MOTORIEEP VOXAN #2

Engine configuration is personal preference, some prefer the silky smooth four-bangers from the land of the rising sun and others the angry pop from a slipper pistoned single but when it comes to aural pleasure a V-twin is hard to beat. Whether it be the lazy potato potato from a Harley or the aggressive howl of a Panigale, Vees look great and sound the best – in my opinion at least.

I’ve yet to hear exactly what a Voxan sounds like but something tells me that the 72 degree 998cc motor designed by a race car engine manufacturer with Le Mans pedigree is going to sound pretty epic, especially after a stay in the Motorieep workshop. Owner Pierre is never content with simply carrying out an aesthetic makeover preferring to extract more power and shed weight in a bid to offer a raw and exciting riding experience.

Performance is nothing without reliability and Pierre prefers not to rely on the fairly basic Voxan wiring loom, especially when trying to extract more from the electronics and fuelling. A new loom saves further weight and is designed specifically for the planned upgrades, powered by tiny lithium battery that lives under the seat.

The high pressure fuel pump is now externally mounted with flow calibrated by an adjustable regulator that allows between 3.5 and 5 bar to be sent to the re-sequenced injectors. A custom air intake and remapped ECU convert the extra juice into 123HP and 110 Nm of torque, which doesn’t sound much compared to modern sports bikes but with the overall weight trimmed down to 186kg including fuel and oil performance should be spirited to say the least.

The custom stainless headers and a SBK muffler must sound fantastic on full throttle and we’d like to think that Pierre has dialled the electronics in to allow a burst of flame on overrun. As the Voxan will undoubtedly use a fair amount of fuel the tank needed to be bespoke to the build. Thankfully Pierre is a decent fabricator and was able to cut an old unit from another bike and weld in sections to achieve a svelte line whilst maintaining volume. If the engine isn’t loud enough, the candy red paint job certainly is, again, from Pierre’s own hand.

Up front a refurbished Yamaha XT500 headlight bowl has been retrofitted with a crystal headlight. An all-in-one GPS speedo also incorporates an array of warning lights to make sure the rider is fully abreast of what’s going on beneath. A hand-laid carbon fibre mudguard is further testament to Pierre’s skills and position as innovative and talented custom builder. We look forward to seeing more from Motoieep during 2016.

Photos by Adrien Geny via the bike Shed