The most unlikely custom motorcycle tops this week’s assortment of machines; a Ducati Indiana flat tracker. We also profile a Honda Transalp from Bolt Motor Co., a cheeky Yamaha XSR155 scrambler, and an ex-Barry Sheene Suzuki TR750 that’s up for auction at Bonhams.
Ducati Indiana ‘Von Tracker’ by Francis Von Tuto History may have forgotten the Ducati Indiana, but those who lived it aren’t so lucky. There was a time when all the Italian marques all wanted a piece of America’s ‘factory chopper’ pie, with Moto Morini, Moto Guzzi, and Ducati all vying for a slice. The Ducati Indiana was particularly goofy, with a square-tube frame, swoopy tank, and raked front end.
When a professor from the University of Florence advertised a 1987 Ducati Indiana 650 for sale, Francis Von Tuto had a brain wave. Always on the lookout for new personal projects, Francis took pity on the maligned Ducati, and it followed him home.
“For once, I wanted a custom motorcycle that I wouldn’t care if I scratched it, if it fell off the stand, or if I crashed it,” says Francis. “I wanted a bike I can repair quickly, that has balls, and that looks rad. A fun bike.”
The Indiana had been stored in a garden shed for years, but it had been meticulously covered in plastic wrap so it wasn’t in too bad a shape for Francis to get started. The cast wheels were ditched in favor of a 18F/17R set of spoked wheels, with the headlight, indicators, and front fender all removed. Francis set out to race the bike at the El Rollo flat track race at the popular Wheels and Waves festival, so the front brake was set aside, and flat track bars were installed with new grips and throttle mechanism.
The front number plate was made from fiberglass (based on an old motocross bike that was lying around), and Francis modified a fiberglass flat track seat and side covers to fit the Ducati frame. A new seat from his friend at BF Tappezzerie was fitted. Amazingly, the bike’s frame and fuel tank were not modified in any way, but the footpegs were swapped out for less cruiser-like items from a Yamaha XJR.
The engine was given a new lease on life after it was pulled from the shed, with the factory Bing carbs replaced with 36mm Mikunis. A pair of Öhlins shocks were bolted to the back of the bike and the front forks were rebuilt with fresh seals and oil. The airbox was gutted in favor of a high-flow foam filter and the glorious Italian v-twin sound is unleashed with an open exhaust.
Despite eating dirt at the El Rollo flat track race (and busting two ribs in the process), Francis assures us that he’s doing okay and really enjoys riding the Indiana. He’s got plans to install a front brake and some lighting so he can get it road-registered, which is great news.
Francis has a history of turning ugly ducks into beautiful swans, and while this one is a bit rough and ready, there is a beauty in it that we can’t get enough of. [Francis Von Tuto | Images by Rafael Montañes Ruiz]
Honda Transalp by Bolt Motor Co. Walk down the street in most European cities and you’ll find plenty of old Honda Transalps still kicking around. First released in 1987, the Transalp is an absolute workhorse that will probably outlast us all—which makes it a great candidate for an adventure bike restomod.
Bolt Motor Co. usually specializes in light, lithe café racers with speed in mind. But they are passionate about all things design, and particularly love the Dakar style of the 90s. So when a customer came knocking with a Transalp, the team jumped at the opportunity.
The customer requested an outlandish look, but also wanted the performance to match the aesthetic. To achieve the latter, the Bolt team grafted a 2020 Africa Twin front end onto the Transalp. That added modern upside-side down forks, twin brakes, floating discs, and a new front fender to the equation.
All the factory bodywork remains, but it’s been lathered in an old-school Rothmans Honda Dakar-style livery. The windscreen was also covered, giving the factory gauges a bit more shade. The headlight was converted to LED for greater visibility, with heated grips and hand guards adding to the list of modern touches.
The original seat was taken apart and had a gel insert embedded into it to make long days in the saddle a dream. It was then recovered in a waterproof fabric, which is handy when the going gets muddy.
The engine and electrical system were completely rebuilt for another 50 years of reliable running, but Bolt couldn’t help themselves when it came to the exhaust. They have made a custom exhaust system that snakes its way through along the frame rail to end in a stainless steel Arrow muffler. (They say it sounds pretty damn good, and we believe them.)
To help those aforementioned long days in the saddle go even more smoothly, a one-gallon auxiliary fuel tank was mounted to the rear of the bike. Not only does it balance out the single muffler, but it also looks great and extends visits to the fuel station. The rear fender was completely redesigned, with LED lighting shrinking it down to modern proportions while still maintaining the Dakar vibe. [More]
Yamaha XSR155 by Garage Esquinita Not a week goes by that we aren’t reminded of how good Yamaha’s XSR platform is for customizing. Ranging from small to large in engine capacity, stature, and price, there is truly something for everyone within the platform—depending on which country you live in.
This particular XSR showcases the work of Jed Patrick Oriña and the band of merry individuals behind Garage Esquinita. Based in the Philippines, Jed was invited by Yamaha to build a custom XSR155 for the annual Makina Moto Show. He was only one of three builders in the country to be invited, and as such, a brand new Yamaha XSR155 arrived at his doorstep a month before the show.
Jed is lucky enough to have a bunch of exceptionally talented craftspeople as part of his team. When the bike was rolled into the workshop, he and his two friends Karlo and Kenn got straight to work, under the watchful eye of Jed’s wife, Angela.
The scrambler-style build was inspired by the work of Rusty Butcher—specifically his Harley hooligan enduro. The stock wheels were replaced with spoked rims and off-road tires and the whole front end was reimagined. A Hella headlight was mounted using custom brackets and a high front fender and headlight cowl were made from scratch and fitted with an OEM-quality finish.
The stock tank was a little bulky for Jed’s liking, so they made a new one from scratch. Now sitting lower and with a more narrow profile, it suits the off-road vibe to a tee. To improve the look and ergonomics, the rear subframe was raised to allow the custom seat to flow into the tank, just like a dirt bike. Custom side panels were fabricated and installed, with the right-hand panel doing double duty as a heat shield for the custom exhaust.
The ignition was relocated to the left-hand side of the frame and the radiator got its own custom scoop made. The battery was hidden under the frame and Highsider LED lights were fitted up front to the custom fork guards. With the fabrication work done, a beautiful yellow, black, and white paint scheme was laid down to finish the build.
Sporting ‘1’ on the side panels and front cowl is fitting, as Jed and his team won the Makina Moto Show build-off challenge. With work this good, we can certainly see why. [Source]
For sale: Ex-Barry Sheene Suzuki TR750 Although the Suzuki TR750 was based on the road-going GT750 of the time (Japan’s first liquid-cooled motorcycle), the two machines couldn’t be any more different.
The TR750 was a thoroughbred racing machine, with its two-stroke, inline triple engine producing well over 100 hp. Triple 32 mm Mikuni carbs threw fuel down the barrels to meet fresh oil delivered by Suzuki’s ‘Crankshaft Cylinder Injection.’ To reduce weight, the frame was lightened—but this, along with reportedly weird weight distribution, may have been the reason that the highly-strung Suzuki earned its ‘Flexi-Flyer’ nickname.
Barry Sheene, astride a Suzuki TR750, went on to win the Formula 750 championship in 1973, and was the runner-up in 1975. It must have been through sheer skill and determination that Sheene was able to bring the bike home for its brace of podiums and victories. Sheene used a number of factory race bikes in the day, with the bike shown here being produced in 1974 with the frame number GT750-45072.
Sporting a full-faring, absolutely zero rider aids, and not much in the way of comfort, this is a pure racing machine. To help harness the huge power, we’re glad to see triple hydraulic brakes and sticky racing rubber. While the blue and white livery might not be as recognizable as Sheene’s red, yellow, and black Heron Suzuki, we still think it’s just as iconic.
Interestingly, 45072 was thought to have been lost some years ago, having disappeared from public record back in 1975. Sheene used this bike at Daytona in 1974, along with other races that year, including a victory at the ‘Race of the Year’ at Mallory Park. At the start of 1975, 45072 was removed from Suzuki’s listings, with everyone assuming Sheene kept the bike for himself.
With the extensive documentation that has surfaced with the bike shown here, 45072 has had quite the history. At some point, its engine was sold to a sidecar racer, with the rolling chassis ending up in New Zealand. A previous owner hunted the engine down and reunited the pair about 20 years ago.
A stringent restoration then followed sometime later, with the bike sporting as many original ex-Sheene parts as possible, right down to the engraved cylinder heads. Currently presented for sale by Bonhams, we’re sure this piece of motorcycle history will go for a pretty penny indeed.
