Then they set out along the blacktop in the gunmetal light, shuffling through the ash, each the other’s world entire.—Cormac McCarthy, The Road
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When the apocalypse comes, this is the bike I will be riding. Because it’s probably the toughest bike in the world. It’s the civilian version of the Hayes Diversified Technologies M1030, the most highly regarded military motorcycle in the West. It’s not yet on sale, although there’s a waitlist you can get onto. The price will be $18,500 + tax and shipping, and there are several things that make this machine something out of the ordinary. For starters, the M1030-M2 LE 670—to give it its full name—can run on seven different fuels including diesel, biodiesel, JP8 aviation kerosene and other military fuel variants. It’s based on the already bulletproof Kawasaki KLR650, but the engine is HDT’s own: a 670cc 4-stroke, indirect injection liquid-cooled thumper. Output varies according to fuel quality, with the optimum being 33hp—good enough for 152 kph (95 mph). Hit the water and you’re still doing fine, because this bike has a fording depth of 610mm, so it can safely traverse water two feet deep. All lights meet military specs for ‘blackout lighting’, whatever that is, and you can even specify an infrared driving light—pictured below—which sounds like fun. Pretty much everything on the HDT M1030 is not only heavy duty but also waterproof, dustproof and non-reflective, right down to the fork boots. And you can ride all day without having to refuel, because the range is 653 km at a very brisk 90 kph (408 miles at 55 mph). The only downside is that this diesel motorcycle comes in just one color: tan. But if you find yourself needing this machine, color is probably going to be the least of your worries. [For more diesel motorcycle goodness, check out the stylish Track T-800CDI from Holland. It's the evil twin of the KTM Adventure, and it's on sale right now.] Read More »
For a brand as iconic as Bimota, it’s surprisingly hard to find good images of their motorcycles. So this isn’t a real KB1—it’s a replica created using parts from the Japanese Doremi Collection custom outfitter. The original Bimota fairing is obviously gone, but the underlying aesthetics are just … right. The KB1 was based on Kawasaki’s Z1, which first appeared in late 1972. The Z1 was one of the first true superbikes, but like most of its ilk, a bit of a handful on the limit. Bimota came late to the party, only launching its KB1 derivative in 1978, but the Bimota formula was tried-and-tested: lose weight and improve handling. The chassis was radically revised, including being shortened by 2.5 inches, and given new suspension components and steering geometry. The modifications were remarkably effective: if the four-cylinder DOHC motor was left stock, top speed of the Bimota was around 144mph as opposed to the Z1’s 125mph. And the KB1 would run rings around a stock Z1 in the twisties. Most remarkable of all, Bimota’s extensive modifications would set you back only about 17% more than the price of a regular K1. Not surprisingly, the KB1 was one of Bimota’s most popular bikes, with over 300 sold between 1978 and 1981. I can just imagine blasting across France on one of these on a warm autumn evening, heading to Circuit Paul Ricard for the Bol d’Or. [The image below is the real deal. More replica Bimota parts here.]
PS: Big thanks to our latest advertiser Urban Rider for helping to keep Bike EXIF’s rubber on the road. They stock the Belstaff Pure Motorcycle Collection, Tucano Urbano clothing, Draggin Jeans, and helmets from Givi, Roof, Momo, Lem and Davida—with shipping worldwide.
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In the mid 90s, the XJR 1200 was Yamaha’s foray into the increasingly popular ‘naked’ bike market. And it was no slouch, with a reported top speed of 220kph (136mph). Fast forward a decade, and here’s an even faster XJR 1200—built in 2006 by German designer Jens Finke, and featured in Fighters Magazin. The engine is heavily uprated: the stock inline four puts out 98 hp, but Jens’ bike has considerably more. It’s packing serious heat with JE pistons, a flowed head, a hot cam, K&N filters and a stage II Dynojet kit. Plus that 4-into-1 exhaust—a lightweight Eagle Mach 7 DB Killer model, designed to give a useful power boost without infringing strict European noise regulations. Jens also reinforced the frame, powdercoated it black and attached an FZR front end and custom swingarm. Those unusual parts on the front are CNC-machined and there are neat touches throughout, such as the ignition being moved to under the seat. Good to see a streetfighter with a little restraint—I’d say this one is an iron fist in a velvet glove. Read More »
Wednesday 28th July, 2010
Milwaukee’s current offerings rarely get my motor running, but I find it hard to resist a good Panhead. And this one is an absolute knockout. It’s owned by Troy Critchlow of the Chico Moto blog, and it’s the quintessential vintage Harley, as seen through a 70s lens. Troy has an eye for a good ride and he’s an inveterate fiddler when it comes to mechanicals—so it’s not surprising his own bike looks like a million dollars. His Panhead is something of a hybrid, with a 1951 FL motor (74ci, high compression) connected to a 1939 EL transmission case with Pan gears. It’s all sitting in a 1949 wishbone frame with an offset Springer fork—“Bed springs on a pogo stick,” says Troy. The carburettor is an authentic Linkert, the magneto is a Morris, and there’s no battery—just a Cycle Electric generator and an Electric Franks regulator. Troy himself made the sinuous, stainless exhaust with the perfectly-judged upkicks, along with the sissy bars, and he also modified the tank to hold a little more fuel. And as you can see, he’s pretty handy with a camera too. Close to Harley perfection, don’t you think? [Check out Chico Moto for more vintage chopper goodness.] Read More »
Think of a custom Honda and it’s invariably a CB. I don’t think I’ve seen any Rebel customs before, and I certainly haven’t seen a Rebel bobber. But this little machine, nicknamed ‘Rocky’ by owner Jason Wolske, looks sweet. And even better, he’s catalogued the whole build on a Tumblr blog, along with excellent photography. When Justin bought his bone-stock 1985 Honda Rebel CMX250, it turned out to have no compression in one cylinder. So he bought a replacement engine for the princely sum of $350 (including shipping!) and started work. This included struts to turn the bike into a rigid, a solo seat, a velocity stack and K&N filter, a white-faced speedometer and drag bars with new grips. Relatively simple and cheap modifications, but ones that presented a few unforseen problems along the way. Jason reports that Rocky has a new owner now: “I put her on Craigslist and in under 24 hours she was gone. Craziness. Anyway, on to the next project. I learned a whole lot about bikes, that’s the whole reason I bought the bike to begin with.” [Spotted on Vanishing Point.]
Nikon D300 | 1/800s | f/1.4 | ISO 320 | Focal length 50mm
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It’s a shame not to see Moto Guzzi competing at the top level in motorsport—especially given the marque’s illustrious racing history. And a MotoGP Guzzi roaring down the never-ending Mugello straight would sound like the proverbial Lancaster bomber taking off. But despite Mandello’s official disinterest, there’s no shortage of racing Guzzis out there—and this retired racer looks like one of the best. It’s owned by Dylan Egon of New Jersey, who also has a BSA Lightning, a Norton Dunstall and a Ducati Scrambler in his stable. The Guzzi is thought to be a ’76 Le Mans, and Egon is planning to make the bike road-legal again. That way he can make better use of the upgraded suspension set-up and reworked motor—which is running Carrillo rods, dual-plug heads and a long duration, high lift Megacycle cam. With straight pipes so short they’re almost invisible, I bet this Guzzi sounds insane. [Images by Svend Lindbaek.]
Canon EOS 5D Mark II | 1/640 sec | f/4 | ISO 200 | Focal length 50mm
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Jeremy Cupp of LC Fabrications is a true original when it comes to building bikes, renowned for his ‘antique’ customs such as TT Deluxe. So this ’79 XS650 custom, called ‘Chicken Salad’ is a departure from Cupp’s usual style. Cupp got the bike from a friend who’d started work on it and then had enough, and when LC Fabrications had some down time, Cupp decided to see what he could make of this XS650. The result is a compact tracker-style custom but with a hard-tail back end and a cantilevered seat. The bars are stubbed right into the triple tree, and the tank is a cut-up old Honda CL360 item. The motor—which had only 11,000 miles on the clock—was boosted with a 750 cylinder kit from XS Performance, 36mm Mikuni round slide carburetion, and mild porting. And why ‘Chicken Salad’? According to Cupp, it’s from the saying ‘You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken shit’: “The guy I got this bike from gave it to us, because it was ‘just an effing Yamaha’. So I thought the name was appropriate!” Head over to XS650chopper.com for more pics and an interview with Cupp. [Thanks Ted. First two images by Nathan DiClaudio.] Read More »
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