Some like their custom motorcycles classy and restrained, others like them loud and edgy. Whatever your preference, we’ve got you covered. A flamingo pink custom Ducati XDiavel leads the charge, followed by a Ducati 900SS built by an artist, a 700 cc two-stroke supermoto, and a beautiful Moto Guzzi V1000 G5 café racer.
Ducati XDiavel by Helmade x Vengine What do you get when you cross Ducati’s edgiest power cruiser with Miami Beach? You get ‘Project Flamänko’—a custom Ducati XDiavel from Helmade and Vengine. Slathered and pink, but nevertheless fast, it wouldn’t look out of place in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City or piloted by everybody’s favorite Mattel male.
Based in Frankfurt, Germany, Helmade has been pumping out custom motorsports and motorcycle helmets for quite some time. They recently teamed up with fellow German Adrian Majewski (A.K.A. Vengine), to create a custom Ducati XDiavel with a matching Bell helmet, to run at the eponymous Glemseck 101 drag racing event.
Taking inspiration from their racing heritage and the Bell Star XF GP (the first helmet that Bell made for Formula One), Helmad turned a brand new Bell Bullitt into a retro racing lid. The helmet’s shell is standard, but the visor is a custom-made carbon fiber piece. Finished in flamingo (or Barbie) pink with dark green graphics, it’s a real statement piece.
For the bike, Adrian picked up a Ducati XDiavel and went full Miami on it. A new LED headlight, resembling those found on modern enduro bikes, adorns the chunky front end by way of custom mounts. Custom clip-ons replace the factory handlebars, slung low for an extra racy position. CNC rear-set foot pegs replace the forward factory controls.
The rear subframe was unbolted and replaced with a custom unit from Motocrew. The cantilevered single-seat conversion and the custom taillight ‘fin’ transform the XDiavel into an entirely new bike.
Darksiding (putting car tires on a motorcycle) is frowned upon in most situations, but Helmade and Vengine have gone ahead and wrapped the rear wheel in Hankook auto rubber anyway. They assure us that it’s for race use only though.
The flashes of pink bodywork on the fender and belly pan are exquisitely done. Set against the black frame and engine, it’s a radical departure from the typically moody and aggressive look of the XDiavel. Flamänko is finished with a titanium exhaust system from Shark, and a Ducati 1199 rear shock.
From Miami to Malibu, we’re feeling the Kenergy. If you are too, the good news is that the XDiavel is for sale via Vengine. [Helmade | Vengine]
Ducati 900SS by Emmanuel Dietrich French artist and designer Emmanuel Dietrich has a habit he can’t seem to shake. As far back as he can remember, he’s never been able to leave anything in stock condition. So it’s only natural that his motorcycle, a Ducati 900SS, would eventually go under the knife.
Emmanuel graduated from the École Boulle School of Fine Art, before going on to design watches (one of which was for Hermes) and working with luxury brands around the world. He has a sharp eye and a refined style—but he clearly also has a knack for quirkiness, because the idea for this custom build came from a very unusual source. Nicknamed ‘Otolino,’ the Ducati is inspired by Emmanuel’s gorgeous whippet, Otto.
Behind their cute, spindly, and sometimes trembly exteriors, Whippets are built for speed. Emmanuel used Otto’s lean frame, muscular shoulders, and sloping haunches as the inspiration behind the custom bodywork that he crafted for the Ducati 900SS.
Using a full-sized 3D-printed mold, Emmanuel built a monocoque body out of fiberglass. The body hides a fuel cell and is affixed to the frame via a clever hidden mounting system that makes it all look impossibly slick while still being easy to remove for maintenance. Can you tell that Emmanuel has worked in product design?
The ‘tank’ section now features softened curves and a black panel on top to break the stunning red paint. The seat was expertly crafted to Emmanuel’s exact specifications, and despite the tiny amount of foam looks like a very comfortable place to sit. The front fender and headlight nacelle were also made by Emmanuel, the latter of which has a distinct snout-like appearance.
In terms of finer details, the belt covers, footpegs, and exhaust hangers have all been redesigned to better suit the overall theme of the bike. The exhaust features the factory headers, bolted to new mid pipes and carbon fiber mufflers. The tail light and rear fender are hidden beneath the seat.
The result is a motorcycle as unique as its inspiration. We’re not sure that Otto would enjoy the thunderous V-twin overly much, but we’re sure he appreciates the sentiment nonetheless. And look at it this way—Emmanuel now has two best friends. [Source]
‘Megasgas’ 700 cc two-stroke supermoto One of the most hilarious motorcycles I’ve ever ridden was a 300 cc two-stroke enduro bike from the KTM family. It’s a recipe for madness; super low weight with an on/off power delivery that pulls like a freight train and feels more like a rocket ship than a dirt bike. But that’s not enough for some people.
This might look like a tricked-out GasGas EC300 supermoto, but it’s so much more than that. Built by a bloke named Sebastian (‘Sib’ to his friends) out of his workshop in Germany, this is no ordinary supermoto. That’s because Sib has thrown out the old 300 cc engine, and replaced it with a 700 cc two-stroke engine from the Austrian company Rübig Motortechnik.
Rübig’s 700 cc ‘Mega’ engine is built for sidecar motocross racing and features liquid cooling, twin spark plugs, vastly more power, and no balance shaft. Sib had to modify the frame to shoehorn the engine in, but he’s managed to make the ‘Megasgas’ look factory.
The modifications didn’t just stop with the engine and frame though. There’s a new CNC alloy swingarm, modified rear suspension, and a supermoto wheel conversion. That exquisite exhaust is also new, as is the trick bronze-anodised carb from SmartCarb.
Everything was blacked out, with copper accents and graphics inspired by the Nissan Cupra R. The bike looks bananas, but it’s reportedly a handful to ride—mostly because of how much it vibrates.
It begs the question as to why Sib would build something like this in the first place. Seeing as how he’s already planning a two-stroke turbo build, we’d say it’s because he’s just wired differently. [Source]
For sale: 1979 Moto Guzzi V1000 G5 The Moto Guzzi V1000 G5 was originally built by the Italian company to soften the blow of the less popular V1000 Convert. The 1000 cc V-twin had the same frame and basic engine architecture as the legendary 850 Le Mans, albeit with a few changes.
The Sachs hydraulic torque converter sapped power, so the engine was bumped to 949 cc, but the two-valve heads remained, as the V1000 Convert was meant for touring and police work. But the biggest change was the bike’s semi-automatic transmission. Suffice it to say, it wasn’t popular—so, in 1979, Moto Guzzi offered the V1000 ‘G5,’ referring to the new model’s five-speed gearbox.
The bike you see here, offered for sale through Historics Auctioneers, started life as one of those G5s. The current owner bought the bike in bits and put it back together over three years. But rather than undertake a complete nut-and-bolt restoration, the owner opted for a café racer project instead.
In terms of collectability, the G5 is a long way from the 850 Le Mans, 750 S3, and the 1000S, so a custom project makes a lot of financial sense.
This one has been treated to a full engine rebuild with new 88 mm Gilardoni pistons, rings, and barrels. There are new valves, springs, and guides, and the Dell’Orto PHF36 carbs were rebuilt and re-jetted by Dynojet Research.
HMB Guzzi in Germany rebuilt the transmission, and this old Goose now pumps out a healthy 55 hp according to Dynojet’s dyno. Treated to fresh brake discs, refurbished calipers, and braided brake lines, this G5 should have a lot more stopping power than it did from the factory. And with fresh suspension and new wiring, it should be reliable too.
The seat and tail unit are custom, and the tank is a classic Norton Manx-esque design that suits the lines of the Guzzi perfectly. Tarozzi clip-on handlebars and a thoroughly modern Brembo radial brake master cylinder take over from the factory controls. A Koso speedo and an oil pressure gauge sit inside a custom dashboard.
The price guide is £5,000-£8,000 so you’d better be quick if you’d like to park this in your garage. [Via]
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