A street tracker Harley Dyna, a supercharged Nimbus from Denmark, and a stunning Triumph Bonneville tribute to Eddie Mulder. These are the bikes that revved our engines this week.
ClayMoto Suzuki SV650 The SV650 has long been regarded as one of the best bikes for new riders—and enthusiasts on a budget. Its torquey v-twin is almost bulletproof, and what it lacks in style, it makes up for with comfort and performance.
Munich-based Nick Graveley runs ClayMoto, a design house specializing in clay model mock-ups for BMW Motorrad, Honda, Norton and Triumph—plus the big three German automakers. He’d long wanted to take on a personal project, and the SV650 fits his riding needs like a deerskin glove.
‘Fun under a ton’ was the theme behind the build, although the sculpted bodywork makes it look like it’s doing 200mph at a standstill. There are few words that can do justice to Nick’s deft handiwork: the multi-faceted surface of the tank and details on the split tail and headlight are phenomenal. Seeing this makes me wish I’d never sold my SV1000. [More]
Kraus Motor Co. Harley ‘Dynamite’ Satya Kraus is a builder focused on high-end engineering, crafting the in-house components that bear his name. But occasionally he’ll use his Santa Rosa, California workshop to build a mean test bed.
Based on a 2001 Harley-Davidson Dyna, Satya and his team started this build by shedding the Harley’s Midwestern weight and pushing it in a street tracker direction. The twin-cam big twin features larger chambers and a week’s worth of headwork to deliver 8,000 rpm of thunder between shifts.
To quell any Milwaukee slop, Kraus has installed a USD Öhlins fork, hooked up with their proprietary bolt-on Dynamoto front end kit. The rear is suspended by Öhlins as well, to keep the machined swingarm and carbon fiber wheel well planted. Aesthetically the bike looks like the screamer it is: The stance, saddle and tail absolutely nail it. [More]
DuongDoan’s Design Suzuki GN250 Just three weeks ago, DuongDoan’s Design snagged our attention with their rough and tumble Suzuki GN250 scrambler. Now the Hanoi-based shop is wowing us with their elegant side: this GN125 cafe.
From the methodically knurled grips, pegs and shifter to the expertly tapered mini-Manx style tank, this Suzuki is an absolute stunner. Riding on Firestone rubber, the bike tempers the delicacy with a decidedly fat-tired vibe. The loop on the modified subframe matches the profile of the humped (and comfy looking) seat; then form meets function with a chopped rear fender that furthers the hump’s silhouette.
The red and white paint, brown leather and raw steel finish is classic—although we’d probably lose the ‘cafe racer’ tank badge and opt for ceramic coating over pipewrap on the swooped header. [More]
Odin’s Fury: Nimbus Bonneville racer Piloting a piece of handmade, functional, engineered art along a bed of salt, in search of speed, will never cease to captivate. Aside from the landscape, the pursuit itself may be the essence of motorcycling: It’s pure and simple.
Few creations sum this up as veraciously as Odin’s Fury. Built to run in the home built, 750cc class at Bonneville, Lars Neilsen of Gonzo Engineering wanted to see what a 22hp Nimbus could really do. To help the Copenhagen-built four-banger top its original 75 mph speed cap, Lars has strapped a Subaru supercharger on board and shed every ounce of redundant weight.
The frame is bespoke, the forks came from a Sportster, the wheels from a Goldwing and the tank was once atop a moped. If it runs as solid as it looks and sounds, Lars should be in for a treat. [Facebook]
Eddie Mulder Tribute by British Customs I daydream about taking a turn behind the bars of every build in this series from British Customs. It seems only natural to imagine how well they would perform, if given the chance. With this new street tracker from the Gardena, California company, I don’t need to dream: I can tell you exactly how it rides.
Built as a part of their Legends Series, this 2007 Triumph Bonneville was built to honor Eddie Mulder and his Pikes Peak winning ‘Triumphant.’ The tank and tail are carbon fiber units, the stock geometry has been modified, a tracker wheel kit installed and the engine has been breathed on to uncover additional ponies. Riding through the winding roads of Big Sur and the dirt tracks of the Old Coast Road, I can tell you this tracker definitely goes.
It’s easily lighter, faster and more flickable than any stock Bonnie and the upgraded suspension works absolute wonders. Now I just need to convince Eddie to let me borrow his ride, again.