1930 Indian Four

1930 Indian Four

This beautiful vintage Indian is owned by Buzz Kanter, publisher of the Harley magazine American Iron. During the hard times of the Great Depression and the war years, the Four was a luxurious anomaly. But Indian stuck with it, and today it’s a machine highly prized by collectors. Even more surprising is the purposeful, single-minded styling: it still has massive appeal seventy years later, and belies the remarkably convoluted history of the Four. It first appeared as the Indian Ace, after Indian bought the Ace Motor Corporation in 1927. The Ace was heavily modified to become the Indian 401, which then became the 402 after adopting the frame from the Indian Scout. Many drivetrain modifications followed—some disastrous—but the mighty 77-ci Four soldiered on until 1942. Today, there’s a thriving Indian Four club scene and you’ll need US$50-60,000 to buy a Four on the open market. If I had that kind of money to spend on a vintage motorcycle, this would be at the top of my shopping list. [Via Classic American Iron, spotted by Glenn Edley of stylish auto blog car137.]

Moto Gima

Moto Gima

There’s an intriguing story behind this super-stylish motocyclette. Despite appearances, it’s not a vintage machine: it’s an accurate recreation of a 1950s GIMA, and costs just €4,290 (US$6,000). GIMA was a short-lived French manufacturer that made small but stylish bikes from 1947 to 1956, and would have slipped into obscurity were it not for a businessman called Hilario Gonzalez. After working for engine maker AMC and then starting his own business, Gonzalez restored a GIMA for his son a few years ago. Bitten by the bug, he decided to remanufacture a 125cc GIMA using the original design, subtly updated with modern engineering—including electronic ignition and contemporary carburetion. Permissions were obtained from Paul Josué, the original frame designer, and from Gilbert Chartoire, the son of AMC’s founder. Gonzalez revealed the prototype to the public in 2005, and by early 2009 small-scale production was underway. Since then, production has been steady and demand strong. But the financial crisis has virtually crippled GIMA’s parent company—Gonzalez’ general engineering business—and it threatens to drag down GIMA too. We hope it survives: if you do too, there’s an online petition you can sign that requests support from the French government. [Spotted on Rollin' Free.]

Gas Gas EC 450 Desert

Gas Gas EC 450 Desert

A new enduro model from Spanish manufacturer Gas Gas is attracting interest, with a curious absence of information fanning the flames of curiosity. Details are remarkably scarce on this striking-looking machine; after a brief appearance on Gas Gas’ US website, was it was quietly removed. From piecing together information from sources scattered around the interwebs, it looks like the ‘EC 450 Desert’ is a limited edition bike built to special order. According to US dealer Lynburg Choppers, it’s scheduled to be available in the States in Feb 2010 at a cost of $10,499 plus tax. I suspect that the odd Dakar-style fairing plays a part in all this: there’s a touch of the Windjammer look in there, but to my eyes it’s aesthetically far more successful than any of Craig Vetter’s oddball creations. The specs are good high-end enduro stuff, with a lofty seat height of 940 mm (37 inches) countered by a very low weight of 133 kg (293 lbs). So it won’t be too hard to control with a few degrees of lean at a stop light. The engine is a four-valve, four stroke thumper—no word on power output—driving through a six-speed ‘box. If you’re planning a trip through the desert, this machine looks like a good bet—assuming you can lay your hands on one. [See the full 2010 Gas Gas range on Bike Tech.]

BSA Lightning custom

BSA Lightning custom

I get to see a lot of bikes while researching posts for Bike EXIF. But it’s only occasionally that one will stop me in my tracks, and send me straight to eBay looking for an identical model. Kevin Giffin’s ‘Buster’, a 1966 BSA A65 Lightning, is one of those rare bikes. (It’s also a familiar model for me; in the 80s, there was a TV detective show in the UK called Boon, and a BSA Lightning featured in every episode.) Giffin’s BSA was an eBay find, but also a salutary lesson in buying unseen. “It was supposed to be a 1966 Lightning. It turned out to be a ‘bitsa’, and a well-worn one at that,” says Giffin. “After taking it apart, it became obvious that a complete rebuild was in order.” In the end, it took Giffin two years and over $10,000 to turn this bike into the stunning machine pictured above. He thoroughly reworked the 650cc parallel twin engine, giving it a 10.5:1 compression, a QPD primary belt drive, and a Boyer Bransden ignition. The bottom end and crank are from an A50, while the top end is from an A65. Giffen also installed Amal Monoblocs with open velocity stacks, and a late-model swingarm with bronze bushings. The front end is from a 1998 Honda CBR600F3—with clip-ons mounted above the triples—and both wheels are 18″ alloy rims laced with stainless steel spokes. Giffin did the paint himself, and says, “I went with the earlier tank style because I think the badges fit my look better. As with all customs, Buster has given me plenty of headaches along the way. But as you can see, it was worth it. He gets all the looks wherever I go, and handles like a sportbike at any speed and any angle.” Wouldn’t you love to have this machine in your garage? [Thanks to Peter Quigley for the tip.]

79 XS650 by Counterbalance Motorcycles

Weston – This was my first bike, and got it a couple of years ago. Just rode it around wrenching on it for a while until last fall I bought a few other junkers to ride while I worked on this.

Mostly stock frame…. cut off everything not needed on the frame and smoothed alot of it out. Fender from an old model A spare tire cover or something, and a custom seat that I made.

Ton of inspiring bikes on here… Let me know what you guys think…

Also I have a blog going with more pictures/process etc… always projects going:

Dannys xs / build by ELSWICK CYCLES

Image in my head

Danny- This 1972 XS was a build by ELSWICK CYCLES. I had an image in my head of how I wanted this bike to look so I got together with Rob from ELSWICK and we talked about measurements and the overall look of the bike. This is what we came up with.

I bought the bike on Craigslist for $1000.

Here is a picture of the bike before we started working on it.

The bike runs really good and it took about 10 months to build. The engine really didn’t have work done to it just replaced gaskets and took apart for blasting and polish.

Here are some of the details.

• Engine: Year 1972 Yamaha Xs650
• Builder- Elswick Cycles
• Carburetor – Mikunis
• Ignition – Pamco
• Exhaust – Elswick Cycles
• Gas Tank - Modified Cole Foster
• Frame - 5 inch Over hardtail by Elswick Cycles
• Rake - 33 -
• DNA Springer frontend

This bike has so much custom work done to it, the pictures do it no justice. I recommend ELSWICK CYCLES to anyone building a bike, their high quality parts and there’s nothing they can’t build. THANKS AGAIN ROB AND JAIME.

Lito Green Motion Sora

Lito Green Motion Sora

I’m ambivalent about electric motorcycles. The head says yes, but the heart says no. But I like the look of the Sora, which comes from Canadian company Lito Green Motion. It’s due to be unveiled next month, with deliveries beginning in October. Top speed is given as 200 kph (120 mph), and there are novelties like an electric seat—so you can change the riding position from sportbike to cruiser-style—and an integrated GPS system. The $44,000 Sora is designed to be ridden for up to 300 km on a single charge and it also sports a CVT transmission. Unlike most electric motos, this one seems to have an emotive design philosophy behind it: LGM wanted to take “the best design elements of bobber and café racer/streetfighter bikes” to create “a unique style of motorcycle that is part custom, part sport bike.” Now that sounds like they’re on the right track. [Via Autoblog Green.]

Deus Cafe Scorpio

Deus Cafe Scorpio

The Yamaha Scorpio has been derided as a hopped-up farm bike, but in Asia it’s the perfect commuter machine. It’s also a bike that Deus Bali has put on the operating table more than once. This is Deus’ latest cafe racer, the Café Scorpio, and once again, it’s a remarkable transformation. The 225cc Scorpio is now a light and elegant machine (and reminds me of the amazing 50cc motorcycles popular in Europe forty years ago, like the Malanca). Everything unnecessary has been stripped away, from bodywork to frame tabs, and a sleek new tank fitted. The brake and clutch controls are now polished aluminum alloy, set off with stylish new grips and instrumentation. Classic Firestone tires add a retro touch, with Daytona rear shocks tightening up the handling and a custom exhaust giving a performance boost. A perfect case of less is more.

[Thanks to Tom Hawkins for the images.]

Akrapovič Morsus

Akrapovič Morsus

You probably know that Akrapovič is one of the biggest names in motorcycle exhausts. It’s a brand used by race teams and loved by every squid with a sportbike. The products are famed for their lightness, materials and performance. So why is Akrapovič getting into the chopper scene? The Slovenian company has joined forces with a builder called Dreamachine Motorcycles to build the Morsus, a custom cruiser powered by a 113 ci S&S motor. There are some good aspects to the bike—notably the disc-style wheels and the slinky exhaust piping—and promising hints of boardtracker aesthetics. But the end result is uncomfortably close to the kind of bike that Orange Country Choppers would build. Is this brand diversification taken a step too far?

An-Bu Yamaha cafe racer

An-Bu Yamaha cafe racer

In the port city of Nagoya, An-Bu builds stripped-back, edgy customs that manage to look both raw and slick at the same time. The small company is like a Japanese version of the Wrenchmonkees, with a similar knack of using stark color contrast to create high-impact bikes. This is one of An-Bu’s latest creations, a lovely Yamaha café racer. Although you’d never guess, it’s based on the GX400SP—an unassuming late 70s bike putting out just under 40 hp. The frame has been cut down at the back and the whole bike lowered on its suspension. The narrow tank and tire-hugging tail unit emphasize the 150-section rear hoop, a substantial jump in width from the original. An-Bu offers this bike in three versions: as a naked café racer, or with two different styles of fairing. (The fairings are replete with the usual Japanese penchant for odd, and in this case profane, graphics.) The bikes are completely refinished in matt black, with only the glossy red of the tank providing contrast. The perfect machine for blasting around under the neon lights of a Japanese city at night. Head over to YouTube for a video walk-around of the bike. [Via El Corra Motors.]

Skriblz-The first timer

Fully re-built 72 motor with 70 miles on it, 100% powder coated, foot clutch with a jockey shifter, hardtailed 79 frame.

bruce reed – kinda done

Finally done as far as being on the road and fairly close to the way i wanna see it. Started with an engine and a frame and as you can see theres pretty much nothing left of the xs frame.

I handbuilt a stretched and raked single downtube frame to be different. Origionally i had chopper bars but after building a cb750 cafe racer i changed the bars to below the clamps salt racer style.

I built mid pegs with beartrap spinners for pedals. painted mthe bike myself. The pipes im not sure what they are from but i made em fit. front brake is from a tx650 with a custom doo-dad so it doesnt spin on the xs forks.

Ole Bastard

• 1979 xs 650
• Many modifications:
• Hard Tail welded in
• Real knobby tires

• Gator seat
• Drag specialty’s Speed o and Tack
• Custom old school pis-stripe on tank and sides
• Electric start and Kick

Darryl

1975 Psychotheropy

Updating some pictures from this morning. I think we got the angles right. I am very pleased with the results. I’ll keep you updated. The chopper gods smile on me.

I have been restoring old metric bikes for about 5 years now. It helps me keep my sanity. I started to see some of the old yamaha choppers and fell in love and at that point decided I had to have one. I picked up this xs last october and started to let the juices flow. I’m trying for a brat style at the moment.

The gas tank led me to an entire xs parts bike striped down and in boxes for $50. The wheels are off that parts bike.I wated to save the original gutter rims for a later project. The tires were shipped the other day. They are good used Yokohama Speedmasters , paid 99 cents a piece off of ebay. Started the cutting yesterday. No turning back now.

Wish me luck.

Hodgepodge XS flat track death machine

Where to begin with this contraption? Almost everything on this bike has given me fits in some way or another, but with each problem i learned a lot and the fixes helped get the bike to what was in my head. I bought the seat off egay 4 years ago and knew one day I’d build a bike around it. It took about 3 years to get the bike to where i’d visualized it and where it’s functional.

I knew i wanted a flat-track inspired bike. Having looked at Falcon motorcycles for inspiration I set out to make my own modest version. I have none of Ian’s talents so my own version is a much-paled hommage to his creations. But I am proud nonetheless for working through the challenges and not accepting workarounds.

Everything but the motor has been worked over some how. The motor ran when i got it so I didn’t do anything to it. Dave Huntress at TanksByTigman.com did the hardtail. Most know Dave’s work and his talent is undeniable.

I worked with a guy off of Ebay for the custom length leaf spring front end. Amazingly my measurements weren’t all messed up and the front end slid on with only 1 problem. I had instructed him to make a 7/8 stem which he did, however I couldn’t find the right timken bearings to swap out the stock ball bearings. If i had requested a 1 in stem I’d a been fine lol. So after a couple weeks of hunting with no luck, I contacted Steve Sheldon at Troy fab. Some people just deserve all the success in the world and Steve is one of those guys. Steve worked with me to come up with a 1in neck stem that was threaded to 7/8 on both ends so I could run the HD timken neck bearings.

The bars are more function that form and are the one area i am still considering changing. They were stock sportster bars that I cut and welded 7/8 ends on to run the yamaha controls. They are a bit wide for my taste but they help with the steering. Considering lopping off a few inches in the middle to tighten things up a bit.

The front brake setup came about pretty quickly after scoring the HD master cylinder at a swap a couple years ago. Using that and my buddy’s donated front ri off his 81 shovel and the 10 in rotors, I used the yammy stock caliper and just had to weld some brackets to the leafer to keep it in place. Shimmed it and all is good.

The rear brake is a completely different story lol! After literally about 10 days trying to get the rear drum seup to work I thought i had it finally figured out. Fast forward to bike week this last March and i am cruising to Willies Tropical Tattoo when the ZIP TIES i’d put on to hold the rear brake stay snapped and sent the brake stay around and around slapping me in the back at 30 mph plus! Mental note – brake stays use 2 BOLTS for a reason.

So got back bummed and agitated at myself for being a dumbass. But scored a brand new 19in rim from a swap. Got a complete rear brake setup inc caliper and master cyl off ebay for a 2004 FLHTCI. Had to rebuild the MC but it works. Cut my 04 dyna forward control setup down to work as a shifter and made a simple bracket to actuate the pedal. A bit tricky to get used to due to the angle but i am thinking about remaking the bracket with some holes to allow for some adjustability. Picked up a Yamaha-to-HD rear 32 tooth sprocket from Mr. Lucky’s and in under 3 hours I had rear disk brakes, a better looking rear wheel setup and much cleaner brake setup to boot.

The headlight is a basic Taiwan Ted one and i made the bracket to keep it held steady. Some might say overkill, and i could have just used a simple bit of metal to keep it in place but wanted to ry something different. The pipes are the stock headers with some cocktail shakers stamped “Made in England” that i got from a dude over at the chop cult. Rear fender is just some front fender flipped over. The taillight is a score from a car swap meet that i rebuilt thhe guts on to get to work. And i hope someone picks up on the pegs!

Put in a PAMCO ignition which my battery promptly destroyed. So thanks to PAMCO Pete for sending another one at no cost. The PAMCO is the beesknees!! 1-2 kicks when cold. had to replace the stator as the chaging system was whacked when i got it. And swapped in some brand new Mikuni VM 34′s. She runs and idles great now!

It’s up for sale on egay now to make room for the next one. If it doesn’t sell now i’ll tear it down for paint and try again later.

Thanks for letting me tell my story – This ones been a long build for sure!