KAWASAKI W800 BY LSL

This Kawasaki W800 custom is the most “British” looking build I’ve seen for a while. So it’s ironic that it was built by a German company. It’s called the “Lindy Bob” and it comes from LSL Motorradtechnik of Krefeld. In stock form, the W800 is a tribute to 1960s British iron but LSL has repositioned the bike in the 1930s. Check out those boardtracker-style drop bars, the small black headlight, and the 18” spoked wheels with black anodized aluminum rims.

The stock W800 is a well-balanced all-rounder, so LSL has left the core of the bike alone. But they’ve upgraded the triple trees and front brakes, and fitted braided hose. They’ve also put the rear of the bike on a diet with a slimmer seat, old-style shocks and a shorter fender. A matt red tank and black Krümmerband (heat wrap) completes the look. Head over to LSL’s Clubman site for more retro-themed builds, and check out our feature on the custom Triumph Scrambler they helped to build for the Tridays show.

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CLASSIFIED MOTO XV1100

Classified Moto are just turning out winner after winner. It’s hard to believe the Richmond, VA-based hotshop has only been operating for two years, but owner John Ryland now has orders for 13 bikes on the go. This is his latest, based on a 1989 Yamaha Virago XV1100. The machine has a more aggressive look than previous CM bikes: it’s angular, muscular and low-slung. “We just had a gallery-type show in NYC, and everyone who sat on the bike put on their ‘mean biker’ face,” laughs Ryland.

“The Virago 1100 (like other stock Viragos) is pretty much a checklist of things I don’t like in a motorcycle,” says Ryland. “But there seems to be an unlimited supply of them for sale at reasonable prices, and people are starting to do really cool stuff with them. Greg Hageman is on a Virago rampage and we’re watching in awe. We love Greg and his bikes.” (So do we.)

Classified Moto’s signature gold forks are the strongest splash of color on this bike. They’re from a 2004 Suzuki GSX-R1000, and hooked up to a CNC-machined custom upper triple clamp. The tank is from a Yamaha XS400, and there’s a recessed compartment for a tool kit under the tank. Leather straps (or rather, Chihuahua collars) hold the kit in place. “I couldn’t find any vintage leather straps that were small enough!” says Ryland.

The footpegs are made from transmission shafts left over from Classified’s popular moto lamps. And yes, they occasionally scrape: “Not a ton of clearance, but not much less than stock. And the riding position is really comfortable, despite its aggressive appearance.”

Head over to the Classified Moto website for more images of Ryland’s bikes, and keep in touch with CM news via their Facebook page.

Images by Adam Ewing.

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DP CUSTOMS ‘DEFENSOR’ IRONHEAD

After several years of customizing Harley ironheads, DP Customs have got it down to a fine art. This is their latest creation, ‘Defensor’—a tribute to the late Formula 1 racing driver Ayrton Senna. “The bike was commissioned by a customer whose favorite racing driver is Senna,” says Jarrod Del Prado. “We’re huge motorsports fans too, and have followed Senna since his first win with Lotus. So we decided to go with a livery of yellow, green, and black.”

The biggest job was the frame, which was hardtailed and extended four inches. Then the forks were shaved smooth on a lathe and polished. The same bright aluminum polished effect can be seen on the primary/cam covers, and the rocker boxes.

As with all DP bikes, the motor has been overhauled and fitted with a rebuilt carburetor. The 2-into-1 headers are hand-made, and flow into a three-inch collector. This ironhead is now riding on 19” front and 16” rear wheels, powdercoated in matte black and shod with Bridgestone Battlax tires. DP replaced the stock rotors with stainless cross-drilled items, and also fitted their hand-crafted clip-ons for an aggressive riding position. There are nine coats of paint on the tank, finished with a matte clear coat that works beautifully with the bright colors underneath.

Even when it’s standing still, this is a bike that looks fast.

Images courtesy of Jed Stahm.

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RADICAL DUCATI ‘PANTAHSTICA’

There’s a sweet spot in custom motorcycle building—a point where performance and beautiful aesthetics collide. Spain’s Radical Ducati hit this spot time after time, and they’ve done it again with ‘Pantahstica’. You could be forgiven for thinking it’s a Ducati Pantah, given the color scheme, but it’s actually based on a Cagiva Alazzurra, a mid-80s touring derivative of the Pantah.

Radical Ducati tore the donor bike apart and effectively started afresh. The frame is completely new at the back, with a Verlicchi-type aluminum swingarm and Öhlins shock. Up front, Ducati 851 forks handle the suspension duties. The motor is a blueprinted 750 Paso, with ported heads, big valves, TT2 camshafts, Dell’Orto PHM 41 carburetors and a lightened flywheel. The oil radiator and wheels are from a Ducati Monster, and the braking system is mostly Brembo.

The bodywork is all custom-made, apart from the fairing, which is from a Ducati racing single. The extremely businesslike exhaust system is a Wolfman two-into-one, terminated with a Spark GP-style megaphone.

Looks like fun, doesn’t it?

Head over to the Radical Ducati Facebook page for more images of Pantahstica. (And while you’re there, don’t forget to ‘Like’ the Bike EXIF page.)

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MULE TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE T100

By David Edwards—Richard Pollock is having good problems. Demand for his Mule street-trackers is running ahead of supply, so much so that customers are now buying his personal motorcycles out from underneath him!

Actually, even Pollock’s own bikes are work-related. This 2007 Triumph Bonneville T100 that he was keeping for himself also served as testbed for products being developed by Streetmaster, the small Southern California speed house Pollock does work for. That explains the seat cowl, prototype for a kit in development. Likewise, the 2-into-1 exhaust pipe. The motor benefits from a 904cc big-bore kit, cams, rejetted carbs and K&N air filters.

To get straighter exits from the exhaust ports, Pollock jettisoned the stock oil cooler and installed a set of Streetmaster replacement frame downtubes. These bolt-on pieces are reworked with fittings so that oil now circulates through them, cleaning up the front half of the frame structure, increasing oil capacity and allowing the engine to run cooler than stock.

While that’s a subtle visual improvement, it’s hard to miss the upgraded front end, running a Streetmaster/Mule hub, stainless-steel spokes and a Red Devil four-piston caliper gripping a Brembo rotor on a Kosman center. Mule billet triple-clamps hold Honda CBR954RR inverted forks and a Harley Sportster headlight. The bars are aluminum Vortex flat-track style wearing a Brembo master cylinder and a Ducati Hypermotard throttle. In the rear, another Streetmaster/Mule hub, Brembo rotor and caliper, and an RK Gold chain. The chainguard received a series of large flared holes prior to powdercoat. Rims front and rear are 19-inch Suns with Dunlop dirt-track tires. Shocks are adjustable Race Techs.

Pollock was happy with the way the Triumph turned out. “Looks kinda stock with a better ride and way more Go,” he said. Unfortunately, the Mule-modded T100 caught the eye of Matt Helder, drummer for the indie rock band Arctic Monkeys, who refused to take no for an answer. Sold! Maybe Richard can catch his bike in the group’s next music video?

See more customs and more of David Edwards’ work in the premier issue of BikeCraft magazine, on newsstands now. For a preview, go to www.bikecraftmagazine.com.

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MARIA TRIUMPH THRUXTON

It’s always good to hear about a new builder starting out, and even better when that builder is from a country that doesn’t have an obvious custom scene. This is one of the first creations from Maria Motorcycles of Lisbon, Portugal, and it’s a great start. Maria’s philosophy is to get to the essence of a bike and “keep it simple”, and that’s what they’ve done with this super-clean custom based on a 2010 Triumph Thruxton. The owner was tired of the crouched riding position, and wanted a bike with a more open cockpit. So the first job was to install new bars—painted white—and create a smaller, custom-made seat.

The frame was trimmed at the back to clean up the look, and the fork lowers were also trimmed of extraneous plastic. The engine internals were left alone, but the exhaust gas recirculation system was removed and the injection system retuned to match. The bike was then dechromed and the bodywork given a paint scheme inspired by old-school NASCAR racers. The finishing touch was Heidenau K60 tires—a highly rated dual sport pattern that works well both on- and off-road.

All relatively simple modifications, but with this one, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Keep an eye out for future Maria Motorcycles builds on their Facebook page—the website is coming soon.

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Insects and flowers

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