A Maserati-powered monster from Lazareth, the one and only custom BMW G 650 Xchallenge we’ve ever seen, and a rip-snortin’ Indian Scout Sixty flat tracker. We’d happily put any one of these machines in our garage.
BMW G 650 Xchallenge by Hyde Designs Hyde Designs is small shop just starting up in Cape Town, South Africa. Owner Jens Henkel is a one-man-band and he has a mantra: “To build bikes where detail is important and craft is crucial.” Judging by his work on Octavia, I’d say it’s Mission Accomplished.
Starting with a G650 Xchallenge, Henkel essentially stripped everything bare before creating his vision. The new subframe design was key in this build, and is designed to showcase both the main structural frame and the swingarm. The tank is a one-off, welded unit that gives the Beemer an incredible angular shape and proportions, leading into a compact fiberglass tail that mirrors its silhouette.
Octavia came together in just six months—which is extremely impressive for any shop’s first kick at the cat. [More]
Lazareth LM 847 Back in 2003, Dodge rolled out a concept vehicle at the Detroit Auto Show that strangled everyone’s attention. The Tomahawk was a 4-wheeled ‘motorcycle’ built around the Dodge Viper’s 500hp V10 engine. It was bonkers, but in the best of ways.
At the Geneva Motor Show the other day, the French design firm Lazareth presented a Tomahawk of their own—and it’s the perfect mix of crazy and beautiful. Lazereth is no stranger to leaning things over with more than two wheels, but this is their most ambitious endeavor yet.
The LM 847 is a Maserati-powered ‘leaning quad’ with 470 horsepower, bar-end mirrors and a Panigale tail. Just take a peek at the work involved with the dual-Telelever suspension kits both front and back, and those snaking headers. My favorite touches are the cowl-ensconced intake, and that dinky little kickstand on the front left swingarm (see header shot). Utter madness. [More]
Kawasaki H1 by Mhc Workshop Originally developed by Kawasaki under the elusive N100 name, the H1 was Team Green’s answer to the escalating horsepower war in America. Known also as the Mach III when it debuted in 1969, the 500cc 2-stroke triple would smash through the quarter mile in under 13 seconds.
I don’t even need to hear the angry can of bees on Mhc Workshop’s H1 to know it could best that time. Everything that the Marseille-based builders have touched is in the pursuit of performance. The custom tank is leaner, the suspension stronger, and the overall package noticeably lighter and more nimble. The color scheme is a knockout, as is the weld work on that exhaust—and the intricate milling of the rearsets and head-mounted Mhc badges. [More]
Indian Scout Sixty by Roland Sands Design If you managed to sneak over to the Mama Tried Show in Milwaukee a few weeks ago, you’d have done well to attend the Hooligan Race at the Panther Arena. Meant to mimic a shortened flat-track, the slick concrete floor was coated with a syrupy mix of Dr. Pepper for (some) grip and a checkered flag was waved.
Sprinkled throughout the lineup of pro and amateur bikes was a team of Indian Scout Sixtys, specifically prepped for hooliganism by Roland Sands. The bikes were developed over several months, to coincide with the little Indian’s launch, and have been making the rounds at Hooligan events since. And they perform as well as they look.
The modifications lean heavily on suspension and geometry, to deliver flat-track ride-abilities. But in typical RSD fashion, there’s no skimping on the eye candy: that exhaust is a work of art. [More]
Moto Guzzi 1100 by Moto Studio Garage Bruce McQuiston and Ryan Arends of Moto Studio are no strangers to working with iconic Italians. Bruce demands that every build starts from a bike with soul—and a 1995 Moto Guzzi 1100 has that in spades.
Christened Cafe Nero, this blacked-out and raw aluminum racer is clean enough to eat your dinner off—but wouldn’t protest to a hard ride. Nothing is out of place or haphazardly strewn. Every wire, cable and tube has been routed with intent, to accentuate the work done to slim the Guzzi’s waistline and highlight its transverse V-Twin engine.
The milled aluminum subframe is worthy of its own Instagram account, let alone the carbon fiber work at the tail and front fender. Most impressive of all? This build was turned around in a mere 45 days. [More]