CAFÉ RACER 76

The world’s best motorcycle, custom built for Classic Driver

As rare and fast as a Münch Mammut, and as futuristic as a science-fiction toy straight out of Hollywood, the new Lotus motorcycle is already considered the superbike of the new millennium. Classic Driver was one of the first customers to commission a Lotus C-01...

There’s great and then there’s...

Vincent Black Shadow, Brough Superior, Münch Mammut, Kawasaki Z1, Ducati 916. Plenty of great motorcycles have been built over the years, but really great ones don’t come along that often. Which is why the long-awaited arrival of the Lotus C-01 should be regarded as a biking landmark – because it truly is one of those rare ‘really great’ motorcycles.

Child of Tron

When the C-01 was first announced in January 2014, it attracted a degree of scepticism because it seemed so different, so futuristic and so implausible that many believed it would never actually enter production. But now it has, and the nay-sayers have been proved radically wrong.

Classic Driver recently took delivery of one of the first examples, custom-finished in our very own livery, and we remain in awe of this remarkable Lotus-badged machine built under licence by the German engineering firm Kodewa, celebrated for its success in everything from DTM to rallying and Formula 1.

Add to that the fact that the C-01 was designed by none other than Daniel Simon, whose past projects have included the Bugatti Veyron and the fantastically futuristic vehicles seen in movies such as Tron: Legacy, Prometheus and Oblivion, and the reasons why the bike is as good as it is begin to become apparent.

Kawasaki-killer

Combining a smooth, slippery, all-enveloping carbonfibre body, a frame made from titanium and aerospace-grade steel, and the same 1200cc, V-twin Rotax engine found in KTM’s RC8R superbike (but tweaked to produce 200bhp), the C-01 is every bit as radical as the far-out vehicles found in Simon's books, ‘Cosmic Machines’and ‘Timeless Racers’– except in this case, concept has turned to dramatic reality.

The Classic Driver C-01 became one of the first examples seen in action when we took it to theGlemseck 101 motorcycle festival in September, where it amazed onlookers by trouncing Kawasaki’s supercharged, 300 horsepower Ninja H2 in a series of sprints.

A masterpiece of German engineering

Before that could happen, however, the C-01 needed to clock up 1,000 kilometres for Corser to be able to use full power. And the enviable task of running it in went to Tobias Aichele, motorcycle fanatic and proprietor of Premium Motorrad, the sole distributor of the Lotus bike in Europe.

“We are receiving more and more enquiries about the C-01 now that people realise it has actually entered production – and its performance at the Glemseck 101 amazed the spectators. No one could believe how fast it is.

“But it’s not only the performance. The finish is really impressive, and that goes for every detail, from the electrical system down to the fuel tank. To look at, it’s a masterpiece of German engineering, and to ride, it’s even better. Because it has such a long wheelbase, I wasn’t expecting it to handle especially well... but it’s beautiful. I don’t know how they’ve done it, but it takes curves like an all-out sports bike.

100 examples at 100,000 euros each

“I would say it’s an extremely fast motorcycle - not in terms of its top speed, but in the way it performs on the backroads. The handling is superb, and the power delivery is just effortless. The red line is at 6,000rpm, but you don’t need to go anywhere near that in order to ride the C-01 quickly, because it offers so much torque,” adds Aichele, who likens the bike to the legendary Münch Mammut in terms of its radical design and appearance.

A maximum of 100 examples of the €100,000 (plus local taxes) C-01 will be built, production of which will occur in batches of 20. For more information, see www.Lotus-Motorcycles.com

Yamaha TX650 – Hageman Motorcycles

Written my Martin Hodgson.

High school graduations often end with parents giving their kids a special gift. I, for example, got a ball point pen with my name engraved on it. But when your Dad is friends with Greg Hageman, one lucky girl got this 1973 Yamaha TX650 retro racer. That my friends is some kind of gift!

One of the most accomplished builders in the industry with multiple bikes featured on Café Racer TV, magazine features, show wins and a top ten finish in Pipeburn’s 2014 Bike of the Year Awards, Greg builds show quality bikes for the street with the sort of attention to detail one expects from a man who has attained his Master level 5 Technician status working for more than a decade at a Harley Davidson dealership. This machine was actually built some ten years ago which goes to show just how well his bikes stand the test of time and equally as impressive the modifications were done in a way that allows the “Yamaha Whisperer” to return the 650 back to stock if it’s so desired.

But this particular Yamaha is quite different to the ones you normally see roll out of Greg’s workshop, unlike the Café Racers and Scramblers that have made him so famous this is a race replica that would make any factory outfit proud! When it comes to vintage race replicas you simply must get the look right and as always Greg has done exactly that. The full fairings come courtesy of California’s Airtech who have been fabricating bodywork for race teams since the early eighties. What makes this one step above the norm however is that it can also be run with just half fairings by removing the lower sections or with the removal of 6 bolts the whole fairing comes off; Clamp on the Bates style headlight and the race replica turns into a clean café racer.

Continuing the race look is the fitment of an XS750 fuel tank that not only looks period correct for a race build but also takes the shape of the long-range tanks used on race bikes at places like the Isle of Man. The seat is typical Hageman in its perfection and suits the build to a t in either guise, with ample padding for long days in the saddle. The side covers remain and keep the overall look of the build exceptionally clean with just their “OHC 650” decals and the Yamaha items on the tank being the only hint as to what’s underneath. The stunning gloss black paint is also a tip of the cap to a time when race machinery didn’t look like they’d been vomited on by a sticker factory; silver racing stripes and yellow number surrounds give the finishing touch to a bike that looks like it belongs in a museum of past GP winners.

But looks is not all that Hageman is about, not by a long shot and this build ensures that rideability and reliability are a big part of the equation. The front forks move in tapered steering head bearings and have been fitted with adjustable preload caps that you can see above the upper triple clamp. The swimgarm has been replaced with one from a later model 650 and it too runs on roller bearings with new shocks featuring progressive rate springs. By 1973 many of the earlier handling problems had been fixed with the frame heavily gusseted around the swingarm mount, steering head, and rear engine mount. With the engine moved forward 10mm and lowered 10mm to get the centre of gravity lower and further forward. With no front guard Hageman has fitted a fork brace instead and gators to tidy things up.

The iconic Yamaha parallel twin was stripped down and given a complete rebuild with all new gaskets and internals for flawless operation. Despite his ability to get great horsepower numbers out of all most any engine, Hageman decided to keep this one relatively stock knowing the rider was new to bikes. The ignition system has had the popular Boyer Bransden Digital ignition upgrade and the 650 converted to a solid state charging system. The engine benefits from the fitment of later model carburettors while the exhaust is a stunning twin chrome system that finishes in two low slung megaphone mufflers.

A set of clubman bars position the hands perfectly in the fairing cut outs and feature a pair of GT grips. Stock switchblocks are retained for full functionality and a set of bar end mirrors have been fitted, you have to keep reminding yourself this racer is road legal! Keeping an eye on all the vital signs and signalling the ton is close are a pair of chrome cupped gauges that ensure race like minimalism is retained. While the right riding position is achieved with a set of raw metal rearsets that look just the part on this retro racer.

While the gift went over a treat the motorcycle bug never quite captured the young high school graduate and after being in the hands of her father for 10 years the TX650 was shipped back to Greg for a freshen up before being sold to an ad agency in California. It may have been a decade between trips to the Hageman shop but with the Classic TT taking off and retro racing back in vogue you can only hope Hageman Cycles delivers another retro racer for worldwide appreciation.

Back in black. And white.

[Photos by Erick Runyon for Bell Helmets] via PIPEBURN

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