Speed Read: An aggressive BMW R18 from Switzerland and more

VTR Customs leads the charge this week, with an aggressive take on the gigantic BMW R18. We also look at a couple of kits for the retro-fantastic Yamaha XSR900 GP, the special edition Triumph Trident Triple Tribute, and a spunky Kawasaki ZXR400 SP that’s currently on auction.

BMW R18 by VTR Customs VTR is at it again. The Swiss BMW specialist workshop has a knack for transforming brand-new BMWs into mad neo-retro customs. This time, they’ve worked their particular brand of magic on the monstrous BMW R18 cruiser.

Dubbed ‘TRACK8716,’ VTR Customs’ R18 takes the classic drag-cruiser vibe and cranks it up to eleven. The team retained the bike’s OEM fuel tank but ditched the rest of the bodywork. The R18 now wears handcrafted aluminum front and rear fenders, and a handmade aluminum headlight nacelle that pulls inspiration from vintage aircraft designs.

A slim bobber-style seat from FCR Original in France wears lush upholstery, executed by regular VTR collaborator Yves Knobel. Freuler AG handled the paint; a modern BMW grey with M-series-style color highlights.

This R18 is more than just a pretty face though. It’s gone on a diet, courtesy of new 17” carbon fiber wheels from Rotobox. They’re wrapped in sticky Michelin sports tires.

There’s a height-adjustable Öhlins shock tucked in at the back, with a ceramic-coated (and heat-wrapped) Zard exhaust system handling the soundtrack. Other bolt-on bits include FCR Original foot pegs, ABM handlebars, and Kellerman LED turn signals and taillights.

VTR finished the bike off by blacking out most of its hard parts and coating the engine in a gutsy wrinkle-black finish. Custom tank badges add one last stylish detail. [VTR Customs]

Yamaha XSR900 GP replica kits In just a few weeks, we’ll be swinging a leg over the brand-new Yamaha XSR900 GP to find out if it rides as good as it looks. Yamaha’s neo-retro sportbike is arguably one of the most attractive production bikes currently in circulation, taking inspiration from Yamaha’s legendary YZR500 Grand Prix racer.

Y’s Gear—a major accessories manufacturer and a subsidiary of Yamaha—has just released two new graphics kits that add even more retro appeal to the already alluring XSR900 GP. Debuting at the Osaka Motorcycle Show in Japan earlier this month, they pay homage to two more historic Yamaha models.

The predominantly red bike [above] is a nod to the 1984 Yamaha RZV500R, carrying over the RZV’s distinctive tapered ‘speed blocks’ design and dark blue striping. The other bike [below] trades the red on the upper bits for more dark blue, making it a clear tribute to the 1984 Yamaha FZ400R.

As far as we can tell, Y’s Gear plans to offer the RZV500R and FZ400R tribute designs as full bodywork kits. Each kit uses OEM XSR900 GP body panels, with the addition of Yamaha’s optional lower fairing. So transforming a stock XSR900 GP into one of these retro-fabulous machines should take no more than an afternoon.

The two bikes on show here feature a handful of further tweaks. The slim LED turn signals and tidy bar-end mirrors are all standard-issue Yamaha parts. Both bikes have been liberated of their foot pegs, and the FZ400R replica also gets a tinted screen, an Akrapovič can, and a tail tidy.

Sure, these two bikes are mild reskins rather than full-bore custom bikes—but they’re damn pretty, and they prove the XSR900 GP’s visual versatility. Now if someone wants to build a replica of King Kenny’s OW48 factory race bike, we’d be totally okay with that. [Source]

Triumph Trident Triple Tribute special edition Joining a long line of special edition bikes that are really just regular edition bikes with special liveries, the new Triumph Trident Triple Tribute pays tribute to one of Triumph’s most famous triples, ‘Slippery Sam.’

Slippery Sam was a race-prepped Triumph Trident 750 that earned its nickname at the 1970 Bol d’Or in France, where it spewed oil all over its two riders. It did manage a fifth-place finish though—and went on to win five consecutive production 750 cc class TT trophies at the Isle of Man, between 71 and 75. It was quite a looker too, sporting a white fairing with generous red and dark blue stripes.

The Triumph Trident Triple Tribute special edition apes Slippery Sam’s livery, wearing a white base coat with red and dark blue stripes, redesigned to complement the modern Trident’s lines. The ’67’ on each side of the fuel tank is a nod to Slippery Sam’s original race number.

With less real estate than the 1970s Trident, this classic color scheme doesn’t quite hit the right nostalgic notes. But it’s still a tidy look for a modern bike that also happens to be a total blast to ride. Although not as zesty as the Street Triple 765 RS, the Trident’s triple-cylinder mill still packs an 80-horsepower punch, in a flickable package that weighs just 189 kilos [417 pounds].

Triumph is only selling this edition of the Trident for one year—but the real kicker is the price. Curiously, the Triumph Trident Triple Tribute is priced from £7,895.00 in the UK, which is the same price as the base model Trident. Except that this special edition also comes with a belly pan, color-matched fly screen, and quick-shifter.

Love it or hate it, it’s refreshing to see a major manufacturer release a special edition that’s simply a subtle nod to the past, rather than a shameless cash grab. [More]

For sale: 1989 Kawasaki ZXR400 SP There’s something enticing about the 400 cc sportbikes that dominated the Japanese market in the late 80s and early 90s—and the 1989 Kawasaki ZXR400 SP epitomizes the mystique of the era.

Also known as the ZXR400 J1, the SP (‘Sports Production’) model was basically a homologation special. Styled like a miniature Kawasaki ZXR750—right down to the green wheels and hosepipe air ducts—the SP had a bunch of extra goodies that the base model XSR400 lacked.

Upgrades included a close ratio transmission, adjustable suspension, a lighter subframe, a single-seat tail section, and more. Its 398 cc four-cylinder mill redlined at 14,500 rpm and kicked out 60-ish horsepower, with a top speed of around 150 mph.

Pundits praised it for its performance and handling, with Visordown noting; “It not only looks superb, it delivers just what you expect a Kawasaki race replica to—namely a screaming engine with bags of power, a stiff chassis with decent suspension and a completely bonkers riding experience. All wrapped up in a bike that looks identical to the one that first brought a world superbike replica to the masses.”

This particular Kawasaki ZXR400 SP is currently up for sale over at Iconic Motorbike Auctions. It’s fully stock and in good nick, with the exact amount of wear and tear that you’d expect from a 35-year-old motorcycle. Showing a mere 9,532 km [5,922 miles] on the clock, it’s just had a service, too.

We’re tempted to put in an offer—just so that we can fire it up every morning and listen to it purr.

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Period Incorrect: A Norley café racer with a vintage Ironhead motor

Ben Schmitt’s name first appeared on these pages three years ago, when the legendary NYC Norton built him a Norton Commando race bike out of a ratty donor that had been bought from a Tina Turner impersonator (true story). But Ben’s love affair with motorcycles goes way further back than that.

“I started with minibikes at the age of nine—and at 64, I’m still doing it,” Ben tells us. Working as a lawyer in Kansas City, Missouri, he still finds plenty of time for motorcycles. He currently owns around 100 bikes, races with NYC Norton’s Kenny Cummings, and has recently started importing exotic two-strokes from Japan.

Ben found the bones of this alluring Norley café racer while trawling Facebook Marketplace. “A buddy of mine, Dennis Graham, was over, and we had just finished another project,” he explains. “We were a few beers in, and I showed him the project and asked if he was ready for another one.”

“He agreed. Dennis is extremely talented and meticulous—he did virtually all of the work on the bike.”

As luck would have it, the bike was in Los Angeles while Ben was racing at the Barber Motorsports Park. So he drove over to pick it up. Some of the parts were already bolted in place, but ultimately the bike had to be stripped down to its nuts and bolts before Dennis could properly get started.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, a Norley is the combination of a Norton and a Harley. In this case, the donor bike featured a replica 1968 Norton Featherbed Wideline frame, which, although from an unknown manufacturer, Ben credits as an “extremely nice copy.” The engine and a few other select parts came from a 1974 Harley-Davidson Ironhead Sportster.

“I always liked the stock Borrani rims, so we kept everything the same there,” says Ben. “The swingarm, forks, and gauges are all Ironhead Sportster parts, and the shocks are Öhlins.”

The old Ironhead mill turned out to be a peach too. Ben and Dennis cracked it open, only to discover that it had already been rebuilt. So they put it back together and added an S&S Cycle Super E carb; “It runs like a top,” Ben confirms.

With the rolling chassis sorted, Ben started hunting for suitable bodywork. Tab II Classics came through with an alloy seat unit and rear fender. Lower down, an alloy oil tank is tucked away between a pair of race-style number boards.

The perfectly sculpted fiberglass fuel tank looks like it was custom-made for this build, but it’s actually an eBay find. The guys simply had to move the fuel tap to accommodate the frame and motor.

The front fender comes from a stock 1981 Sporty, and the bikini fairing from a 1977 Harley-Davidson XLCR. (Yes, it’s an actual XLCR part—not a copy.)

Chris Cofield at CC Custom Graphics treated the Norley to an immaculate gloss black paint job, augmented with tasteful pin-striping and hand-lettered logos. Ben kept the overall theme timeless, with black powder-coating for the frame, and alternating black, polished, and raw finishes for everything else.

The final details include a side-mounted taillight and license plate bracket, new clip-ons and rear-sets, and an obnoxiously short pair of ceramic-coated exhausts. “I’m not sure if you are familiar with this exhaust design,” Ben quips. “They are called LAF (Loud As F**k) pipes… and they live up to the name.”

He goes on to sum his Norley café racer up in just four words; “Fun bike, gets attention.” That sounds like a win to us.

Images by Mark V. Bodine

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Built not bought: A custom-framed Yamaha XS400 with patented forks

With its inch-perfect frame, OEM-style bodywork, and period-correct graphics, you’d be forgiven for mistaking this Yamaha for a forgotten 90s factory prototype. But what it really is, is a completely bespoke machine with a Yamaha XS400 engine, a whole lot of innovative engineering, and a patented front suspension system. Oh, and it was built by a hobbyist in a 13-by-15-foot workshop in Slovakia.

“The main idea of the build was to make it look as little like a custom bike, and as much like a factory bike, as possible,” says the mad scientist behind the project, Roman Juriš. “In purely amateur conditions and with a limited budget, I couldn’t get it one hundred percent right.”

Roman’s humility is admirable but totally unnecessary. The work done on this Yamaha could fill volumes—and the cohesiveness of the end product is at a level that even professional builders strive for. Still, he’s honest about the fact that getting there was no easy task.

Roman started with a 1984 Yamaha XS400 non-runner, which he promptly stripped and started fabricating a new frame for. But he quickly fell into a rut, struggling to properly visualize the final design. “I tried to draw different versions, but it lacked the lightness and professional finish that I really wanted,” he tells us.

“While searching for inspiration, I found an e-mail address for the famous designer Oberdan Bezzi. To my great surprise, he started communicating with me, and finally sent me a single, but for me very rare, picture of a motorcycle with a design suitable for my frame.”

Once the design was in the bag, the real work began. Roman estimates that he spent 3,000 hours working on the project, spread over five years and two months. “Various craftsman friends did a lot for me,” he adds, “because my workshop is small and I simply do not have the necessary machinery and tools for everything related to the production of a motorcycle.”

As for the bike itself, it’s hard to know where to begin. The XS400 motor hangs from a custom-made tubular frame via alloy mounting brackets. (The idea of suspending the engine from the chassis was central to Roman’s concept.)

The swingarm is off a Yamaha YZF-R125, which was technically Roman’s third choice. The first attempt involved fabricating a custom tubular swingarm, and the second used an Aprilia unit. In the end, the YZF-R125 part fit the bill—once Roman had shortened it by 80 mm.

To make the chassis even more unique, Roman then shifted the rear shock to one side instead of leaving it dead center; a detail inspired by the Ducati Scrambler. The 17” laced wheels are repurposed supermoto hoops. Roman sent the front wheel off to a workshop in Austria, who re-laced it to a Honda Transalp hub so that he could install twin brake discs.

But it’s the front end that’s truly intriguing. Roman calls it “progressive upside-down front suspension,” and currently holds the European patent (and a one-year worldwide patent) for it. “Obtaining a patent took almost two years—half a year of preparation, and a year and a half waiting for approval,” he tells us.

Without the ability to design the whole thing using software, Roman designed the front suspension the old-fashioned way. Technical drawings were followed by laser-cut steel components, that were put together to build a prototype. Once that was perfected, the prototype was sent to a third party to replicate in CNC-machined aluminum.

Roman is hush-hush on the nitty-gritty of how it all works, but he does cover the highlights. “It’s progressive, in the sense that for 120 mm of front wheel travel, for example, the fork only moves 60 mm. The axis of the front wheel is pushed forward, eliminating the shortening of the wheelbase, and the spring and braking forces are isolated, so the motorcycle doesn’t dive under braking.”

Since the setup behaves almost like a springer fork, Roman also had to build a parallelogram system for the front fender, so that it moves flawlessly with the front wheel. An LED headlight and small fly screen sit higher up, with a Koso dash mounted to the same handmade bracket that holds the screen. The cockpit also wears clip-ons, bar-end mirrors, and the original Yamaha switches.

For the bodywork, Roman once again turned to traditional methods. He used modeling clay to finalize the forms, then shaped everything out of fiberglass. The fuel tank is just a cover, hiding a metal reservoir underneath it.

A neat under-seat exhaust system finishes off the Yamaha’s ultra-skinny silhouette. Roman happened upon a deconstructed set of twin headers in the Netherlands, which he put together and matched to a pair of aftermarket mufflers. A custom-made tail tidy wraps around the twin cans to host the license plate and combination LED taillights.

As for the paint job, that came directly from Oberdan Bezzi’s design—with a few tiny changes. “The frame had to be red, like racing Yamahas from the 70s,” Roman explains, “and I wanted traditional Yamaha blocks, but in a minimalist style on a white background.”

“The style of the ‘Roadster’ inscription is a tribute to the Jawa 90 Roadster, which was produced in Slovakia from 1967 to 1976. It was a progressive bike that was, to its detriment, way ahead of its time.”

Roman also left all the aluminum parts raw rather than finishing everything in, as he puts it, “boring black.” He also spent countless hours polishing the swingarm, and settled on a simple cover for the seat, after a two-tone cover with contrast stitching proved to be too busy.

Roman concludes by admitting that it’s impossible to make the bike street legal in Slovakia—but that he added all the necessary roadworthy frou-frou anyway, to reinforce the production bike vibe he was going for.

We could pore over the details of Roman’s creation for hours, but there’s one major detail we haven’t mentioned—and that’s how damn good the refreshed XS400 mill looks in its new home.

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Road Tested: The ultra-compact Biltwell Exfil-2 tank bag

I have a love-hate relationship with tank bags. Having storage space right in front of you on a long ride is undeniably useful—but if a tank bag is too big, or stuffed too full, it can quickly become ungainly. And then there are the myriad ways in which tank bags attach to bikes; some easy and some painfully complex.

For my needs, a small tank bag that keeps my pockets uncluttered and doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb on the tank of my Triumph Bonneville fits the bill. So when our friends at Biltwell Inc. offered to send a little care package my way, I politely requested one of their Exfil-2 mini tank bags.

Biltwell’s Exfil series is a range of moto luggage that includes saddlebags, sissy bar bags, and smaller pouches aimed at organizing accessories. Common traits include heavy-duty nylon materials, smart packing concepts, molle webbing on most of the bags, and subdued colors with subtle orange highlights.

The range also has the best naming convention in the entire motorcycling industry. ‘Exfil’ refers to the military practice of getting outta Dodge quickly, while the number in each bag’s name references how many 12-ounce beer cans you can fit in it.

That makes the Biltwell Exfil-2 tank bag good for two cans. Or, in practice, a smartphone, thick woolen beanie, sunglasses, power bank, charging cable, wallet, and snacks, with space to cram in a few more odds and ends. That might be too small for some riders—but for me, it’s everything I need and nothing I don’t.

Full disclosure: I’m a big fan of Biltwell’s motorcycle gear. I habitually use their grips on my bikes, and I usually have a Biltwell helmet or two in circulation at any given time. They make no-nonsense stuff that’s simple, good-looking, and, at the risk of being corny, built well.

The Exfil-2 tank bag sports a basic layout with very few frills. Its UV-treated 1680D denier ballistic nylon shell is 8 inches long, measuring 5.5 inches wide and 4 inches tall at the front, and tapering to 4.5 inches wide and 2 inches tall at the back. It’s well put together and looks like it’ll sustain years of abuse.

Popping the Exfil-2 onto the bike is a cinch—provided your fuel tank is made out of metal. The tank bag uses three potent magnets that are stitched into its bottom panel to hold it in place. They work, too; even at highway speeds, there’s no noticeable movement.

Biltwell does warn that the heavyweight nylon on the bag’s underside can leave light scuffs on your fuel tank over time, so that’s something to watch out for. A softer fabric would mitigate this issue—but it would also be far less robust. A generous handle at the front of the bag makes it easy to grab it and go, particularly if your bike is parked and you don’t want to leave your valuables unattended.

There’s one main compartment, accessed via a two-way, U-shaped zipper, with long zipper pulls that are easy to grip with gloves on. The inside is lined with a hi-viz orange nylon fabric, designed to make it easy to spot whatever you’re looking for. And the lid includes a fleece-lined sleeve with a clear panel up top, designed to hold a smartphone.

It’s a handy feature if you don’t have a dedicated phone mount on your bike, and need to use your phone for navigation. (It’s also a place to stick a map or handwritten directions, if that’s more your vibe.)

There are caveats though. The clear plastic tends to pick up reflections in harsh light, so a high-contrast phone display works best. And although touch-enabled cover works for the most part, it does sometimes struggle to register taps (particularly on my older iPhone SE’s home button).

Arguably the Exfil-2’s cleverest feature is the way it accommodates device charging. There’s a way to pass a cable through a seam at the front of the bag, and there are small elasticated loops inside the lid to help direct a cable to where your phone is stored.

These small details facilitate several use-case scenarios. They let you direct a cable from a charging point on the bike to a device inside the bag, but they also let you run power from a power bank inside the bag to a device mounted on your bike.

The only downside is that the Exfil-2 isn’t waterproof (nor does it come with a waterproof cover). Some weather-proofing would make it a perfect product—but at $39.95, it’s hard to complain.

It’s also worth noting that many products that claim a measure of waterproofing, or boast ‘waterproof zippers,’ seldom hold up in a downpour. Biltwell makes zero claims of weather resistance; as per the Californian company’s standard operating procedure, what you see is what you get.

Like everything else I’ve used from Biltwell, the Exfil-2 is an honest (and useful) product that does exactly what it says on the tin—nothing more, nothing less.

Biltwell Inc. Exfil-2 | Images by Wes Reyneke

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Black Puddin’: An irreverent Suzuki GS1200SS by Sticky’s Speed Shop

‘Sticky Matt’ Coulter, the proprietor of Sticky’s Speed Shop, is no stranger to an oil-cooled Suzuki. But despite a back catalog of Bandits, Slabsides, Slingshots, Harris frames, and drag choppers, all utilizing the iconic inline-four, Sticky Matt had long craved to build one Suzuki in particular. His Holy Grail of production bikes; the 2007 Suzuki GS1200SS.

Though plentiful on the shores of Japan and New Zealand, the Suzuki GS1200SS made it to the UK in very limited numbers, with even fewer surviving today. So when Matt eventually tracked one down—disassembled and spread across multiple boxes—he made it his. A self-confessed hoarder of rare, race, and rare-race parts, boxes of bits are something of a Sticky’s Speed Shop specialty.

On a mission to build his ultimate oil-cooled Suzuki, Matt dug deep into his hoard, reaching for prize finds that had long been earmarked for this particular project. Carbon-magnesium Dymag wheels, a Spondon Kawasaki Z900 swingarm, a big block 1,371 cc motor, AP calipers, narrow track PFM discs, and Bimota ‘fattest of the fat’ right-way-up Paioli forks were just the start of what would become a dizzying parts list.

But alongside an appetite for what Matt refers to as “the goodies,” Sticky’s builds have become known and enjoyed for their left-field design and character.

Working in collaboration with friend and artist Ryan Quickfall, his previous build, a GSX-R1000 K1-powered 1989 Suzuki Slingshot, was dubbed ‘Sushi-Suki’ and daubed with a prawn-topped, Skull-sporting Nigiri. And before that, the pair collaborated on the provocatively monikered ‘Widow Licker’—a purple, neon-pink, and yellow Slabside featuring a bird dropping a lucky shit on its flank.

“After the balls-out craziness of Sushi-Suki I wanted the GS to be simpler, plainer,” lies Matt. “I intended it to be all-black, subtle. From then on it became known as ‘Black Puddin’—but then I thought it could use a little bit of leopard print to break it up.”

Things Inevitably began to spiral. Ryan penned a Black Puddin’ character for the tail and Matt’s penchant for purple and 90s tack took hold. Meanwhile, Matt kept tapping his parts bin to put the GS1200SS together.

Matt had a few bits left over from an ex-World Endurance Harris F1, including a factory dry clutch casing. (If this was to be the ultimate oil-cooled motor, it needed the dry clutch conversion.) Keihin FCR39 carbs would feed the engine, and a cut-and-shut Moriwaki Monster pipe, originally destined for a Z900, would eject the noise.

Maxton twin-shocks, old race yokes, Race Component Development rear-sets, custom spindles, and a custom torque arm also made their way onto the bike.

For the tank and tail, Matt approached another long-time collaborator, Coba Valley Cycles. The GS was in itself conceived as a tribute to the iconic XR69 race bike, so the custom aluminum bodywork would refer back and exaggerate those iconic lines. The little and large Monza tank fillers were an idea taken from Matt’s dad’s old endurance race bike, a Rickman Z900.

The fairing is a King Carbon XR69 unit. The original lozenge cutaways were replaced with lightning bolts, while alongside the single offset headlight, a circular hole pattern was cut to both ape the traditional second light, and provide airflow to the head cooler. Layers of purple lacquer, matte black leopard print, and a purple screen were then added to satisfy the ‘plain and subtle’ brief (obviously).

Matt is keen to stress that Sticky’s Speed Shop is far from a one-man outfit. Lee from Steelheart Engineering contributed, as always, with billet clock and headlight mounts, billet battery and electrical boxes (with a clear acrylic top), and a host of other fixes. All those little details make for a machine that looks as good with the bodywork off as on.

With a deadline looming in the form of the 2024 Bike Shed Moto Show poster shoot, the finishing touches were added deep into a sleepless workshop night alongside friend and fellow builder, Gav Shuter. A mirror-polished Suzuki tank logo, blued titanium bolts, 70s psychedelic GS1371SSS graphics, and a perforated leather seat with crocodile edging, were amongst the last elements to come together.

So, has Sticky’s Speed Shop finally completed its Suzuki catalog? “Maybe,” says Matt.

“Next up is a Bosozuku-inspired Zed and a couple of Ducatis. But never say never. I picked up a dry clutch GSXR750 Ltd engine the other day. That will need a home at some point.”

We can’t wait to see it.

Sticky’s Speed Shop Instagram | Images by Amy Shore

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