A Bimota DB1 restomod with a 70s vibe, a BMW R80 built for the dunes of Dubai, and a limited edition Ural sidecar with a built-in drone. How’s that for eclectic?
BMW R80 dune basher by Dust Motorcycles Many customs live pampered lives: brought out at the weekend, and garaged when it rains. But this R80 is destined for a life in the dry heat of Dubai, blasting down dirt roads and over dunes.
It’s the work of the aptly named British shop, Dust Motorcycles, and it’s been heavily modified to cope with the fine, white sand of the Arabian desert. That means the airbox is now a pre-81 item—no pod filters here—and the forks have been upgraded to tougher Suzuki DR650 items.
Dust have converted the monolever to a twin shock setup with Öhlins suspenders, fitted an aluminum sump guard and high pipes, and welded tough off-road pegs onto the stock hangers. Freshly shod with Pirelli MT43 rubber and featuring a full suite of Motogadget electronics, this is a custom that’s more about the go than the show. [More]
Bimota DB1 restomod by Made In Italy Just over a year ago, reports surfaced that Bimota was closing its doors for the last time. But it appears that the oft-troubled boutique maker was merely shifting location a few hundred meters down the road.
We’re hoping that Bimota really is in good health, because the Rimini company has produced some stunning machines such 1973. One of our favorites is the DB1 built in the late 80s, which was the first Ducati-powered Bimota.
Customizing a DB1 sounds like heresy, but this delightful restomod was a bodged-up mess when it arrived in John Fallon’s workshop.
“I wanted to build a DB1 to the same high standards as Bimota would have,” says John. “but in a style they may have used if it was conceived in the 1970s rather than the ’80s.”
We reckon the finished article looks stunning in these shots by Chippy Wood (top) and Amy Shore (above). Return Of The Café Racers has the story.
Film: ‘The Salt Flats – Eleven Ninety Eight’ Does the world need another film about the Bonneville Salt Flats? This one is a little different, because the star is one of the best custom bike builders on the planet—Max Hazan.
The man behind the camera is Brit Josh Allen, who’s been working on the upcoming Oil In The Blood documentary feature film. He flew to the US to follow Max (above right) and his friend Gerald Harrison as they headed out to Utah with a Ducati 1198.
This isn’t one of those super-organized record attempts with teams of mechanics and a bike running on custom-blended race gas. It’s just Max and Gerry ‘having a crack at it’—and seeing the event from the perspective of newcomers, who also happen to know rather a lot about motorcycles.
Josh has kindly put together a trailer to give readers a sneak peek. To see the full movie, head over to his website after the film premieres on November 3.
Triumph Bonneville T120 by BAAK Motocyclette BAAK is one of our favorite French workshops. Their machines always have an effortless style and beautiful finish—so much so, we put their BMW R nineT into our 2019 wall calendar.
The BAAK crew also have a collective head for business, and sell a range of classy parts that allow you to gradually transform the look of your bike bit-by-bit. Occasionally a request comes along for a complete transformation, and that’s what happened here.
BAAK’s client Xavier wanted a multi-purpose version of the Bonneville T120, with tires that would work off road and well as on. BAAK gave his Bonnie a chic British look, mixing a deep green paint with brown leather.
There’s a classic speedometer inserted in the headlight, the fenders are neatly bobbed, the bars are wide and easy to manage, and the exhaust pipework is short and purposeful. It’s a bike full of neat touches and a strong custom look—but the kind of build that can be done relatively quickly. These guys know what they’re doing. [More]
Ural Air limited edition Ural sidecar motorcycles are like Land Rovers: they’ve rarely changed over the years, apart from trim levels and paint schemes and add-on equipment. In the past we’ve seen some inspired limited editions dreamt up by the US importers, and this latest one doesn’t disappoint.
The $17,999 ‘Ural Air’ has a compartment on the nose of the sidecar that opens with the push of a button to reveal a DJI Spark drone. The drone compartment is made by StrataSys, specialists in 3D printing, and was developed from scratch in just six weeks.
“What’s over the ridge? What’s just beyond your campsite? What obstacles lie ahead after a big storm?” the PR exhorts. “When the trail ends, or nightfall is looming, the rider or passenger becomes a pilot—sending out their eye in the sky to determine the best route or quickest escape.”
Just 40 units of the Ural Air will be built, and they’ll be in US dealerships next month. [More]
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