The Ride: New Custom Motorcycles and their Builders

321 Pages·2016·70.15 MB·English

by  Hunter C.

rne
cr$ MotorcYcles
Neu,
andm"itBultders
Edited by Chris Hunter and Robert Klanten
With texts by Paul d'Orl6ahs, David Edwards, and Gary Inman
gestolten
Chris Hunter:
Four Wheels Move the Bod
Two Wheels Move the Soul
It's a famous quote-author unknown, but known to every rider. lt recalls the glory days of
motorcycling in the 196Os and 197Os, an intoxicating mix of speed and style and freedom.
These builders are tapping into a zeitgeist that the
mainstream has missed. They're creating machines that'll
inspire those who have never swung a leg over a bike to get
a license and start riding. These motorcycles are not merely
eye-catch i ng-they' re attention- g ra bbi ng.
How did we get to this point? ls it simply the cyclical
nature of consumerism? To understand the story we need
to take a trip back in time.
The bobbers and choppers that appeared after after the
Second World War were all about performance. They were
often built by servicemen whoU wrestled with ponderous
military-issue bikes and wanted a more rewarding ride.
Stripped of excess weight and aesthetic fripperies, these
prototypical customs were lighter, faster, and better looking
than factory bikes. And with lightly stretched forks, they
were better suited to long, straight American highways.
ln Europe, a similar trend devel-
oped in the 196Os. Production
machines were transformed into
low-slung "caf6 racefs," as they
were known in Britaih, designed
for swift rides between transport
cafes or coffee bars.
Th"n something went wrong. Motorcycling lost its world. Once again, it's become an essential prop for film- They were customized with uprated engines, narow
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soul. lt became a casualty of technological progress, makers and magazine shoots. And young city-dwellers, who handlebars, single seats, and indented tanks designed to be
lost behind swathes of fluoro-colored plastic, throttled by deserted motorcycling in droves in the 199Os, are returning gripped by knees. Form was dictated by function, and very
electronic controls, and crushed by increasing weight and to the fold. good it looked too.
complexity. The impetus is not coming from the giant factories in Then the Japanese superbikes appeared and raised the
The stereotypical motorcyclist used to be a rakish young Japan, China, or lndia. And it's not coming from the long- performance bar. They were also better constructed and
guy or girl, a thrill-seeker with a mechanical bent. By the end established makers in the in the United States, England, or more reliable than the British and ltalian machines. The
of the twentieth century it was the retired dentist trailering ltaly, either. lt's coming from a new wave of custom motor- British motorcycle industry rolled over and died, and the
his 800-pound chrome-laden cruiser to a motorcycle meet. cycle builders, who are cherry-picking the best production Japanese Big Four owned the 197Os and 198Os. lf you want-
But today, the motorcycle is back. Once again it's a lithe bikes from the past four decades and turning them into ed outright performance, you bought a spoftbike straight off
object of desire, a symbol of freedom in an over-regulated personal ized dream machines. the showroom floon lf you wanted a bike to use every day,
2
you bought a UIM-a Universal Japanese Motorcycle. lt was
a golden age for motorcycling. Most riders were satisfied
with the production bikes on offe[ so it was the more radical
end of the custom scene that flourished.
This extremity, which excited some at the time, was the
beginning of the end. Custom motorcycles began to lose
-1 their way: overloaded with chrome and aluminum billet, they
became caricatures of what a motorcycle should be.
Meanwhile, the public at large was tuning into reality
television shows such as American Chopper and Biker
Build-Olf. Both launched in 2OO2, they sacrificed good
taste in return for good ratings and pushed North American
builders to create more outlandish bikes than ever before.
As the paint became more lurid, the cool factor be-
stowed on motorcycles by films such as Easy Rider slowly
ebbed away. The nadir was surely the n'bagger" custoffi, with
an impossibly wide fairing, hard cases at the back, and a
if1 cartoonish chromed front wheel of 26 inches or more.
-r-,\!-;.i1. To its credit, Harley-Davidson was one of the first to
sense an impending backlash and stafred to promote its
fr'
low-key "Dark Custom" bikes.
Some of the United States's more forward-thinking
builders also started to distance themselves from the be-
hemoths of bling. Builders like Fred Krugge6 lesse Rooke,
Roland Sands, and Exile Clcles' Russell Mitchell pared back
their designs and laid the ground for a new direction.
.^I:-$-b_-b":_' Further glimmers of hope came from Triumph and
*.1:-'
Moto Guzzi,who attracted legions of new riders with their
traditionally-styled Bonneville and W ranges. And to this
day, secondhand demand remains strong for Ducati's short-
lived SportClassic range, a marriage of retro aesthetics and
sweet handling that finished production in2O1@,.
For many riders, few other modern-day production bikes
have any appeal. The hard-wired connection between man
and machine is faltering, replaced by interventionist elec-
tronics designed to increase safety and performance, and
lower fuel consumption. (And also designed to ensure that
/, only a licensed dealer could effectively service the bike.)
At the sportier end of the market, power outputs have
risen to impractical levels. Production bikes putting out well
over a hundred horsepower are common, but often intimi-
dating to ride. The American iournalist Mark Gardiner re-
cently calculated that some of these sportbikes are almost
as fast aS a MotoGP racer. "lt'S incredible that any ordinary
guy with a middle-class income can go into a local shop and
buy a bone stock production motorcycle that is, for practical
purposes, nearly as fast as the fastest motorcycles on the
planet," ho said.
lncredible, yes. And perfect for the safe, closed envi-
ronment of a track day. But for many riders, even 6OO cc
sportbikes are out of sync with today's riding conditions and
speed limits. These highly-strung projectiles require train-
ing and skills well beyond those of the average riden The
larger-engined sportbikes can exceed 100 mph in first gear.
Former Ducati CEO Federico Minoli summed it up well in
a recent interuiew: "People are tired of performance alone.
They're exasperated by it; they don't want those monsters in
3
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Wheels & Waves festival, 2013, Biarritz, France
the street. But the coolness of motorcycles remains; we are Many of these A-list shops are influenced by trends in la- stripped of artifice, fitted with modified bodywork, and often
all passionate about it and we are always talking about what pan, which has a remarkably fertile industry of customizers. given a tune-up too. The parallel with the bikes that raced
will be the next big thing." Minoli has put his money where The lapanese scene is broad, with endless niche genres. around London's North Circular in the 196Os is obvious. Ex-
his mouth is: he's joined forces with the Australian custom There's something for those who love traditional British iron, cept Brat Style bikes are usually smaller and more manage-
builder Deus Ex Machina to open a store in Milan. and something for those who crave the wildest extremes able, fitted with flatter seats, and treated to higher-quality
Deus is one of the workshops at the forefront of the of performance. But one particular genre has had a huge finishes. Glossy powder coat and intricate paint jobs are the
custom revival, filling the gap left by product planners at impact. lt's known in the west as Brat Style, after a Ieading order of the day.
the big factories. lt's a multi-faceted business with stores exponent, and it's a distant relative of the cafe racer scene As the bikes have changed, we've also seen a return to
in Sydney, Los Angeles, dnd Bali-and a carefully nurtured popular in Britain 5O years ago. the traditional values of motorcycling. More people now
brand that appeals to riders and non-riders alike. Brat Style bikes are stylish, practical to ride, and afford- want to modify their bikes themselves, learning the tradi-
ln Europe, other builders have rapidly attracted the eye able. Designed for short trips around the city, they're often tional skills of wrenching, welding, and fabrication-what
of an appreciative public. Shops like the Wrenchmonkees based on Yamaha's ubiquitous sR series, and smaller- some have called "meaningful work," as an alternative to
(Denmark) and Cafe Racer Dreams (Spain) are becoming the capacity Hondas-o[ at the larger end of the scale, the a desk job. But the bikes being built in garages around the
darlings of the mainstream media. evergreen Kawasaki W65O and Honda CB75O. The bikes are world are not the motorcycles that you'll see in a reality tele-
4
vision series. They don't sport giant rear tires or stretched Thor Drake's One Motorcycle Show has become a traveling
forks. They're a blast from the past: stripped back, Iighteq circus, moving from Portland, Oregon, to Austin, Texas.
and more fun. Traditional motorcycle apparel manufacturers are enjoy-
Of course, motorcycles are also about showing off in a ing a renaissance too. Brands such as Barbour and Belstaff,
sanitized world. And events catering to the new wave scene already popular with vintage motorcycle fans, have been
are exploding in popularity. ln Biarritz, France, hundreds of adopted by the new wave custom scene. lackets and boots
motorcycles line up on the seafront for the annual Wheels with a traditional cut and minimal decoration have become
& Waves festival, drawn from all corners of Europe. The at- the clothing of choice, rather than clown costumes fes-
tention is on classics from the 1970s and 1980s, from Moto tooned with logos. Veteran brands such as Langlitz, Lewis
Guzzi caf6 racers to modified Honda CB7SOs and Kawasaki Leathers, Schott NYC, and Vanson are prized for their au-
Zeds. ln the United Kingdom, events like the Bike Shed MC thenticity. Newer names have been quick to catch on: manu-
show and Sidebu rn Magazine's Dirt Quake attract hordes of facturers such as ICON and Roland Sands have introduced
riders on customs and flat-trackers, another genre enjoy- gear that cleverly blends hi-tech armor with vintage styling
ing a resurgence in popularity. And in the United States, that wouldn't look out of place in a 196Os transport caf6.
lames Crowe, motorcycle builder
Motorcycling has hit the reset
button tand that's good news. The
focus is back on the holy trinity of
engine, fraffie, and wheels-and
providing a raw and exhilarating
experience for the rider.
This is a book for anyone who relishes that connection
between man and machine. lt's for anyone who prefers
metal to plastic, or values old-school craftsmanship more
than high technology.
It's not an encyclopedia or exhaustive study. That would
take 2,OOO pages. lnstead, it's a snapshot of the custom
motorcycle world today, as it rediscovers the concept of
fun and personality. lt's a glimpse into the wildly disparate
worlds of today's top builders, from craftsmen like Walt
Siegl to punk rock kids like El Solitario to artists like lan
Barry and Shinya Kimura.
Some of these builders are shy and modest, preferring
to let their work do the speaking. Others are outspoken and
have a natural flair for publicity. But all of them are passion-
ate about motorcycles.
We hope you can sense-and indeed revel in-this pas-
sion on the pages that follow.
Chris Hunter
Matakana, New Zealand, luly 2013.
lntroduction
Paul d'Orl6ans:
A Glossar
Custom Motor cle Terms
Gaf6 Racer Bobber Chopper
Most English factories since the opening of the Brook-
lands race course and lsle of Man TT (19071ottered road-
going versions of their racing motorcycles, usually called
"TT Replicos," Brooklands Specials, or n'Clubman" models,
which were more expensive but faster and lighter than their
"touring" machines. Of course, these racerish models were
exactly what young men wanted, and thus were always good
sellers! ln the 195Os, the BSA Gold Star Clubman dominated
the lsle of Man Clubman's TT race, and became a very pop-
ular road machine for riders bent on speed. TriumPh, Velo-
cette, and Norton all offered n'Clubman" or "Super Sport"
models, and private owners who couldn't afford the latest
model tended to modify whatever machine they owned to
get the "look" of a Clubman racer-dropped handlebars or
clip-ons, o racing "humped" seat, rear-set footrests, open The American "Bob lob" first appeared in the 1930s, The exact origins of the chopper are shrouded in mys-
bellmouths on the carbs ... which sometimes resulted in following in the wheel-tracks of other modified motorcycles tery, but the species grew out of southern Califormia in
a quicker machine, and sometimes not! Meant as a put- such as the "Cut Down" from the 192Os. The "Cut Down" es- the late 195Os, possibly from black motorcycle builders
down, the term "caf6 racer'n was applied to young riders on pecially applied to Harley-Davidson "J" series machines, oh like Benny Hardy of Watts, who created a signature style
a mixed bag of genuine Clubman machines and tarted-up which the wheelbase was shortened via a smaller rear sub- of extended front forks, high handlebars, and a "raked"
roadsters, whose riders tended to congregate in truck stops frame or even a modified front frame to emulate the "short steering head, where the angle of the forks' steering stem
along the English motorway system. The racing aesthetic couple" (short wheelbase) racing setup of factory-built is widened to lengthen the wheelbase of the machine and
proved enduring, and the recognizable ingredients of the board track racers. lndian enthusiasts were more inclined increase its stability at highway speeds. This 'nfreeway"
caf6 racer are perhaps the most popular Custom motorcy- to install a large-capacity Chief motor into the chassis riding position evolved as a response to the rapid develop-
cles eve[ even after the big factories finally caught on in the of the smaller Scout, and Excelsior owners did much the ment of a freeway system in the 195Os United States. A
Iate 198Os, and offered "sport bikes," which included the Same with their own mix-and-match parts. The "Cut DoWn," longer machine is naturally more stable, although as the
complete caf6 racer catalog of goodies, plus performance sometimes called the "California Cut Down," was an early style developed and became more exaggerated, questions
to match. The rise of "factory" caf6 racers from ltaly and instance of private owners modifying their road machines of safety and suitability for the road became the subiect
Japan merely drove nostalgists and British bike enthusiasts to look like racing motorcycles. The "Bob lob" tended to of considerable controversy. The chopper was from its
toward vintage motorcycles in the 198Os, and by the 2@@@s, be less radical in chassis modification, but the goal was origins a statement of style over substance, an exagger-
older Japanese bikes got "the treatment," too. Now the caf6 a lighter, faster machine-the front fender was discarded ated expression that became synonymous in the 1960s
racer "look" has evolved to include any motorcycle modified entirely, the rear was shortened so the "tail" ended closer to with anti-normalcy subcultures such as "patch club" bikers
to an old-fashioned racer-on-the-road look. the saddle (i.e., "bobbed"), and all touring accessories were and hippies. The popularity of choppers has wavered over
discarded. The result looked much like a dirt-track race6 as the decades, but grew enormously in the 2@@@s with televi-
seen on every American race track from the 193Os through sion "chopper build-offs" and the antics of lesse lames and
to the late 1950s. the Tuttle family. A movement of "old school" revivalists
appeared around this time, disgusted with the high-dollar
showbikes seen on TV, embracing instead the original,
super-cool style of the 1960s.
7
Street Scrambler Street Tracker Board Tracker
The first specialized racing motorcycles (from the 1890s)
had been used as "cycle pacers" on Velodromes in the
United States and Europe in the 189Os. Soon, the pacers
were racing each other without bicycles, and a branch of
motorcycle racing evolved for the banked ovals originally
built for racing bicycles. By the early 19OOs, banked wooden
tracks of 1/4 mile to as large as two miles were built for
motorcycle and automobile racing-the "board tracks," The
specialized racing motorcycles of 19OO through the mid-
192Os were known as board-track racers, or simply "board
trackers." They were essentially heavyweight bicycles with
a very powedul engine and direct drive from the crankshaft
sprocket to the rear wheel; no brakes, no clutch, often no
throttle-just an ignition cutout to stop the machines, which
For once, industry stylists created an enduring trend, Motorcycle racing in the United States has always were eventually capable of well over 11O mph.
recognizing the super-cool qualities of Enduro or 6-Day included dirt ovals, sometimes the same tracks used in Board-track racing was perhaps the most dangerous
Trials competition bikes, and building them in detuned horse racing for decades. Dirt-track racers evolved by the motorsport of all, and the life expectancy of a professional
form for the road. The British industry led the trend with the 196Os into specialized "flat track" machines with unique, racer was not long, but the thrill of such racing meant the
Triumph Trophy, Norton NomadlPll, and BSA Catalina Gold batch-produced frames from a variety of small builders sport was hugely popula6 and the racers incredibly well-
Stars, which became very popular in southern California (Red Line, Trackmaste6 Champion, etc.), into which British, paid. Their very simple machines had short wheelbases, no
in the late 1950s as desert racers. lapanese factories got Japanese, or American engines could be installed. This was fenders, and steeply dropped handlebars.
into the act by the early 196Os, offering both actual enduro a third Golden Era of American racing (after board track of
racers, and "street scramblers" based on their own racing the "Teens and Dirt Track" of the 193Os/194Os), popular-
traditions on important dirt courses like Mt. Asama. Street ized by the 1971film On Any Sunday. lt wasn't long before
scramblers have off-road racing cues like high, braced Trackmaster Triumphs and Harley xR7sos began to appear
handlebars, raised fenders for mud clearance, smaller fuel on the streets of the United States and beyond, with lights
tanks than their "street" brethren, and an elevated frame and minimal road equipment, as a "hot roadster" alternative
and raised footrests for better ground clearance. Most to the caf6 racer. Street trackers are road-legal versions of
street scramblers never see a dirt road, but the style has flat-track racers, with small tanks, wide handlebars, raised
been continuously popular since the 196Os. exhausts, fat tires, and no fenders.
I
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High-powered, straight-line performance is what drag
racing is all about. Drag bikes have high-performance
engines, a stretched -out riding position, and use extend-
ed swingarms and "raked" forks for added stability in a
straight line. They also typically have fat rean tires for added
tractlor, ffiatched to skinfly, large-diameter fnont wheels.
Examples of the "production" drag bike style would be the
Harley V-Rod and Yamaha V-Max. Not to be csnfused with
caf e racers or vintage racers, which are built for handling
through corners, drag bikes emphasize going fast in one
direction only!
a.
g Glossary