We’re kicking off this weekend’s Speed Read with a cute Honda Monkey from Deus Korea. We’ve also rounded up a gnarly Suzuki Bandit 1200, a tidy BMW R80, and a restored Kawasaki A7 Avenger that’s going on auction soon.
Honda Monkey by Deus ex Machine / Crazy Garage In South Korea, the Seoul outpost of Deus has been collaborating with Crazy Garage since they first opened their doors, and it’s yielded some pretty rad bikes. This time around, they’ve also partnered with Honda Korea—to deliver a custom based on the new Monkey 125. And as you’d expect, it looks like barrels of fun.
Remarkably, most of the transformation was done with bolt-on parts—which just goes to show how extensive the Monkey aftermarket is. The build sheet starts with a set of ProTaper bars and grips, with a headlight guard, hand guards and foot pegs from SP Takegawa.
There’s also a nifty steering stem from Outex, and a bash plate and heel guards from Zeta. Crazy Garage installed a high fender up front, and modified a tail cowl from Cat’s Factory at the back.
The engine breathes in via a Uni filter, using a conversion kit from Kitaco. Keen eyes will spot a pair of Öhlins shocks out back too. And this Monkey cheekily rolls on Dunlop K180 flat track tires (we didn’t know they made them that small either).
A custom exhaust system wraps things up, along with a stunning HRC-inspired livery. Dubbed ‘Donkey,’ this Honda is another great example of a pint-sized custom done right. [Deus ex Machina | Crazy Garage | Images by Motorbike Magazine Korea]
Suzuki Bandit 1200 by Deep Creek Cycleworks Ever owned a bike you simply couldn’t part with? The owner of this Suzuki Bandit 1200 bought it new in 1996, and put over 55,000 miles on it before buying a newer BMW. The Bandit was parked for five years—until a friend, Kris Reniers at Deep Creek Cycleworks in Belgium, tried to buy it.
“He said ‘no way, I’m not selling it to you’,” Kris remembers. “’Instead of you buying it from me, tell me what you would do with it.’ A week later I gave him a sketch of my point of view of a Suzuki Bandit, and what I would chop and rebuild.”
“He said ‘that’s great Kris, now go and build the Bandit I am not going to sell to you. Build it so it can be great again, and I will sell my BMW’.”
Kris and the owner race 90s Suzuki GSX-Rs together in classic endurance events, so they speak each other’s language. The brief here called for upgraded suspension and wiring, mounts for luggage, and the ability to retrofit the stock exhaust for long trips. And the bike needed the chops to handle the odd track day, too.
Kris sprung into action, installing a 2005 GSX-R1000 front end, complete with the forks, wheel and brakes. A Wilbers shock went in out back, lowered slightly to perfect the bike’s geometry. Then Kris added some braces to the frame to improve chassis stiffness, for better handling on track.
There’s also a new bolt-on subframe carrying a custom-made seat. The fuel tank’s stock, but it’s been tweaked to interface nicely with the seat. The frame’s dressed with a set of custom blank-off plates to neaten things up.
Other upgrades include an EBC race clutch, Mikuni flatslide carbs, LSL clip-ons and levers, LED lighting and ValterMoto rear-sets. Kris rewired everything around a full set of Motogadget components—including a keyless ignition and digital dash. And the Bandit even has heated grips for long, cold rides.
Kris wrapped the build up just two weeks before the deadline—the owner’s 2,100 mile road trip to Slovenia and back. “He loved every minute of it,” says Kris. [Deep Creek Cycleworks]
BMW R80RT by Motobrix Not all custom bikes are created equal. In fact, this 1986 BMW R80RT had been ‘modified’ so badly by the time Brian Kates got his hands on it, that it was downright dangerous.
Brian operates as Motobrix out of Toronto, Canada, and has a background in mechanical engineering. So naturally, the R80 was reworked from top to bottom. Brian did almost all the work himself, outsourcing only paint and upholstery.
There’s nothing groundbreaking about the R80’s overall aesthetic, as custom boxers go. But it’s hella tidy with a host of well-considered mods.
Brian started by tearing down and rebuilding the motor, finishing it off with a vapor blast and a fresh coat of black. The stock carbs run with foam filters from Uni Filter, and a full complement of new cables. Better Boxer supplied a new cover to replace the stock airbox.
The wiring’s all-new too, built around a control box from NWT Cycletronic. There’s an upgraded regulator/rectifier from Rick’s Motorsport Electrics, and a keyless ignition from Motogadget. A Shorai Lithium-ion battery sits in a custom-made box under the transmission.
Up front are the forks, wheels and brakes from a BMW K100, with the forks shortened internally by 3”. A YSS shock takes care of things out back.
Higher up are a custom subframe and a new seat, covered by Uneek Upholstery. Black Widow Custom Paint handled the deep black paint job on the R80’s stock fuel tank. The cockpit also features a Messner Moto throttle, a Motogadget speedo and LED bar end turn signals.
Finishing touches include an LED headlight sitting in a signature Motobrix ring mount, and a custom kickstand and pivot. Brian also adapted the choke lever from a /5 airhead, by welding a custom mount to the new airbox cover. And he built the elaborate pie-cut exhaust system.
Tidy, no? [Motobrix | Photos by Gary Davidson]
Kawasaki A7 Avenger Here’s a neat little collectors item: a 1969 Kawasaki A7 Avenger that’s being auctioned by Mecum in Las Vegas later this month.
Kawasaki’s motorcycle business started in 1963 when they bought over the Meguro Manufacturing Co., so their early bikes were simply rebranded Meguro models. The A7 Avenger was one of Kawasaki’s first ‘new’ motorcycles, and was produced between 1967 and 1971.
It featured a 350 cc two-stroke parallel twin engine, with dual rotary valves and oil injection. The motor put out 42 hp, with a reported top speed of around 100 mph.
The model being auctioned off is an ‘A7SS’ model—a scrambler variant of the A7 with high twin pipes and braced handlebars. At the time, it would have gone head to head with bikes like the Honda CL350, although the Kawasaki made more power. This one’s been in its current owner’s hands since 2005, and has been treated to a period-correct restoration… tempted? [Via]
