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Turbo Motorcycle

Turbochargers are common on cars—but pretty rare on motorcycles. Space is at a premium, the plumbing is difficult to install, and power delivery can be a handful.

But that hasn’t stopped clever custom builders from adding forced induction. Tiny Garrett or Aisin turbochargers are popular, and powerful enough to make a big difference to performance.

There are a few Japanese factory bikes with turbos too: Yamaha tried it with the XJ650, Honda with the CX500 and CX650, and Kawasaki with the GPz750. You’ll find the odd custom version of these too.

Yamaha R3-powered RD350 tribute by Frateschi

RD Reissue: A Yamaha R3 engine powers this RD350 tribute

2 MONTHS AGO / NO COMMENTS / CUSTOM MOTORCYCLES

Any conversation about the good old days of motorcycling will eventually include the words “they don’t build ’em like they used to.” And then someone will mention the Yamaha RD350. The fiery two-stroke was loved when it was released, got even wilder as it evolved, and has been missed ever since it was discontinued. Given…

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Turbo charged Suzuki GS650 bobber by Machine 1867

No money, no problem: A turbo’d Suzuki GS650 bobber

9 MONTHS AGO / NO COMMENTS / CUSTOM MOTORCYCLES

Building a decent custom motorcycle on a slim budget is a tall order. But you know what’s even harder? Doing it with no budget at all—unless your name is Edi Buffon. Operating as Machine 1867 out of Sydney, Edi’s known for his wildly imaginative machines. This Suzuki GS650 bobber is a typical Machine 1867 build;…

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Turbocharged Harley-Davidson chopper by Christian Newman

Mind-blowing: CT Newman’s turbocharged Harley chopper

2 YEARS AGO / NO COMMENTS / CUSTOM MOTORCYCLES

Four years ago, Christian Newman turned up at the Born Free show with a Knucklehead chopper, and left with the People’s Choice award. He’s had an open invitation to the show ever since, but he hasn’t accepted it—until now. Born Free 12 kicks off tomorrow, and Christian’s pulled out all the stops with his latest…

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Turbocharged Buell S1 by Max Hazan

Origin Story: Max Hazan’s turbocharged Buell S1

2 YEARS AGO / NO COMMENTS / CUSTOM MOTORCYCLES

Many of us in the motorcycling world have a male relative to thank for getting us hooked on two wheels. It’s often a father who offered pillion rides, or a grandfather with a workshop full of tools. But in the case of esteemed bike builder Max Hazan, it’s female relatives who must take the blame.…

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MJR Roach: A turbocharged Royal Enfield Himalayan scrambler

MJR Roach: A turbocharged Royal Enfield Himalayan

Royal Enfield have made a habit of commissioning customs from top workshops. But they’ve got a big range of skills lurking in-house—and…

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Boosted: A turbocharged Honda CBX 1000 from Rno Cycles of Holland

Boosted: Rno’s wild turbocharged Honda CBX 1000

We love the big, bruising superbikes of the late 70s and early 80s. They were fast, brash and good-looking—and their riders often…

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Turbo Maximus: A turbocharged Yamaha XJ750 Maxim restomod

Turbo Maximus: Derek Kimes’ boosted Yamaha XJ750 Maxim

There are many gems buried in our Bikes of the Week column, but occasionally a machine pops up that deserves a fully-fledged…

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The best cafe racers, scramblers and trackers of the week

Custom Bikes Of The Week: 25 March, 2018

A peek at the turbo’d Yamaha that took top honors at the Forged Invitational show, a wild FZ-09 by Droog Moto, Chris…

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Turbo Hero Xtreme: The world’s fastest pizza delivery bike

Turbo Hero Xtreme: The world’s fastest pizza delivery bike

The Persian Gulf custom scene is small, but outposts like Bikers Cafe are working hard to change that. Every year, the Dubai…

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Show Stopper: Craig Rodsmith’s turbocharged Moto Guzzi

Show Stopper: Craig Rodsmith’s turbocharged Moto Guzzi

We’ve been covering the modern custom scene for eight years now, extending feelers into nearly every country in the world, from Andorra…

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Shop Bike: A hot rodded, turbocharged Ironhead Sportster by DP Customs

Shop Bike: DP Customs’ Hot-Rodded Ironhead Sportster

The client roster at DP Customs is slammed. So there’s precious little time to admire a finished project before it goes to…

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Sneak Preview: The bizarre drag bikes of the Sultans Of Sprint series.

Life’s A Drag: The Sultans Of Sprint at Wheels & Waves

The top European builders may be deadly serious about their craft, but they also have a sense of humor. Right now, 18…

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