Custom Bikes Of The Week: 26 March, 2017

The best cafe racers, scramblers and bobbers of the week
Not one but two killer new builds from VTR, the Swiss flavors of the month. Plus a frankly bizarre Moto Guzzi Audace by Vibrazioni Art Design, and a Public Service Announcement about a stolen custom Bonneville.

BMW K100 by VTR Customs
BMW K100 by VTR Customs In the past, inspiration from nautical design has dominated the automotive landscape—creating some of its most fondly remembered eras. But it’s never been a form that translates well to the world of two-wheels. At least not until now.

Working with Boesch Boats, the Swiss bespoke shipwrights, VTR Customs decided that BMW’sflying brick’ would be the best donor for something floaty. Of course, that meant the VTR team had quite a bit of work ahead of them. All of the K100’s factory plastics were cut loose, in favor of a slender look, and a new snub-nosed subframe was welded up with an integrated LED.

BMW K100 by VTR Customs
Sitting just atop that lighting is a hand-hammered seat and tail unit that appears to hover above the chromoly work. Both the starboard and port sides receive matching minimalist side panels, and the front fairing delivers an aggressive stance.

But it’s the head-on and top-down views that truly render the beauty of Boesch 100. Heavily lacquered wood panels run the length of the Beemer, with subtle brushed aluminum details popping up along the way.

BMW R1200R sprint bike by VTR Customs
BMW R1200R by VTR Customs We know what you’re thinking. Another VTR Customs bike? Isn’t that the second in this collection? And the third on this site within a week? Well, yes, yes and yes. But honestly, can you blame us?

Working from BMW’s new water-boxer R1200R, ‘Eddie21’ is the bike that racer Amelie Mooseder will be piloting for the VTR team during this year’s Essenza races. Just as last year’s entry ‘Goodwood’ paid homage to the British racing circuit, this year’s Eddie21 celebrates the 80s Superbike legend Eddie Lawson.

To achieve that goal, VTR have plied their hands to every bit of the Beemer roadster. The tank and airbox are handmade, aluminum units, with integrated ram-air type intake plenums feeding the boxer twin below. There’s also a trick set of custom gauges that evoke builder Dani Weidmann’s wristwatch fetish.

Since this is a race bike, all of the components are top notch. Öhlins suspenders keep the Kineo wheels planted, while Magura binders slow things down. And since rider Amelie Mooseder is notorious for applying an extra layer of lipstick before the flags drop, Dani has also added a tiny mirror to make sure his pilot is always looking her best. [More]

Honda XL100S by Revolt Cycles
Honda XL100S by Revolt Cycles Revolt are based in Cebu City in the Philippines, and combine their love of surfing with a passion for custom enduro motorcycles. This very cool XL100S is their latest project and is called Lantu’Ag—which not only nails their design direction, but also epitomizes the translated name: to roam.

Lantu’Ag was built for a Manila-based surf shop owner, Bjorn Pabon, who has serious ties to the donor bike. As a youth, Bjorn and his mate used to sneak rides on a ‘borrowed’ 1984 XL. And decades later, when he was feeling nostalgic, he decided to search out that lost ride. It took tons of effort, but the old XL finally turned up—leaning on a porch post, dead and rotting.

The carcass quickly found its way into Revolt’s shop and the eight-month rebuild began. Everything from the motor, electrics, wheels and chassis needed a thorough going over, but after seeing the results, we figure the efforts were worth it. The little Honda has a whole new 12v CDI system installed, retrofitted forks, an all-new, hooped subframe unit and a lower profile fuel cell. Because of Bjorn’s ties to the world of waves, Revolt also added a removable rack to accommodate Bjorn’s quiver, for trips through the bush to his favorite, hidden point breaks. [More]

Moto Guzzi Audace by Vibrazioni Art Design
Moto Guzzi Audace by Vibrazioni Art Design Guzzi’s ‘Lord of the Bikes’ custom competition is back in full swing—and this time, each round of the competition features a different donor from Guzzi’s catalog. This Audace cruiser is the latest entry, supplied by the Lombarda’s Daft Punk lookalikes, Vibrazioni Art Design.

No strangers to controversial endeavors, Vibrazioni embraced the challenge with ‘Vertigo’ and won round four. Over 180 man-hours were dedicated to the construction and fabrication of the Kevlar and carbon fiber bits that make up this rolling tribute to Japanese design. All of the bodywork is either handmade, or the product of 3D printing. The tank is a hand-formed, sheet steel unit, while the belly pan and lowers are a mix of carbon and Kevlar. The front fairing appears to have collected all of MotoGP’s banned and discarded front wings.

Just about all the mechanicals have been covered in some form of woven aerodynamics, too. From the wheels to the forks to the driveshaft, little is left on display—giving the bike an Akira-inspired vibe. This style may not be for everyone, but every bike Vibrazioni touch is unmistakably their own. [More]

Stolen Triumph Bonneville owned by Heath Cofran
Stolen Bike—Triumph Bonneville ‘Evel June’ The motorcycling community is incredibly tight knit and supportive. Whatever your function within in it, even just as a rider, you know that we’ve all got your back. It’s why we wave at each other on the highway and why we celebrate the work of others on outlets like Bike EXIF.

Which is why we’re posting this 2004 Triumph Bonneville, named Evel June. We need your eyes to be peeled for her because Evel June was stolen from her owner’s home in Torrance, California, on Thursday.

Obviously Evel June stands out in a crowd, with Evel Knievel-inspired paint by Anaheim Rod and Custom. The Bonnie also sports a custom 2-into-2 Iron Cobras exhaust and rides on a matched set of flat-tracker hoops from Dubya wheels. Everything at the front end is completely custom including the triple tree, bars, number board, hidden starter button and removable headlight setup.

Evel June is no garage queen: She’s been ridden through 18 states and two different countries, and has battle scars from countless flat track and road racing events. There are major emotional ties between Heath Cofran and his bike, and on top of that it was being saved for his young son. The VIN# is SMT900HN44J205961. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Stolen Triumph Bonneville owned by Heath Cofran

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