes the new Himalayan more long-distance-, luggage-, and pillion-friendly.

Other highlights include a semi-dry sump, designed with optimal ground clearance in mind, an integrated water pump, and a twin-pass radiator setup. The throttle is now a ride-by-wire affair, while a cable-actuated slip-and-assist clutch helps cycle through the six-speed transmission. (The latter’s revised gear ratios are said to improve the bike’s highway capabilities.)

It’s here that purists might kick back against the Himalayan’s refinements. More power is surely welcomed, but the famously bare-bones dual-sport now boasts two switchable rider modes and a big round TFT display. But if this sort of newfangled electrickery doesn’t bother you, the new dash’s functionality is worth talking about.

Called the TripperDash, the new display offers full map-style navigation, based on the Google Maps platform. It includes audio guidance via the system’s Bluetooth connectivity suite, which connects your smartphone, helmet comms, and motorcycle, allowing you to manage music, calls, and messages. It’s the sort of stuff that’s commonly seen on adventure bikes twice this size.

The TripperDash also has the option to switch between a classic analog-style display and a more modern layout. A joystick cluster on the left-hand switchgear cycles through the system, and there’s also the option to switch off the bike’s rear-wheel ABS for off-road shenanigans.

Royal Enfield says that the Himalayan’s improvements are a direct result of time spent putting the original bike through its paces; in the actual Himalayas, and at testing centers in the UK, Spain, and India. The aim was to ramp up the bike’s capability, while still keeping it small and approachable. And that called for changes beyond just a new engine.

The 2024 Royal Enfield Himalayan now boasts an all-new twin-spar frame, stiffer and stronger than before. Royal Enfield claims that the revised chassis feels better on twisty mountain passes, matches the increased power from the new motor, and improves its off-road capability. At 181 kg [399 lbs] dry, it’s no featherweight—but it’s not unmanageable either.

New Showa cartridge-type upside-down forks sit up front, offering increased travel and better stability over rough terrain. Suspension travel is up to 200 mm at each end, with 230 mm of ground clearance. The Himalayan’s 21F/17R wheels now feature updated aluminum alloy rims, and the rear wheel width has been bumped up to a width of 140.

There’s a clear visual difference between the old and new Himalayans. The new iteration has lost some of the old one’s blockiness, thanks to a more contoured tank, sharper fenders, and a host of other visual refinements. It still feels utilitarian, but we’re now picking up shades of bigger single-cylinder adventure bikes—like the defunct Yamaha XT660Z Ténéré.

The revised bodywork isn’t just better-looking—Royal Enfield says that it all serves to improve the Himalayan’s ergonomics. The 17-liter [4.5-gallon] fuel tank is sculpted to offer more room for the rider’s knees, and the rider’s portion of the split seat has 20 mm of adjustability. Between that, and the optional low seat, your choice of seat height lies between 805 mm and 845 mm.

Royal Enfield has kept the Himalayan’s quirky fairing crash bars, which not only protect the plastics but also feature loops to tie things to. There are subtle considerations for rough use too, like an air intake that’s high enough to survive water crossings. Optional extras include everything from hand guards to an upgraded sump guard, fog lights, alternative seats, and various luggage options.

The 2024 Royal Enfield Himalayan will launch in India soon, and eventually roll out to Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, and the Americas. There are five colorways to choose from, ranging from the plain ‘Kaza Brown’ to the sharp black and gold ‘Hanle Black.’

We’ve had a soft spot for the Himalayan ever since it hit the scene—both the stock bike and the myriad ways we’ve seen it customized—and these updates have made it that much more appealing. All we’re left wondering is if Royal Enfield plans to roll out these changes to the Himalayan’s pared-back cousin, the Scram.

Source: Royal Enfield

The massive annual motorcycle trade show, EICMA, is in full swing—and new releases keep coming out of the woodwork. This time it’s the turn of the Austrian powerhouse KTM, with the announcement of the new and much wilier KTM 990 Duke.

Following the success of the 790 Duke and 890 Duke, the KTM 990 Duke comes dangerously close to blurring the lines between middleweight and liter-plus bikes. KTM has dubbed it ‘The Sniper,’ and calls it the “lightest, sharpest, most performance-focused mid-class naked” to ever come from their Mattighofen factory.

Powering the 990 Duke is a brand new Euro 5+ compliant 947 cc LC8c parallel-twin engine. It features significant camshaft and valve timing changes to make it more rideable, and is cooled with the help of a bigger radiator. The all-new exhaust is a full stainless steel affair, with revised lambda sensors that promise more accurate data management.

The new LC8c is good for 123 hp at 9,500 rpm and 103 Nm of torque at 6,750 rpm, with a dry weight of 179 kilos [394.6 lbs]. That’s a small bump over the 120 hp that the current KTM 890 Duke R puts out, and a more noticeable boost over the 790 Duke’s 105 hp. It’s still a way off the 180 hp offered by the marque’s flagship 1290 Super Duke R—but, interestingly, the new 990 is closer to the 1290 than it is to the 890, visually.

Its new 14.5-liter [3.8-gallon] steel fuel tank is flanked by sharp side panels, styled in line with the Duke range’s usual kinetic aesthetic. The 990 Duke carries on KTM’s fine tradition of bizarre, alien-like headlights too, with a new hollowed-out LED unit that resembles the mandibles of a robotic insect.

No doubt, the Duke (which, coincidentally, turns 30 this year) is an acquired taste. But there’s no denying that the 990 Duke looks fast and razor sharp—and the cohesiveness of its frenetic geometry and myriad parallel lines is impressive. For 2024, you can get the 990 Duke in either orange or metallic black.

The 990 Duke’s seat’s been angled up at the front compared to the 890’s, to make the riding position more stable and stop the rider from sliding forward. The seat height clocks in at 825 mm, and the passenger seat sits 20 mm higher than before. 760 mm-wide handlebars are adjustable four ways; two on the forged aluminum offset yokes, and two on the risers, which can be rotated.

Everything sits on a new tubular steel frame, with 8% more sideways stiffness and 5% more torsional rigidity than before for sharper handling. The asymmetrical double-sided swingarm is new too, with a 35% reduction in stiffness that KTM says improves rear wheel traction during hard riding. It’s lighter too, and attaches to a revised swingarm pivot point with a forged pivot bolt.

One of the KTM 990 Duke’s raddest parts is its die-cast aluminum subframe. It’s not only been designed to offer maximum strength with the minimum amount of parts, but also to host the air intake and airbox. So those perforated panels under the seat are functional, feeding air to the intake.

As you’d expect from KTM, WP APEX Suspension components adorn the 990 Duke at both ends. The 43 mm upside-down forks use an open cartridge design, with compression and rebound damping handled by separate fork legs.

The 990 Duke gets its 17” alloy wheels from the 1290 Super Duke R, with modifications to the rear wheel to make it fit the 990’s swingarm. They’re wrapped in 120/70-R17 and 180/55-R17 Bridgestone S22 tires. Twin 300 mm brake discs sit up front, with a single 240 mm disc at the back; it goes without saying that ABS is standard too.

In the cockpit, a 5” TFT display (and a USB-C charger) offers access to the bike’s five electronic rider modes and various settings. KTM’s new menu design even allows riders to allocate features to four ‘favorites’ slots on the display’s home screen—including readouts like lean angle data. And there’s a track-specific rider mode that lets you mess with the anti-wheelie and launch controls.

KTM’s PowerParts catalog is stacked with a bunch of look-fast bits for the 990 Duke, along with a bunch of software upgrades. If you’re not familiar with KTM’s current modus operandi, they’re in the habit of pre-installing things like a quick-shifter or additional riding mode features, but leaving them disabled until you spring for the upgrade.

It’s the same story with the 990 Duke, except that KTM has now introduced a ‘demo’ feature, which turns all the optional software extras on for the first 1,500 km.

We’ve sampled both the KTM 890 Duke R and 1290 Super Duke R, and both are remarkably agile and trackable. If the 990 Duke’s changes are as effective as KTM claims, it should be an absolute riot. And although we’re still on the fence about how it looks, we’re secretly crushing on the all-black colorway.

Source: KTM | Outdoor and action images by Rudi Schedl

The Zero FX dual-sport is the lightest, most dirt-friendly model in the Californian company’s range of electric motorcycles. Its 289-pound weight isn’t just good on the dirt—that kind of thing bodes well in the city too. The FX is narrow with upright ergonomics, and, being electric, it’s virtually silent.

The only gripe we have with the Zero FX is its looks. Sure, it is a dirt bike—but between its twin projector lights and plastic bodywork, it feels cobbled together and utilitarian. But that’s no problem for Australia’s Purpose Built Moto.

We’re yet to visit PBM’s workshop on the Gold Coast, but it’s high on our list of places to go. Tom Gilroy and his crew pump out stunning custom motorcycles at a steady rate, and they’re not showing any signs of slowing down. This particular project was executed under the banner of Grid Cycles—PBM’s ongoing electric-only collaboration with the Australian Electric Motor Co.

“The idea started with the front fender and headlight plate,” says Tom. “We wanted to fill the forks with a well-detailed fender that sat nestled between the forks, but short over the wheel. Almost a beak, like a Ducati Hypermotard.”

With that concept in mind, Tom and co. opted to swap the Zero FX’s big, dirt-friendly wheels out for a set of lightweight 17” cast hoops from Zero’s stock. The wheels are finished in gloss black with contrasting stripes—similar to the Ducati Hypermotard 950 RVE—and wrapped in Pirelli Diablo Rosso tires.

The biggest job was the FX’s new alloy bodywork, which the PBM team spent hours designing and shaping by hand. The finished product does an incredible job of seamlessly tying the front of the bike to the back.

Tom was an electrical engineer in a previous life, so it’s fitting that Purpose Built Moto should produce a range of lighting and electrical components. The headlight on this build is their 5.75” ‘Flashpoint’ unit, mated to custom brackets and a handmade aluminum nacelle. A sharp custom fender sits just below it, craftily molded to tuck into the front forks.

Further back are a set of custom-made ‘tank’ shrouds that trace the lines of the fender so well, that you’d swear this was a factory design. “This was by far the hardest part to shape up and make,” says Tom. “Not because it’s an overly complex shape, but I had a vision of how it needed to be and I just threw hours at it until it was so.”

To make the bike feel a bit more aggressive, a custom seat pan was fabricated and upholstered by Jammo at Timeless Auto Trim. The new seat sits higher and flatter up top than the original—perfect for moving around while giving it the beans. The PBM crew had to lower the seat mounting point to get the new unit fitted; the only frame modification on the whole build.

The back end of the bike got the same simple, no-frills treatment as the front. PBM fabricated a slender rear fender and added angular side panels to tie the front to the back. The fender is flanked by a pair of PBM three-in-one LED taillights, with a swingarm-mounted bracket lower down to house the license plate.

Up front, PBM fitted lower handlebars and new grips and relocated the dashboard to sit between the rider and the bars. Between the reshaped seat and the revised cockpit layout, Tom says that the bike “delivers a more aggressive ride and in-control feeling.”

The only thing left to do was paint this tidy electric supermoto. That was taken care of by Justin at Pop Bang Classics, who delivered a modern and bold white, bone grey, and high-viz livery. The pin-striping over the fenders is particularly tasty.

“On completion of our custom electric motorcycles we’re always asked if we think these will be the future,” Tom adds. “We can’t say for sure—but if you had the opportunity, you’d be silly to pass up on having one of these in the garage.”

“The ride on any electric motorcycle has a real novelty about it—the simplicity of a 50 cc scooter matched with the power of a liter bike. Having a blast hooning around some twisty hills in the suburbs on the weekend, or simply livening up your dreary daily commute. What’s not to love?”

Purpose Built Moto | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Brandan Trudinger

Indian Motorcycle has just pulled the covers off what is possibly the spiciest version of the Indian FTR yet. Based on the top-of-the-line FTR R Carbon, the 2024 Indian FTR x 100% R Carbon is a limited edition collaboration with the action sports brand, 100%. And it looks fresh as hell.

If you don’t know 100%, they’re a mega eyewear, protective gear, and apparel company based in the USA. Their roots are firmly in motocross—hence the Indian FTR x 100% R Carbon’s sharp livery and striking colors.

We loved the first iteration of the FTR when Indian launched it. At the time, it was the closest thing to a factory street tracker you could get, sporting 19F/18R wheels and a comfy upright riding position. Indian has since realized that no-one’s going to race the FTR on a dirt track, so they re-specced it a while ago with 17” wheels.

It still has its burly trellis frame and sharp silhouette, and it sports modern amenities like LED lighting and a 4” touchscreen dash with a smorgasbord of connectivity features. It’s more pseudo-retro roadster than flat track throwback now, and we’re perfectly OK with that.

Indian’s 2024 FTR range features the base model FTR, the upgraded FTR Sport, and the top-of-the-line FTR R Carbon. As implied by the name, the FTR R Carbon takes the popular 1,203 cc FTR roadster, wraps it in swathes of carbon fiber, and adds a couple of tasty hop-up parts. But the Indian FTR x 100% R Carbon dials it up to 11.

You get everything that the FTR R Carbon comes with, except it’s now wrapped in a radical candy blue livery. The blue-over-carbon paint adorns the front fender, headlight nacelle, tank covers, and seat cowl. White and red Indian and 100% branding sit on the tank, with a row of logos on the tail cowl celebrating the bike’s parts spec.

There’s contrast stitching on the seat, and the trellis frame now wears a white coat to contrast the bodywork’s deep glossy paint. Subtle red accents on the wheels and belly pan add extra detail.

There’s also a smorgasbord of carbon fiber trim pieces, including everything from engine covers to a full carbon chain guard. The bar-end weights, oil cap, and radiator cap are all swanky Gilles Tooling parts.

The FTR R Carbon comes specced with adjustable Öhlins suspension at both ends, so that carries over to the 100% edition. Except here, the suspension is completely blacked-out to match the overall vibe. You also get a titanium Akrapovič exhaust system, capped off with a pair of blacked-out mufflers.

Under the hood lies the FTR’s 120 hp / 118 Nm liquid-cooled V-twin motor and six-speed transmission, with radially-mounted Brembo brakes handling stopping duties. (And yes, it still weighs over 480 lbs.)

If the Indian FTR x 100% R Carbon tickles your fancy (and if you can get the name right when you place your order), you’ll need to pay $18,999 (in the US) for the privilege. That gets you a free pair of 100% sunglasses too, and there’s an extensive apparel collection to accompany the bike’s launch, if you want to go the whole hog.

You better hustle though—the FTR x 100% R Carbon is already shipping to dealers, and Indian is only producing 400 units (150 for the US, and 250 for the rest of the world).

Eye-watering price aside, we certainly wouldn’t mind being seen on the the FTR x 100% R Carbon. There’s a trend towards more modern, race-inspired liveries on custom motorcycles right now—and if a major OEM wants to apply that thinking to a factory bike, we’re here for it.

Source: Indian Motorcycle