Friday 27th January, 2012
The Yamaha XT600 is one of those iconic enduro bikes that refuses to die—in more ways than one. The virtually bulletproof 595cc single was first released in 1983 and was the first “Ténéré” model, capitalizing on Yamaha’s profile in desert rallies. The early XT600s are still highly sought after, but you won’t find many as desirable as this one. “Dirt Rad” is the latest build from Radical Ducati, and a major departure for the Madrid-based workshop. The “Ducati” part has wisely been dropped from the Radical logo, but this is no second-rate bike: it’s as heavily reworked and thoughtfully upgraded as RD’s sportbikes. Read More »
Wednesday 25th January, 2012
Arturo Magni is best known for his racing exploits with MV Agusta. While managing MV’s racing department, the team won a remarkable 75 world championships and over 3,000 races in several classes. After MV retired from racing in the late 70s, Magni and his sons set up a factory to build ‘specials’, and in the mid 80s, they sourced engines from Moto Guzzi. Two of the most popular models were the “Classico 1000” and “Arturo 1000”, and it’s an Arturo 1000 that we see here. This machine has been restored and upgraded by the Japanese workshop Ritmo Sereno; it’s a 1989 model, with modified bodywork and a meticulous mechanical restoration. The images on Ritmo Sereno’s website tell the story better than we can, so head over here for a full chronicle of the build. Read More »
Monday 23rd January, 2012
One of the most exciting limited production bikes is the Zaeta 530 DT from Italy. So far, it’s been confined to the dirt track—but it will soon be available in road-legal scrambler and café racer configurations. Powered by a DOHC single built by TM, the Zaeta is nimble and fast, weighing around 115kg (250lbs).
These images show the latest incarnation of the bike. It has a new aluminum frame—three kilos lighter than the previous tube design—and improved rear suspension geometry. Read More »
Sunday 22nd January, 2012
Caleb Owens of Cro Customs is known for building “functional” motorcycles, designed to be ridden long and hard. But a couple of years ago he attracted a huge amount of attention with the amazing BS1, a boardtracker-influenced Harley Sportster with 23-inch wheels. Owens has now built a second “show quality” bike, a beautifully detailed 1956 Harley panhead. “I’ve never been much for the ‘show’ thing,” Owens says. “The idea of sitting all day looking at my bike makes me anxious. Make no mistake, this is no different than any other bike I’ve built—it will be ridden.” Read More »
Friday 20th January, 2012
If Ducati has NCR, Moto Guzzi has Ghezzi Brian. Based in the lakes region of northern Italy, the company builds small runs of Guzzi-based sport bikes and created the MGS-01 superbike for the Mandello factory. (The odd name, in case you’re wondering, refers to the founders Giuseppe Ghezzi and Bruno “Brian” Saturno.)
The Ghezzi Brian Super Twin 1100 was designed to give road riders a taste of race bike dynamics. In the 1996 Italian Supertwins Championship, Giuseppe Ghezzi’s Super Twin prototype won nine of the 32 races it entered. So four years later, Ghezzi & Brian was set up to produce a short run of replicas. Read More »
Wednesday 18th January, 2012
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?” Read More »
Monday 16th January, 2012
By David Edwards — All you need to know about Nick Roskelley’s budget-built café-racer can be found hanging below the right side of the fuel tank. That’s where you’ll see a shiny aluminum bicycle tire pump. Like most of the components on this bike, it was not store-bought. In fact, “It was bent like a banana and thrown in a dumpster,” says the 54-year-old retired commercial diver. But the price was right—so home it went to Paignton, a small seaside town on England’s south coast. After numerous meetings with a rubber hammer and the polishing wheel, it now looks good as new. Read More »
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