Wojtek’s Cyclops Virago

This Yamaha Virago 750 is not your average looking custom build, with a whole host of unique ideas and parts from interesting sources, all showing a great imagination as well as solid building skills.

The bike’s creator and owner, Wojtek, spends mots of his time in the garage and since this build he’s had enough inquiries about various components and parts for him to seriously thinking about setting up shop, but either way, building more bikes is definitely on the agenda.

The build started over a year ago when Wojtek sold his previous bike, and SV1000, as he wanted something completely unique. He went through all the usual magazines, blogs and websites looking for inspiration but he was already forming an idea of what he wanted.

The plan was to mix a few styles, using a lot of raw metals, like copper, brass, aluminium and stainless steel, to give an old motorcycle feel, but there was clearly a post-modern influence too.

Most of the bike was built by hand, from the exhaust and silencers to the front and rear lights, as well as modifications to the frame to accommodate the front end from a TL, swingarm from an NTV and rear shock from an R6. There’s also been a healthy weight loss of around 40kg, about the same weight as a petite girlfriend.

The fuel tank was  modified, as were the footrests, plus a new airbox and the brake and clutch levers were reversed (we don’t know why either). There is also a single-sided plate holder and plenty of other details apparent from these photos, but this bike isn’t about a parts list, it’s really all about that silhouette with those extended headlamps and the clean rear end.

It took five months to build and Wojtek is very happy with the bike, which he has named Cyclops, (which doesn’t really need any explanation). It was built to ride around town but he’s found himself on much longer trips, a few at over 400km, so we can assume it’s comfy too. Thanks for sharing Wojtek.

via The Bike Shed

Suzuki reveals Crosshiker, X-LANDER and HUSTLER concepts

To debut at Tokyo Motor Show

Suzuki has revealed three concepts which will be showcased next month at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show in Japan.

First up is the red Crosshiker compact crossover which is described as an alternative to the 2011 Regina conceptshown at the same venue. It has the size of a compact car in a body that weighs just 810 kg (1,785 lbs) with power coming from a new three-cylinder, 1.0-liter engine.

The silver X-LANDER concept rides on the Jimny platform and has a four-wheel drive system while under the hood it gets a 1.3-liter engine linked to a newly developed automatically-controlled manual gearbox. The concept is actually a hybrid as it features an electric motor built onto the four-wheel drive system.

Lastly, the orange HUSTLER concept is a crossover which fits in the minicar segment and was designed for those who love sports and the outdoors. Suzuki plans on showcasing the concept also as a more stylish coupe but with the same "roomy, comfortable, and useful interior."

Full details about other Suzuki products to be shown at Tokyo Motor Show can be found in the attached press release.

Source: Suzuki

via Worldcarfans

Mission RS: The Electric Superbike of the Future

I know a lot of people will hate on this as always happens with electric bikes, but besides from the price and the range I see mainly positives in the development of battery powered bikes. They are super fun to ride, and if they can sort out the battery technology, the charging infrastructure and where all the energy will come from to charge them I see a place for them in the future. Either that or it’s all out mad max!:

As compared to their gasoline counterparts, electric motors have near-instant torque and linear power delivery, both important qualities when pushing a motorcycle to the limits of grip. Motherboard recently got to see just how effective the electric RS could be when we were given a demo by a former pro racer around a private race track in upstate New York.

Given the slow growth of the electric vehicle market and resultant charging infrastructure—it’s about as straightforward a chicken-egg scenario as one can get—can high-end electric vehicles break the stalemate? That’s been Tesla’s plan, with a goal of not just building electric cars, but better cars. Mission’s plan is similar—build the best electric bike possible, and those that can afford it won’t have to worry about compromises. For EV builders, it’s important to prove to the market that electric vehicles can compete, something the RS does well. But the huge question is when the technology will trickle down to cheaper models and more potential buyers.

Ken Box Crazy Cart Gymkhana - A Tribute to Ken Block! (funny gorilla)

Ken Box Crazy Cart Gymkhana: a Tribute to Ken Block
Created by Todd Grossman and Ali Kermani


We are such huge fans of the original Gymkhana videos that we just had to make one of our own! Ken Block's Gymkhana 5 drifting in San Francisco was unreal so we decided to ask the warehouse team at Razor if we could spend our Saturday in the warehouse filming the original first of it's kind Ken Box. And of course, what's a Gymkhana video without a gorilla and a ladder?