Velocity Learn, April 16, 2023

We’re beginning and ending with two color-matched Ducatis this week; a Ducati Pantah restomod from Australia, and a Ducati 749S customized from France. Wedged between them are a wood-clad Yamaha XS650, and the wildest supercharged Honda CBR900 we’ve ever laid eyes on.

Ducati Pantah by Goal Constructed Moto Now we have a gentle spot for crimson bikes with gold wheels—so this 1981 Ducati Pantah ticks all of our bins. It’s the newest bike to roll out of Goal Constructed Moto’s storage on Australia’s Gold Coast, and we couldn’t be happier that the PBM group continues to be pumping out the jams.

Tom Gilroy and his crew have been approached by a buyer who had owned this bike because the early 90s. He was after a sympathetic restoration—however Tom satisfied him to make a number of minor modifications.

“I like the styling on these bikes—they scream 80s Euro-bike with their iconic form,” says Tom. “However the lawman had gotten in the way in which, and made the visionary Ducati designers disguise their stunning work behind some fairly lackluster fenders and lighting.”

From the get-go, the group centered on shrinking the lighting and slimming down the again finish. The entrance flip alerts have been streamlined into the fairing, and the entire rear fender meeting was eliminated. New lights and indicators (all from PBM’s personal catalog of electrical components) have been included into the fiberglass seat for a svelte, clean look.

The wheels have been stripped down and totally restored, as was the suspension. The engine was torn down, inspected and rebuilt from the bottom up—utilizing newer elements the place attainable—then polished to inside an inch of its life. The Staintune exhaust system was fitted to the bike many years in the past, so it too was restored and refitted.

The attention-popping crimson paint and silver pin striping was based mostly on how the bike arrived on the workshop, having been repainted by the proprietor many moons in the past. It’s a far cry from the unique shade scheme, nevertheless it’s no much less elegant.

A brand new seat was made by Timeless Auto Trim based mostly on the unique, however with a brand new Ducati emblem embroidered into the again. To high all of it off, a yellow-tinted, streamlined display was fitted, together with a yellow headlight.

It’s one other straight 10/10 from the Gold Coast crew. [Purpose Built Moto | Images by Brandan Trudinger]

Yamaha XS650 by Atelier JAB Utilizing wooden on a motorbike isn’t frequent—however the outcomes might be spectacular. In any case, Morgan used wooden to assemble the substructures on their automobiles for a lot of many years. It’s simple to work with and visually beautiful, particularly within the palms of a real craftsperson.

That’s precisely what has occurred right here, on this 1978 Yamaha XS650 café racer, constructed by Jacques Jouvin of Atelier JAB from Avignon, France.

Utilizing his in depth information of woodcraft, Jacques had an concept to mix a few of his passions—wooden-hulled boats and bikes. Should you’re considering that he might have been impressed by the work of Riva, makers of luxurious runabouts and yachts, then you definitely’d be proper.

Jacques joined forces with plenty of his designer pals, and the construct commenced. After stripping the body down and customizing the rear subframe, Jacques began on the bodywork. The small print are mild on the place the gasoline is, however we assume there’s a gasoline cell sitting beneath the stunningly crafted timber monocoque.

Seeing as this was a particular construct, Jacques selected to make use of some particular timber; Wenge. It’s a uncommon and endangered African wooden from the Millettia Laurentii tree, and it was equipped by a fellow craftsman. Taking 10 months to create, and strengthened with aluminum, the bodywork is nothing in need of unimaginable. 12 layers of UV-resistant varnish carry out the beautiful grain.

The engine acquired a full rebuild, and each electrical element was changed. A brand new wiring loom is totally hidden from sight, and the engine now breathes via a pair of Ok&N pod filters. The rear flip alerts are notably swish—they’re LEDs, set into the rear subframe utilizing orange methacrylate from a pair of Nineteen Seventies door handles.

The battery was relocated to below the swingarm and the body was powder coated in silver chrome. It actually pops towards the darkish wooden grain and aluminum accents. A brand new entrance wheel (full with a twin-leading shoe) was laced to the manufacturing facility hub for a extra basic look.

Positive, purists and anoraks in all probability received’t prefer it, however selection is the spice of life, proper? As for the craftsmanship, you can not deny that it’s high notch. [More]

Supercharged Rau-Honda CBR900 by Rocket Sprocket Customs Rau frames have been initially conceived by Manfred Rau, a German engineer. He made fairly the title for himself again within the day by adapting body building applied sciences made well-known by Fritz Egli and Bimota. His backbone-style frames have been used to hold large-capacity Japanese four-cylinder engines, they usually achieved nice success on the racetrack.

What you’re here’s a Honda CBR900 engine, housed in a modified Rau Honda body, and kitted with a slew of customized accoutrements for good measure. It’s the work of Andy Neuhold and pals, working as Rocket Sprocket Customs out of Switzerland.

Any sourced the Rau Honda body, shoehorned a CBR900 engine into place and slapped on the forks from a Suzuki GSX-R. A Ducati Monster S4R equipped the single-sided swingarm, rear shock and wheels.

As if the Honda energy unit wasn’t supplying sufficient energy from the beginning, Andy opted to adapt a Rotrex C15 supercharger. Fitted by Andy himself, it should’ve taken an age to work out the way it was all speculated to go collectively.

From there, Andy turned to the bodywork, fabricating the tank, seat and mini headlight fairing all himself. He additionally created a brand new wiring loom from scratch, and upgraded a bunch of electronics alongside the way in which. The handlebars are from LSL and a Motogadget tiny speedometer is embedded within the high clamp.

Judging by the figures, we’d hazard a guess that this may completely rip down the strip—Andy’s aim was 180-200 hp, and the bike solely weighs 440 lbs. However we don’t know fairly how briskly it’s, as a result of Andy bumped into some severe engine hassle whereas working it on the 1/Eighth-mile airfield drag races on the Kilomètre Lancé in St. Moritz. All the most effective with the rebuild, Andy! [More]

Ducati 749S by Jerem Bikes When it comes to aesthetics, the Pierre Terblanche-designed Ducati 749 was a wild departure from its predecessor, the 748. The sharp, angular bodywork and twin, stacked headlights have been radically completely different to the smoother strains of the 748.

Ducati by no means made a unadorned model of the 749—but when they did, it may need regarded one thing like this. Constructed by Frenchman Jeremie from his Jerem Bikes workshop, this café racer is his interpretation of a Ducati 749S.

Beginning with a 749 Darkish as a base, the very first thing Jeremie did was take away the fairings. He then fitted a set of spoked wheels from Ducati’s SportClassic lineup, after machining components to get them to suit. The entrance forks have been reconditioned, and a customized entrance fairing with an oval headlight was mounted with customized brackets.

A customized windscreen was added to the fairing, with an Avia Compositi rev counter sitting entrance and heart behind it. A set of intelligent CNC Rizoma wing mirrors have been fitted; they appear to be aero wings when not in use, however might be rotated to operate as supposed when driving.

The body was de-tabbed and chrome plated, together with the customized subframe. It helps a brand new rear hump, with the one seat upholstered in black leather-based by Yaya Brush Saddlery. The numberplate protrudes from the rear by the use of a CNC aluminum bracket, and all of the lighting has been upgraded to LED.

The engine stays manufacturing facility, nevertheless it was repainted and visually upgraded by the use of clear belt covers and clutch cowl. The bodywork was painted in Panigale crimson, with chrome accents.

It’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, however we just like the neo-retro touches. It’s half Monster, half sportbike, and nearly definitely all enjoyable. [Jerem Motorcycles Instagram]