An incredible Ducati 750 Imola replica from Indonesia, a hot-rodded Honda CT70 from the USA, a Bonnie from Spain and a Yamaha XV950R from Germany. We’ve earned a lot of air miles this week.
Honda CT70 by DavmoMoto We’ve always got time for a mini bike, whether it’s a new Honda Grom or an older machine like this Honda CT70 from the 1970s. David Morales of DavmoMoto shares our passion, with a stream of little wonders coming out of his workshop in Denton, Texas.
This CT70 is tuned for performance, with an engine bored and stroked out to a mighty 117 cc. David’s also added a race head, and he’s stoken the carb and intake from a CT90. The exhaust system is a complete mongrel: a Norton Commando header is mated to a Honda Z50 muffler, de-baffled…
The engine cradle has been modified to fit the bigger mill, and there’s discreet bracing to offset the power boost. New suspension and a swingarm (both from Kitaco) help keep the plump 10-inch rubber on the road. [More]
Ducati 860 GT by Sabotage Cycles The green-framed 750 Imola is one of the most sought-after Ducatis of all time, which means it’ll cost you more than $100,000 if you want to put a decent example in your garage.
Like most of us, Sabotage Cycles of Indonesia don’t have that sort of cash to drop on a bike—so they built their own. Well, a close approximation of sorts, and one we’d love to take for a spin. It’s based on the 860 GT, which already shares many similarities with its posh brother. There’s a new custom-made tank in the Imola style, and a café’d tail with an equally appealing vintage vibe.
The forks have been upgraded with Ceriani progressive internals, and there’s a modern Sachs mono shock out back hooked up to a new swingarm. Our favorite touches are the drum brakes, though—with a Borrani unit on the rear hub and a high performance Japanese-made Takasago beauty up front. [Return Of The Cafe Racers via GasTank Magazine]
Triumph T120 Bonneville by Macco Motors Triumph did a tremendous job on the redesign of its Modern Classics range, which puts custom shops in a slight quandary. If you have an older bike, browsing the catalog of a specialist like British Customs is essential—but if you have a ‘new’ Bonneville, it’s hard to get a serious bang for your buck.
A handful of builders have the smarts to work on the new models, and Malaga-based Macco Motors are on that list. This T120 was built for a New Zealander living in London—hence the name ‘Taniwha,’ which caught my attention straight away. It’s a Māori word you occasionally hear around my neck of the woods, and refers to a fearsome water creature. It’s so ingrained in local mythology that the main State Highway 1 was re-routed a few years ago to avoid disturbing the site of a Taniwha.
Anyway—on to the bike. It’s sporting Showa big piston USD forks from a Thruxton R, an LSL triple clamp kit, Brembo front calipers and Biltwell bars. The instruments have been repositioned to clean up the front end, and a Harley-Davidson headlight mounts cleanly to the lower yoke, doing away with the fussy standard brackets. New fenders, slimline side panels and a custom seat improve the profile. ‘Predator’ mufflers from British Customs deliver a rumble strong enough to wake a monster from the deep. [More]
Yamaha XV950R by Marcus Walz The XV950 is Yamaha’s attempt to sneak into the Harley Sportster market, and it ticks most of the boxes. It’s easy to ride, with ample low-down torque, the suspension is decent (the R version gets a shock upgrade), and it has the requisite bobber style looks.
German superstar builder Marcus Walz has lifted the XV950 to a new level though, unlocking its potential with a drag-style custom built to promote the biennial INTERMOT show in Cologne. He’s given the Yamaha a new tank fashioned from steel, an aluminum tail section, and a useful handling upgrade, thanks to fork internals from Wilbers and Touratech shocks. The engine has been fettled too, and now exhales through an exhaust system from Moto GP suppliers SC-Project—which boosts output from around 60 to 70 horsepower, we’re told.
You can catch the bike this weekend at the Essenza Sprint series at the Glemseck 101 festival, and in a month’s time at INTERMOT. The gold paint on the tank alone is worth closer inspection. [More]
Moto Guzzi V7 Special by Davide Caforio Davide Caforio is a gentiluomo with excellent taste in Moto Guzzis. We first happened across his company Ruote Fiere four years ago, when his amazing endurance racer caused ripples on the European custom scene. He’s now back with a more traditional build, a 1970 V7 Special called Lama Nera (“black blade”).
This Guzzi is a restomod of sorts, but with a twist. After stripping it down as much as possible, Caforio has built it up with period parts like Ceriani GP35 forks and triples, MV Agusta 500 bars, and rare magnesium Fontana brakes. He’s also rebuilt the motor with a lightweight flywheel and clutch, a balanced crank, performance carbs, and a one-off exhaust system. The extra power now runs through a five- rather than four-speed gearbox.
“The original Guzzi V7 was a great machine,” says Caforio. “But as we all know, there is always something ‘more’ to be done to make them particularly special to their owners.” [More]
