MOTO GUZZI V50 BY RNO CYCLES

Think of a custom Moto Guzzi, and it’s invariably built in the ‘classic’ style: Timeless café racer lines, muted colors and bare metal. I’m a fan of that look, but it’s also refreshing to see someone take a completely different approach—and pull it off spectacularly.

This rapier-sharp V50 is called ‘Opal’ and comes from Arno Overweel, founder of Rno Cycles in Culemborg, The Netherlands. The styling is dominated by a bold, rising waistline that shows off the V-twin motor beautifully. The balance of the revised frame is so good that I’m hoping Moto Guzzi’s own designers are taking note.

The bike was commissioned by Goparts, a Dutch motorcycle accessory company, and Overweel designed many of the custom parts using CAD. He started with a 1982 V50 III, a bike that was popular in Europe but little known in the US. It has the small bore 490 cc motor with a five-speed transmission, but Overweel has changed the gearbox housing to the kick start ‘Nato’ type—so the electric starter (and its weight and paraphernalia) is gone.

Carburetion is 28mm Dell’Orto, mated to twin K&N filters, and the custom-fabricated exhaust is stainless steel under the wrapping. The suspension has been upgraded with new fork internals and a custom swing arm, ten centimeters longer than stock, hooked up to an HK Suspension monoshock.

The original 18” Moto Guzzi V50 wheels have held up well aesthetically, so they were refurbished and fitted with semi-slick Michelin Pilot Sporty tires. There’s a sprinkling of Rizoma parts throughout and local company Ben Oud’s Kustom Paints applied the immaculate paint.

I’d rate this as one of the best Moto Guzzi customs I’ve ever seen, in terms of vision, originality and craftsmanship. It’s worth keeping tabs on Arno Overweel’s work via his website and blog.

Images by Floris Velthuis.

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GILERA MILANO TARANTO

Before and after WWII, Italy was a haven for street racing. One of those races was the Milano Taranto, reportedly the longest of all the street races and with the added danger of nighttime running. The only entry requirement was a driver’s license and a motorcycle ready to race: a far cry from today’s heavily regulated competitions.

Gilera motorcycles were favored by many riders in those days, and in 1956 the final Milano Taranto was won by Pietro Carissoni in a Gilera 500 Saturno. The beautiful machine we’re looking at here is a smaller racer from the same year, a ‘Milano Taranto’ spec version of the Gilera 175.

It was restored by Hugo Gallina of Vintage Italian Restoration: “Back in 1958, my father owned a 175 Super Sport,” says Hugo. “The same basic motorcycle, but a street version. It was the first bike I sat on as a young kid—my father lifted me from the floor and sat me on top of the tank, and I remember burning my right foot with the exhaust header!”

Hugo never forgot that bike, and now, more than 50 years later, he has his own Gilera 175. It took a few years to restore it, but as these images show, it was worth the effort.

The perfect vintage steed for a leisurely weekend ride in the country, don’t you think?

Images courtesy of Jose Gallina.

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SANTIAGO CHOPPER ‘BUCATI’

Alain Bernard is one of the most unpredictable builders in the US: You can never guess what he’ll come up with next. The bread-and-butter of Santiago Chopper’s business is trike conversions, but Bernard also turns out traffic-stopping customs on a regular basis.

This is his latest, nicknamed ‘Bucati.’ Believe it or not, the bike is based on the 1998 Buell S1 Lightning, an oddball roadster with a wheezy 1203cc v-twin. But on the plus side, the S1 had a top speed of just over 125 mph (200 kph).

Bernard and mechanic Mike Lima have boosted the pushrod lump with 38mm Keihin CR carburetion and a Dyna 2000i ignition. They’ve also modified the frame, grafting a Ducati 1098 subframe and tail unit onto the back. (‘Bucati’…geddit?) The original battery box has been removed, and an oil tank fitted to the left-hand side of the bike.

The stock Buell swing arm has been swapped out for a more curvaceous custom-fabricated item. The hand controls are Beringer, and the rearsets are from Chainsickle. But it’s the paint job that jumps out—a monochrome mix of flat and gloss black that speaks softly but carries a big stick.

The blocky styling of the original Buell—a curious mix of Sportster and Aprilia Moto 6.5—has given way to a lithe and insect-like stance, accentuated by tiny LED lighting front and rear.

It’s an acquired taste, but then again, so was the S1. I’ll take this version.

Images by Erick Runyon of Choppershotz. For commissions, bookings and fine art prints contact Erick here.

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DUCATI PAUL SMART BY REVIVAL

The Ducati Paul Smart is one of the all-time greats—a high performance machine with equal appeal to fans of both modern and vintage machinery. But it’s not quite perfect … so Texas-based Revival Cycles leapt at the opportunity to thoroughly upgrade this 2006 model.

“We built it for a client who already has a Diavel and another Sport Classic,” says Revival’s Alan Stulberg. “The goal was to create the machine that Ducati should have originally built. The factory Paul Smart was a bit visually cluttered, with plastic bits here and there. It left the door wide open for us to give the Paul Smart a more vintage look with modern upgrades.”

Much of the work was done with the help of parts supplier JC/Pakbikes. Revival started by installing a Termi 2-into-1 pipe and relocated the oil lines to reveal the timing belt cover, which is a Rizoma piece. “We also used a new lower triple from JC, and Rizoma reservoirs to top off the Brembo RCS clutch and brake masters. Then we installed stainless lines, a rear Demontech caliper mount and Brembo monobloc calipers and rotors up front.”

Revival has also swapped out the stock Paul Smart front fender and mount for regular Sport Classic parts, to get a more ‘vintage’ and proportioned look. “It looks factory and clean and it’s easy to miss, but it’s a subtle detail that really adds something,” says Stulberg.

The wheels are now Alpina carbon fiber items with anodized hubs, giving a big weight saving. The Paul Smart’s notoriously hot voltage regulator has been relocated (using a custom alloy mount) to under the seat subframe, where it’s cooled better in the airflow.

Rider comfort has been boosted too, with brown suede upholstery to match Japanese Posh gum grips. A few extra metal Rizoma pieces (such as mirrors) increase the perception of quality.

The final touch is the tail section. “The client is a healthy 6’4″ tall and this helped push the plan to get rid of the old seat. We started with a fiberglass tail that was well proportioned—but not very well made—and then improved it,” says Stulberg. “We cut in a little American charm by installing a 1960s Corvette taillight bezel with a clear lens and a super bright red LED bulb.”

One of the neatest parts is the easiest to miss—Revival’s proprietary ‘Micro-Supernova’ rear turn signals. Using just three watts apiece, these tiny and bright signals are almost invisible when not lit. (“It was almost comical to see something less than 6mm x 15mm being carved out on a full-size Bridgeport mill.”)

Revival’s client is now out and about enjoying his ‘new’ Paul Smart, and has just booked his regular Sport Classic in for a major overhaul. “He’s like us and just can’t leave it alone!” says Stulberg.

Head over to the Revival Cycles website for more information on their projects, and keep up to date with the company’s news via their Facebook page.

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LOUIS75 JUBILÄUMSBIKE DUCATI

If you live in mainland Europe and ride a motorcycle, you’ve probably bought parts or accessories from a company called Louis. The Hamburg-based company is Europe’s largest moto retailer, and it’s just celebrated its 75th anniversary.

To mark the occasion, Louis commissioned Marcus Walz to build a custom bike—and asked for ‘a machine that combines tradition and the future.’ It was also a collaborative project with Louis’ customers: In five stages, votes were taken on Facebook regarding the basic concept, the wheels, handlebar, instruments and the finish.

A Ducati Sport 1000 was chosen as the starting point. Walz rejigged the sheet metal to create a slim and wiry look: The tank, seat unit and rear bodywork were beaten by hand out of aluminum, and the rear frame was redesigned. Even the housing of the fuel pump is custom-built, also machined from aluminum and hidden from view by integrating it into the tank. An 800-gram lithium-ion battery is now concealed underneath the seat hump.

An Öhlins fork (from a Ducati 999R) is used at the front, and a custom-built height-adjustable suspension is used at the rear. The triple tree is made from billet aluminium: it weighs around 1.5 kg less than the original, and is three times as stable. The braking system is state-of-the-art, too: Brembo monoblocks together with Lucas ‘Wave’ discs.

The controls are from LSL—from the bars and grips to the clutch and brake levers. Brake fluid reservoirs now sit on their own specially developed mounts, tightly and inconspicuously up against the triple tree. The V-Rod-style headlight (from Louis’ own range) adds to the compact feel of the front end. Walz foot controls, machined from aluminium, are adjustable in all directions. The wheels have Akront flat shoulder rims, and are shod with Metzeler Racetec K3 tires.

The inner workings of the Sport 1000 engine are untouched, with the exception of a light Ergal clutch basket and an SBK clutch. But engine output is up by eight horsepower, thanks to the titanium exhaust system developed by Akrapovic. And to give the engine a tidier appearance, Walz replaced the original oil lines with those from a Ducati Hypermotard—which do not run over the belt cover.

With the help of further mods such as an ultra-light wiring harness, the Ducati lost almost 20 kg in weight in the course of the rebuild. The finish is a special paint from the Ducati factory called “Anniversario Rosso,” used exclusively for anniversary and presentation models. It’s covered by a matt clear varnish that Walz describes as a secret mixture—smooth and low-maintenance like a gloss varnish, but with a subtle degree of matting.

The Jubiläumsbike will soon go on tour around Louis’ stores, and then it’ll be auctioned off with the proceeds donated to a good cause. Any bidders?

If you live in Europe, check out Louis’ online store here. And see more of Marcus Walz’ work on theWalz Hardcore Cycles site.

WALT SIEGL LEGGERO SERIES DUCATI

The market for high-end, bespoke custom motorcycles is tiny. To move beyond bolt-on parts takes hours of craftsmanship, and true artisans don’t come cheap. Walt Siegl is one of those rare craftsmen, and he’s also keenly aware of the dilemma: His bikes, lusted after by so many, are affordable by relatively few.

Siegl has taken a big step to correct the imbalance with his new Leggero Series, a limited run of production machines based on two-valve Ducati 900cc engines. Because it’s a limited run, costs are reduced without affecting quality. This is the prototype: feast your eyes.

‘Timeless’ is a word that gets bandied around too much, but it fits this machine perfectly. It looks modern yet ‘old’, without being faddishly retro. “I wanted to use classic sport/racing design elements that are clearly recognizable,” says Walt, “from exhaust to frame design.”

The exhaust pays homage to the Conti systems that all the big Bevels had. Walt has fashioned his in stainless steel, feeding through a collector unit. The frame is crafted from 4130 chrome moly steel tubing, and its design is a nod to the Verlicchis built for racing. “As a matter of fact, it has exactly the same weight as the Verlicchi TT1 and TT2 frames—19 lbs,” says Walt.

Suspension is via the trusty Showa fork, and rear shocks are Öhlins. The motor, in this case, is fitted with 39mm Keihins FCRs. The bodywork is carbon fiber: “I built the original tank and tail, then Matt Tanner [of Tannermatic], used my prototypes to create molds for this and future builds.”

Walt has had the frame and rearsets reverse-engineered by M&E Design. A Solidworks computer program has been created, which allows him to reproduce the designs. Why? “It allows me to build a superior product,” says Walt. “Solidworks programs allow stress analysis to be done. They take away the guesswork and reduce time spent on research. I can make certain that what I am building is strong enough, and that the pieces will fit well together.”

Over time, Walt has collected a group of smart, talented people to help him build the best possible product, and he’s happy to give them the kudos. As well as Tannermatic and M&E Design, Walt enlists Dave Goddard for painting, Eric Kobalth of Clubhouse Motorsports for engine rebuilds, and seamstress Vivienne Smith for upholstery. Alex Vogel of AVA Restoration helps to design a truly modern, fully electronic wiring harness.

“Although the bikes are still hand-built by me, one at a time, these technologies have shaved off many, many hours in the workshop building one-offs,” says Walt. “It’s always been my desire to build more accessible bikes.”

If this Superlight takes your fancy, you’ll be glad to know that you get plenty of choices when it comes to specifying the bike. You can choose either a mono-shock or dual-shock set-up. There is a half-fairing option as well. Bodywork choices are: full carbon fiber, clear-coated or painted; or painted vacuum-molded fiberglass.

For price and availability, contact Walt through his website at www.waltsiegl.com. Take your place behind me in the queue—and no pushing.

Images by Michael Rubenstein. Head over to the Bike EXIF Google+ page for an extra photo gallery.