A vintage-inspired Indian Scout from Roland Sands, a BMW R NineT given the Dakar Rally treatment, and a custom Voxan with a finish worthy of Rolls-Royce. Meet the machines that revved our engines this week.
Indian Scout by Roland Sands Design If you made the trek to Biarritz for this weekend’s Wheels and Waves festival, this latest creation from the Roland Sands team was sure to catch your eye. Working from yet another Indian Scout, RSD took a grinder to the conservative approach: On this build, just about everything is bespoke.
The custom frame and twin radiators are works of engineering art. Had a conventional set of forks cushioned the front wheel, it would still look as awesome—but no, RSD decided to run with a custom girder set-up. It’s dampened by an Öhlins mountain bike shock, with an Öhlins MotoGP-derived TTX shock out back. (The same set-up RSD used on the Project 156 Pikes peak racer.)
Each detail on this bike is worthy of its own page alone, so pour another coffee, sit back and explore everything that’s been done. I recommend starting up front, with that sneaky throttle cable pull mounted on the number plate. Genius. [More]
BMW Motorrad ‘Lac Rose’ R NineT concept Speaking of Wheels and Waves, BMW wasn’t ready to let RSD steal the entire spotlight: They took the wraps off their concept bike ‘Lac Rose.’
Clearly inspired by BMW’s stints in the Dakar, the bike is named after the Retba salt lake that sits 35 kilometers from the infamous rally’s end point. Working with an R NineT, the Motorrad engineers clearly had hands in the GS parts bin—creating what head designer Edgar Heinrich calls “our laid-back and very individual interpretation of the bike that won the Paris-Dakar Rallye in 1985.”
This Beemer’s off-road chops are more form than function, though: think of it as a roadster that won’t balk at a fire trail. Regardless, hot on the heels of the R5 Hommage, the Lac Rose shows BMW’s dedication to the custom world we celebrate. [More]
Mash 250 by XTR Pepo It’s not often we find a French-designed, Chinese-made motorcycle lying beneath a custom cafe racer. In fact, this svelte Mash 250 build from Pepo Rosell’s XTR Pepo may be the first.
Christened Cafe Noire, this latest creation to roll out of XTR’s Madrid garage is based on the styling of the endurance racers of the late 60s—and weighs about as much as Gidget on a longboard. Tipping the scales at approximately 120kg, Cafe Noire is infinitely flickable and, thanks to an XTR air filter and SuperMario megaphone exhaust, has the hustle to go with that flow. But you don’t need to see it in motion to glom it’s a runner. Thanks to Rosell’s handcrafted fiberglass tank, fairing, seat pan and tail, Cafe Noire looks fast and slippery—even when it’s standing still. [More]
Custom Ducati 600SS by Imbarcardero 14 Pore over these digital pages long enough, and the dream of retiring to your garage to ply your hand at bespoke builds will plant its seed. While most of us snap back to less romantic realities, Maurizio Carraro of Venice’s Imbarcardero 14 (IMB14) has turned that dream into a thriving business.
This is one of IMB14’s newest creations, ‘Hidden.’ It’s based on a 1994 Ducati 600SS and it’s a refreshingly original vision. Over 300 hours of design, fabrication and assembly were devoted to creating the bike for a discerning client.
Where most Ducatis have their trellis frame and L-Twin engine showcased, Carraro has ‘hidden’ these iconic traits with expanded metal-mesh and a beefy belly pan. The lines of the Duc’s tank were softened and the rear wheel was given the full-metal jacket treatment before a bespoke exhaust was fitted—clearly to ensure Hidden could be found.
Voxan by Motorieep When we first laid eyes on what the Parisian garage Motorieep could do with a now defunct Voxan, we were immediately impressed. Apparently, shop owner Pierre was able to scrounge up a couple more of those rare French bikes and his latest, the Voxan M-1000CR, is Motorieep’s most gorgeous work yet.
The fit and finish would make a Rolls-Royce technician blush, whether it’s the front cowl, the suede saddle or the high-mount 2-into-1 exhaust unit. And, since the aftermarket for Voxan parts is non-existent, that means everything has received the hand built touch.
That being said, Pierre benefits from past experience. The underslung rear suspension is a carryover from a previous Scrambler build, and the same high-pressure fuel pump has been fitted—to help that mighty 996cc V-twin flex even more muscle. [More]