Just For Kicks: Macco Motors’ XS400

By Wesley Reyneke | Rather Be Riding

Most custom builders don’t enjoy messing with electrics: they’ll install a lithium-ion battery to save weight and leave it at that. More adventurous workshops might rip out the fuses and install a control box like the Motogadget m-Unit.

Jose and Tito of Macco Motors have just gone one step further. To satisfy a client’s rather odd request, they’ve removed the entire electric start system from their latest build. To fire up this XS400, you need good old-fashioned muscle.

“Hans wanted a café racer based on the three-cylinder Yamaha XS750,” explains Jose, “but he was having a tough time finding a suitable donor. A lot of classic bikes didn’t make it to Spain in the glory years.”

The Macco lads settled on a 1978-spec XS400 A2A in good condition, and fitted a XS750 fuel tank. Then came Hans’ unusual request. “He wanted us to replace and relocate the battery,” says Jose, “and a few days later asked us to remove the starting system electrics—leaving only the kick start. He wondered if it was possible, and we said yes.”

Macco called in a friend to help: ex-MotoGP mechanic Sergio Pitencel, who worked with Carlos Checa and Roberto Puig in the Honda team in the ’90s. “He’s a wise man from whom we learnt a lot.”

The battery was removed and the circuit converted from DC to AC. Two control modules were then made up: one for the starter system and another one for the lights, which are powered by a small 8Ah Lithium-ion battery from Ballistic.

An adjustable voltage regulator also had to be made up, and the coils were replaced with smaller items taken from a jet-ski. (That’s not even the full list of mods, but the rest will only be of interest to electricians.)

After clearing the electrical obstacles, the rest of the build was pretty straightforward.

Spoked wheels were on the brief. So the standard 18-inch mags were ditched, replaced by SR250 rims—19 inches at the front and 18 at the rear. After fabricating a new front axle, Macco installed classic Hagon shocks and fitted Metzeler Lasertec rubber.

The tuned engine now breathes through a pair of K&N filters and shorty mufflers. There’s a chopped subframe and a very neat fiberglass tail section with a license plate support.

The finishing touches are typically classy. Inverted Tarozzi semi-elevated clip-ons are wrapped in brown leather grips to match the seat—a detail that’s repeated on the kick-start lever and gear shifter. Hooked into the new electric circuit are a new analogue speedo and tacho, mini turn signals and a 6.5-inch headlight.

The XS, now christened “Dark Bullet”, was then finished in a typically Macco fashion: matte black and raw steel, punctuated by gold pinstripes. Everything has been refinished, including the engine, wheels and frame, and it’s right on the button.

Except there’s no button. You just have to use your leg.

Macco Motors | Facebook | Instagram | Photos by Sergio Ibarra from Semimate.

Go Fast, Turn Left: The RSD Ameri-Tracker

Flat track is where it’s at. It’s a shot of adrenaline for both fans and racers, and the ‘go fast, turn left’ bikes look terrific.

It’s also one of the few codes where Harley is still competitive. The XR-750 ruled the roost in the 70s, and today it’s the weapon of choice for stars like Brad ‘The Bullet’ Baker.

The thought of turning an XR-750 flat tracker into a street machine is tempting. And the stripped-down style is becoming real popular with custom builders. But a genuine XR-750 will set you back between $20,000 and $60,000, and in most States you can’t make the bike road-legal. Unless you weld in part of a Sportster frame—the bit with the VIN plate attached.

The solution is to inject a modern Sportster with dash of flat track style. You’ll get a bike that idles properly and doesn’t need a push-start. So Roland Sands has done exactly that with his new Ameri-Tracker build. It’s based on a 2008-spec Nightster—with a 1200cc engine pumping out a useful 80 pound-feet of torque.

“This machine is vintage Flat Track workhorse meets modern race-inspired detailing,” says Roland. “We’re showing how you can create a highly functional, dirty version of the Sportster—to use on both the street and your local hooligan short track event.”

Roland found the donor bike in a junkyard—wrecked but serviceable. He’s boosted power with a Vance & Hines Fuelpak FI Tuner, and freed up the breathing with an RSD Radial Air Cleaner and a Slant 2-into-2 exhaust system.

A heavy duty Barnett clutch gives a little leeway for abuse. Less conventional are the foot controls, a nod to the oval track ethos: rearsets on the left, and mid-controls on the right.

The biggest upgrade is the suspension, with Suzuki GSX-R forks up front and Progressive Suspension 970 Series shocks out back. Custom-built triples have shifted the geometry closer to flat tracker standards for better handling response.

The 19-inch wheels are Sands’ own drop-dead gorgeous Del Mar designs, in ‘Machine Ops’ finish. To boost braking power, the RSD crew have installed Performance Machine calipers and hooked them up to Spiegler lines. The rubber is Dunlop DT3, a classic flat track race compound.

Sands is famed for his design eye, and Ameri-Tracker is beautifully balanced. The tank is a modified version of RSD’s Softail Vintage Tank, but everything else is hand-made—from the side plates to the slimline seat and the kicked-up tail.

It’s putting the ‘Sport’ back into Sportster. And the kind of Harley we’d like to ride.

Roland Sands Design | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Adam Fedderly

Ready to race: Sacha Lakic’s CX500

By Wesley Reyneke | Rather Be Riding

Who’d have thought that the humble Honda CX500 would one day join the CB750 and SR500 as a staple of custom builders? The poor man’s Guzzi—once loved only by despatch riders—has fast become the sweetheart of the custom world.

The CX500 works best when builders manage to straighten out its awkward lines. And who better to do that than an experienced automotive, furniture and architectural designer? Cue Sacha Lakic, who runs a studio in Luxembourg and likes to add the occasional motorcycle to his portfolio.

This ’82-model CX500 was found by Sacha at George’s Garage—a shop owned by friends. It was standing in one corner of the garage, with an assortment of parts scattered on a shelf in another.

“I have always been a great fan of the motor of this machine,” he says, “a magnificent 80-degree V-twin, full of character.” From the onset, he decided to keep the bike’s overall design as sleek and minimalistic as possible in order to draw attention to the engine.

Sacha also liked the CX’s stock fuel tank. So he kept it, tilting it forward 10-degrees for a more dynamic feel. The Honda’s subframe wasn’t as fortunate though. It was replaced by a custom-made rear end that includes a mono-shock and solo seat arrangement.

The swingarm’s been reinforced, and the shock itself is an Öhlins unit lifted from a Ducati 851. It’s matched to a set of adjustable Marzocchi RAC forks up front—their beefy 50mm stanchions held in place by custom triple trees. There’s a hand-made fender mounted to it as well.

The wheelset is equally special: 17” Excel rims laced to one-off hubs. They’re kitted with Dunlop Sportmax Mutants—tyres designed for supermotard use. Braking is handled by Nissin calipers, with a Rizoma reservoir up top. The engine’s been rebuilt too, and a CBR125 radiator plumbed in.

To match this CX500’s sporty lines, clip-ons and rear-sets have been fitted—the latter adapted from a CBR1000. And the cockpit has been trimmed down with a smaller headlight, speedo and tacho.

Emphasizing the engine layout even more is a gorgeous two-into-one exhaust system: starting with y-shaped headers and terminating in a box-shaped muffler underneath the bike.

Sacha’s finished his CX500 in a simple matte black, red and aluminum livery, similar to the colors of the Voxan Black Magic he designed ten years ago. (We love how all the engine fins have been polished for a contrast effect.) The bike now tips the scales at a mere 125kg.

Less weight, sharper lines and much-improved handling sounds like a winning formula to us. Only one question remains: could Sacha Lakic please build more bikes?

Sacha Lakic Design | Facebook

Turning The Harley 883 Into A Scrambler

It looks like 2015 is going to be the Year Of The Scrambler. It’s fast becoming the dominant genre on the new wave custom scene, and manufacturers are getting into the act too.

As everyone knows, Ducati has joined Triumph in offering a factory scrambler—and Moto Guzzi has just released a kit that converts the popular V7 into a machine capable of light off-road excursions.

Milwaukee is unlikely to join the party, but that hasn’t stopped inventive custom builders from doing the dirty on Sportsters. The latest is Benjie Flipprboi of BCR, with this heavily modified 1999 Harley 883 called ‘American Scrambler.’

“For years we had an old 883 in the shop,” says Benjie, who works out of Edison, New Jersey. “It was a small, beat-up bike with a chromed-out engine and mismatched wheels. For a long time, we didn’t know what to do with it.”

Benjie considered turning the 883 into a bobber or a cafe racer. “But we build bikes to stand out and be ridden hard. So we decided to turn the old cruiser into a bike that could be ridden everywhere.” And here we have it: the ready-for-adventure ‘American Scrambler.’

The first step was to get rid of the cruiser ergonomics—the high front end and low seat. On went a set of late ‘90s Suzuki GSX1000 forks to lower the front. “We kept the Harley front hub but machined a new front axle and an adapter to accommodate the GSX’s double disc brakes,” says Benjie.

To prop up the rear, Benjie used longer shocks (and raised the mounts by an inch). Then he installed lightweight aluminum Borrani wheels with raised-center ‘dirt catcher’ rims and fitted Shinko 705 Trail Master dual-purpose tires.

Next step was to figure out the tank. Typical scrambler-style tanks wouldn’t fit, due to the shape of the Harley top-end. So Benjie fabricated a tank that follows the curve of the cylinder heads, adding a stainless steel rack and positioning a Monza gas cap off-center. Aside from a black flame graphic, the finish is bare polished aluminum finish.

“That gave us a beautiful curve to play with when building our seat,” says Benjie. “To maintain the natural flow of the lines, we got the front of the seat to follow the tail of the tank, and then curved the seat up at the rear.” To further abandon the bike’s previous life as a cruiser, the cowhide leather seat is as narrow as you can get without exposing the frame rails.

There’s a custom oil tank slotted inside the frame midsection, with a notch to hide a gel-cell battery.

The fenders and number plate are aluminum to match the gas tank, and held in place by stainless steel mounting brackets. The front skid plate is also aluminum, with ventilation slots to help cool the voltage regulator. A small mild-steel dashboard houses the stock tachometer & warning lights.

Chrome engines do not generally look attractive on scramblers—or indeed any motorcycle—so Benjie sandblasted the side covers and the top end to get a pitted matte finish. Then the internals were treated to a 1200cc piston kit and there’s a custom air filter box with stainless wire mesh covering the inlet.

The usual Sportster belt drive was ditched in favor of a chain and Benjie’s cut out the side cover of the engine, exposing the front sprocket and gold chain.

The only thing left to fit was an aftermarket headlight bucket and taillight. But nothing seemed to look right, so BCR built their own.

“We wanted to tuck the headlight bucket between the fork legs, so we designed it to be as narrow as possible. The taillight is bare aluminum and wraps around the frame end loop.”

The defining element of any scrambler is invariably the exhaust system. “We wanted to stay true to the signature scrambler style, but as always, we also wanted to give it our own unique twist. So we fabricated our own 2-into-2 exhaust using stainless steel and mounted the mufflers high, in the vein of old school scramblers.”

With adventure in his veins and his eyes on the horizon, there was one last detail that Benjie needed to add: an all-purpose road kit. So he designed a detachable leather bag that matches the cowhide leather of the seat. There’s even a protective aluminum plate to help keep the bag clean during the scrambler’s (hopefully) muddy future ventures.

BCR’s ‘American Scrambler’ is both functional and fun. Unlike most Harleys, this 883 can handle a stretch of hard-packed dirt as well as ribbons of asphalt.

And damn, doesn’t it look good? Check out the hi-res gallery on our Google+ page.

Benjie’s Cafe Racers website | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Ben Chan

Shop Visit: Cape Town, South Africa

By Wesley Reyneke | Rather Be Riding

I’ve lived in Cape Town for about twenty years now. It’s considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world—with mountains, beaches and wineries all within easy reach.

If you’re a motorcyclist, there’s an endless supply of meandering roads in every direction: the Cederberg mountains and the popular Route 62 are less than a day away.

In the CBD itself, you’ll find some of South Africa’s best coffee and food joints. So I’ve rounded up four motorcycle establishments that are within a stone’s throw of each other.

They’re places you should visit if you find yourself in the fairest Cape and in need of a moto-fix, a good coffee or a friendly chat. And they’re all places that I frequent and feel at home at. So if you run into a bearded lad with a Kawasaki W650 at any of them, say hi.

Donford Motorrad Cape Town and Tribe Coffee Roasting Situated squarely on Cape Town’s prominent Buitengracht street, Donford Motorrad is a world-first for BMW: a concept store built entirely around their new “Make Life a Ride” motto.

The showroom itself is massive—but there’s more on offer than just new BMW motorcycles and accessories. The shop is packed with classic and custom Beemers—including head honcho Leon Potgieter’s own Dover White BMW R nineT bobber.

Local custom shop FD Classic Worx put it together for him, and already have a few more new models on their bench. And Roland Sands’ Concept 90 and Blitz Motorcycles’ custom BMW R nineT have also done time on the floor—thanks to BMW Motorrad head office’s support.

Donford have also launched their own ‘Donford Motorwear’ apparel collection. It’s on display in a cosy corner of the shop that includes couches, photos, books, a R90 S and a Stoye sidecar rig.

Sharing the premises with the motorcycles is a fully-equipped Tribe Coffee Roasting café. Tribe’s Jake Easton explains how Donford were looking for an espresso machine, and Tribe were looking to open a new location in the area—kicking off an unexpected collaboration. Jake himself is a total motorcycle nut too, so it was a good match.

Tribe were given a ton of breathing room when it came to kitting out their space, yet wanted to maintain a strong connection to BMW and motorcycling in general. The main coffee table rests on two unused boxer engines, the down lights are made from various gearbox bits and the silver lines along the counter are meant to invoke those on the classic boxer engine covers.

Their espresso, freshly squeezed juices and menu make them a popular breakfast and lunch stop for motorcyclists and regular folk alike. And their iced coffees are just ridiculous.

Donford Motorrad Cape Town & Tribe Coffee Roasting, 112 Buitengracht Street, Cape Town | Donford Motorrad on Facebook | Tribe 112 on Facebook | Tribe 112 on Instagram | Photos by Devin Paisley

Los Muertos Motorcycles At the foot of Signal Hill lies the historic Bo-Kaap area. That’s where you’ll find Los Muertos Motorcycles—tucked away in an old, re-purposed auto workshop.

The shop itself combines an espresso bar and a retail space, with rustic furniture and fittings and classic auto-inspired décor. In addition to coffee, Los Muertos serves up nosh from Jason Bakery and Baguette Sandwiches.

As dry goods go, they stock a mix of their own apparel and items from Biltwell, Stylmartin, Dusty Rebels and the Bombshells, Dickies and Edwin. Separating the merchandise from the sit-down area is a row of motorcycles: complete custom builds alongside donor bikes waiting for customers.

Los Muertos’ bikes have a vibe that’s as raw and authentic as their shop: part classic South Africa, part punk rock. It’s an aesthetic that carries through to their own merchandise, making it popular among visitors. These visitors range from riders looking for gear, to coffee lovers that have never swung a leg over a bike.

Owner Craig Wessels opened the doors in January 2013, combining his love for motorcycles, design and art. Steve Pitt handles operations—he and Craig have known each other since school days, and are equally passionate about motorcycles.

Their most (in)famous build to date is “Swart Gevaar”—a Honda XL500 that featured on the 2015 Bike EXIF calendar. Steve can often be seen on “Who Dares Wins”: a low and mean Yamaha SR500-based café-racer. (That is, if you can keep up with him.)

Los Muertos Motorcycles, 42 Dorp Street, Bo-Kaap | Facebook | Instagram

The House of Machines With its paved walkways, Cape Town’s Shortmarket Street has a distinct European vibe to it. At number 84 you’ll find The House of Machines: equal parts café, cocktail bar, apparel store and live music venue.

It’s a place where you can grab an espresso and a bite to eat while watching the world pass by, or a shot of old fashioned bourbon while listening to one of Cape Town’s top musical acts. As a result, it attracts a broad clientele.

The location is almost 250 years old. A massive bar counter dominates the space, and at the back goods from Biltwell, Iron & Resin, 100% Barstow and the shop’s own THoM brand adorn the shelves. They also stock great “dude gifts” from the likes of Izola, Baxter of California and local company Bonafide Beards.

Right at the back, behind a glass pane, is the small La Macchina Speed Shop workshop. It serves as a strip down, planning and assembly area—while the hard graft is handled in collaboration with select custom shops the world over. Currently, La Macchina has a couple of projects on the go with Chris Richardson at California-based LA Speed Shop.

The gentlemen behind The House of Machines are Drew Madacsi, Paul van der Spuy, Brad Armitage and Andy Lund. They’ve combined their experience in fields ranging from the corporate world to men’s clothing, beer, coffee, motorcycles and photography to craft the sort of establishment that they’d like to spend time at.

Brad’s personal ride is a Honda CB400 street tracker, built by Cape Town’s Stoos Customs. Drew’s is a brutal Harley tracker, put together by the late Larry Pierce of Garage Company in Alabama.

“We were extremely honoured to have worked with the genius that is Larry Pierce,” says Brad. “Now the bike stands front and centre of the store as testament to our focus on quality, and as a tribute to a fallen brother.”

The House of Machines, 84 Shortmarket Street, Cape Town | Facebook | Instagram

The Woodstock Man Cave Taking inspiration from Australia’s Kustom Kommune and Rising Sun workshops, Devin Paisley and Simon Rice opened the Woodstock Man Cave halfway through 2014. As the name implies, you’ll find it in Woodstock—a stone’s throw from the popular Woodstock Exchange, and in a historically rough area that’s on the up.

It’s a communal warehouse offering workshop and parking space to members who live in the city and don’t have space to wrench on their bikes. It’s also a place to “generally do man stuff,” as Devin puts it.

“The custom bike scene down here at the tip of Africa is growing rapidly,” he says. “We want to bring the community together, share ideas, stoke the fire and help each other out.”

You enter through a massive garage door. The main floor is divided between workshop bays and a parking area, with an espresso bar and plenty of space in between for hanging out with your mates.

The WMC also host bike film nights, and recently held their first Garage Built Bike Show. And they’re not done yet: they’ve just begun stocking Max-Inc parts, and are planning to convert part of their premises into a more retail-orientated space. Also on the cards are regular group rides, and workshops on the basics of motorcycle maintenance.

Saturday mornings are the busiest, with guys pulling in to kill time over coffee, hot dogs and bike washes. Visitors range from young to old, across multiple motorcycling disciplines. “We don’t want to exclude anyone,” says Devin, “we just want to ride, wrench and have a good time.”

Their slogan sums it up best: “Blood, sweat and beers!”

The Woodstock Man Cave, 7 Barron Street, Woodstock | Facebook | Instagram

Feelin’ Funny with Cleveland CycleWerks

The 1970s was the golden era of gasoline. And the fumes were strongest on the drag strip, where Funny Cars ruled supreme.

Names like “Jungle Jim” Liberman and Don “The Snake” Prudhomme are the stuff of legend. And word of those legends has travelled to unlikely places—such as the back streets of Yogyakarta, the Indonesian city famous for its temples and Javanese culture. Which is where this remarkable bike was built.

The story of ‘Flying Rooster’ starts with Scott Colosimo of Cleveland CycleWerks. From his Ohio base, Scott designs and sells low-cost, stylish bikes with a strong custom or retro vibe.

So when it came to launch the CCW brand in Southeast Asia, Scott chose Yogyakarta’s popular Kustomfest show. He gave bikes to ten of Indonesia’s best builders, and flew out Roland Sands to help with the judging.

Flying Rooster took third place, but for us it’s the standout from the competition entries. It’s a genre-busting, radical effort from local builder Rizqi Pratama of Lemb Inc, based on CCW’s 250cc Heist model.

“The builders were all given the same budget with a tight one-month timeframe,” says Scott. “And every bike had to be ridden to Kustomfest to be eligible for judging.”

“Rizqi is an artist and craftsman. Out of necessity, he ‘does it all.’ He’s one of those guys that can draw, design, weld, shape foam, lay fiberglass, pull molds, paint, stripe and dry brush.”

For his benchmark, Rizqi chose American drag cars. ‘Flying Rooster’ even has a wacky name to match: the hinged bodywork looks like a rooster in flight, with a long neck and wings folded down behind the engine. When the quick-release fiberglass body is propped up, all the mechanical components are accessible.

There’s so much custom work on the bike, it’s hard to know where to start.

The entire motor was torn down, repainted, polished and detailed to match the theme of the bike. The secondary air injection is now housed inside a hand-hammered enclosure and the carburetor has been totally reworked, to eke out every bit of performance from the air-cooled single.

A new rear-wheel-and-drum-brake combo adds to the retro feel, along with the turned and knurled pegs of the custom rearsets. Even the kickstand and gear shift linkages are hand fabricated, and the drive gearing has been changed from stock.

Rizqi has narrowed the front end, and installed new triple trees. The forks are custom too, and everything from the headlight shroud to the hubs has been chromed.

The angular exhaust system is hand-bent, and the inside has been painted to match the bodywork color.

The star of the show is the extraordinary glasswork, though. Rizqi added hard foam to the stock Heist and hand-shaped it before laying a fiberglass mold on top. The seat hides a new gas tank, lifted from a scooter.

The entire unit is structural and designed to take the rider’s weight, with aluminum bracing and fire-resistant heat shielding underneath. It’s like a slammed Triumph X75 Hurricane with the volume turned up to 11.

Flying Rooster probably won’t run a quarter mile in five seconds. But in the creativity stakes, it’s miles ahead of most customs. We have a funny feeling we’ll be hearing more about Mr Pratama in the months to come.

Cleveland CycleWerks website | Facebook page | Rizqi Pratama on Instagram