Showing posts with label BMW. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BMW. Show all posts
Monday, December 23, 2013
Top 10 custom motorcycles of 2013 frm BikeExif
It’s been a huge year for custom motorcycles. They’re back with a bang, and the mainstream media has noticed. Even the Financial Times has picked up on the resurgence, reporting on The Comeback of the Cafe Racer. And most of the biggest-selling motorcycle magazines have added ‘new wave’ customs into the monthly editorial mix.
Manufacturers are getting in on the game too. Yamaha Europe is working closely with builders such as Deus, the Wrenchmonkees and Kedo. And BMW has enlisted the services of Roland Sands, El Solitario, Blitz and Urban Motor.
It’s great news for motorcycling in general, and not just the custom scene: Bikes that are simple and fun and easy to personalize are making their way into the showrooms, such as Moto Guzzi’s extended V7 range and now Yamaha’s reborn SR400.
So let’s take a look back at 2013, and pick out the motorcycles that were the biggest hits on Bike EXIF. As always, we look at traffic figures, social media shares, comments and the number of incoming links. We balance this with the age of the post, so that more recent machines are not disadvantaged.
1. Honda CB cafe racer by Classified Moto [top]. For the second time in a row, a Classified Moto bike has taken the top spot. It seems like John Ryland can do no wrong, with a distinctive aesthetic all of his own and a burgeoning order book. ‘Superstrada’ is a heavily customized 1980 Honda CB750F Super Sport, with a Yamaha YZF-R6 front end, Classified Moto’s signature triple tree conversion, and a single-sided Ducati swingarm.
2. Ducati Monster 1100 by JvB-Moto [above]. Ten years ago, Jens vom Brauck won Ducati’s International Design Contest with a retro-futuristic concept called ‘Flat Red.’ He’s now an established builder with a string of stark, brutal-looking machines to his name. At the Glemseck 101 festival in Germany, Jens revealed Flat Red II—and set the interwebs alight.
3. Ducati 900 by Walt Siegl [above]. To move beyond bolt-on parts takes hours of craftsmanship, and true artisans don’t come cheap. Walt Siegl has taken a big step to correct the imbalance with his new Leggero Series, a limited run of production machines based on two-valve Ducati 900cc engines. This is the prototype: you can now order one for yourself.
4. Honda CX500 by Mateusz Stankiewicz [above]. The CX500 is a tough and reliable bike, and still cheap on the secondhand market. This 1982-model custom, built by a Warsaw photographer and the garage Eastern Spirit, was the surprise hit of the year—and made it onto the cover of the 2014 Bike EXIF wall calendar.
5. Yamaha SR500 by Analog Motorcycles [above]. Tony Prust builds elegant, mid-capacity customs: the perfect bikes for barhopping and cruising around town. This 1979 Yamaha SR500 has more of a raw edge though, and a name to match—‘Bruto.’ It’s a machine for evening and weekend rides, with a seat big enough for two.
6. Kawasaki W650 by Skuddesign [above]. Nicolas Barthelemy got the blend of drop-dead gorgeous looks and practicality just right for this Kawasaki. “I wanted to mix aesthetic codes—bobber, brat style and street tracker—to create a motorcycle that corresponds to my world,” he says. The bike is now one of the stars of our best-selling book, The Ride: New Custom Motorcycles and Their Builders.
7. Moto Guzzi V50 by Rno Cycles [above]. Think of a custom Moto Guzzi, and it’s invariably built in the ‘classic’ style: Timeless café racer lines, muted colors and bare metal. So it’s refreshing to see someone take a completely different approach—and pull it off spectacularly. This rapier-sharp V50 is called ‘Opal’ and comes from Arno Overweel of The Netherlands.
8. Harley dual sport by Carducci [above]. A Harley Sportster-based dual sport bike? It might sound improbable, but engineer Jim Carducci has built just such a beast. And with a torquey, reliable motor plus 8+ inches of rear wheel travel and 10+ inches of front wheel travel, it actually works.
9. Triumph Bonneville by MeanMachines [above]. This Triumph Bonneville looks like it’s poised to shred rubber, even when it’s standing still. It’s the work of MeanMachines, an Australian shop very familiar to local owners of Bonnevilles and Thruxtons. Builder Wenley Ng has been modifying Triumph ‘modern classics’ for many years now, but fitting that 200-section rear tire was still a challenge.
10. BMW R100RT by Bill Costello [above]. There were cries of outrage when Bill’s R100RT was omitted from our recent Top 5 BMW R-series piece. Bill made his name with an R50 custom that caught the attention of BMW’s top brass in Germany, but this time he wanted a reliable daily rider. He’s also put the bike on a diet, dropping the wet weight from around 525 lbs to 430.
A handful of machines narrowly missed the cut, including the Sprintbeemer, Valen Zhou’s remarkable Honda CB125 and Café Racer Dreams’ NX650. Indeed, if you aggregate all of CRD’s builds, the Spanish company would join Classified Moto, Deus and Rough Crafts as the biggest traffic sources for Bike EXIF.
So that’s our round-up for 2013. With almost 25 million pageviews, 270,000 Facebook fans and over two million followers on Pinterest, we’ve had a good year.
We hope yours has been good too. Thank you for joining us, and here’s to a 2014 filled with many more exciting bikes.
The post Top 10 custom motorcycles of 2013 appeared first on Bike EXIF. If you like Bike EXIF, you'll love our book on custom motorcycles and their builders, "The Ride." Get your copy here.
Sunday, December 8, 2013
BMW R nineT by Urban Motor
The most audacious motorcycle launch of late has been the BMW R nineT. Who’d have thought that the clinical Germans would reveal a naked boxer with built-in options for customization? Even better, Ola Stenegärd’s design team have wasted no time in delivering pre-production models to selected custom builders. Here’s the first cab off the rank: ‘Track Grinder’ from Berlin-based Urban Motor.
Urban Motor’s Peter Dannenberg was one of three custom builders invited to test-ride the R nineT in Spain a few months ago, before the launch—and even before any journalists got to see the bike. “While sitting around the camp fire, we developed the idea that each builder should customize a nineT,” he explains. And here’s the first result: a nineT reduced to the bare essentials, with a splash of color on the simplified bodywork and a dash of flat track style.
With 110 stout German horses on tap, the engine has been left alone. But almost everything else has been modified. The modular look of the stock gas tank has been simplified to great effect, and it now flows into a custom alloy tail and seat unit with leather upholstery.
Behind the race number holder is a tiny ellipsoid 50mm headlight. The clutch and master cylinders are Brembo upgrades and there’s a smattering of high-end Motogadget parts throughout—including Motoscope Pro instrumentation (fully adapted to the BMW CAN-Bus system), m-Blaze Disc bar end turn signals, and an m-Lock digital key/transponder system.
Up front are classy Gilles Tooling clip-ons and a Domino throttle lever, and down below are Tarozzi pegs and a stubby Supertrapp exhaust system. The blacked-out wheels are shod with dual-sport GT201 rubber from Golden Tyre, the Italian company best known for its motocross tires.
It’s a striking start to BMW Motorrad’s new custom program. We’ll be keeping an eye out for future R nineT customs from the other builders over the coming months, but in the meantime, head over to the BMW Motorrad website for all the details on the production R nineT. Or check out Urban Motor’s other builds here.
Images by Tim Adler Photography. Head over to our Google+ page for more hi-res shots and the chance to examine the bike in detail.
First appeared in www.bikeexif.com
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Cafe Racer Dreams BMW R90/6- BikeExif
This stunning ’74 BMW R90/6 belongs to José Martín Espinosa, a prominent figure in the Spanish fashion industry. He commissioned the build after a series of email conversations with CRD and a couple of visits to their Madrid headquarters, fully entrusting the creative direction to them.
The Beemer’s stance has been altered by shortening the forks and
swapping out the rear suspension for shorter-than-stock Hagon units. A
shorter, hand crafted subframe supports the custom made seat. The
battery has been relocated to underneath the swingarm, leaving the area
behind the airbox free of clutter save for the ignition, which has been
moved to under the seat.
Both fenders are stock BMW items—the original front fender has been
adapted to fit the rear, and a R100 fender fitted to the front. Along
with the tank, they’ve been sprayed a luxurious black with subtle white
pinstriping—true to the original paint scheme. Bespoke fender braces add
to the bike’s overall classic appeal, as do the crash bars and
Firestone Deluxe Champion tyres.
I once asked CRD’s Pedro García what his personal design philosophy was. His reply was: “Less is more, and pay full attention to the final finish.” In my opinion, CRD #38 is the epitome of this philosophy. An elegant vintage custom, with a host of finer details that only become apparent as you dig deeper.
Check the previous CRD builds in the Bike EXIF Archives, and keep up with CRD’s news on their Facebook page.
Images by Rafa Gallar.
Originally appeared www.bikeexif.com
Saturday, November 16, 2013
A few of the bikes headed to Motorcycle Live 2013 after EICMA
The annual EICMA International Motorcycle Exhibition took place in Milan, Italy last week with the world’s major motorcycle manufacturers unveiling their new and updated models – many of which are destined to make their UK debut at Motorcycle Live 2013 from 23 November to 1 December.
As the EICMA media days unfolded on Monday and Tuesday, Ducati, Honda, Yamaha, Triumph, Kawasaki, BMW Motorrad, KTM, Piaggio Group and Suzuki each took turns to reveal to their new machinery. Italian giant Ducati kicked off proceedings on its home turf with the debut of the limited edition 1199 Superleggera, as well as the third generation of the iconic Ducati Monster, the Monster 1200.
Honda followed by unveiling four new 2014 models – the CBR1000RR Fireblade SP super sports machine, the CB650F and CBR650F four cylinder middleweights and the CTX1300 custom cruiser. EICMA_2013
Yamaha took the opportunity to launch two new additions to its ‘Masters of Torque’ range: the MT-09 Street Rally and the MT-07 – a naked 689cc twin-cylinder model which visitors to Motorcycle Live have the chance to win. For details of the competition visit www.motorcyclelive.co.uk/competitions.
UK manufacturer Triumph unveiled five new models for 2014 with the introduction of the Thunderbird Commander, Commander LT, America, America LT and Speedmaster, while a Tiger 800XC special edition was also unveiled. BMW Motorrad launched two new 2014 models: the R 1200 RT tourer, powered by the liquid-cooled boxer engine, and the S 1000 R high-performance roadster. It also showcased an updated R 1200 GS Adventure and the C evolution scooter.
Two new Kawasaki machines were unveiled, representing important aspects of the Japanese brand’s approach to powered two wheelers. The latest Z1000 Supernaked is joined by the first Kawasaki scooter offering in the European market, the distinctive J300. Following the unveiling of the prototype last year, KTM launched the production 1290 Super Duke R, dubbed ‘The Beast’. Also joining the KTM line-up are the RC125 and RC390 supersport machines.
Piaggio Groupwas next up with launches from three different brands, Vespa, Aprilia and Moto Guzzi. Vespa announced the return of the legendary Primavera model complete with an ultra-modern makeover, while Aprilia unveiled two new versions of the RSV4 – the R ABS and Factory ABS. Moto Guzzi meanwhile showcased a new total black colour option for the V7 Stone.
Finally Suzuki showcased its most advanced adventure model ever, the V-Strom 1000, which features a new 1037cc V-Twin engine developed to deliver excellent low-mid range power.
The majority of new machines revealed at EICMA, plus many, many more, will be on display at Motorcycle Live 2013. Other brands exhibiting include Harley-Davidson, Royal Enfield and Victory, as well as UK-based firm Norton. EICMA_2013 (9) Specialist brands such as AJP, CCM, GasGas, Husqvarna, Metisse, Morgan, WatsonianSquire, WK Bikes, Quadzilla and electric motorcycle marque Kuberg will all appear, while Herald Motor Company, Indian Motorcycles, Lifan and ShineRay will make their Motorcycle Live debut.
Read more at rushlane.com
EICMA hangover and analysis- CMG Part 1
It’s that time of year, when all the manufacturers drop their new models … like this hot-rodded FZ-09 from Yamaha. |
With the big guns all having fired their loads at Milan’s EICMA show this week, we thought it would be a good time to take a look at what was released and what that tells us about the industry.
THE SMALL UNS
Since we’re all huge fans of smaller displacement rides here at CMG, the continued growth and evolution of this segment is good to see. But, it seems we’re already seeing a shift up in CCs with Honda unveiling their new CBR300 which we assume will come to Canada (though it is yet to be confirmed) and so push out the 250. You can blame the increase in size on Kawasaki, who cunningly refused to hit back at Honda in the 250 fight, instead making their own new category, the 300, with the launch of the Ninja 300 earlier this year.Obviously Honda seems to think that this is where it’s at with their CBR300 move. But, will big-boring their single-cylinder to 286 cc and changing the bodywork be enough to take on the twin Ninja? MSRP is still to be released, and we suspect that is where you’ll see the Honda attack. If they can keep MSRP difference to about $800 with performance at least close to the Ninja, then we’d have a real fight on our hands.
Here’s Honda’s CBR300, a shot over the bow of the Kawasaki Ninja 300. |
We have to wonder if the move to 300 was just the first in the sadly typical cycle of bumping up capacities, until what you thought was small is now mid-range. But with Honda already having the 500s it would seem like there’s a natural barrier, and besides, there are other players entering the fray too …
The KTM RC390 splits the difference between the 250 class and the 500 class. |
This move effectively splits the 300 and 500 class down the middle. It’s also going to add a lot of spice to smaller bikes as KTM is a dominant power in the Moto 3 (250 class) world racing series, so they know how to get a lot of power out of a small bike. Don’t expect it to be priced to compete with the CBR and Ninjas though.
Triumph introduced a few new big models, like this Commander, but they are also working on a 250. |
Yamaha’s introduced their SR400 to western markets again. |
OTHER NEW SURPRISES
If we hadn’t seen the leaks about the new Harley 500 and 750s, then they’d have stolen the show, representing the first all new bikes to come out of Milwaukee since the V-Rod hit the scene back in 2001.The new bikes are actually made in India at Harley’s new plant, only to be shipped and assembled in Milwaukee, to keep some Made in America aspect. Whether this is enough for the faithful remains to be seen, but it can be argued that these bikes are not aimed at the faithful anyway, but instead a sensible move by the Motor Company to start people off on their machines rather than try and convert them once they’ve already begun.This Hog – or is that a Piglet? – is Harley-Davidson’s first all-new model since the V-Rod. |
The new CBR650F is a return to practical sport bikes. |
If you remember the old CBR600F4, then the CBR650 will remind you of the days when 600 sport bikes had a modicum of practicality to them – somewhat comfortable seats, higher bars and rearset footpegs that are actually for the passenger, not the rider. Honda has boosted capacity a little from the old 600 and produced two versions – a sporty CBR and a semi-naked CB. Honda Canada hasn’t confirmed whether we’ll get either, but the CB would make a good replacement for the ailing CBF600 that is currently being listed on Honda Canada’s site with a hefty $2,500 discount, and the CBR is good competitor for the very similar Yamaha FZ6R and Suzuki GSX650F.
The MT-07 looks fun, but likely won’t come to Nord America. |
The new CTX1300 takes the ST1300′s motor and puts it into a cruiser chassis. |
Here’s the new Turismo Veloce. It’s got adventure-touring lines. |
EICMA hangover and analysis CMG- part 2
We are continuing the article prepared by the Canadian MotoGuide team about the EICMA
First part here.
All these new bikes will be presented also in Birmingham starting 23 Nov until 1st of Dec at Motorcycle Live. We will be present there- keep looking here for more updates and coverage
As one would expect from a german company like BMW, updates come in a
very logical manner, at least when it comes to the R range. New Boxer
motors always appear in the flagship GS but then trickle down the range
over the next few years before reaching the end, and then up pops a new
motor. Second in line in the R throne is the R1200RT
tourer which now comes with the new liquid cooled motor and has a new
hill starting doo-dad and electric gear shifter for those too lazy to do
either.
Honda has also been busy, with an update to the CBR1000RR (does anyone remember when those were happening every two years?) that boasts more power. What’s more surprising is their new track-orientated SP version with Öhlins suspension, four-piston Brembo monobloc brake calipers, a revised frame and new top and bottom steering yolks with less flex. There’s also a long-awaited update to the VFR800 which essentially has remained untouched since the V-TEC addition in 2002. No word on whether the V-TEC remains but there has been a boost in power and a significant drop in weight of 10 Kilos. Might be a good opportunity for Honda to bring it back into Canada.
Kawasaki also updated their Transformer styled Z1000 to make it even more Transformer-like, Yamaha added some tweaks to the motor on its Super Tenere as
well as a ZE version with some additional trinkets
including electronically adjustable suspension. Oh and as we mentioned
earlier, Triumph made some more variations of its big cruiser
Thunderbirds.
The knock against battery bikes has always been limited range. Zero
continues to tackle this problem; now, they’ve announced updates to
their lineup (an optional add-on battery pack) that will enable riders
to get a claimed 275 km of city riding; combined city and highway riding
will get you as much as 210 km. Cruising around 90 will get you a
170-km range, and cruising around 110 will get you around 140 kms of
range.
At least, that’s what Zero claims – we’ll wait until real-world users start posting their results before we get too excited. Still, this is an important step forward. Every year the Zero lineup adds a few kilometres of range, and hopefully one day they’ll be competitive with gasoline bikes, as long as costs are reasonable.
Husky’s future in street bikes was in doubt after their sale to KTM president Stefan Pierer, but the company appears to have a return to basics in mind. For years, the only street bikes they made were supermotos, and the new 701 concept follows that vein. Sure, it’s got trick bodywork, LED headlights and other trick parts, but it really appears to be a dirt bike with street tires at heart.
Will the 701 make it to market? It’s tough to imagine Husqvarna not
bringing their supermoto lineup back, especially after seeing this,
although we’re sure the street-legal models will be neutered versions of
the concept, as always.
Yamaha had the other most interesting concept, the Tricity scooter. Basically, it’s a leaning three-wheeler, similar to existing machines like Piaggio’s MP3, but cheaper and lighter with a 125 cc motor. Yamaha actually says they’re going to bring this to market, with a projected cost of 4,000 Euros across the pond.
And let’s not forget the quirky Brits! Some firm has decided to resurrect Brough Superior, with an undated Steam Punkesque interpretation of the SS100, all for a mere 100,000 Euros, and British car makers and Formula 1 race team, Caterham, has decided to try its luck with bikes, introducing three models, one gas-powered and the other two electric.
While they’re all on the quirky side, we haven’t seen any real quirkiness since the market went south with everyone’s cash. Surely a sign that good times are a coming, even if they’ll likely never go on sale in North America.
First part here.
All these new bikes will be presented also in Birmingham starting 23 Nov until 1st of Dec at Motorcycle Live. We will be present there- keep looking here for more updates and coverage
AND THE UPDATES
The R1200T gets BMW’s new water-cooled boxer motor. |
Honda has also been busy, with an update to the CBR1000RR (does anyone remember when those were happening every two years?) that boasts more power. What’s more surprising is their new track-orientated SP version with Öhlins suspension, four-piston Brembo monobloc brake calipers, a revised frame and new top and bottom steering yolks with less flex. There’s also a long-awaited update to the VFR800 which essentially has remained untouched since the V-TEC addition in 2002. No word on whether the V-TEC remains but there has been a boost in power and a significant drop in weight of 10 Kilos. Might be a good opportunity for Honda to bring it back into Canada.
The Z1000 is back, with new looks. |
LET’S NOT FORGET THE ELECTRICS
The Zero SR has more range and more power again. Their bikes get more and more competent. |
At least, that’s what Zero claims – we’ll wait until real-world users start posting their results before we get too excited. Still, this is an important step forward. Every year the Zero lineup adds a few kilometres of range, and hopefully one day they’ll be competitive with gasoline bikes, as long as costs are reasonable.
WHAT’S COMING NEXT?
Sure, the upcoming 2014 models are exciting, but what’s coming down the pipe long-term? Well, a couple interesting concept machines were shown off at EICMA, including a new supermoto from Husqvarna.The Husqvarna 701 prototype shows the company hasn’t forgotten their supermoto models. |
Husky’s future in street bikes was in doubt after their sale to KTM president Stefan Pierer, but the company appears to have a return to basics in mind. For years, the only street bikes they made were supermotos, and the new 701 concept follows that vein. Sure, it’s got trick bodywork, LED headlights and other trick parts, but it really appears to be a dirt bike with street tires at heart.
Yamaha had the other most interesting concept, the Tricity scooter. Basically, it’s a leaning three-wheeler, similar to existing machines like Piaggio’s MP3, but cheaper and lighter with a 125 cc motor. Yamaha actually says they’re going to bring this to market, with a projected cost of 4,000 Euros across the pond.
And let’s not forget the quirky Brits! Some firm has decided to resurrect Brough Superior, with an undated Steam Punkesque interpretation of the SS100, all for a mere 100,000 Euros, and British car makers and Formula 1 race team, Caterham, has decided to try its luck with bikes, introducing three models, one gas-powered and the other two electric.
While they’re all on the quirky side, we haven’t seen any real quirkiness since the market went south with everyone’s cash. Surely a sign that good times are a coming, even if they’ll likely never go on sale in North America.
The Caterham Classic E-Bike has a faux V-twin motor and a very short range. |
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
BMW Nine T
The BMW nineT is a motorcycle that the design team at BMW Motorrad have been wanting to build for a long time, some of you might remember the BMW Lo-Rider Concept that we featured here on Silodrome in May 2011 – a quick look at that concept bike is all the confirmation you’ll need to confirm that the new nineT is its direct descendant.
The nineT was developed as a 90th anniversary model, the brand’s first bike was the 1923 R 32 – a technologically advanced bike for the day that also featured an air-cooled boxer twin and shaft-drive. Although primitive by today’s standards, the R 32 set BMW on course to be one of the world’s leading motorcycle manufacturers throughout the 20th century and well into the 21st.
BMW are positioning the new nineT as a competitor to both the Ducati Monster and the more retro offerings from Triumph, Harley-Davidson and Moto Guzzi. The official MSRP hasn’t been released yet but people who know more about this sort of thing than I do are predicting a price somewhere in the $15,000 USD range, this would put it very much at the high-end of the market and competing with bikes like the Ducati Diavel and the new Norton Commando.
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The PR materials offered by BMW to accompany the release of the nineT are extensive, but boiled down and condensed they want you to know that the nineT is highly suited to customisation and offers a balance between old-school BMW engineering and new-school technologies. If I’d studied media and public relations at university I’d probably have been able to stretch the latter half of that previous sentence into a 3,000 word wall of text like the PR chaps at BMW did, but I didn’t so I can’t. Thank God.
The 1,170cc air and oil-cooled boxer-twin fitted to the nineT is a stressed chassis member, greatly helping to reduce weight and improve rigidity – It produces 110hp at 7550RPM and generates a non-slouchy 119Nm of torque using a shaft-drive system to get that power down to the rear wheel.
Interestingly, the rear sub-frame is removable with hand tools meaning you can convert the nineT into a single seater for track days, or regular days if you no longer need women in your life after taking delivery of your motorcycle. The front forks have been raided from the S 1000 RR superbike parts bin and at the rear, a single-sided swingarm in conjunction with a central spring strut provides the bounce.
We won’t be able to tell you much more about the BMW nineT until we ride one, and there’s no set-in-stone release date yet so it’s hard to say when that’ll be. It’s probably safe to assume that this bike is going to handle like a TRON lightcycle and look great doing it, the biggest question will be how it sells and where BMW place it with regards to pricing – if they price it to compete with the high-end Ducati Monster they’ll have a winner on their hands, but if they go too high they’ll price themselves out of the game entirely.
The only question left to ask is, would you prefer the nineT or the Roland Sands Designed BMW Concept Ninety?
Originally posted in Silodrome.com
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