The Vesco Honda SOHC 1974 CB750K Custom Built Brat Bike

Posted on March 9, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

09 Mar

Well, this was a super fun build that I did and it is not often that I purchase an old snotter and then, after building it, sell it back to the owner I purchased it from, but this was how it was, I saw that there was a SOHC 750 in a garage in the City of orange for sale and made arrangements to drive down and take a look at it. once I got there and the garage door was lifted, I could see this sorry arsed looking inline four that was parked up, leaking a little oil and looking worse for wear.

I mean, it had everything there to make it look cool, but- it had not run for many many years and the young lad who owned it said he tried a few ties to get the bike to run but he lost interest and its been sat in the garage just collecting dust, so- we stood and kicked the tires for a while and eventually came up with a figure, shook hands and it took the three of us to push the old girl into the back of my van, but at last I had this old 750 in the Transit and had already worked out what I wanted to do with this 500 pounder machine.

The old girl is in my van and getting ready to drive home, I looked at the title and noticed his last name was Vesco- Your not related the the famous Don Vesco are you? I inquired.

Yes, he was my Grandfather, That is so cool as Don Vesco held many Land Speed records and had tons of 750 Honda’s back in the day, so I was super stoked to be able to own something with Vesco’s name to it, so, I drove home with a smile and half an hour later I pulled the old girl out and took a look at what I have to play with..

The Old girl was tired but, this is not my first 750 and as I have been creating Custom Motorcycles out of these here in the USA for over 20 years, I was quite eager to see what I had to work with but knew I had my work cut out if I was going to make a Custom creation out of this 1974 Honda.

Motor needs some love and had no idea if it would even turn over but I love these inline four engines and was going to see what it took to at least get to run and see where I can do with a full build on this 500 pounder.

The carburetors had seen rain, wind and snow by the look of it and the slides were stuck solid and as I have have rebuilt many of these rack of four set ups, I wasn’t too worried and thought I would strip the bike to where I need it to be and see where I am at.

I wanted to try and get this running, so I pilled carbs off and cleaned them up, fitted new jets etc and fitted new intake manifolds , as well as putting an old set of handlebars on as the clips on’s didnt fit right, I also hooped the frame as it was cut already and thought I would add my own style seat and see if I can at least fire it up, I had a 4 into 1 exhaust that I make that was in the rafters, so pulled the old rusty Kerker off and fitted mine, added an oil Pressure gauge so I can see where we are at if the old girl fires up.

The rims were too rusty, and was lucky to have an Original set of Lester wheels in storage that I could use on this bike, so fitted them and added some new Bridgestone tires and fitted one of my drilled brake rotors to the front end too. This bike went together really quickly and in the space of a week I was ready to fire this puppy up and see if it would even be able to move under its own power, I had spare parts in my garage or in my storage so it was a zero cost other than the tires to put this Honda together.

With rebuilt carbs and my 4 into 1 system cut down to a more aggressive loo, I was eager to see if this will fire up, it had compression and spark so I kicked her in the guts and she fired up right away with a nice brak from my exhaust system, I knew this would be a fun bike.

I made the handlebars and the seat too and this was probably the most comfortable bike I have ever ridden, I was so suprised how much fun this bike was and it had linear power too.

Well, I was happy at the way this bike was looking but the gas tank looked horrible just black and wanted a cool Custom 70’s flake look set of tins on this bike now.

So, I thought I would use the original tank that was on the bike, but wanted to get rid of the factory gas tank fuel cap and make a custom set up, just to be different.

I cut the old neck off and then ground it all down to make sure this was flat to the tank, I made sure there was no gas left in this tank before but it had been empty for about 7 years lol.

I make a gas cap kit now and this is how I did the conversion on this tank, as you can see, I fit the weld in Gas Cap Bung into the opening on the top of the petrol tank.

It sits in the original location really well, I simply ground all around the gas tank to make sure I have a good ground and then simply tig weld the bung in place, for a neat smooth Custom look.

All welded and to be honest, I do not need to grind the welds as I shall be doing a little body work on this to smooth everything out, so this will be covered up anyway.

I used a Harley screw in Gas cap and this really gave it a custom but Classic look, I was really happy at the end result of this and glad that I went this route on the bike.

Now that looks a lot better with the Custom 70’s style paint and am happy I went this route in the end, the 750 looks pretty tough like this.

This bike turned out great and even though I wasn’t finished with it, I wanted to get a few miles on this bike before I finally completed the other bits that I wanted to do. As you can see, the Vesco bike is on the Dry Lake at El Mirage where Don Vesco himself races bikes and broke records and the day this was fired up, Team Vesco did over 400 mph at Bonneville, so I thought this was fitting that i was at a SCTA meet in El Mirage with my Girlfriend Jennifer.

This has a great stance and is so comfortable to ride, the drive train works smoothly and my aggressive 4 into 1 barks like a scolded dog, I fitted an Led headlight that is 5-3/4 inches with internel led turn signals to make it all legal for the road. She sure looks swell out there in the Desert.

I like the meaty Bridgestone tires that were shoe horned onto the Lester Rims, those rims came of a CR750 Race bike and I had them in storage for almost 20 years.

I love it out here at El Mirage dry lake, if you can get a chance to get here for the SCTA racing, you should, I loved taking the Honda out here and I think it felt at home to be honest.

So there she is, the Vesco Honda Four, a brute of a bike and it looks pretty tough out there in the So Cal desert, I am so glad I went ahead and built this machine.

Now it was time to take the bike back home to Las Mirada but what a great time we had out on the dry lake, watching the Hot Rods and Motorcycles race on the Lake bed.

My Girl Jennifer takes the reins as I help a broken down Motorcyclist on the race track at El Mirage SCTA event.

So, I now get ready to put the Vesco bike in my Van and take it back home to my garage and figure out what I am going to do with this Motorcycle.

So, I sit the bike on the drive way and I am think of what else I might do to it, and I have to write a few emails to customers etc, it was when I got on the computer I see I got a message that I had been invited to the OG Bike Build show in LA and its in about 4 weeks, heck! I could maybe strip this bike and redo it to how I want to and show the bike, of which is a tall order but heck, why not eh?

So, even though it is a tall order, I had to come to the decision to take this bike and strip it to the bare frame and begin a cool build for the OG show, I shall still keep the Gas tank and side covers the same and the Handle bars etc but the rest will get some rework.

The strip down begins, I want this to be a trick frame when I am done and now is the time to take the bull by the horns and remove everything from this 500 pounder and make this a head turner.

I am taping the frame where I will be cutting and making quick release Custom Pieces that make engine removal and cylinder head removal way easier as the stock frame is so difficult to remove the motor when in the cradle.

Top frame removed and I shall be fitting my New Steel tubing Frame kit that I now offer on my website for the 69-78 CB750 Chassis.

Heave ho and away we go, I have removed so many engines on my own over the years, there are many ways people do it, some lay the frame down etc, but I like the old school brute strength of removing the 230 pound behemoth, I always go this way and then put the motor on a milk crate as its about the same height as the lower frame rails, I am always knackered afterwards though.

Well she is out at long last, time for a cuppa and an Ibuprofen lol- But seriously, the Motor is out and now the hard work begins, you too will notice how dirty and grimy a frame becomes after being used for 40 years and this thing has more oil on it than the Tin mans Elbows.

I Have welded the New removable top Rails in the chassis, now time to cut the right Lower side of the frame, so I can make a removable side for the 750 Four.

As ypu can see, the top rails and side rails are now in place, looks bloody awesome and not seen this EVER done before, I wanted to really push the boat out in the short amount of build time that i have on the Vesco Honda, I bet people wont even notice it when I am done.

Make sure all the weld area’s are clean and my Kit that I sell will work great for all of your machines from 1969-1978 and glad I have made these kits to be honest.

See, all nice and shiny, and soon to be ready to media blast all the paint on, prep and paint for a Custom Color and this time I think I shall go with a metalflake Silver, to keep with the Custom 70’s paint style.

All media blasted, she is now ready for the start of paint, this will take some time as i want the thick flakes but this will look great in the Sun against the Gold of the tank etc.

The race is on, and as you can see, I have the Silver Flake paint on the Chassis and I went ahead and chromed the rear swing arm, just for that added Custom look.

I have to rebuild some front forks, I went ahead and machined the fins in the lowers and polished them, then I needed to add new seals to the old girl for new life.

I use a piece of Plastic tubing and gently tap the tubing onto the seal and this easily presses the fork seal into the stanchion with no damage at all, so easy to do like this.

Custom look and even have chrome topper caps on the Original black covers, just to give it some nice bling and look a little different from the rest out there.

New tubes, springs and I set the pre-load using 4 stainless washers, as I dont like using that Plastic shit that many fork places offer, washers is the old school way and I also use Automatic Transmission Fluid instead of gear oil, another old school way.

Time to work on a custom rear brake Hub Assembly and I shall strip these, clean it drill the holes for aeration and cooling the hub and then polish it and fit new brake shoes and actuator arm to it.

All done and am happy at the look I was after, a nice custom touch that I do and offer this service to many people and is available on the website.

Front brake rotor gets the same treatment, I do all this at home and use my old drill press to make all the holes and then countersink both sides, for me, its therapeutic to be honest and boy does it look good when finished.

Now I just need to clean it up, paint the center and I shall be ready to mount on the Original 1977 Lester mag wheel, now for the cool pics below.

You can see the Custom paint nicely, all seems to flow really nicely and am super stoked I got the job done in time and it runs like a top, this sure is a stunning Custom bike and am proud to have completed such a creation, I just went for it and there you go, I have never built a bike twice but it was well worth all the hard graft.

Rebuilt and polished Caliper, Rotor is polished and painted and braided brake lines too, I did all I could think of on this machine, it really is a head turner.

Vintage style metalflake Candy paint with fish fad aways, captures the spirit of the build and hope that you like the direction I took on this SOHC bike.

Custom master cylinder, new switches, hand made and triple chromed handlebars really do set this build apart from many but- I hope I have inspired you to have a go at your machine now?

I wanted something a little different on the exhaust set up and thats why I thought I would go with a stainless steel 4 into 2 into 1 performance set up and boy does it sound sweet.

I did so many tricks to this bike, I machines some upper fork covers to match the lowers and this time I went with a Custom headlight that is so different than the others that you see, it is pleasing to the eye and I just cannot stop looking at this bike.

You can see the detail and the quick release chassis rail too, hope you like what I achieved in such a short amount of time?

Custom drilled levers, hand made front fender and a machined bucket out of 6061 Alloy to house the GPS speedometer, all flows together on this 74 CB750 Honda.

The Devil is in the detail they say, I did as much as I could in the short amount of weeks I had, but so stoked the way she turned out in the end, well worth the hard work.

Riders view, thats a GPS speedometer and I had to hand make the housing , this really is so cool to look at from any angle, so many tricks on this ride.

Re-charged shocks with Custom machines finned covers and 2 inch allot risers,make this Brat bike sit to the height I needed to sit my fat ass on top of.

Oh yeah- I even painted a Vintage Skid lid to match the paint scheme of the bike and think it worked out pretty good.

The stainless exhaust systems has a deep bellow that gets your attention, and this breathes so well it gives you Linear power all the way through the band.

This has been a fun adventure, not sure I could warrant another build so fast but this was a fun challenge and the cool thing is that the original owner that I puchased it from loved it so much, he bought it back off me.

So many cool little Custom touches I did on this bike, I would have to take a long hard look to remember what I actually did.

Sitting in the parking lot in Downtown LA, I got many cool remarks about the Vesco Honda and so glad that I made it in time to show people what this bike is about.

Hard to top this build but, I love creating them and hope I can continue having fun with this old 750 Honda bikes of the Nineteen Seventies.

Just goes to show that with a little imagination, there is a lot that you can accomplish on something, I was certain I would get this completed for the show too.

Plenty of eye candy and color, hope that you like what I have managed to create.? The good old SOHC Honda Four.

Took me some time to figure out the finned aesthetics etc but the long process worked out really well and all seems to flow very well on this Custom Build.

This bike does look really well in the sunshine too, all the nuts and bolts are stainless steel too so no rust ever.

The Vesco Honda sits pretty level and you will be surprised how comfortable this Motorcycle is, I sure miss it already. LOL.

A tough bike, super strong Motor and sits well, this will last many many miles and hope to see it again one day.

Thanks for taking your time to read about this Vesco Honda build, I hope you have enjoyed what I have created?

Sat in my driveway before I took it to the Original owner in the City Of Orange.

Well I guess its onto another build, hard to top this one though.

At the OG show in LA where the Vesco Honda made its Debut and many people gave me the thumbs up.

A YAMAHA TRX850 REVAMPED IN MOSCOW

Posted on September 12, 2018January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

12 Sep

IF YOU’RE LOOKING for a donor for your next build, look back to the 1990s. That decade is chock-full of untapped potential—hidden gems that might not have been big sellers, but now offer great performance at bargain prices.

We’re quite intrigued by the Yamaha TRX850 in particular. First launched in Japan in 1995, then in Europe a year later, it was something of a parts bin special. It was powered by the same 849 cc parallel twin as the TDM850, but with a 270 degree firing interval.

MCN said it was “a match for Ducati’s 900SS in its day, but it never sold well.” And it wasn’t bad looking either, with a trellis frame that mimicked the Ducati it was trying to nick sales from.

But is it customizable? One relatively young custom shop in Moscow thinks so. Chemisov Custom Works were handed a 95 TRX850 and an open brief, and responded with this angular café-fighter.

CCW is a two-person team, made up of Ivan Chemisov and his wife, Lyudmila. They’ve been operating for less than two years, but Ivan has plenty of prior moto-experience. He’s worked as a mechanic for sixteen years, including a stint wrenching for a race team.

A desire to do more creative work prompted him to launch CCW, and before long a friend booked in the TRX850 for a makeover. Even better, he gave Ivan and Lyudmila complete creative freedom on the project.

The couple drew inspiration from the most unlikely source. They’d tied the knot in Georgia a month before the build began, with the Ushba Mountain in the Caucasus range as a backdrop.

So the tank and tail of the TRX850 would symbolize the mountain’s distinct twin peaks, and the polished and black finishes on the bike would hint at the ice, snow and rocks that cover the mountain.

But before Ivan could whip up a new design, he had to bring it back to spec. The TRX850 hardly started, ran badly when it did, and made poor compression. So he tore into the motor, did some head work, and replaced a whole list of parts, including the valves. Then he installed new air filters, and rejetted the carbs with a Dynojet kit.

All of the Yamaha’s original body parts, including the fairing, went in the bin—revealing more of that pretty trellis frame. “Visitors at the workshop constantly asked the same question,” Lyudmila tells us. “From what Ducati is the project being built?”

But with the bike stripped down, Ivan noticed that the frame design was not symmetrical—which gnawed at his perfectionism. So instead of just editing the subframe as planned, CCW ended up tweaking the central part of the frame too.

The TRX’s new bodywork is a monocoque affair, which Ivan shaped from aluminum using the only tools available: a wooden mallet and his hands. The fuel pump’s hidden under the tank, to keep the design as compact as possible.

Ivan’s always had a close connection to racing, and that’s influenced the smaller details. The seat is bare bones—a single layer of race foam, to keep weight down. (In fact, the entire tank and tail section weighs just four kilos). And the tank breather tube integrates with the radiator and crankcase breather tubes.

There’s more metalwork lower down, in the form of a set of aluminum wheel covers. Finished in gloss black, they add some presence to the bike without appearing bulky. Getting them to fit meant modifying the front brake setup, and Ivan built in angled valve stems, so that you can still pump the tires.

With respectable 135 mph performance and handling out the crate—and a limited budget—there wasn’t a need for excessive chassis upgrades. CCW simply added braided brake hoses, and upgraded the reservoirs.

They reworked the top triple tree though. The ignition was moved, and LED built idiot lights into the triple. The stock dials gave way to a single tacho; in keeping with the race theme, there’s no speedo.

The stock clip-ons were replaced with a new set from LSL, mounted lower for a more aggressive stance. LED turn signals were installed in the ends, with a pair of square LED headlights doing duty up front (one each for high and low beams).

There’s another nod to Ushba up front—a mountain-shaped plate that doubles up as a headlight mount and triple clamp reinforcement.

Out back is a side-mounted license plate holder, which also carries a taillight and turn signal combo LED. The whole bike’s been rewired too, with most of the components—including the battery—now stashed under the tank.

CCW kept the bodywork polished, and finished almost everything else in black. Little parts like levers were polished, and all the fasteners were swapped for stainless steel items.

A pair of stubby stainless steel mufflers with built-in dB killers finish things off, mounted to the stock headers via custom connector tubes.

The overall vibe is muscular and mechanical, even if it doesn’t look particularly comfortable or practical. But this is completely intentional, born out of Ivan’s love for performance machines that are built to go fast rather than far.

“In our ideology of customization, style and functionality stand in first place,” says Lyudmila, “and comfort and practicality go to the background.”

Between budget restrictions and the condition of the donor bike, it took CCW a year to finish the TRX850 off. Now that they’ve broken onto the scene, we’re hoping their next project kicks off soon.

With any luck, it’ll be another forgotten 1990s jewel.

Chemisov Custom Works on Instagram | Images by Lyudmila Chemisova

Kingstons Customs Creating Excellence once again.

Posted on July 19, 2018January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

19 Jul

Sometimes a machine will come along and your jaw will drop to the ground, hitting the concrete with an undeniable Thud! You get Starry eyed and begin to sweat profusely, and today is that day, I mean, first of all just listen to this Motorcycle, what an awesome piece of work.

Another style thats new and old at the same time, artistry at its most excellence, I have not seen a motorcycle that personifies engineering beauty such as this Deutschland machine.

I dont have any good shots of this, so am going to leave it up to BIKE EXIF to show you what they thought when they went out to see this great contraption of 2 wheeled ingenuity and am sure you will be picking your lower lip up off of the floor too.

THERE ARE ONE hit wonders, and then there’s Dirk Oehlerking. The German custom builder can’t put a foot wrong, churning out hit after hit from his Kingstom Custom garage.

There’s one Kingston classic BMW in particular that really left a mark on the scene: an R80RT with intriguing bodywork, dubbed ‘White Phantom.’ Dirk has now followed it up with an even more impressive, broodier sibling, just to prove that he can; meet ‘Black Phantom.’

The idea was sparked when BMW staffers Ola Stenegärd (now at Indian), Christian Pingitzer and Roland Stocker told Dirk it would be impossible to improve upon the White Phantom’s design.

“I never intended to top the White Phantom,” he says. “I just wanted to provide the bike with a companion—a sibling. White and Black, two that belong together, like Yin and Yang. Phantoms that appear from nowhere, that take your breath away, and then disappear again.”

There’s a clear stylistic connection between the two BMWs—but they’re actually very different machines. Dirk took a fresh approach with the Black edition, setting some very specific goals in the process.

For starters, he set out to build it without any elaborate frame mods—so that meant no cutting, grinding or welding. He also decided to stick to BMW parts wherever possible, and to limit the use of high-end tech.

Since Dirk’s wrenched on countless classic BMWs, he’s amassed a collection of leftover parts. Every BMW component on the Black Phantom was salvaged from his own workshop, and dates between 1951 and 1979.

The rolling chassis is an unmolested BMW R75 frame, mated to an R80/7 final drive and R80RT shocks. BMW R100RS forks have been grafted on up front, and modified with a skinny external springer system. (They’re also sporting the fork brace from an R75/7).

There’s a 21” front wheel, borrowed from an R80G/S, and an 18” rear wheel, taken from an R75/6. Tires are from Shinco (front) and Metzeler (rear). The twin brake discs are off an R100RS.

Powering the Black Phantom is the air-cooled boxer motor from a BMW R75. It’s hooked up to a five-speed R80/7 transmission (to match the final drive). The carbs are Bing 32s, but you’d need to lift up the seat to identify them: they’ve been relocated, and are now connected to the heads via custom tubing. Elongated Hoske silencers add an extra dose of class.

But it’s the hand-formed bodywork that steals the show. Unlike the White Phantom, the Black Phantom’s shell extends all the way to the back, enclosing the rear wheel. It’s all been shaped from 2 mm thick aluminum, and it’s loaded with little details from front to back.

Up front, there’s a cutout for the engine, and a pair of beautifully crafted ducts. On the sides you’ll notice a pair of mesh-covered intakes, and you can even spot a Magura choke lever mounted on the right side. Unscrew a single brass fastener, and the leather seat flips up to reveal the carbs and battery.

There are more hidden gems behind the rear number boards. Both of them are hinged, and open up to reveal leather tool pouches.

Opening the left side also gives you access to the fuel cap. The actual fuel tank is a one-off aluminum unit, mounted low down and good for 15 liters. Dirk’s installed a new fuel pump to get the gas where it needs to be.

The Black Phantom’s finishing kit is a mix of more Beemer parts, and a few choice aftermarket goodies. The foot pegs and controls, brake light switch, handlebars and ignition are all from various boxers. The clutch and brake levers are universal aftermarket numbers, and there’s a pair of motogadget bar end signals.

Dirk turned to MMB to create Black Phantom’s very own set of custom dials. Up top, you’ll find a speedo, tacho, oil pressure gauge and voltmeter. On the sides, there’s a pair of original R51 roundels, backed by LED rings. As for that tiny screen above the headlight—it’s a yellow replacement goggle lens.

The livery is as timeless as it gets: black, with gold pin striping and brass details throughout. The whole package feels like an art deco concept dragged from the Bavarian marque’s archives. But it’s actually the product of one man’s imagination—and his blood, sweat and tears.

Dirk’s just unveiled Black Phantom at the Wheels and Waves festival in Biarritz—in front of Ola Stenegärd and a host of other industry luminaries. Hopefully they’ll tell him he can’t build a third Phantom—just so we can see what he produces.

Kingston Custom | Facebook | Images by Ben Ott

Canadian Norton Custom Brat-Scrambler is a real eye catcher.

Posted on December 27, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

27 Dec

When you think of Canada, I am sure you have passing images of Mountie’s, Moose, and the Stanley Cup in any order, well, we head on over to Edmonton, named after the City I was Born at in North London, this city has a huge passion for Motorcycles. You know when you are in that part of the globe when someone asks if you have a Loonie, you may think its a term of insanity ? Until you realize it is their Dollar coin that has a Loon bird on it.

Where’s the largest expanse of urban parkland in Canada? Nope, it’s not in Vancouver. Edmonton’s North Saskatchewan River valley parks system takes that title with a total of 7,300 hectares (you could fit about 18 Stanley Parks in there, if you squashed them). In fact, 20 back-to-back parks make up the system, which spans along both sides of the river (itself winding through the middle of the city), making this capital a whole lot greener and natural than you may have thought.

So, a perfect place for a bunch of lads named, Shaun Brandt, Randy Venhuis, and Justin Benson, of which formed their Custom Fabrication shop named Federal Moto, and a while ago turned out this amazing 850 Norton Commando.

They just wanted to try something a little different, and over in the MAPLE country there seems to be tons of Japanese Motorcycles scattered about like mattresses on the 5 Freeway here, so- they wanted to try and go with a little more Nostalgia, a bit of Brit style, seeing as a lot of their Dollar Bills still have the Queen plastered on them, they thought they would go an older style route and see what they can come up with using this old Commando as a build platform and a good challenge for these guys to see what their skill set level could accomplish.

I think many restorer’s will want to kick them right in the Rocky Mountains for cutting one of these Birmingham flyers up, but, on the other hand, there would be even more people loving the hell out of this unique machine and I for one am one of them. This is a killer looking ride that to be honest James Lansdowne Norton should of created as I for one would be all over one of these.

It takes way more thinking out of the box I believe, when you attack an Old Empire two wheeled machine and there will be many hours of head scratching and screwed up post it notes to even try to figure out where this bike is going to go creativity wise.

The Ace’ is a 1974 Commando that was discovered on a farm in Rimbey, Alberta, the bike did run but was about as reliable as a BSA, but the bike already had a hearty attitide and the look that the team of builders were after seemed to steer towards a Brat- Scrambler, a cool bar Hopper with an old look that could be ridden to the beach or up into the Mountains and handle the terrain with ease. So it was decided that this was the route to take, they wanted to keep the heart of the bike, the Motor, as it was from the Factory in 1974, but the rest was all up for ideas and changes and so the Journey began.

As the Idiom states, – Mighty Oaks from little Acorns Grow- and this was certainly the case with this 850cc Steed. The Bike was stripped faster than a Crook being caught at the Border and before they knew it the Skeleton of the Commando was staring right at them, but that frame? It has the thick center seam that all Nortons are known for, this really needed to be thought out as a back bone such as this would spoil the lines of the current project, so some major engineering calculations was required to be able to pull off something that was aesthetically on the money!

Running out of Cigarette packets to draw on, they had to come up with a workable conclusion, somewhat flustered and tired, these guys managed to come up wit a very cool modification that not only gave the lines of these machine a more elegant style, but it kept the rigidity that the original was designed to do. the frame was actually shortened by 18 inches or 457.2 mm for the Metric fans out there. Then a 1 inch -065 wall cold rolled steel tube was hand bent to make the hoop to tidy the back of the frame up and the beginning of this Brat-Tracker motorcycle was now well underway.

Also there needed to be what is known as an equilibrium , which in layman’s terms is ;

A state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced.
“The maintenance of social equilibrium” Balance, Symmetry, Equipoise, Parity, equality and Stability.-

They pulled that off by going for a set of 19 inch rims and shod with a set of Vintage styled Coker tires and I have to agree it does look the Status Quo.

The frame had all the tabs, brackets and nick knacks that were not going to help the machine handle or go faster, cut off, then sanded to a smooth finish, and Powder Coated Black, the bike actually had about 30 pounds or (13.6078) Kilograms removed, so now this Norton will feel so much better in the bends.

For a stylish look, a 1971 Oil tank was located and brackets were fabbed to make sure that this fitted like a factory piece, then a seat pan was hand cut, rolled and shaped to engulf the chassis with a Historic style that even the restorers may even crack a smile too.
Such neat lines on this Motorcycle.

The Mudguards are mid-50s Triumph items rescued from a junk pile, reshaped and finished in matte black and the exhaust system was another great little detail of which they located a set of 1971 Commando SS pipes and then removed about 12 inches from them and added an Old style reverse Cone Megaphone Muffler to give that Olden days gone by feel and of course sound.

The Motor itself was not bad at all, considering it had sat around for some time, but none the less, you go this far, well, in for a penny right? So Federal pulled it apart and inspected, cleaned and polished everything. They got the valves dialed in, bored the pistons, and replaced the piston rings.

“Well worth it, considering it’s got even more compression than an industrial trash compactor!”

Salvageable parts were sanded and polished in-house, with replacement items sourced through local guru John Oland. “This build would not have been possible without John’s willingness to share his knowledge of vintage motorcycles. The guy is a legend,” says Brandt..

Small bullet style turn signals were chosen and kept as minimal as possible, anything with switches, as old Brit handlebar controls were big and bulky, so they chose to go with another route and drill and fit small Micro switches and this is so tidy and looks a Million dollars. With a reworked wire harness, and a 5-3/4 Bates style headlight that was fitted as low as possible, gave this 2 wheeler a real classic stance.

Using a small anti-Gravity 4 cell battery, kept the bike away from any Bulky items and was placed neatly under the seat unit,and helping the steering, a super Low set of A10-A65 bars were placed on top of the yokes.

Another neat touch was the grips, as they were purchased from Tommaselli in Italy and used the Natural Gum series , a good choice.

Federal wanted to keep some of the original parts on the bike and the rear Hub was left stock, refurbished and painted but up front was a slightly different story-

They figured out a Tokico two-piston assembly and a Katana 750 rotor—machining a new mounting bracket for the forks.

And now this Norton will do like many do not, and thats stop, real quick!!!!

I personally like the 2 Tone leather application to the seat pan, that really does give this creation a touch of Elegance and form, and I take my hat off to that, although the rear mudguard is short.

It will stop the road grim from sending a line up your back but it may build up behind the motor as there is no guard liner, but looks great none the less.

The Gas tank was painted an off White and the famous Gold logo was added to give the bike its Original Brand back once more.

A super fun machine that if you secretly asked the old boy restorer’s,if they would dearly like to ride this around their town? I am certain.

They would be nodding their heads in excitement as it looks like a fun machine that Mr Norton should of had a go at manufacturing and with that I leave you for today and hope that this December day this Blog gave you a little bit of Summer and inspired you to get in the garage and have a go on your Motorcycle.

Blogs take me quite some time but I am sure that some of these will get some of you out there, all fired up to create a unique creation that you can be proud of and show people that this is what turns your dial too.
Thanks again for reading my Blogs at Carpy’s Cafe Racers and, if I can help with parts to full builds, just let me know OK.
Safe riding.
Peace & Grease
Carpy
714-598-8392

New Bonneville Bobber Launch Thursday 26th

Posted on January 24, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

24 Jan

The latest addition to the Bonneville family, Triumph introduces the all-new premium custom Bonneville Bobber. Born in a unparalleled bloodline of Triumph Bobber customs that stretch all the way back to the 1940’s it perfectly encapsulates the minimalist styling principles, muscular stance and purposeful engineering attitude of a genuine Bobber.

Triumph-Bonneville-Bobber-2017-PRIN-440x264

Our 59 Club Orange County section has been personally invited to attend this event for viewing the New Bonneville Bobber, it is this Thursday and should be an entertaining event for all and I am looking forward to the enveiling, as the LA show we attending was a fun evening, but this time its on our front door, so not a long ride.

triumph bobber

Hoping to see some of you there and of course we shall be leaving my shop 3305 E. Miraloma Ave. Anaheim Ca 92806 and kick stands will be up at 6:30pm. You can call or text me on: 714-598-8392 for any more information, this will be a great event.

It’s with every ounce of passion and excitement that we invite you to this exclusive Triumph Motorcycles event. We’re packing up our most authentic, cool, distinctive, and premium bikes and throwing a party in your area for you all to experience their raw energy in person. Please use the following link as your code to reserve a spot for the coolest party of the year. See you soon!

Media — Triumph _ Brutal Beauty Tour

triumph bobber 2

Anaheim, CA

Thursday, January 26, 2017
7:00pm 10:00pm

City National Grove of Anaheim 2200 East Katella Avenue Anaheim, CA, 92806

See you at my shop or the show in Anaheim This Thursday 26th.

TON-UP GARAGE TRIUMPH HOT ROD

Posted on January 19, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

19 Jan

Ton-Up Garage is a Portuguese garage that has produced some of the most aesthetically well-designed customs you’ll find anywhere. Proprietors Daniel and Pedro are a friendly pair with a taste for adventure, and a deep love of classic Californian Hot Rod culture.

This Triumph was built by the pair as a hat tip to the cars and motorcycles that cruised Venice Beach in the ’50s and ’60s – right down to the Firestone Champion Deluxe tires. The build started as a stock Bonneville – the earlier carburetor version that pre-dates the more modern EFI-equipped bike. Custom bike builders often prefer the carburetor model because tuning is simpler – and it lacks the large in-tank fuel pump that makes modifying or swapping out the fuel tank exceedingly difficult.

The build began with a partial tear down and the rear frame loop was cropped, the center section was then cleaned up by removing the battery and airbox, with the battery and electronics moving to a discrete under seat box.

A new fuel tank was built with a cut out section for the cam cover, and a new seat was fabricated in-house and finished with black leather upholstery. Front and rear fenders aren’t optional in Europe, so Ton-Up fabricated a pair of aluminium units that fit the design well and don’t detract from the overall look.

A bespoke exhaust with bespoke mufflers was fitted, as well as matching white velocity stacks with carburetors re-jetted to match. A Motogadget Tiny speedo has been installed above the 5 3/4” headlight, and Motogadget M-Blaze indicators were fitted in keeping with the minimalist theme.

To improve handling, a pair of Öhlins shocks were bolted on to the rear, and the original fork springs were replaced with a matching set from Öhlins – an addition that makes a big difference to the way the Bonneville behaves.

The completed bike is a beautiful and slightly unusual Triumph custom, and Top-Up currently have it listed for sale on their website. If you’d like to see more of it or enquire after buying it you can click here to visit the official website. All sources and photos and credits go to. http://silodrome.com/ton-up-garage-triumph-custom/

It’s a killer looking machine in my eyes and I am sure will turn many heads out there in Portugal.

Here are a few more great photos via Silodrome.

The ‘Hot Tamale’ Otherwise known as the HTML

Posted on June 7, 2016January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

07 Jun

Well, this time we have come up with a fun concept for this machine, started off as quite a loud and obnoxious Orange color that would never get lost in a parking lot. This bike is actually a friend of mine and he has designed me the New website.

So-if you need a web design or anything web related drop him a line at: christian@riggscreative.com

A very cool guy that will walk you through what ever need you require and, at a very affordable and workable price too.

So I always need a wee bit of information on the bike etc and what the owner does before I get started, as that gives me some cool insight to what they do and then can try and think of a name or theme for that creation.

The color concept on here right now was right ut of the 70’s and had quite a lot of corrosion from being sat outside for many years.

Christian purchased the bike down near the border in San Diego, so I thought that a cool name for this machine would be Hot Tamale, seeing as it was close to Mexico, but also as a double barrel, I am going to have the initial of that and it will say HTML, but thats also the machine code for websites etc and a great tie in with the owner.

To make the right start, I stripped the bike down to the frame, bead blasted it until the metal was clean, filed the frame for any imperfections, then all the hard work began on this as the whole chassis then had all the welds covered and smoothed and then 6 layers of high fill primer that was sanded by hand to get a really smooth finish to allow for a few layers of Candy paint to be applied.

Hard to appreciate the time and effort that goes into the preperation of a show quality frame, but this had so many man hours into it.

As you can see, this is a long process and to be honest you haven’t seen much of the entire work that has gone into the frame alone, first the frame is bead blasted and cleaned, then the welds grinded and filled smooth, then hit with high Fill primer and hand sanded until a smooth finish is acquired, then it has to be sanded again and the base coat of Aztec Gold needs to be applied.

This machine undergoes so many procedures and work by hand, until you have tried this yourself, you will never inderstand the man hours alone just to get the frame completed as well as the tank, side covers and seat, as these have to all be painted at the same time as you cannot for the life of you, match candy paint.

So, now all the parts that I want Candy have now been spainted and sanded and ready for the Color, and the color is Hot Tamale Candy, which I wanted to match the Red from the real Candy you used to buy as a kid and still available today. To get the Candy color of the kids sweets, I used an Aztec Gold base to set the base.

So now its time to get some paint to try and emulate the kids Candy from the local store.

It was fun trying to match it but we managed to get it bang on to be honest.

I am So glad that trying different colors finally worked out to the shade of Candy red we wanted and had to count all the coats of candy Red to make sure that it matches the rest of the parts, else it would all look different shades, Candy is one of the hardest to paint.

I think I did pretty good and as I said, this is a double barrel name so it works really well, a hot color that will really pop under the sun.

Now the work begins on this machine and I have to be so careful not to scratch any of the paint work as you simply cannot match this color by touch up.

I am being as careful as I can, but still needed a soft hammer to tap the swing arm into lace and then push through the spindle, and- this is all on my own today so really have to be careful.

I rebuilt the front end and made sure that I chromed the lower tree, and then polished the upper to look as good as a chrome finish, then simply added the races and new grease and bearings.

Front forks I machined and magnafluxed, and New tubes, as well as new seals and hardware, makes this stand out from the crowd, i am just going to add old rims as I am going to be polishing the hubs and painting Candy red in the centers.

Next up is My Hand made Battery Box that’s made from 6061 Aluminum and we use brass Rivets to give that Aircraft quality, nobody was making anything for the SOHC bikes and I needed some cool parts for my own machine and set about designing some neat styling to add to your inline four and from there on I continued to make more parts.

This fits in the original area that the stock battery did, but you must admit, this looks way cooler? I have always liked the Hot Rod styling and think that this design of mine pulls that look off big time and is a very functional lightweight piece for the bike.

So much to do, in so little time, but rebuilding is always fun when everything goes to plan. I was also fed up with dim headlights and not a huge fan of turn signals and wanted to clean the front end up, i started to fit these to bikes years ago and now it has become quite popular but I fitted my 32 LED Light and the internal signals are bright and very very cool.

So easy to wire up, they look clear, but when the turn signal is used they glow bright Orange.

Now onto to some cool stuff, as I thought long and hard about this creation and she sure is going to be bright and attention getting.

I then used brand New Genuine Honda rims and after the hubs were stripped, polished, painted and New bearings fitted, re-laced to the rims and finally, throwing on some vintage style Firestone tires to have that old School Custom Look.

I drilled more holes in the front Rotor than BP has done in the Louisiana state, then polished the center.

Just have a look at how much work this takes, I stripped the forks and then machined the fins into the lowers, then I magnafluxed them to check out of there was any hairline cracks, once that was established I polished them and fitted the dampeners and then brand New fork tubes and seals, as well as fitting New Black Factory gators and New chrome fork ear clips, to really make this stand out from the rest.

To match the front Brake Rotor, I did my usual and drilled the rear brake hub, then polished it to a chrome like finish, fitted new brake shoes, actuator and springs and this looks killer.

This makes all the difference when painting the center of the hub and making final touches to the rest, this is one sweet rear wheel.

With New Bearings, and I also powder coated the rear sprocket to match the tire, gives it some contrast, I even chromed the safety ring to give it a little more Bling.

Of course, I stripped the original rear swing arm and then chromed it, fitted New Bushings and plopped this all together on my own on a Saturday afternoon.

OK, this time I fitted brand New piggy Back Shocks, new Honda hardware and our 2 inches extended Alloy Shock lowers, gives this bike the right stance.

Oh yes, one of our finned rear spacers was a must on this creation.

I like the way that this bike is taking shape and the Customer is letting me run with this, so I can use my own creativeness.

How can you not like this? It really is a warm and Custom color that will really stand out where ever the bike is parked up.

Christians machine will get a lot of detail and a mixture of Aztec Candy Gold and the Candy Tomale Red to show this unique machine off.

As you can see, the Motor is in and she really is a head turner, I am going to do many cool little attention details you may not even notice at first but the owner is super stoked and thats the main thing for me. I am wiring the bike with all New wiring and New OEM controls.

As you can see, Aztec Gold and Candy hot Tamale red is a great Combination, the 750 digits are hand painted there are no decals here on the bike at all.

So, with the Side covers fitted, I also Chromed the oil tank and then machined some Dipstick caps to embellish the top of the tank and go with the flow of other finned alloy parts that are through out this machine.

.Other things you may notice on this ride is I have started to fit the mounts for the Rear sets as these will set the pace of the bike and Instead of the stock Anodized black versions you see, I stripped that all off and polished the body to a chrome finish and really sets that off.

Below , this is how cool the turn signals are that are inside the headlight.

**What do you think? very crisp, sharp and modern, with a touch of yeaster year thrown in too.**

**Been seen and be safe, that’s the name of the game these days and you will be seen with these 32 LED’s when they flash for sure, looks tasty eh?**

**The rear Brake hub got all the attention as this will air the rear brake and help cool it too, but has the old school look of the racing days too.**

**The Front sprocket cover got the same effect to make the design flow, polished Alloy looks so classic.**

**I drilled the front Rotor and machined a smooth face, you try drilling and countersinking on an old drill press, takes some time but worth it in the long run.**

As you can see, I have used brand New rims and then used New Polished stainless steel spokes to give this bike a Classic era look, I also polished the hubs but painted the centers to match the frame paint just to add some more detail to the machine, and a OEM front fender hugs against the bigger Firestone tires.

I stripped old forks apart, machined the lowers and then magnafluxed to check for any porosity or fractures, but all good, then polished and rebuilt with new fork tubes and oem Chrome Caps and fork gators.

The Carbs were stripped, dipped, powder coated and rebuilt, also used new OEM intake manifolds with stainless rolled edged hose clamps and dressed with machine turned velocity stacks that set off the gold of the paint.

**Original Race Crafters finned Points cover was addd and my own machned engine covers were attached to give that Hot Roddy styling to the Motor.**

**Sticking with all the speed Equipment, I machined an oil tank Cap and that really does set the bike off as many miss that part on a build.**

**The rear shock reservoir got the same treatment to make all the lines flow on the bike and I loved the outcome.**

**The kick starter is only for looks as we have Rear sets and an electric starter, but wanted to leave the kick starter on the bike do drilled and chromed it to make an accent.**

So many details, where do I start? But as you can see, I have polished the upper triple tree, I also made handlebar extensions to lift the bars up 2 inches, New handlebar controls, Custom Flake grips added, as well as New throttle Cables, levers and the master cylinder I stripped the anodizing off and polished to a chrome finish. rechromed original fork ears and added my Custom badges to the sides.

**These are the Original gauges but rebuilt them and look so much better now, I also added a Display bracket for the bike and will add a watch or compass to go in the top of the bracket.**

**There is so much I have done to this machine but you can see from the photos that this is very detailed and hope that you like it.**

I also drilled the starter cover and fitted Gold Mesh underneath to give the bike a little more style and the exhausts are a one off and hand made section by section, a long and laborious job but boy did it turn out nice in the end.

**A very unique style that I was gunning for, as i wanted a similar shape to the old MV Augusta motorcycles of the day and they sound awesome too.**

This bike is tall as the owner is over 6 feet in height but sure has come out great, I used my Rocket four seat base and upholstered it with original Metal-flake Aztec Gold material and then added my oval LED stop-running light that sets the rear end off.

The HTML or Hot Tamale as many know it comes as a double barreled name as the Owner of this machine is a Web Site developer who helped me design my New site and does an awesome job of building sites and helping in computer program coding and HTML is of course the coding, so thought it apt I added the lettering, it is hand painted no decals anywhere on the paint at all.

As I said, she sits well, no blocks of wood for the side stand to sit on as MY side stands are made here and they dont need any assistance like so many buids you see out there, she stands on her own, high and proud,

A great machine that looks very stylish and the owner loves the bike as we were in communication all the time with it and I am pleased to see it completed as it was a long journey but worth it in the end.

This Motorcycle looks great and from any angle too, I am happy with the outcome and with Christians input, we managed to knock this build right out of the park for a well earned and deserved Home Run!

Here she is on the San Diego side of the road, taking in some fresh Grey air as even the Gods were trying to Thunder clap their applause at the creation of this motorcycle that took a long time to get done right and to how we both felt happy with.

Here she is sat on one of my Side stand, no blocks of wood or bits of metal to have it sit against, she sits loud and proud and a wicked machine.

With a Blue sky above, the HTML really does stand out amongst the crowd, this was a long journey but the end was such a great uplift.

Even at night she will turn more heads than a Dewalt cordless screwdriver.

.Even stands out in a stable of thoroughbreds, a fun bike to ride and look at and hope it gives miles of smiles.

Keep you eyes open for this Motorcycle if you are in the San Diego area and make sure you say hello to Christian the owner, as he will be more than willing to talk about the bike and how it became to be.

These sweeping pipes are a sectional custom set that I do not want to reproduce, so many hours but so worth the look at the end of the build.

Thank you for looking at this magnificent machine, it is always nice to think out of the box and as Sir Winstone Chruchill once said.

“Onward and Upwards” To the next build. Its been a long build but the outcome made it all worth while.

Cherry’s Company – BMW R nineT Highway Fighter

Posted on April 29, 2015January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

29 Apr

I must admit, this bike really does stop you in your tracks when you see it, I am amazed at the sheer brilliance of architecturally sculptured pieces work so well on the motorcycle.

Just look at the whole set up, it is such a stealthy machine and god enough for even a movie prop, and i would definatly sling my leg over this steed and see what it can do.

Just begging to have its neck rung out on a freeway and I love everything about this machine from Color to Contour.

I am at a loss for words right now and thats a rare thing in itself.

It is not until you look closely at the detail and of course the fit of the parts that makes you grin from ear to ear.

I love the seat, I have made some with tail lights like this but this is sure a thing of beauty!

For six months, four of Japan’s top custom workshops have been tearing down and rebuilding BMW’s R nineT roadster.

Shiro Nakajima vs Brat Style vs Hidemo vs Cherry’s Company.

You can check out all 4 of the final designs on BikeEXIF. They’re all lovely, but Cherry’s Company’s bike takes the cake. OMFG it’s off the tap! We love it!

A man with a Mission and he accomplishes it!

: Kaichiroh Kurosu

He is a motorcycle custom builder, who has dealt with Harley Davidsons for over 20 years

With his thorough and exhaustive knowledge of the mechanics behind motorcycles,

as well as his exceptional skills that he has cultivated from his experiences, he has produced exceptional works.

His strict and absolute attitude towards making motorcycles accepts no compromise and has been perceived with the highest regards in his field.

In recent years, his range of works has grown significantly, and includes domestic brands as well as foreign brands such as BMW.

I think this is something me and Dakota may be able to build in a slightly more Affordable build but this is just great to keep looking at.

Its tough yet elegant and a real work of art, so many hours of fitting to get the aesthetics bang on!

I love thew fairing, it maye be vacuumed but I would like to see it in metal on another ride. Still kicks arse!

Modern set up is so key these days, I am now getting into a few GPS set up gauges and they look vintage too.

Love that megaphone jutting out like a shot gun, just killer details.

So much to look at so I will not waffle on and just let you enjoy these shots.

I would love to rip this on that Runway as I am sure its fast and wonder how she handles?

The names will be familiar to most readers—Shiro Nakajima, Brat Style, Hidemo and Cherry’s Company—but until now, the R nineT Custom Project bikes have been hidden behind closed doors.

The results are being revealed this very minute by BMW design chief Ola Stenegärd at the BMW Motorrad Days in Nagano, and we’ve got exclusive images of the builds right here.

It’s a masterclass in the art of customizing bikes, and proof that the Japanese builders are in a league of their own. The craftsmanship, styling and sheer creativity on show is remarkable.

My Cafe Bike the Rice Boiler up for sale!

Posted on August 1, 2014January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

01 Aug

Here is my good old Rice Boiler Motorcycle I created up for sale if anyone is interested in her?

I built this machine from the ground up and she is a really head turning machine and I am certain that you will like this set up.

Rebuilt engine and Carbs, as well as stainless Allen bolts all the way through this bike with many hours of labor.

Drilled and polished front brake and Original Henry Abe rims makes this a tasty treat.

Original Racecrafter early wide finned covers on this machine as I have owned these for many many years and wanted to use them on this bike.

Full Stainless steel 4 into 1 exhaust just like the old Yoshimura of the day, made from .049 and sounds awesome.

I rebuilt and drilled and polished the hub as well as new bearings in the rims, new brake rod, actuator and stabilizer too.

Great oil pressure in this motor and I like to add Mechanical Gauges to my machines to show real pressure, rather than Just a light.

We made the oil filler cap out of solid 6061 T6 Aluminum and then polished it.

I rebuilt the guage and it looks sharp with the gauge face, i was the First to do this back in 1990.

Racecrafters stator cover, a rare gem these days with wode fins.

I used rear sets and of course drilled and polished the sprocket cover.

New chain and sprockets as well as Chromed safety guide and a one off Steel Chainguard makes this machine stand out in the crowd.

Rebuilt forks and polished as well as rebuilt and polished brake caliper, and steel braided hoses.

New wire harness, New coils and a non maintenenace battery makes this a reliable bike.

Rare wide finned starter cover as well as rebuilt Carbs and cool Dragon air box.

Tarozzi rear sets really fit this creation well and a good riding position for sure.

There she is, sat outside our shop.

We made the Mirrors from con rods.

New levers, new cables and even New Master cylinder adorn the Rice Boiler.

She sits well on a Brand New side stand andhas a cool Boxed swing arm we made and drilled.

So many details, but a great bike, New Fender was over $350 alone and of course bridgestone tires front and back.

I did the gas tank design as well as the New seatbase of ours, the seat is upholstered in fine Leather and its comfortable.

Root Beer Flake grips sit on the Clubman bars and is a nice off set color to adorn the Candy Root Beer brown the bike is painted with.

New fork gators, clamps and of course Fork ears that are oem really stand out and have out badges too. Also we have Chrome turn signals that we use on many of our bikes and of course we sell all these parts on our webs page.

The head light is a cool item i took from a Desoto truck and that is a nice little touch and sits on the cjromed lower tree nicely.

An Original 1974 License plate surround really says it all to be honest.

Custom shocks hold the arse end up and a 40 LED rear tail light lets people know what you are doing too.

New OEM chrome horn tells people to get out of the way, gas tank has been hammered, smoothed and a stainless steel monza cap of ours fitted and then sealed before painting in many coats of Candy Root Beer Brown paint.

Sat outside our store and it is an eye catcher thats for certain, sitting on 19 inch front and 16 inch rear Henry Abes.

See, plenty of detail and I have a Clear title and in my name too.

I really enjoyed building this bike as it has so many features.

Lights on and all works fine and ready for someone to cherish now.

I even used a Big Block Ford con rod for the exhaust hanger.

Rebuilt engine and even drilled and chromed kickstarter.

So there she is, I will try and add a video a little later.

I actually have it up on Ebay right now too just cut and paste the link.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=251604339575&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

And you can find out more by contacting me below!!!!!!

714-598-8392 to ask about or email us at carpy@carpyscaferacers.com

Lotus motorcycle officially revealed

Posted on February 20, 2014January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

20 Feb

Lotus motorcycle officially revealed

By Andy Downes of Motorcycle News

20 February 2014 11:24

As exclusively revealed by MCN more than five weeks ago, Lotus has taken the covers off the new motorcycle it will produce as a road bike and go on sale within months.

MCN got hold of leaked images over a month ago and revealed the plans for a road-legal motorcycle were way ahead of where many expected. The German-owned company Kodewa which has a licence to run the Lotus name has now officially revealed the final styling of the bike and technical details for the first time.

We can see the engine is a 1195cc V-twin from KTM’s RC8R superbike with a claimed 200bhp and dry weight of 180kg.

Lotus Motorcycles states: “The C-01 combines ample power via a V-twin engine with a distinctive body designed by Daniel Simon integrating carbon fibre, titanium and aerospace quality steel.

“The C-01 motorcycle is not designed, engineered or produced by Group Lotus plc but is the result of a collaboration between motorsport veterans under the leadership of Kodewa, led by Dr Colin Kolles. The development on the C-01 was carried out with the support of Holzer Group (co-owners of Kalex) and design guru Daniel Simon.

“Drawing on their wealth of motorsport experience, the team of engineers has designed a unique high performance superbike.

“The C-01 will be available in a range of liveries some of which pay homage to Lotus’ sporting pedigree. A customisation service is also available, limited only by the imagination of the client. With an exclusive production run of just 100 units, superbike collectors and fans of the Lotus brand will need to move fast to secure one.”

A man with a Mission and he accomplishes it!

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