A bespoke scrambler with MV Agusta power, a stunning Honda CB550 cafe racer from France, and a track-ready Ducati Monster S4R tribute to Mike Hailwood. These are the machines that revved our engines this week.
Honda CB550 by Bad Winners A few weeks ago we were taken aback by Lossa Engineering’s candy-apple Honda CB550. This time around the red CB we’re drooling over with comes from Bad Winners of Paris, France.
This deeply crimson hued cafe, entitled the Racing Rose, is the fifteenth creation to roll out of Walid’s shop. He’s used an English Wheel to hand roll the seat and tail unit to a faultless finish; the subtle upward sweep, transitions and lines are perfect, and the mark of a true master.
You’d be forgiven for not looking at anything else, but details abound. There’s the powder coated, snaking four-into-one exhaust, the clever internal wiring, and the 60mm chop at the front forks. Everything has been well planned and properly executed. [More]
Viba Lara 800 There is no denying the extreme rise in popularity of scrambler styled bikes. The pitch is so fevered that even the OEMs are cashing in on the trend. Thankfully, their involvement has caused builders to up their game—and some will mass-produce their creations.
The Lara 800 is what happens when French craftsmen shoehorn an MV Agusta triple into a bespoke trellis frame, with the desire to create the ultimate 125 horsepower scrambler. Both the swingarm and one-piece tank are aluminum units, helping to keep Lara’s weight down to a mere 355 lbs. The top shelf forks are from Marzocchi—with an Öhlins upgrade available upon request—and a custom coil-over Elka unit handles the rear. The carbon fiber radiator guards are handmade, as is the three-into-one, ceramic coated, high mount exhaust.
With only 23 examples available at a starting price of €32,310 (US$35,000), exclusivity doesn’t come cheap. But we’re sure they won’t last long. [More]
Ducati Monster S4R MH Tribute We’re no strangers to Paolo ‘Tex’ Tesio’s creative abilities. His body kits for the ferocious S4R version of the Ducati Monster turn the dial to eleven, delivering a modern take on Bologna’s classic.
Tesio has now created a clothed version of the naked archetype, and christened it the S4R MH Tribute. It goes without saying that the ‘MH’ refers to motorsport legend Mike Hailwood, and the attention to detail and level of execution is worthy of the name. The MH adopts the same rear subframe and seat design as before, but eschews the fork guards in favor of Hailwood liveried bodywork. Being specifically track prepped, those fairings are lower and more slippery works of art than anything else you’re likely to see in the paddock. [More]
Honda CB750 by Thirteen & Company Los Angeles-based Thirteen & Company were briefed to create a post-apocalyptic, Mad Max-style ride for their client. This 1972 Honda CB750, named The Russian, is what they delivered.
The hand-formed metal fairing is flanked by two HID projector style headlamps, giving a dash of modernity to this re-imagined road warrior. The patinated finish is chemically induced, coating the cowl, tank and hand-rolled tail. American buffalo was used to upholster the seat, and its diamond stitch pattern—a Thirteen & Company hallmark—seems almost too refined for the overall package.
While many might turn up noses and fall back on ‘rat bike’ dismissals, it must be remembered that this build was brokered. Successfully delivering someone else’s actualized dream is no easy feat, especially when its aesthetic falls outside of your norm. And even more so when you consider the builder, Kyle Vara, is only twenty-three. [More]
Moto Guzzi 1100 Sport by Eduardo Nauiack It seems obvious that this 1995 Guzzi cafe racer comes from the hands of an industrial designer. Its mechanical vibe speaks to Eduardo Nauiack’s obsession with extracting function over form.
When you learn of the trials and tribulations he faced, the rawness of the bike begins to make sense. The Brazilian-cum-Californian builder spent months correcting previously flawed modifications and hunting down electronic gremlins, before starting work on the custom rear subframe and component upgrades.
A Motogadget m-Unit defeated the gremlins, so Eduardo could install the rear seat and tail. Lifted from a Ducati 900SS, the unit looks right at home—despite its weathering, or maybe because of it. The project isn’t quite finished: Eduardo is planning to add a half-fairing of his own design, to be 3D printed as part of his Master’s Thesis.