A brutal new Kawasaki restomod from AC Sanctuary, a Crocker Small Tank about to go under the hammer, and a slick Krämer race bike. Plus a Sportster flat tracker with a beefy Buell XB12 motor—and a taste for the drag strip.
Moto Guzzi T3 by Marcin Guja Polish builder Marcin Guja is a serious Guzzista—he’s already got fifteen Moto Guzzis under his belt. For this cafe racer, he started out with a 1980 T3 rolling frame, then wedged in an early-2000s 1,100 cc V11 motor.
The V11’s fuel injected, but that didn’t work for Marcin. So he binned the EFI and installed a pair of Dell’Orto PHM40 carbs. Then he added a five-speed box from a California III, and a Le Mans-style Lafranconi exhaust system.
The frame work includes a detab and a subframe edit. Marcin built a new seat unit, and sourced a fiberglass tank similar to the unit found on the V7. He also fabricated new brackets to hold a Rickman-type fairing, and a new bezel for the OEM T3 speedo. The bodywork, frame and wheels were then finished in a timeless black and gold scheme.
There’s a lot of hidden work going on too. Marcin rebuilt the stock Brembo brakes with new stainless lines, and added progressive fork springs and YSS rear shocks. There’s a new wiring loom too, along with a new universal ignition module from Ignitech.
We don’t see a lot of Moto Guzzi T3 customs, but we’re now itching for more. [More]
RCM USA A16R, Z Racer III RCM is the US arm of Japanese powerhouse, AC Sanctuary. This is their latest product, and it’s blowing our minds.
We’re leaning on Google Translate here, but from what we can tell, the base bike is a 4-cylinder Kawasaki KZ motor in a proprietary AC Sanctuary frame. ZX10R throttle bodies help things move quickly, along with a custom intake manifold and a bunch of other engine mods. This is a pure race bike, so there’s an oil cooler where you’d expect to find a headlight.
There’s Öhlins suspension at both ends, with forged magnesium wheels from OZ Racing. The brakes are from Brembo, with Sunstar rotors, and the tires are Pirelli Super Corsa V3s. All the bodywork is custom, including a slim aluminum fuel tank.
RCM say the bike is only 80% complete—but that already makes it 100% more awesome than most custom Kawasakis. It’s a more progressive aesthetic than the retro-fabulous sport bikes we’re used to seeing from these guys, but it’s a look we love. [AC Sanctuary]
The Crocker Small Tank V-Twin Even though the name Crocker doesn’t quite elicit the same gasp as Brough Superior or Vincent HRD, it’s no less special. Earlier this year, a Crocker V-Twin sold for over $700,000—and this particular one will probably fetch the same when it goes up for auction.
Silodrome has a great history lesson on the Crocker company here. During its time, the Crocker V-Twin was the fastest production motorcycle in the US, with a power output of 60 hp and a top speed of 110 mph. It also featured a unique gearbox—a 3-speed setup that formed part of the lower frame.
This particular model is 1937 ‘small tank’, powered by an original 61 cu in V-twin. The small tank moniker literally refers to the fuel tank; from 1936 to 1938, these bikes came with smaller cast aluminum fuel tanks.
It’s been painstakingly restored by Sydney-based 1346Venice, who at one point had the largest Crocker collection in the world. (The restoration work even included a stronger clutch, just in case the new owner plans to ride it daily.) It’s a stunner, and could be yours if your pocket book can handle it.
Jensen Beeler’s Krämer race bike Even if you don’t recognize Jensen Beeler’s name, you probably know his work—he’s the editor of the website Asphalt & Rubber. And now he’s an amateur racer too. This year, he’s competing in the Oregon Motorcycle Road Racing Association series in his hometown of Portland.
Jensen’s weapon of choice is the HRK Evo2 S, from fairly young German brand, Krämer. Developed as a purpose-built racer to compete in European SuperMono classes, it’s powered by the same 693 cc, 75 hp single as the KTM 690 Duke and Husqvarna Svartpilen 701. The frame’s a steel trellis affair, and the total package weighs just 280 lbs in stock trim.
The HRK Evo2 S is actually more of a track day bike, while the R is a pure racer. But when a demo model S popped up for sale, Jensen jumped. So he’s brought it up to race spec with a few tasty upgrades—starting with a set of carbon fiber wheels from Rotobox. Jensen thought about adding a second brake disc up front, but opted to install upgraded Brembo components instead.
The tires are Pirelli slicks, and there’s also a new AiM Solo2 GPS lap timer. Jensen’s added a quick-shifter too, along with adjustable engine maps, a carbon front fender and an adjustable ride height linkage. The red, black and white livery comes from ex-Kiska designer Stephane Marty. Jensen’s still tweaking, but he’s already shaved eleven pounds of the bike, and made some significant improvements. We wish him luck for the rest of the season. [More]
Buell-powered Sportster by Rivertown Custom Cycles Here’s a combo you don’t see every day: a 2004 Buell XB12 motor in a 1987 Harley-Davidson Sportster frame. It’s the mad science of the husband and wife team Mirko and Nena Nicic, at Croatian shop, Rivertown Custom Cycles. And despite the flat tracker vibe, it’s also designed for sprinting.
Mirkon and Nena are currently running it in the wacky European Sultans of Sprint series. Mirko’s a former freestyle motocross rider, and Nena is a former motocross world champion, so it’s only natural that anything they build will be borderline terrifying.
Shoehorning the big Buell motor into the Sporty frame wasn’t easy, but the couple made it work, adding a beefy 41 mm Keihin carb along the way. The forks are Suzuki GSX-R1000 units, the tank is off a 1938 NSU Quick, and the brakes feature upgraded parts from Free Spirits in Italy. Mr and Mrs Nicic moved the stock Sporty wheel to the rear, and then added the front wheel from a H-D Softail Rocker.
Since it races flat track too, the ‘Buelly-Davidson’ has wide bars, a traditional tail section and Mitas dirt track tires. The exhaust is a full custom job, and the number board-with-lights combo is from Free Spirits. Who wants to go racing? [More]
