We’re kicking off with a pair of very different Hondas this week: a slick CX650 from Bulgaria, and a ferocious CB750 from Texas. Plus a GSX limited edition from Suzuki France, and a stunning Ducati 750 F1 Bol d’Or replica.
Honda CX650 by Tossa R Customs based on the Honda CX500 are two-a-penny, but we don’t see many using its CX650 big brother. That’s a shame, because the 673cc variant is a considerably sportier bike, with 25% more power and a much broader torque curve.
This elegant café racer from the Bulgarian workshop Tossa R amps up that sporting vibe, with upgraded suspension to match.
Shop boss Assen Zahariev deliberately avoided researching previous CX builds, preferring to start with a clean sheet. The major work includes a front end swap using Yamaha R6 forks, plus dual brake discs and floating calipers.
The exhaust system has been terminated just under the V-twin engine, lightening the visuals at the back. An airy subframe reveals the new rear monoshock, which sits just behind a pair of free-flowing air filters.
The new tail unit also introduces a clear line running from the back through the cylinder heads and header pipes, accentuating the hunched-forward stance. And to add visual balance, the rear wheel has been fitted with lightweight moon discs.
It’s a clever trick, and a very modern look for the CX650. If your appetite is whetted, contact Tossa R in Sofia for your own version—they are planning to build a series of these bikes. [Via]
Suzuki GSX-S950 R by AD Koncept The French arm of Suzuki has a track record of producing cool ‘specials.’ A few months ago, they released a kit for the GSX range to celebrate winning the Endurance World Championship. And at the recent French GP, they released a limited edition GSX-950.
We’re not sure what this bike is meant to commemorate, but it’s probably not Suzuki quitting the MotoGP championship at the end of this season.
There will be fifty ‘R’ examples of the GSX-S950 built, and the workshop behind the scheme is AD Koncept of Pons—a well-regarded carrosserier moto. AD Koncept have raided Suzuki’s parts bins and accessory catalogs, and made a few discreet further upgrades.
There’s an Akrapovič muffler, a new seat cowl, a radical headlight cluster, and new carbon fiber composite body panels. The whole shebang is finished off with a new black-and-gold paint job.
The cost for this work is entirely reasonable: a €1,550 ($1,670) premium over the price of the regular GSX-S950. We reckon these will be snapped up, and they’ll probably hold their value well in coming years. [Via]
Honda CB750 by Tyson Carver The classic Honda CB platform makes for some of the prettiest customs to be found, but let’s be honest—many of those bikes are all show and no go. This machine from Texan Tyson Carver is very different though, with a Bill Benton drag racing frame and a seriously hot-rodded motor.
Tyson builds the occasional custom in a workshop in his back yard, and this one was a commission from a fellow enthusiast. The client had seen the first bike Tyson built—another CB750, way back in 2013—and wanted a “classic approach with high end parts.”
Those parts are certainly high end. The genuine race frame now cradles an engine bored out to 915 cc and fed by Mikuni RS 34mm carbs. The internal upgrades were handled by the specialist Cycle X, and Tyson has fitted a free-flowing 4-into-1 exhaust system to make the most of the new-found power.
After modifying the frame to make engine access easier, Tyson grafted on the front end from a 2010 Suzuki GSX-R and a longer swingarm—taken from a CB550. (It’s hooked up to new Öhlins shocks.)
The tank remains original, albeit resprayed, and there’s an aftermarket seat and tail unit for an old-school café racer vibe. An ARD magneto housing is another vintage touch, but after finding that the innards were toast, Tyson swapped them out for a Dyna electronic ignition and new coils.
A more visible, modern edge comes from new clip-on bars, an LED headlight, and a concealed Motogadget mo.unit box for the electrics.
“I have ridden stock CB750s and this thing is a beast in comparison,” says Tyson. “The engine will straight up scare you—it revs like an F1 car!” What we wouldn’t give to see (and hear) this machine screaming down the quarter-mile. [Via]
Ducati 750 F1 Bol d’Or tribute We spotted this incredible endurance racer tribute a few days ago when it first popped up for sale. Not surprisingly, it’s sold already, with the price listed as $18,900.
The bike was built by South African Johann Keyser, who runs the Moto Motivo workshop in Raleigh, North Carolina. It started life as a 1993 Ducati 900 Supersport, which Johann upgraded with the engine and wheels from a 2005-spec 1000SS.
The tank was imported from Japan, and comes from a 1989 750 Sport. The seat unit, however, is an original Ducati 750 F1 seat. The beautifully integrated full fairing is a well-chosen aftermarket item, and the titanium exhaust was made by StradaFab.
Whoever bought this bike has got a great deal. It’s a superbly crafted build, without the lapses of taste you often see with replicas. And it’ll no doubt be enormous fun to ride.
We’re talking Panigale V2 money here, but even so, we’d struggle to choose between a new Ducati and this. [Via]
from Bike EXIF https://ift.tt/QOa6LNu
No comments:
Post a Comment