This week we’ve uncovered a classic Garelli converted to electric power, a Suzuki SV650 with an endurance racer vibe, and a trio of stunning BMWs, including a slash-7 kit for the R nineT.
Suzuki SV650 by Bandisca The SV650 is widely considered a superb bang-for-buck buy. It offers decent performance and handling, for not too much money—but no one buys it for its looks. Enter husband and wife team Alf and Mihaela, from Romanian shop Bandisca.
Despite Alf’s initial skepticism, Bandisca have transformed this 2001-model SV into retro-fabulous endurance racer. It actually took them almost two months to decide on a direction, but in the end, the 1990 GSX-R750 became the inspiration for the build. So they started with a 90s GSXR replica fairing from Airtech Streamlining, which had to be modified heavily to match the SV’s bones.
The subframe and aluminum tail piece were made in-house, and matched to a Honda NTV fuel tank. Putting everything together wasn’t a walk in the park though, and called for some out the box thinking, and a number of one-off parts. Bandisca wanted to make sure the SV would go as good as it looks too. So they treated it to a full engine rebuild with upgraded cams, tuned carbs, a performance clutch and whole lot more.
The exhaust headers are custom too, and terminate in a Spark muffler. This SV650 also has Showa forks, a custom YSS shock, and a new wiring loom built around a Motogadget m.unit. It’s unrecognizable as an SV650, and what’s more, Bandisca plan to take it racing too. [More]
Garelli Electric Conversion by Mokka Cycles Here’s something completely out of left field: a classic Garelli KL50 Cross, converted to electric by Arpi at Budapest’s Mokka Cycles. It was commissioned by a Swiss client who already had a petrol-powered Garelli, and wanted an electric one too.
It’s a very clever, and incredibly neat, conversion. A compact 5 kW brushless direct current motor sits where the original two-stroke power plant did, mounted to the stock brackets via custom-made adaptor plates. There’s two sets of Lithium batteries—one where the air box used to be, and one just under the fuel tank.
The tank itself is just a shell now, covering the various electronic components that make this little scrambler go ‘whizzz.’ Up top, a Cycle Analyst all-in-one dash pokes through where the fuel cap normally goes. Range sits at about 40 km, with a mere two hour charge time.
Arpi also added the forks, yokes and drum brake from a Honda CL250. The custom seat’s covered in Nappa and Alcantara, the handlebars are from Renthal and the switches are Arpi’s own design. There’s a lot of subtle custom work—from the headlight ears to the skid plate, right down to the chain tensioner.
In an industry where electric bikes are still trying to figure out what they want to look like, we need a whole lot more of this. [More]
BMW R100GS by Karoo Bespoke Motorcycles While the iconic BMW R80G/S gets all the attention, the newer R100GS is really the one you want. The larger motor and upgraded final drive/swingarm design are big plusses…but the downside is that it’s not nearly as pretty.
Gadso Hautmans at Karoo Bespoke Motorcycles in Hamburg agrees, so he’s finessed his R100GS Paris Dakar to be nicer to look at. It’s not a full-on custom job; just a tasteful restomod that hits all the right notes. “No thrills,” says Gadso, “just welcoming to the eye.”
The biggest change is up front—Karoo ditched the square headlight and its metal cage, and built a new system with two small round lights and a Hella spot. The fairing wears a pair of tiny turn signals, with matching items out back.
The donor came with an ugly DIY rear fender and no exhaust, so Karoo had some work to do there too. This GS now wears a SuperTrapp can, a custom made leather seat and a new clear windscreen. The crash bars have been powdercoated white, and the wheels finished in black. [More]
BMW R1100S by Lucky Custom The second you strip an old BMW airhead boxer down, you’ll realize why they’re so ubiquitous on the custom scene. They’re laid out simply and logically, making it easy to swap stuff around. But tearing into the more modern and complicated R1100S, is a whole other story.
That makes this transformation by Lucky Custom that much more remarkable. Argentinian builder Lucas Layum had to go deep to massage the R1100S’s lumpy form into the piercing cafe racer you see here. That even meant ditching two of the BMW’s three frame sections, and fabricating a new trellis frame to redefine the sports tourer’s lines.
The front-end was reworked too, with Lucas swapping the BMW’s quirky Telelever suspension for a set of Honda CBR1000 forks. The new skeleton called for new body parts, so he also shaped up a steel fuel tank and headlight nacelle, and a waspish tail unit. There’s also a set of finned side panels, hiding away the revised wiring and battery.
Lucas also added LED lighting, and new clip-ons and rearsets. And he built a full stainless steel exhaust system too. It’s a killer new look for the 1100—especially with that pitch perfect M-inspired livery. [More]
The BMW R nineT, slash-7 style Unit Garage have been making bolt-on parts to make modern Beemers look more vintage for a long time now. This is their latest offering: a plug-and-play fuel tank for the R nineT that’s a dead ringer for a classic /7 unit.
The tank ships in four different colors (with a blank option too), and works using the stock gas cap, along with the OEM fuel pump, filter and lines. It’s also designed to work with both the stock R nineT seat and Unit’s own catalog of seats and side panels. It is a bit shorter than the OEM unit though, so there’s also an optional waxed leather pouch to close up the tiny gap it leaves.
The blue demo bike Unit are showing off here is loaded with a few of their other parts too—like their new Öhlins fork kit. It features a set of black 43 mm upside-down forks, fully adjustable, and fitted with CNC-machined triples. There’s an Öhlins shock out back, along with a Unit seat and valve covers.
Even though the tank’s the biggest visual hit, there’s a ton of potential for mixing and matching with the rest of Unit’s catalog. My favourite combo is the classic R80G/S vibe: white tank, BMW motorsport stripes, red solo seat, and Unit’s significantly more attractive than stock side covers. Irresistible. [More]
