TARFORM LUNA RACER & SCRAMBLER: ELECTRIC RETRO MOTORCYCLES

 » CUSTOM LIFESTYLE & CULTURE » HOW TO BUILD A CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE: DO’S & DON’TS – INSIGHT & ADVICE

The man, Big Brother or the nanny state, call it what you will, they all seem hell-bent on turning motorcycles into noiseless jelly moulds. You only have to look at current legislative hoops concerning noise, fuel evaporation and emissions (the big three) that manufacturers have to jump through.

HOW TO BUILD A CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE: NOW IS THE TIME

I’m not here to scare the bejeezus out of you, but merely to grab your attention to make you realize that now is the time to customise your bike.

Admittedly, there will be lots of people out there who don’t care whether they ride a hairdryer or not. If you’re reading this though, chances are two-wheeled raging against the machine is not only a way of life and moral duty but also damn good fun.

Before we examine the nuts and bolts of customising your wheels, let’s address the elephant in the room. Namely, is there such a thing as an ugly custom bike?

If however, you’ve trailered your new toy to some boutique and said ‘call me when it’s farkled‘, then you may as well blow the money on your man/woman cave. Notwithstanding the finished build, the ugliness is in the lack of soul.

Building a Custom Bike: The Nuts and Bolts

Okay, enough of my pontificating and on to the nuts and bolts.  There are three paths you can ride down, towards the dream of creating your own custom:

1. Work with what you’ve got:Customise your existing bike
2. Donor Bike:Get an idea in your head for a custom project, find a donor and set to work.
3. From the ground-up:The planets finally align and the dream of building a ground-up, full-on custom bike, eventually becomes a reality

TARFORM LUNA RACER & SCRAMBLER: ELECTRIC RETRO MOTORCYCLES

 » CUSTOM LIFESTYLE & CULTURE » HOW TO BUILD A CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE: DO’S & DON’TS – INSIGHT & ADVICE

The man, Big Brother or the nanny state, call it what you will, they all seem hell-bent on turning motorcycles into noiseless jelly moulds. You only have to look at current legislative hoops concerning noise, fuel evaporation and emissions (the big three) that manufacturers have to jump through.

Thanks to the big three, the air-cooled motorcycle is in its death-throes. Think I’m a little dramatic? Well consider this, BMW has sunk millions into producing the RnineT, however, without its most recent major update, Euro 5 emission laws would have permanent removal of the RnineT from your dealer’s sales floor.

HOW TO BUILD A CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE: NOW IS THE TIME

I’m not here to scare the bejeezus out of you, but merely to grab your attention to make you realize that now is the time to customize your bike.

Admittedly, there will be lots of people out there who don’t care whether they ride a hairdryer or not. If you’re reading this though, chances are two-wheeled raging against the machine is not only a way of life and moral duty but also damn good fun.

Before we examine the nuts and bolts of customizing your wheels, let’s address the elephant in the room. Namely, is there such a thing as an ugly custom bike?

If however, you’ve trailered your new toy to some boutique and said ‘call me when it’s farkled‘, then you may as well blow the money on your man/woman cave. Notwithstanding the finished build, the ugliness is in the lack of soul.

Building a Custom Bike: The Nuts and Bolts

Okay, enough of my pontificating and on to the nuts and bolts.  There are three paths you can ride down, towards the dream of creating your own custom:

1. Work with what you’ve got:Customise your existing bike
2. Donor Bike:Get an idea in your head for a custom project, find a donor and set to work.
3. From the ground-up:The planets finally align and the dream of building a ground-up, full-on custom bike, eventually becomes a reality

2. The Donor Bike: Selecting a Donor for Your Custom Motorcycle

This route is one I’ve travelled many times and one that can be very rewarding. This method allows you to create a more comprehensive look based on a specific model of bike and is usually the result of an itch that’s needed scratching for a long time.

The downside is sourcing a suitable donor bike. It wasn’t that long ago that, mid-sized Honda Fours lay in garages gathering dust. Yamaha XV’s were an acquired taste and owners couldn’t even give away big Suzuki singles.

Now, thanks to masterful builds like the Vincent inspired Virago by Hageman Cycles or Classified Moto’s endless stream of exquisite builds based on Japanese Twins or 53 Fast Living’s Savage bobber – legions of yard-builders have been inspired to transform Japanese, classified bike finds, into café racers, bobbers, brats,

scramblers and trackers. Suffice to say; Japanese bikes are becoming increasingly difficult to source or aptly prohibitively expensive to buy. The CX500 is a prime example. A bike with numerous, colloquial pejorative, monikers – has now become one the most sought after by yard builders.

Don’t panic though, just because there are gaping holes on eBay, needn’t necessarily mean those bikes aren’t still out there. You may, however, need to be little more flexible with your choice of donor and get a bit more creative with your search.

Check Out Motorcycle Classifieds

In the UK and Europe, you’ve got region, as well as country-specific, classifieds, both online and in good old-fashioned paper format. The USA seems to be dominated by Craigslist, but likewise, still has state-specific ‘moto’ classifieds.

You can also put up wanted ads in the local supermarket, bike accessory shop, or even in your guitar shop. Talking of shops, dealers will take in virtually anything to move a new bike.

The old stuff never makes it to the showroom floor and they are often sold off cheaply, so it’s always worth asking. 

Be Flexible in Choosing a Donor Bike

As mentioned earlier, you may need to be a bit more flexible in your choice of donor, so instead of a late 70’s Honda Four, look for a much later CB 600, or CBX/Nighthawk 750. If you want a big twin, forget XS650’s and hunt around for a Suzuki VX800 while they’re still relatively undiscovered.

The whole 750-1200 range of first-generation, Hinckley Triumphs is all modular. This feature means you can have limitless fun swapping stuff around to create the ultimate hybrid. Don’t worry; there are still donor bikes out there, just don’t buy a dog through lack of patience.

Anyway, before you do the deal on your donor, there’s a whole host of research to carry out, which could ultimately affect your final choice. So first of all, come up with a look or style for the project, you might be bobbing a Hinckley Triumph, or café racing a Gold Wing (guilty on both counts!).

Don’t Reinvent The Wheel: Copy and Adapt

Once you’ve decided, Google the hell out of it. Search for terms like ‘Hinckley Triumph frame’ or ‘4 into 4 Gold Wing exhaust.’ If you’ve got ideas for frame mods, or want a clue of just how tricky a modification is, I guarantee you some enterprising soul will have tried it before.