The best custom motorcycles have a coherent look—a visual balance and flow that literally stops the traffic. And the modifications should perform on the road as well as in front of the camera. So this bike, a mix of Suzuki, Honda and Kawasaki parts from different eras, shouldn’t work. But strangely, it does—and very well too.
The core of this custom is a 1975 Suzuki GT550. It was created by MotoHangar, a Virginia-based workshop run by Pat Jones. Pat wanted to combine the old with the new, with particular attention to the suspension. “The bike handles like a modern sportbike, but with the charm of a vintage two-stroke,” Pat reports. “I wanted a more ‘road worthy’ two-stroke.”
Suzuki GT550 custom Honduki
Suzuki GT550 custom Honduki
MotoHangar completed the mods entirely in-house, including the paint and graphics. They gave the GT550 a custom subframe, and fitted the tail section from a Kawasaki GPZ. The air-cooled triple is bored .50 over, and has been boosted further with modified Kawasaki H1 expansion chambers. The seat is crafted from elk leather, and sits in a fiberglass seat pan. A Honda headlight sits up front, and the rear suspension is from a Kawasaki ZX-6R. The swingarm is a Suzuki SV650 item, and at the other end are GSX-R forks. It all helps to reduce weight, along with the GSX-R wheels.
Suzuki GT550 custom Honduki
The instrumentation is a little more down to earth, with just a tachometer and voltmeter providing information. And the oil reservoir, adding a twist of humor, is a German “Pilot’s Beer” aluminum beer bottle.
This GT550 is one of the most ambitious customs we’ve seen recently, but somehow, Pat Jones has made it work. And I bet it’s a blast to ride, too.
It’s not easy to make a Honda CB750 custom stand out these days. Even if it’s a big money bike. But this budget build by Canadian Mike Salek caught my eye. Salek began riding bikes at the age of 10, and was starting to feel jaded. “After several years of riding canyon roads and doing track days, I decided I wasn’t going to buy a new mass-produced bike every two years. I started buying bikes that were ‘different’, and a CB750 was always on that list.”
After working his way through a Ducati 999R, a Honda RC51 and a Ducati Monster 1000s i.e., Mike decided he was ready for a vintage classic. “I always loved the Japanese ‘Brat style’ and the things the Wrenchmonkees were doing,” he says. “While digging through Bike EXIF a couple of years ago, I read about a guy who built a bobber on a very tight budget and with very little experience. Nothing fancy or polished, just a raw, cool, badass bike. So I figured, why can’t I do that?”
Honda CB750 custom
Honda CB750 custom
It took Mike two years to find a decent CB750, locating this 1975 model at a wreckers. The bike had been sitting in a barn for the last 12 years, but it ran great—despite most components being rusted out. “The day I got it home I started taking the Honda CB750 custom apart and ordering parts. It was done on a strict budget of $3,000, including the bike. Which was a challenge, but I wanted to see if it was possible to build something cool on a minimal budget.”
Honda CB750 custom
Mike wanted theHonda CB750 custom to have the proper stance and patina, and sacrificed everything for those two aspects. So he lowered his CB750 about three inches, and sat it on 4.00” x 19” (front) and 4.50” x 18” (rear) Firestones. The 4” headlight, wheels, triples and shocks were all sprayed or powdercoated black. Then Mike fitted a gold chain, a CRG bar end mirror, and cut the OEM pipes short.
He fabricated a new seat pan and seat, and custom-made the rear frame section to suit. But the paint and side covers are ‘as found’, with a simple polish to show off the original patina. “This Honda CB750 custom has been more fun to ride then any other bike I have owned,” says Mike. “Just looking at it makes me smile.”
From time to time I really like to feature something just a little unusualunpredicted which rather unusual custom motorcycle by Garage 65 most certainly will do the job.
Named the Kcosmodrive by Garage 65 it required the group at Garage 65 7-several weeks to accomplish, mindthe very best designer Marco Cinquini designed a range of very unique styling choices, most likely probably the most interesting for me personally was the hub-steering and suspension setup for the front-endfront-finish.
The Kcosmodrive by Garage 65 specifications are fairly standard unless of course you start speaking aboutmentioning to the frame and forward section, Garage 65 fitted a TP124 V-twin, a Baker 5-speed gearbox, mix-drilled Brembo brakes to the front and back together with a 4 gallon gas tankvehicle’s gas tank.
The hub-steering was produced in-house as was the unorthodox suspension, sadly I’ve been battling to obtain my mitts on any more particulars about both of these unusual elements of design, the only real solid fact I had been in a position to verify would be that the bike includes a turning circle measured not in ft or yards however in miles.
Individuals tyres were contributed by MotoGP Champion Max Biaggi, he’s largean enormous fan from the Italian garage and also the Talkabout GP-19 rubber certainly looks the part, although I doubt they’ll receive an excessive amount of a beating being suited to a bicycle that’ll likely not be ridden in anger.
Like it or hate the Kcosmodrive by Garage 65, it’s unique build that at least stop and then make people re-evaluate their notions of the items a motorbike should really appear like. possiblyAnd perhaps for your reasonbecause of this alone, I love it.
Factory customs don’t get any more ‘factory’ than this. Say hello to Morsus, a unique custom machine built for aftermarket exhaust giant Akrapovic. They commissioned specialists Dreamachine Motorcycles of Slovenia to build a bike to promote Akrapovics new range of custom exhausts.
Morsus is the result. And what a result. It went from drawing to finished article in just two-and-a-half months and went on to win major European custom show championships culminating with an entry to the AMD World Championship of custom bike building. In the Freestyle class, where anything goes, Morsus was placed 11th out of 43 of the best customs in the world. The winning bike from Japan took over three years to build and had an unlimited budget.
So far, only the men behind Morsus have ridden it – such is its value. Both Dreamachine and Akrapovic say Morsus is priceless. MCN, then, is the first – and probably the last – publication to get a ride…
The name means sting
Morsus is Latin for ‘sting’ or ‘bite’, which is very apt considering Akrapovic’s logo is a scorpion, but the imagery doesn’t end there. The clip-on style handlebars to the mirrors are intended to mimic a scorpions arms and claws. The curvature of the middle section is the arachnid’s body, while the sweeping upright seat cum tail section firms the poisonous tail sting. In all it’s a brilliant translation of idea to finished product.
Of course, that brings a few problems riding it. I eye it with a combination of admiration and caution as it looks to have a sting in the tail. The seat is carbon fibre with nothing more than grippy strips of material to cushion my backside. And it gets worse because Morsus is a rigid framed ‘hardtail’ with no rear suspension whatsoever. Where’s the nearest proctologist?
Gingerly I squat on the seat taking care to ensure jacket zip or anything else doesn’t scratch expensive carbon fibre or carefully applied titanium lookalike paint. Then, to my surprise, the seat gives a little.
Underneath the saddle, bolted between frame and seat, is a small Fox air shock. The whole seat unit reaches forward either side of the frame’s upper spine to a pivot point close to the headstock. This pivoting motion is damped by the shock. It’s simple but very effective. Meanwhile, the reach to the bars is a stretch and accentuated by low footpegs positioned somewhere near the rear wheel spindle. It’s time for Morsus’ enormous 26-inch wheels to move.
Designer Tomaz Capuder explains where the hidden starter button is located while at the same time turning the ignition key on. I thumb the button and twist the throttle to wake the single S&S Shorty carb that splits to feed the two big cylinders.
A million atomised fuel droplets explode
Krakatoa’s 1883 eruption surely had nothing on this. The noise of a million atomised and compressed fuel droplets explode as one to overpower me. Ye gods, it’s loud. Akrapovic has a reputation for legal yet power-producing exhausts, but there’s definitely no silencing material at any point in the Morsus’ two swooping, hand-made titanium pipes. There’s a butterfly valve inline somewhere but its effect of straining out thunder is minimal.
At running pace the palm of my hands are hurting with all the body weight heaped on them. Better to go faster and get some supportive air under my chest.
The 1852cc air-cooled twin is claimed to give up to 140bhp with a shedload of torque. In reality, it’s more like a warehouse full. The thin and tall 120/50-26-inch Vee Rubber rear tyre skips on the cold Tarmac before digging in and Morsus punts forward with the thrust and noise of Concorde at take-off.
I toe up another gear and all is well. With the throttle barely opened Morsus is simply ticking along in third gear. Hook fourth and the exhaust note is now barely a burble. Small throttle movements have no effect, whereas a quarter-inch turn in either direction gets it leaping forward or instantly slowing due to the immense engine braking.
Morsus has no instruments to clutter the beautiful the beautiful, flush-finished top yoke or block the view of the spinning front tyre. I guess we’re doing 70mph around Akraprovic’s test track and it’s natural to short shift through the remaining gears.There’s no need to rev the engine and stress it. Just make sure use of that kick-hard torque. Capuder’s words of caution flash back into my head as a corner approaches: “Morsus is a show bike; it is not a sports bike but ride with feel for what is natural.” I take ‘natural’ to mean ‘Don’t f*** up’.
I soon realise that 26-inch wheels have a lot more gyroscopic rotational force than anything I’ve encountered before. Basically, this means the Morsus wants to go straight on. It’s a battle to steer the bike through even a simple curve and a great deal of counter-steering is needed to keep the bars turned. It its wheels were made if anything heavier than ultra-trick, lightweight carbon-fibre/sheet ally, I’d have ended up with Popeye’s arms or a huge repair bill.
As a result, slow entry speed is everything with exaggerated upper body lean at mid-corner and a fistful of throttle on the way out, complete with a huge smile. Morsus is also one of those bikes where you can forgo comfort because of what it is. It’s a showpiece; a headturner; a rolling example of creative design and art.
Is it a Confederate Wraith? Is it a Guzzi? It is a Renard! Well this Confederate looks styling, Guzzi engine styling motorcycle is a new custom made high end motorcycle. Only that the components used in the motorcycle seems to be even more exotic than similar custom maker motorcycle brands.
Renard believes a motorcycle should be more than just transportation. Our aim is to combine functionality, quality and stylish looks, and put them at your disposal. Essentially: we want to share our passion for motorcycles with you. Andres Uibomäe June 2010
This is what you will first see/ read when you visit the Renard website. I am not very sure if you can spot them even in Estonia (that is where they get made, we will come to that later), so for the time being let us just enjoy it on the virtual world. So, under no circumstance can anyone mistake this motorcycle as just a mode of transportation. But Mr. Andres, you aim to combine functionality, quality and stylish looks was achieved rather pretty easily. One must say you have accumulated a team of very talented people. To start off, let us bow to the Renard Motorcycles development team of Andres Uibomäe, Kaarel Kivikangur, Kaido Karjus, Mait Mahlapuu, Karl-Eerik Unt and Siim West. What a product!This particular model is promoted as a GT (Grand Tourer) model. Without pictures of a rider on it, I am not too sure about that since the Confederate doesn’t kind of give you the best image of a GT, nonetheless, it just might be if Renard is promoting it in a particular way, the Renard Grand Tourer 2010. It gives the impression and is actually a power cruiser, but Renard refers to it as a sports power cruiser, ‘a symbol of individuality and power, with best-in-class handling and built in quality’. As much as I try to ignore, I just cannot deviate my thoughts as how strikingly similar this GT model is to the Wraith. I guess at first strike, most of us will feel the same way. Then after noticing the engine, I thought this must be a custom made Guzzi. Well, part of that is true. All of these thoughts slowly stared going away and you will really start to really appreciate the bike once you look at the components and materials used in the bike. Take a look at the small images below showing the clutch holster, tail light and other things. I am telling you it really has an exotic feel. Okay, we can come back to appreciating the beauty later, let’s see what goes inside the motor. ‘The DNA of the Renard Grand Tourer is engineering intelligence – an ultra-light composite unibody, longitudinally mounted V2 engine and components that represent the cutting edge of the motorcycle industry.’ As I tried to find out what kind of engineering intelligence has gone inside it, I found that the GT monocoque is made in carbon fiber and reinforced with Kevlar. For those few uninformed, monocoque differs from a frame or chassis as in a monocoque the external skin is utilized to support bulk of the weight unlike an internal frame or chassis that needs further cosmetic finish. This way not only is the bike lighter, but is gets cheaper and much tougher. It is a win-win situation and this is where the next stage of motorcycling is heading to. And now what is Kevlar? Kevlar is a material that is formed by weaving, like a spider web and so it is extremely tough, but very light. It is so diverse in its use that is can be and is used for bullet proof vests to bicycle frames to tyres and also to get protection from even tornados! yes it is that diverse. Nonetheless it is a premium product. It doesn’t rust, difficult to corrode and almost insensitive to heat. FYI, it was created by Stephanie Kwolek and Herbert Blades. Point I am trying to make is that as mentioned, Renard has used high quality materials for this niche product. The monocoque weighs only 11 kilograms integrating the motorcycle’s frame, petrol tank and air box into a single load-bearing structure. The GT’s grid suspension is adjustable in two directions, and… okay, okay, it does remind of the Wraith every time but just think imitation is the best form of flattery. But again it is just not the girder fork, event the seat and frame beneath it reminds me of the Wraith. Anyway… the girder fork is adjustable for rake and trail as well as the preload and rebound damping. Renard has used hardened-aluminum (aircraft aluminum) components that will give the machine unmatched quality and reliability. The bike weighs just 190 kilograms. Okay, now getting back to what’s inside the heart. That engine is unmistakably a Guzzi and yes, it is a Guzzi. I guess that is where the tourer part comes in. The engine is a air cooled V-Twin displacing 1151cc through its eight-valve belting out 125 hp of power @ 8000 rpm and and 120 Nm of torque @ 6000 rpm which will give you an idea that with that much weight, this bike will be pretty fast. And so it is a Sports Grand Tourer! As per the claims in the website, the bike has the potential of doing 230kmph. I won’t be surprised but that does seem to be an optimistic figure. Nonetheless, the Guzzi engine is a potent one, has got good torque at low revs and of course as a traditional Guzzi, you can expect a silky smooth acceleration. A little history on Renard says that Renard started out as a motorized bicycle company in 1938 in Estonia founded by one Mr. J. Laan. In French, renard means ‘Fox’ and likewise in the motorized bicycles, there was the logo of renard with a fox head. The company started out with a 98cc Sachs engine. During WWII, the Renard factory was destroyed and after the war, the company just ceased to make any impact. It is believed that there are no complete pre-war Renard motorized bicycle existing today, but someone has caught hold of a frame somewhere in this world as mentioned in some forum. After more than half a century, a group of entrepreneurs from Estonia wanted to make Estonia’s first motorcycle of the new century. Joining hands with bike racing engineers and bike designers, they thought what better way than to give the name Renard, a true Estonian symbol. Two years in the making and this year in April, the “prototype” was displayed at the Hanover Technology Fair. The motorcycle will go for production next year, so it is very much round the corner. There will be just 100 Renard GT each year and with the things going inside, this bike will be expensive, no two things about that. The finishing is simply outstanding, the materials as reminded time and again are all high class. Again, do check the small pictures on full scale and you will be impressed. According to Andres, “This is a surgeon’s blade on two wheels, providing you with a complete and powerful riding experience.” No one is going to argue with that. One thing we will all be waiting for is its first test ride, nonetheless, one can expect a bike to perform very strongly yet smoothly with precise handling.Specifications Engine: 1151cc, Air Cooled, Eight Valve, V2 90° Moto Guzzi Quattrovalvole Maximum power and torque: 125 hp (90kW) @ 8000 RPM & 120 Nm @ 6000 RPM Top speed: 230 km/h Chassis: Carbon fiber/Kevlar monocoque chassis Front & Rear suspension: 2 way & 3 way adjustable Öhlins Front & Rear brakes: Twin semifloating discs, 320 mm with 12.6″ six piston monoblock calipers & Single semifloating disc, 220 mm; 8.7″ four piston monoblock caliper. Front & Rear wheels: Carbon fiber 3.50 x 17″ & 5.50 x 17″ Front & Rear tires: 120/70 ZR17 & 190/55 ZR17 Dimensions: Lenght: 2100 mm; 83″/ Width: 840mm; 33″/ Height: 990 mm; 39″ Seat height & Minimum ground clearance: 850 mm; 33″ & 140 mm; 5.5″ Wheelbase: 1450 mm; 57″ Dry weight: 190kg (419 pounds) Fuel tank capacity: 18 liters (4.8 gallon)
Okay, we can come back to appreciating the beauty later, let’s see what goes inside the motor. ‘The DNA of the Renard Grand Tourer is engineering intelligence – an ultra-light composite unibody, longitudinally mounted V2 engine and components that represent the cutting edge of the motorcycle industry.’ As I tried to find out what kind of engineering intelligence has gone inside it, I found that the GT monocoque is made in carbon fiber and reinforced with Kevlar. For those few uninformed, monocoque differs from a frame or chassis as in a monocoque the external skin is utilized to support bulk of the weight unlike an internal frame or chassis that needs further cosmetic finish. This way not only is the bike lighter, but is gets cheaper and much tougher. It is a win-win situation and this is where the next stage of motorcycling is heading to.
A little history on Renard says that Renard started out as a motorized bicycle company in 1938 in Estonia founded by one Mr. J. Laan. In French, renard means ‘Fox’ and likewise in the motorized bicycles, there was the logo of renard with a fox head. The company started out with a 98cc Sachs engine. During WWII, the Renard factory was destroyed and after the war, the company just ceased to make any impact. It is believed that there are no complete pre-war Renard motorized bicycle existing today, but someone has caught hold of a frame somewhere in this world as mentioned in some forum.