Speed Read, March 12, 2023

Classic silhouettes are the theme of this week’s Speed Read. From Unikat’s Harley-Davidson’s Sportster 883, to RF-Biketech’s Kawasaki Z1000R and a beautiful Honda CB400 café racer from Never Ending Cycles, we have three different build styles, riffed on by three talented builders. We end off with a new short film from Harley-Davidson, documenting their 2022 King of the Baggers campaign.

Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 by Unikat Motorworks The Sportster 883 has been reimagined in nearly every way you can think of—yet every time we say that, it seems like a new one pops up with details and considerations we haven’t seen before. This build from Unikat Motorworks in Poland takes the popular custom platform, strips it down, and adds unique, functional touches, while keeping the overall aesthetic very classic.

The man behind Unikat Motorworks is one Grzegorz Korczak, also known for his work as a visual artist. As an artist, Grzegorz knows that more is not always more, and a greater visual impact can often be obtained by removing mass and clutter. This is demonstrated beautifully in his latest Sportster build.

The bike’s owner approached Unikat with two goals: he wanted the bike to be comfortable, and he wanted the project to be fun for the builder. After tossing some ideas back and forth, the “city scrambler,” aesthetic was decided upon, and Grzegorz got to work.

Aside from the custom-fabricated tail loop, most of the modifications done to the 883 were conceived, fabricated, and then simply bolted on to the platform. An 18” rear wheel and 19” front pick the chassis up and give the bike a more scrambler-y silhouette. Öhlins shocks add a performance aesthetic, and a nice pop of yellow to go with the light-grey-blue paint.

A shorty rear fender was tucked under the new custom-upholstered seat. Tiny turn indicators were added both front and rear, with a small Bates-style taillight installed. Finally, the license plate was relocated to the left side of the swingarm.

To keep things clean at the handlebars, the speedo was relocated to the left side of the bike’s engine. An etched badge sits on top of the round headlight mount to indicate the bike’s maker—a nice finishing touch that the rider will see every time they’re on the bike. [Via]

Kawasaki Z1000R by RF-Biketech Eddie Lawson is an absolute legend. As a four-time GP World Champion, his reputation for finishing every race and not crashing out earned him the nickname ‘Steady Eddie’—even if the bikes he was riding at the time are sort of absurd by today’s standards.

Superbikes of the 70s and 80s were good at making power, but suspension, tires, and brakes still had a ways to go to catch up. So when a German customer that likes to ride on both road and track brought a 40-year-old machine in to RF-Biketech, it was clear where the builders needed to focus.

The starting platform was a 1981 Z1000 ‘J’ frame, which is the year the engine’s displacement was just under 1,000cc, so that it could still be raced in the Superbike class. Updating the Z1000’s frame was the first task on the list, with no corners cut. The steering head angle was adjusted, and extra material was added throughout the frame to strengthen it and reduce flex.

The rear of the frame was shortened, as there’s no longer a need for a passenger seat. The new plate bracket is easily removable too, to switch from road- to track-mode in minutes.

A lightweight custom aluminum swingarm was made through a combination of CAD design, CNC milling and hand fabrication. This was then paired with a set of fully adjustable shocks to maximize the new swingarm’s effectiveness. HyperPro forks mount to beefy new triple trees, while clip-on handlebars and adjustable rear-set foot controls put the rider in an aggressive and race-ready position.

While the story of the ‘J’ frame and early superbike homologation is very interesting, it doesn’t need to play any role in how this machine functions. So that just-under-1,000 cc engine was replaced with a high-compression 1,170 cc unit out of a GPZ1100.

Fitted with RS36 flat slide carbs, pod filters, and a custom four-into-one exhaust system, the bike now puts out over 130 hp and weighs less than 200 kilos [441 lbs]. [Via]

Honda CB400F by Never Ending Cycles Few platforms exemplify café racer style like a 70s Honda Super Sport. But by building on a platform known for this style, you’re jumping into a pool filled with very talented builders. Luckily the team at Never Ending Cycles was up to the challenge.

The build started with a father wanting to give his sone a graduation present. Looking for a stylish and reliable platform, they chose a 1975 Honda CB400F Super Sport—a bike that was both smooth and quick for its time, but more importantly, a damn fine looking machine with clean lines and a snaking four-into-one exhaust system.

Based in Wisconsin, Never Ending Cycles is known for vintage German and Japanese metal, placing this inline-four comfortably in their wheelhouse. The build was to be a reliable daily rider with enough style and flair to keep things exciting, so a set of inverted forks off of a Suzuki GSX-R were installed, along with its brakes.

Next, an aftermarket café-style tail section from Tuffside was added. The new custom bodywork blends with the classic Honda lines, all painted white and blue. Custom grips match the newly upholstered seat in quilted brown leather.

Finally, the bike was completely rewired with a new battery tucked into the tail section. Rolling on new hoops, equipped with LED lighting and looking clean enough to eat off, it’s the nicest graduation gift we’ve ever laid eyes on. [Via]

Pushing the Limit documentary Bagger racing is arguably one of the most absurd and entertaining things to happen to motorcycling in decades. The bikes are huge, and they have absolutely massive engines with every drop of power squeezed out of them. What’s not to love?

Now Harley-Davidson has released a new film to celebrate the 2022 King of the Baggers racing season. Titled ‘Pushing the Limit,’ the film, which is just over an hour long, focuses on the Wyman brothers, H-D’s factory bagger racers, as they practice, tune, and race these incredible machines.

We hear from the racers, the crew, and from higher-ups at Harley-Davidson, about just what makes this racing so special, and why Americans all over have totally fallen in love with this new take on the sport.

Follow along as they tour the country racing baggers and get excited for the 2023 season, which kicked off this weekend with the first race in Daytona Beach, Florida. The video is totally free to watch on YouTube right now—just hit play below.

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The $92,229 Indian Challenger RR is a ready-to-race bagger

We never imagined that the adage “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” could apply to baggers… but here we are. To celebrate their victory in last year’s King of the Baggers racing series, Indian Motorcycle are making their race-spec Indian Challenger RR available to the public.

And we do mean race-spec. The $92,229 Indian Challenger RR is a track-only motorcycle, built by the team at S&S Cycle to the same spec as the bike that Tyler O’Hara won last years King of the Baggers championship on. Limited to just 29 units (because O’Hara’s number is #29), it’s about as niche as you can get.

The Challenger RR is a far cry from the ‘regular’ road-going Challenger, and boasts a spec list beyond the reach of mere mortals. Yes, the lights are fake and the windshield is trimmed—but those aren’t the juicy bits.

For starters, the Challenger RR’s engine sports a 112 ci big bore kit with CNC ported heads, plus upgraded camshafts and adjustable rocker arms from S&S Cycle. The air intake, 78 mm throttle body, clutch cover, chain drive conversion and two-into-one race exhaust are all from S&S too. There’s also a quick-shifter, a fully tunable ECM from Maxx, and an AIM DL2 dash with a built-in data logger.

The chassis hasn’t been neglected either. Adjustable S&S Cycle triple clamps sit up front, gripping a set of Öhlins FGR250 forks. A race-spec S&S Cycle swingarm does duty at the back, hooked up to an Öhlins TTX rear shock.

The wheels are 17” race hoops, shod with Dunlop race tires. A pair of Brembo M4 calipers grip 330 mm discs up front, with a Hayes caliper at the rear matched to an EBC disc. Both ends us SBS brake pads.

Then there’s the Challenger RR’s wild-looking custom bodywork. The fairing is actually a stock part, but it sits on an adjustable fairing mount from S&S.

The lights have been swapped for an aero headlight insert, and the stubby windshield actually extends further ‘down’ the face of the fairing than the OEM part. Together, those parts effectively create a smooth surface to aid in aerodynamics.

As the name implies, race baggers must race with panniers. But on this bike, those panniers are made from carbon fiber, and tucked in high to aid in cornering clearance. A raised race seat from Saddlemen sits up top, with a fiberglass rear fender finishing off the tail end of the bike.

Other S&S Cycle parts include a new belly pan, rear-set foot controls, and peculiar adjustable handlebars that look like a hybrid between touring bars and clip-ons. A number of smaller protective parts are littered throughout the build too.

Added up, this makes for a motorcycle that Indian claims can get you on the King of the Baggers podium—if you have the skill to extract the maximum potential from it. And if you live in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, the United Kingdom or Japan—because those are the only countries it’s available in.

It’s hard to deny bagger racing’s popularity, and the way it’s exploded over the past couple of years. The question is whether a $92,229 motorcycle that’s designed for one extremely specific purpose makes sense.

Not to the everyman, no. But we can see Indian selling these to teams that want to break into bagger racing—or collectors with very deep pockets.

Indian Motorcycle | Facebook | Instagram

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Speed Read, March 5, 2023

Two Ducatis lead the charge this weekend; an iconic 1974 Ducati 750SS, and a neo-retro café racer based on the Ducati 996. We also take a look at Harley-Davidson’s stonking new 2,212 cc crate motor, and the new Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition.

Adam Lindemann’s 1974 Ducati 750SS Picture the scene: It’s Italy in 1972, and you’re sitting in the stands at Imola, waiting for the start of the inaugural Imola 200 road race. Earlier, you saw Fabio Taglioni arrive at the track with a strange bus with glass sides. Inside, behind hand-painted lettering, were seven fully-faired, silver Ducati racing bikes.

Little did you know that this would become one of the most important races in the history of Ducati. Furthermore, those brand new 750cc bevel gear-driven V-Twin desmodromic motorcycles you saw getting unloaded, would go on to become some of the most iconic motorcycles in history.

Two of those very bikes would finish one and two at that race in Imola. First across the line was Paul Smart, followed by his teammate, Bruno Spaggiari. They dominated the race with their silver Ducatis, famously passing the champion Giacomo Agostini on their way to victory.

To celebrate their win, Ducati decided to build 401 homologation specials in 1974, based on the bikes used at Imola. At the time, it was the closest thing to a factory race bike any average Joe could buy (if they had the money). The went on to be known as the ‘Green Frame’ Ducati, due to the remarkable color used to paint the frames.

Along with the history of the model itself, this particular bike has even more providence. This is the personal bike of esteemed art collector and investor, Adam Lindemann. Naturally, being owned by an art connoisseur, this bike has impeccable documentation and has been verified by marque experts. The engine and frame numbers are recorded in all 750SS registries, including the 750 Super Sport Registry by Ian Falloon and Phil Schilling.

The previous owner had the bike for 24 years, and at some point it had a sympathetic restoration which focussed mostly on cosmetics. Most interestingly, this is the only known Green Frame to be exported to Puerto Rico, and it still retains its original license plate from the 1970s. You can’t fake that kind of cool.

Mr Lindemann is well aware of the cool factor—so much so, that this beautiful piece of motorcycling history is being auctioned by Christie’s as part of “ADAM: Works from the Collection of Adam Lindemann.” The only motorcycle in the auction, it’ll be in good company alongside works from Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst and more.

Come for the fine art, stay for the motorcycles. If only there were several extra zeros on the end of our bank balance, hey? [Via]

Ducati ‘Euforia’ by Luca Pagani Luca Pagani is an Italian designer who teaches clay modeling at Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) in Torino. So he’s the kind of guy who can take an idea that’s spinning around in his head, and bring it to life.

That’s how this neo-retro Ducati café racer came to be. It started as a simple sketch, which Luca then translated into a digital render. From there, he tested his design over a number of donor bikes, to figure out which would be best suited.

Naturally, the Italian designer settled on a Ducati. More specifically, the rolling chassis from a Ducati 996. Matching it the motor from a Ducati Multistrada 1000DS, Luca started designing the bike’s new bodywork.

For obvious reasons, Luca first brought his dream to life in clay. Once he was happy, molds were taken and the bodywork was made in its final form.

The fairing is hands down the best part of the bike. It’s immaculate, all the way down to the side winglets, and the embedded LED headlight that matches the bike’s modern classic vibe. Ingenious pieces of bodywork tie the fairing to the tank in a way that only a master designer could have managed.

The fuel tank is organic, yet sporty, and almost looks like it was shaped by the wind itself. The red leather seat flows effortlessly into the rear of the bike, ending in a slight ducktail that surely has Kawasaki designers picking up their jaws. Painted in root beer bronze, red and black, the finished bodywork is flawless.

Under the rear end is a two-into-two stainless steel exhaust, courtesy of FF by Fresco. Snaking its way around the engine and up under the seat, it’s yet another drop-dead gorgeous component.

If you like what you see then you’re in luck. You can order your own ‘Euforia’ from Luca—either in the spec you see here, or based on a Ducati Monster 937. We wouldn’t change a thing. [Via]

Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle 135 Stage IV Performance Crate Engine If you’ve got a 2021 or newer touring model Harley, and have always wanted more power, you’re not alone. For well over a century, Harley has been making large-displacement, over-engineered (ignoring the AMF years), under-stressed engines. There’s a reason Harley Davidson doesn’t shout their power figures from the rooftops; their engines are more about monstrous, usable torque and ridability. Until now.

Feast your eyes on the Harley Davidson Screamin’ Eagle 135 Stage IV Performance Crate Engine. The new donk delivers 194 Nm of torque at 3,500 rpm and 130 hp at 5,500 rpm, at the rear wheel. For reference, The Motor Co.’s Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine puts out 115 Nm and 94 hp, while the bigger 117 that powers its premium tourers makes 168 Nm and 102 hp.

H-D is really leaning into the “there’s no replacement for displacement” saying with this one. The Stage IV engine packs a whopping 2,212 cc of room to make explosions with.

Developed in partnership with the MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers road racing series, the new engine has a 68 mm throttle body matched to a CNC intake manifold. The heads have been ported to go with the high-lift camshaft and high performance valve springs. High-capacity fuel injectors feed dino-juice to the forged pistons, with a 10.7:1 compression ratio.

The Screamin’ Eagle 135ci Stage IV Performance Crate Engine can be bolted into in an original 2021 (or later) Harley-Davidson Touring bike. No special fabrication or engine-mount relocations are required, and the engine is also backed by a two year warranty.

All this (and more) can be yours for just $7,999.95. That might sound expensive—but can you really put a price on freedom? [Harley-Davidson]

Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition Adventure bikes aren’t typically the prettiest things, but the Husqvarna Norden 901 bucks that trend. The tidy Scandinavian styling makes a strong statement, especially considering it is draped artfully over what is essentially a KTM 890 Adventure.

This week, Husqvarna announced this: the Norden 901 Expedition. Essentially an upgraded version of the base-model Norden, it adds better suspension and a smorgasbord of touring-friendly bits.

Up front are a new set of fully adjustable WP XPLOR forks, with suspension travel bumped up to 240 mm (20 mm more than the standard model). A taller, touring-style windshield has been added, along with heated grips for those colder months.

The Expedition boasts a larger, thicker skid plate compared to the standard model too. Along with offering more protection for the engine and tank, it also makes one hell of a visual statement (and will look fantastic when it’s covered in mud).

For easy chain and tyre maintenance, Husky has fitted a centre stand to the Expedition model, improving the convenience factor. It also comes standard with a set of soft panniers and mounting hardware. Lucky owners get 36 liters of storage space, which is perfect for day trips and overnighters.

For tech-minded riders, the Expedition also comes with a Husqvarna Connectivity Unit. This provides Turn-by-Turn+ navigation, call functions and music selection from the rider’s smartphone. And it wears its own unique paint job too—a combination of metallic blue and white that makes the stock Norden look a touch pedestrian by comparison. [Husqvarna Motorcycles]

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From road to track: A look at the Buell SuperTouring 1190

Buell is on a mission. Hot on the heels of the release of their Roland Sands-designed Super Cruiser concept, the American company has just thrown the wraps off the latest iteration of the upcoming Buell SuperTouring 1190. And we have questions.

First teased a year ago, the SuperTouring was originally pitched as a high-speed tourer. But Buell has refined and evolved the concept since, and it’s now being touted as a ‘modular superbike’—or an ‘adaptive motorcycle.’

In plain English, that means that all the bits that make the SuperTouring a tourer, are designed to bolt on and off in minutes. The idea, according to Buell, is to build a bike that can go from street-legal to track ready in less than an hour. Which, although not entirely groundbreaking, is sort of clever.

Motorcycling in the US is more about leisure than transport. So a bike that can do multiple things—like hit the open road one weekend, and the track the next, while also maybe commuting—is a nifty proposition.

On the surface, the SuperTouring looks like a revival of the Buell XB12XT Ulysses. Which is unavoidable, really, given the marque’s inherent design language, and the touring underpinnings of both bikes. On closer inspection though, it’s more akin to a bulked-up 1190SX.

It was designed in collaboration with J. Ruiter—an award-winning industrial designer with a knack for creating left-field motorcycle concepts. You’ve probably seen his blocky, utilitarian Moto Undone and Snoped concepts.

The differences are easy to spot. The SuperTouring features a sturdier subframe, no doubt to support luggage and passengers. It also sports a comfier-looking two-up seat, and removable passenger pegs, luggage racks and hard panniers.

Sitting up front is a pair of LED headlights (a classic Buell touch), wrapped in a modular fairing with varying screen heights on offer. The faux tank covers and side panels look to be largely carried over from the 1190SX—and like on the SX, they’re all made from carbon fiber.

Buell haven’t released too many details yet, but they have confirmed that the SuperTouring’s chassis and engine are the same as those on the 1190SX and Hammerhead 1190. And that tells us a few things.

The 1,190 cc V-twin engine in the 1190SX is good for 185 hp and 137.8 Nm. And while the SuperTouring is likely to feature its own engine tune, we can probably expect numbers in the same ballpark. Compare the SuperTouring to the 1190SX and Hammerhead 1190, and you’ll also spot the same swingarm, wheels, and Buell’s signature perimeter disc brakes.

We can also expect the SuperTouring’s fuel-in-frame chassis to hold the same amount of petrol as its two stablemates; 17 l [4.5 gallons]. That leaves it with slightly shorter legs than some of its competitors, like the Harley-Davidson Pan America (5.6 gal) and the Ducati Multistrada V4 (5.8 gal).

You can’t blame Buell for using an established platform though. They’re still a relatively small company—and developing a new types of bikes on an existing platform is far less expensive than building everything from scratch. But the SuperTouring will probably need a few more tweaks to truly shine.

Given the modular concept at play here, will Buell offer some sort of auxiliary fuel cell to help the SuperTouring go further? And will parts like the foot pegs be adjustable, so that riders can optimize the bike for each riding scenario? Only time will tell.

One thing’s for sure though—Buell is listening. The SuperTouring is only slated for production in 2025, but Buell are showing it off at Daytona Bike Week right now, because they want to know what people think of it. The company’s CEO, Bill Melvin, has stated that customer feedback is central to Buell’s development process.

So if you have an opinion on the SuperTouring, let ’em have it.

Buell Motorcycle | Facebook | Instagram

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Race Bred: Jeff Palhegyi’s Yamaha MT07 flat tracker

Any custom workshop that’s been operating for a decent length of time is sure to have a multitude of leftover parts lying around. But how often are those the right kind of parts to build a thoroughbred race bike with? It’s a rare scenario—but it’s the story behind this race-bred Yamaha framer.

It’s the work of Jeff Palhegyi, the man behind Palhegyi Design. An accomplished fabricator and frame builder, Jeff’s no stranger to Yamaha flat trackers. That’s because he’s been pivotal in developing the Yamaha MT07-derived race bike that Estenson Racing has been fielding in the US flat track TT racing series; the MT07-DT.

If you’re not familiar with the flat track TT format, it’s just like regular flat track racing—except the track has both left and right turns, and at least one jump. Estenson Racing’s Yamaha MT07-DT has dominated the format for the last couple of years, with rider JD Beach behind the bars.

But the story goes further back than that. The MT07-DT was actually born out of a concept bike that Yamaha USA and Palhegyi Design collaborated on back in 2015, to show the potential of the punchy MT07 motor. That concept evolved into a flat track race bike, and Jeff’s been churning them out since.

This particular Yamaha’s chassis is now the 18th that Palhegyi Design has produced. But despite the graphics, this one’s not destined for the Estenson team. Jeff built this one just for himself, using parts leftover from the four prototype race bikes that he’s worked on over the past three years.

“Always experimenting with lighter and smaller tubing, different swingarms and linkages, and adjustable geometry, can leave a lot of parts floating around the shop,” he explains. “So I put this bike together for my personal collection.”

At the heart of Jeff’s bike lies the 689 cc parallel twin engine from a 2021 Yamaha MT07. It’s good for 74.8 hp and 68 Nm in stock trim, with Yamaha’s 270-degree ‘crossplane’ adding maximum character. (If you’ve ridden a Yamaha MT07 or XSR700, you’ll know how much of a peach this motor is.)

The engine’s suspended from a chromoly trellis frame, with a tubular swingarm out back. The swingarm sits on an eccentric pivot, giving it a full range of adjustment fore and aft, and up and down.

The Palhegyi Design chassis is complemented by a smorgasbord of top-tier parts. The forks and rear shock are from Öhlins, the brakes are from Brembo, and the 19” flat-track wheels and tires are from Roland Sands Design and Dunlop, respectively.

There’s some trick stuff attached to the Yamaha motor, too. Mounted underneath it is a Yamaha Racing oil pan, machined out of a solid 18 lbs aluminum billet. It’s designed to offer extra cornering clearance—but it’s also stronger than the factory part, so it can take a knock.

The ignition cover is another Yamaha Racing part, again engineered for durability. Chunky K&N filters replace the airbox, with a titanium two-into-one exhaust system from Graves Performance at the opposite end. The cockpit sports Duralle racing triples, Vortex handlebars and a AIME dash.

Every last part on this build is premium—from the carbon fiber front sprocket cover, right down to the foot pegs and fasteners. Even the coolant recovery tank looks swish.

It’s all in the name of performance and weight saving. We don’t know what the bike’s overall weight is, but Jeff’s confirmed that the frame weighs just 15 lbs—making it the lightest one he’s fabricated so far. The Estenson Racing carbon fiber bodywork doesn’t add much more to the scale, coming in at under 6 lbs, painted and with the Saddlemen seat pad fitted.

Benny Flores was responsible for laying down the Estenson Racing livery. And as always, Jeff had help from his right-hand guy a Palhegyi Design, Craig Smith, every step of the way.

Buttoned up and race-ready, Jeff’s MT07-DT looks absolutely phenomenal. But since he didn’t build it specifically to race with, we wonder what he has in store for it.

“It’s just some lighting away from being a street tracker,” he quips. “That may be the next step.”

Palhegyi Design | Instagram | Images by Jordan Penchion

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