‘82 Yamaha XV920 – Hageman Motorcycles

Written by Martin Hodgson.
In 100 years time when they write the history of the current custom motorcycle renaissance that we are living through you can be sure that Greg Hageman will be one of the leading names credited for spurring the revival. He can turn out a mean Harley, cafe a Honda and build just about any style of bike but it’s his incredible work with Yamaha Virago’s of the early ’80s that have really won him acclaim around the world; from magazine covers, to TV features and the trophies to match. But not only has Greg inspired a new generation of XV builders keen to tackle the old V-Twin he’s also produced a range of quality parts for his fellow customisers and without him leading the resurgence of the models popularity you have to wonder if the all new Yamaha “XV950” Bolt would ever have eventuated!

It was no surprise that when the Bolt was released and Yamaha arranged a build off between ten workshops that Greg took out the top prize with a vintage scrambler take on the all new XV. This latest build however is a little of the old and new, based on a 1982 Yamaha XV920 with a modern twist, the running gear is taken from a 1998 XV1100. “This bike was built for the perfect customer, someone who was more interested in performance, function and reliability than budget. He asked for a classic scrambler look that would mainly be ridden on road, but have the ability to occasionally stray off into the back pasture to check on his horses,” explains the main man from Hageman Motorcycles. Greg’s bikes are always picture perfect, like something you would expect to find on a new bike showroom floor, so the 82 frame might be thirty odd years old but you’d never know now that it’s had the Hageman treatment and is finished out in all black.

The standard subframe is gone and bolted to the back is one of Hageman’s own straight from his parts catalogue, these have become a must have item for so many Virago builders and while many have tried to imitate there is nothing like the real thing! With the customer wanting the option of taking short rides two up the subframe was modified to accept this seat that provides plenty of comfort and practicality without taking anything at all away from the looks. If Greg’s subframes provide part of the all-important skeleton of a world-class Virago build his fabrication skills have also stood the test of time making beautiful Benelli tanks fit perfectly on the Yamaha frame. This bike is no different with the classic tank getting a pair of Yamaha badges and a flip style fuel filler. “As you can probably tell we were really going for a British look, the owner had the tank painted by Moecolors of Tampa to match an old MG he was rather fond of.”

To let the paint work really stand out the front and rear fenders are not only exceptionally practical but have been polish to a brilliant shine. The addition of racing side covers is another Hageman signature that gives you more than a subtle hint of the inspiration of this classic Scrambler. With the Green Machine now looking a treat it was over to functionality as Greg’s bikes are built to ride and the suspension has come in for a thorough overhaul. The stock forks are swapped out for a late-model HD entire 39mm front end. Not stopping there the forks have been rebuilt with improved springs and preload adjusters. Out back the unique in frame mono-shock has been swapped out for a Hagon unit that also features a remote adjuster. Arresting forward momentum is done courtesy of a single drilled disc rotor up front and the beefy Yamaha drum at the rear.

But getting that momentum well and truly underway is the very clever engine swap that Hageman has performed mating the ’82 XV frame with the newer and bigger capacity ’98 engine. Before the big block 1063cc engine was fitted into place Greg treated it to polished stainless fasteners and a thorough detail. With just 2,000miles on the clock it was in brilliant condition and the far superior ignition and starting system leads to a classic bike with modern reliability. The standard carbies have been ditched for Mikuni VM items that add even more torque and top end performance. Given the owner wanted the ability to go off-road to check on his horses Greg had to come up with an exhaust system that looked good, was performance orientated but didn’t put a fright up the ponies. “The exhaust is something I made using Cone Engineering “Quiet core” mufflers, making the secondary baffles removable. It’s a two into one, into two system.”


With the major components taken care of Greg spent a good deal of time piecing together all the little parts of a motorcycle that turn a custom into a truly functional machine you can ride daily. “I added a Motogadget M-unit, Motogadget bar end turn signals for the electrics. The Speedo is Acewell, I like the simplicity of using and installing this speedo.” The flat track bars keep the look spot on and with just the small Motogadget switches, master cylinder and a single mirror result in an extremely clean look that is still utterly practical. The headlight gets protection from a mesh stone guard while an old school taillight sits out the back on the rear fender. There is passenger fold up foot pegs for the pillion and Greg put in special effort on the riders peg placement, as the customer is 6’4″ and wanted a comfortable ride that was still sporty in nature.

Finishing up the build are the excel alloy rims with stainless spokes that have been laced to the standard hubs. Rubber comes courtesy of Kenda dual sports “less aggressive since it’ll spend the majority of time on the pavement.” Which is yet another reason a Hageman build is such a work of art; they look good enough to enter any show and take home the trophies, yet never compromise on being a useable motorcycle. “The bike runs, rides and handles very well, mission accomplished.

The bike is most of all, very fun to ride, comfortable and dependable unlike so many customs on the market I see being built today. I like to emphasize both functionality as well as the cosmetic look.” Greg’s longevity and success is simply a commitment to delivering in every area a motorcycle should, with no corners cut and an end product straight from the top shelf!


  First read on www.pipeburn.com

South Garage - Kimera Sportster Cafe Racer

It's been some time since I featured a custom build from Italy's South Garage. That doesn't mean that Enzo and the boys have been sitting around twiddling their thumbs though. Their website currently showcases over 30 original South Garage custom builds that are enough to make any motorcycle lover weak in the knees. Although European and British made motorcycles tend to be their preferred subject matter, South Garage have ventured into relatively new waters with their latest Harley Davidson based build.

The South Garage 'Kimera' started out life as a 2006 Harley Davidson 1200cc Sportster. Never the one to turn down a challenge the South Garage team set their sights on converting the Harley cruiser into a cafe racer styled ride. This of course meant dealing with the inherent Harley Davidson design features that make this type of transformation a problematic one. 

Levelling out the Sportster's hunched frame and squat rear end was the most challenging task to overcome. For this an entirely new front and rear suspension system was chosen from the Öhlins catalogue. At the pointy end there's a set of custom mounted gold anodised forks, held in place by a one off CNC alloy top clamp and rolling on a downsized front rim. At the back a pair of tall piggy back shocks mounted to a lightweight, alloy swingarm lift up the rear to level out the backbone of the frame. 

The bikes one of a kind tank and tail have been hand formed from aluminium. The custom, narrow fuel tank sits low on the frame and features an offset filler with Monza styled cap giving it a unique, asymmetrical aesthetic. The tanks belly has also been shaped to follow the curve of the engines v-twin heads to maximise capacity. The tail uses a classic cafe style hump with an inset brake light and top ridge that mimics the lines of the tank. 

The bikes revised riding position utilises CNC machined rear set foot pegs and a custom made pair of low slung handlebars. The new bars create a similar appearance to clip ons without sacrificing rider comfort and have been finished off with custom levers and Biltwell grips. Instrumentation has been reduced to a single MotoGadget Chrono Classic Speedo and the small Sportster headlight was replaced by a Lucas 5" headlamp.

To further improve upon the Harley's handling there's a full Brembo brake package and not satisfied with the 1200cc v-twin's factory performance figures, South Garage have squeezed some additional grunt out the engine by adding a full titanium exhaust system, free flowing air filter and custom fuel map. 

One thing South Garage never fail to deliver on is a great looking paint scheme and Kimera is the perfect example. The combination they've selected uses a striking trio of brushed and clear coated alloy, Ox blood paint and gold pin striping that ties all of the other elements of the bike together beautifully.

Harley's often cop a bit of flak in cafe racer circles and the comments these kind of builds get on my Return of the Cafe Racers social pages tend to follow suit. This time though I think Kimera could leave the neysayers lost for words.

SOUTH GARAGE

first read on www.returnofthecaferacers.com

Nate's Burly CB - PopBang Honda Cafe Racer

This little Honda CB400F ended up with me after an impulse buy at the Mudgeeraba swap meet in Queensland. After a bit of haggling, I handed over $350 and it was mine. It was reasonably stock other that a rattle can paint job on the tank with bashed in knee wells. The motor had been pulled out and the top end lifted off, but it was all there. I got it back to my workshop, basically stuck it up on the mezzanine and forgot about it. It wasn't until a couple of big burly looking fellas came in wanting me to build a couple of bikes for them and asked what I had. All I had was a CX500 in a million pieces and this 1974 CB400f project. They argued over who would get which one and the one that ended up choosing the CB was none other than NRL superstar and just general legend Nate Myles.




Obviously Honda's little 400 four isn't the biggest bike around. So the plan was to make it larger while retaining its original proportions. The rear of the frame was cut off at the back bone and swing arm mounts and a raised floating seat section with mono shock mount was fabbed up to replace it. The swing arm was extended 50mm, bracing for the mono shock was welded in and the shock from a late model Triumph holds it all together. I then found a really nice Ducati Monster front end that had the perfect dimensions for this project. The neck of the frame had to be dropped about 20mm lower so the Ducati top clamp could sit closer to the bikes tank.



The bikes tank and tail are modified versions of a fibreglass Cafe Racer kit I make for the CB400f with a 3" longer tank. On this one I added knee wells, scallops to accommodate the Ducati triple trees, a flush mounted pop up cap and I separated the seat from the tail section. Carbon fibre strips were also added down the back bone of the tank and tail for additional strength and aesthetics. Once it was all mocked up with a set of clip-on handlebars the bike was looking much more aggressive.

Nate came in to try it out for size. I have to admit, I was a little scared it was still going to be too small, especially when he stood next to it. But once he sat in the saddle it fit him like a glove. I then had to think about moving this bulk of a man along at a reasonable pace.



The motor was fully rebuilt with a Yoshimura style big bore kit, Dyna ignition, freshly rebuilt carbs wearing K&N filters and lots of new internal parts. I made the custom exhaust out of stainless steel including the mufflers. Each side is made out of 22 pieces welded together. They give the bike a mean super bike sound, but it doesn't pierce your ear drums. You could say it sounds a lot bigger than what it is.

To keep it sticking to the road a 17" x 5" rim was polished up and laced to the original rear hub. The front wheel however, was a little more complex, and soon became my favourite part of the bike. It's a CBX550 twin ventilated inboard disc brake hub. It took me forever to find it. It had to come out of England and it was a mess. I completely rebuilt it and smoothed the outer plates of any unwanted excess. As these hubs were originally mounted to an ugly ComStar style rim I had to CAD design the two rings that bolt onto the hub to adapt it to spokes. I had it water jet cut, machined the taper and countersunk all the holes. It was then laced to an Excell 18" x 3.5" rim with stainless spokes. Both rims were wrapped in Pirelli Angel GT rubber



Then it was time to add all the fancy bits. It's running a 4" GPS speedo/tacho custom made by SpeedHut in the states . It was sunk into the 7" headlight that's mounted using custom stainless brackets and wrapped with a one off stainless grill. It also has customised hydraulic brake and clutch masters with hidden reservoirs. Flush mount handle bar switches, CAD designed, one off foot controls, custom polished linkages, stainless steel etched logo on the points cover, keyless ignition system, custom made tail lights, custom made seat trimmed by Hotel & Club Decor in Burleigh, hidden AntiGravity Battery, wiring run through the frame and electrics hidden under the seat in a custom flush mount box.



I was given strict orders that the bike had to be maroon, so I found a deep burgundy to keep it classic,  adding in a little modern flare with layered graphics on the side including Nate's state of origin number and the iconic Honda wings. The real carbon fibre on top was outlined in an off white and cleared over. The motor, brake plates and master cylinders where all painted a custom mix of pewter and satin cleared to mix it up a bit. The frame was totally smoothed over and freshly coated in gloss 2 pack black.

At the beginning of the build I had convinced Nate we'd end up with a 70's styled street fighter, and I think that's what he got. It was a huge project and I want to thank Nate for putting up with how long it took me to finish! Hopefully there's another project between us  down the track!
First read on www.returnofthecaferacers

Story by Justin Holmes

POP BANG CLASSICS

Photography  by Kenny Smith

Ardent Featherbed - Harley Sportster Cafe Racer

As any artist will tell you, composition is everything. Over his 30 year career as an artist Curtis Miller has fashioned custom furniture, worked as an animator and had his paintings and photographs sold in galleries. Now at 59 years young he's begun applying his skills to custom motorcycle building and as you would expect they are bona fide works of art, but in terms of composition, it's how his bikes are put together that really makes them special...



"As an artist, I love beautiful things. I also love making things. When I get passionate about something, it's only a matter of time before I want to start making them. I've built classical and electric guitars, a wooden kayak and many radio controlled gliders. Now I make motorcycles.
My history with motorcycles is actually quite short. I only started riding four years ago, at the advanced age of 55. I started on a Harley Sportster and moved up to a Softail Slim so I could travel longer distances with my partner. Within a year I had started customizing my bikes. The following year I started my first full custom build and since then I've been building full time. I had absolutely no mechanical background when I started out. I knew how to use tools of course, but hadn't even performed an oil change on a motorcycle before."

"I started teaching myself how to work metal and weld, how to use an English wheel and a mallet and shot bag. Before long, I got to the point where I needed help and advice. I found an excellent motorcycle program at a local Community College. The first course I did taught me the mechanics of motorcycles. I then took welding, machining and metal shaping classes and I'm now a certified mechanic and I'm still taking advanced classes in engine building, Dyno operations and tuning.
My first build was a classic chopper with a raked springer front end and a hard tail. You have to remember that I came from the Harley-Davidson world. It was awful to ride. Harsh on the backside and almost unmanageable at the front end. When I finished and rode the thing, I decided right away that the next motorcycle I built would be something with real, working suspension that handled well. I loved the clean, compact, elegant lines of Cafe Racer styled bikes so that's where I started. I decided to build a modified featherbed style frame and built everything around a 2009 Sportster engine I bought from Ebay."

"I built the bike entirely by myself and it took me a full six months to complete. I used no outside services other than getting the logos 3D printed. When I bent and welded the frame on my jig I carefully checked the rake and trail to make sure the handling would be correct. I made the engine mounts and I fabricated all of the aluminium bodywork by hand then welded, sanded and polished them. I built the electrical box from aluminium sheet and even welded up the swingarm from flat stock. I painted the frame and electrical box (under the seat) and even masked off the graphics. I also wired the bike, starting with a Sportster wiring harness, cutting it to pieces and reassembling it. I made the gas and oil caps, the timing cover, the rearsets, everything. Although I suppose I need to also mention my neighbour Jeff, who sometimes came over and held something while I tack welded it!"

"Even the caps for the brake reservoirs were hand made, as were the bar end fittings and the cap for the steering neck. I've since replaced the plastic reservoirs with commercially made ones that were cleaner and more compact. I even made the license plate holder, though the one in these pictures has been replaced with a more compact, simpler and stronger one.

Commercially purchased parts included the engine, a complete CBR1000rr front end and rear shocks, the wheels, the brake rotors and tires. The headlight is from Dime City Cycles and I used LED lighting for the turn signals and the tail light."



"I'm most proud of the way the overall build hangs together. I think it works as well as it does because of its proportions. The way the electrical box fits under the seat, the size and shape of the gas and oil tanks, the rough and ready looking swingarm and exhaust pipes. Best of all it rides and handles great.

Due to the incredible reaction I got from people when I rolled this bike out of my workshop I decided to start building bikes commercially. To help fund Ardent Motorcycles next build my featherbed Sportster is for sale."

If owning a work of art that actually rides interests, you can reach Curtis by clicking the link below...

ARDENT MOTO

First read on /www.returnofthecaferacers

Black Magic: Bunker’s bobber-style Triumph Speed Twin

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Modern Triumph customs are ubiquitous. And with the new Bonnevilles hitting the market, the trend shows no signs of slowing down.We’ve got a sweet tooth for vintage Triumphs though. Especially when they’re as beautiful as this liquorice-flavored bobber from Turkey’s Bunker Custom Cycles.

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It’s based on a 1961 Triumph Speed Twin 5TA, a machine infamous for its bulbuous ‘bathtub’ rear fairing. But builders Mert and Can Uzer had a different look in mind, and it’s a huge improvement.They’ve completely redesigned the back half of the Triumph’s frame. At a glance, it looks like the rear end is rigid—but it’s actually a soft-tail, with a pair of Burly Brand shocks. The front end has been radically revised too: It’s now set lower thanks to Suzuki T500 Titan forks.

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The Suzuki’s front disc brake was brought across too, for extra stopping power. New rims tweak the stance, with a 19F/18R combo replacing the stock 18F/17R setup.Bunker have also fabricated a tight rear fender from aluminum, capping it off with a brass tail light from Dime City Cycles. It’s neatly integrated into the mounting bracket.

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The Speed Twin’s tank is stock—along with the period-correct badges—but the solo seat is new, complete with brass springs. Other brass details have been tastefully sprinkled throughout the build—like the oil tank cap, and the adjusting screws on the controls.Bunker have done well to mix original Triumph parts with carefully selected aftermarket bits. The headlight’s off-the-shelf, but the bucket’s been modified to better suit the bike. Behind it is a set of Biltwell Inc. bars, sporting upgraded controls and a stainless steel brake line.

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Mods aside, the little 500’s had its fair share of restoration work done too.Highlights include a full engine rebuild (with new, high-comp pistons), tweaks to the wiring, and a full blast and re-coat of the frame.

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There’s also new oil tank, a small oil cooler, and a pair of stubby mufflers. And the ignition and kill-switch have been relocated to under the seat—just below the choke.

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The result is a compact, well-balanced bobber, finished in a glossy ‘sparkle black’ hue.And doesn’t it wear it well?

First published on www.bikeexif.com/

 | Images by Eren Göktürk and Kaan Eryürek

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Zonnevlek Harley-Davidson Street 750

During my visit to Japan with Harley-Davidson late last year, we were introduced to 5 Japanese builders whose workshops had been invited to each customise one of the new H-D Street 750's. The project was coined the "Street Build Off" and the 5 workshops involved included Cherry's Company, Asterisk, Duas Caras Cycles, Luck Motorcycles and Custom Works Zon. Only a few short months later the builders unveiled their creations at the Mooneyes Hotrod and Custom Show in Yokohama, where a panel of judges awarded one workshop as the outright winner. Taking home the prize was Custom Works Zon with their heavily customised 'Zonnevlek' Street 750 racer.


The Zonnevlek (meaning Sunspot in Dutch) was the brainchild of CW Zon duo Yuichi Yoshizawa and Yoshikazu Ueda. Since 2003 the pair have been building unique v-twin powered choppers and bobbers, gaining international attention in 2007 with their entry into the AMD Championship of bike building.

With the opportunity to customise Harley's newest family member the duo made the brave decision to depart from their usual traditional chopper styled builds. Inspired by the Street 750's already impressive 4.6 second 0-60mph acceleration and mid 13 second 1/4 mile capability they opted to build a motorcycle that would focus on improving straight line speed...with a modest sprinkling of aesthetic eye candy.

Taking a mere 3 months to complete the Zonnevlek is an almost complete redesign of the H-D Street with only part of the original frame and the stock 750cc engine remaining untouched. To make the most of the bikes power dropping weight was paramount, so the build began with a dramatic frame redesign. The standard half duplex frame was rebuilt using a single cradle design with custom made mounts and braces to secure the engine firmly in place. In need of a new home the bikes radiator was relocated to beneath the bike adding weight to its rear end for improved traction and a lower the centre of gravity.

The Zonnevlek's angular tank functions as a cover, concealing electrical components and the complex linkages of the "jockey" shifter. A single lever on the custom made handlebars actuates the front brake and engaging the clutch is left up to what was originally the gear selector pedal. Tucked beneath the seat is a fuel cell containing enough juice for a sneaky, backstreet burn or a few, flat out 1/4 time trials and the original instruments have been replaced by a function focused Autometer tacho.

Up front is a one of a kind set of custom made forks holding a 19 inch wheel wrapped in Avon Speedmaster Rubber. In the rear is a CW Zon signature style single sided swingarm with mono shock suspension and a 15 inch Rocket Racing wheel wearing a classic Hoosier drag slick. To free up a few more horses from the liquid cooled v-twin a custom made exhaust system and intake have also been added and fuelling remapped to suit.

As you study these photos more and more of the Zonnevlek's incredible details become apparent. From the alloy bushes, braces and panels to the brass highlights. It's the stark grey paint and contrasting gold leaf pin striping by Mr.G and the intricate engraving by 4 Dimension Studio that really push the boundaries on this build though. While straight line bikes aren't usually our thing, it's easy to see why this beast won over the Street Build Off judges. It's yet another example of why Japanese builders lead the way with their creativity and craftsmanship in the custom motorcycle scene and I can't get enough of it!

First published by returnofthecaferacers.com

Single Shot: Kruz Company’s SR500 hits the bullseye

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If there’s a bike deserving of ‘legend’ status, it’s the Yamaha SR series: the air-cooled single has been in production since 1978, with just a two-year hiatus. That’s 35 years on the market, and an incredible run for a motorcycle. The SR400 has always been the volume seller, but we’d take the SR500 instead: it’s essentially the same bike, but with a different crank and a longer piston stroke.

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It takes a lot to impress us with an SR these days, but we love this SR500 from Kruz Company, a small but perfectly formed workshop in Belgium run by friends Brice and Olivier.

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Belgium is a somewhat quirky country, and there’s an appealingly offbeat nature to this build. “The customer was really open minded,” the Kruz boys tell us. “He came to the workshop with pictures of Japanese SR builds, so we studied that sub-culture for two weeks before making the first sketches.”

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There’s a hint of chopper influence in the frame. Cut right behind the fuel tank, it’s been completely rebuilt in ‘sneaky snake’ style with chromoly tubes. For extra reinforcement, there’s a pair of bracing plates beautifully drilled to mimic bubbles.

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The fuel tank comes from a Yamaha RS 125, heavily modified to fit on the larger frame tubes of the SR500. Even more heavily modified is the rear fender, from an early Harley Sportster. A taillight and plate mount projects outwards: “Because we hate side mounts!”

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There are plenty of quirks elsewhere. The tiny front fairing is fashioned from an old Honda CB750 tank, and the hand-made seat—neatly bedded into the curved subframe—is finished with ‘upside down’ leather.

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The SR500 engine is strong, but occasionally prone to overheating if heavily tuned. So Kruz have limited the mods to a bigger Mikuni carb and a custom exhaust pipe terminated with a classic SuperTrapp Megaphone muffler. A discreet oil cooler sits to the side of the engine, providing a little extra insurance and peace of mind. Look closely, and you’ll spot an oil temperature gauge just ahead of the tank.

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The Kruz Company philosophy is to build “efficient and fun machines to ride.” Although Olivier learnt his trade on the European superbike race circuit, he values reliability as much as performance when building customs. The goal is to build “bikes that start in a flash every morning, and transport the rider with a certain class,” he says.
“A subtle balance between the modern and the old…”
Kruz Company | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Sébastien Nunes

first published by bikeexif.com