What 'custom' would you build ?

[DefTrap]

I'm going to build something but I don't know what. It'll have to be interesting, it'll probably be grungy because (a) showbike painting, chroming etc don't appeal at all (b) make-do-and-mend and industrial appeal more. Plus it makes it more about style than perfection.

I think I'd start with a base model that typically makes the style-police cry - something like a Deauville maybe or a DN-01. Or some fugly 80s jap 'custom'.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I'm going to build something but I don't know what. It'll have to be interesting, it'll probably be grungy because (a) showbike painting, chroming etc don't appeal at all (b) make-do-and-mend and industrial appeal more. Plus it makes it more about style than perfection.

I think I'd start with a base model that typically makes the style-police cry - something like a Deauville maybe or a DN-01. Or some fugly 80s jap 'custom'.

Start with a Kawasaki Eliminator

[Yorick]

I'd like summat to combine The Fonz's Triumph, Evil Kneivel's bike and Robert's flat tracker

[Gregor]

I bought my BMW K100LT with the intention of customising it in some way, let’s face it it’s no looker.



But then after riding it for a few weeks I realised just how practical that enormous fairing was, how much storage there is in the 2 “glove boxes and “boot”, how bright that big square headlight is. Not to mention the radio/tape player, deafening horns.I got addicted to the way the faster you go the more stable it feels.

Wonderful as the bodywork is, it’s a fat old knacker and moving around in the garage was a squeeze and after the second time of knocking the fixed mirrors off when filtering I decided to lose it all.

The plan to do something a bit more radical is still there but for the time being it’s more of a street fighter look.That engine needs to be seen.....and tarted up.

Had a puncture on the Yaris the other day and rode the K to work in torrential rain, did I miss that fairing and headlight.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Something like a Bimota Tesi or even better a Britten V1000. I'd love to do a V4 equivalent of the V1000.

You can see why I haven't built it.

You know....based on the electric custom Weeksy posted before, I may have to amend my statement.

Itd make far more sense to build something like the Britten but with an electric powertrain. Of course it would. I dunno why I didn't think of it before.

[A_morti]

Something like a Bimota Tesi or even better a Britten V1000. I'd love to do a V4 equivalent of the V1000.

You can see why I haven't built it.

You know....based on the electric custom Weeksy posted before, I may have to amend my statement.

Itd make far more sense to build something like the Britten but with an electric powertrain. Of course it would. I dunno why I didn't think of it before.

Stands to reason, you could build the battery box as a chassis member like a Tesla.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Yes exactly. Carbon composite battery box (already done in Formula E) with suspension hung off at both ends.

Trouble is, for such a contraption you'd need 'proper' autoclave composite. So you're looking at thousands in tooling before you even make the first one.

[Gimlet]

I bought my BMW K100LT with the intention of customising it in some way, let’s face it it’s no looker.



But then after riding it for a few weeks I realised just how practical that enormous fairing was, how much storage there is in the 2 “glove boxes and “boot”, how bright that big square headlight is. Not to mention the radio/tape player, deafening horns.I got addicted to the way the faster you go the more stable it feels.

Wonderful as the bodywork is, it’s a fat old knacker and moving around in the garage was a squeeze and after the second time of knocking the fixed mirrors off when filtering I decided to lose it all.

The plan to do something a bit more radical is still there but for the time being it’s more of a street fighter look.That engine needs to be seen.....and tarted up.

Had a puncture on the Yaris the other day and rode the K to work in torrential rain, did I miss that fairing and headlight.

Oddball is the way I'd go. All sorts of possibities with that.

Lets face it, no one is going to build a supernaked in a shed that's going to compete with a factory bike, so don't try I reckon. Do something the factories don't do but that will still be rideable and sufficiently fun and quirky that you don't fret about performance. A cafe racer is out for me too because they've become like farts: sooner or later every arsehole gets one.

I'd build a big grunty but chilled roaster using something with a distinctive but proven engine that would work as an everyday bike.

A bit like the flying brick above, I always fancied having a go with a Honda Pan European. Unbustable engine, shaft drive and a usable bike that is so unlike anything you can buy off the shelf that you aren't going to be comparing it to factory bikes all the time. I quite like this sort of thing. Not keen on the perforated panels or the stubby cafe racer tail but that's just detail. The basic platform hangs together rather well and the star of the show is that great burly lump of industrial metal in the middle. And it would be a very easy bike to home service as well.

07bdf718b51428c7ea88bc8757f86386.jpg (76.5 KiB) Viewed 1076 times

I also quite like old Goldwing customs for the same reason. Admittedly a Pan would be far more practical but I think old Goldies can look great turned into Brit style retro roadsters. The seat isn't right on this one, colour or shape, and I'd have decent USD fork on it but otherwise I quite like this as a starting point. I'd go a lot further with this. Too much of it still looks standard and the original handlebar controls and instrument cluster look out of place, but it's got potential and has a hint of a Vincent or a Velo about it.

1981-honda-goldwing.jpg (143.33 KiB) Viewed 1076 times

[KungFooBob]

Not so obvious on the pic above, but when I've seen naked ST1100's before I'm always shocked at how wee and nesh the headers look, my central heating uses bigger diameter pipes.

[Gimlet]

Wrap them or make some groovy shrouds.
I suspect the above builder has shrewdly used that half belly pan for just this reason.

[DefTrap]

Yeah a goldwing or pan custom would be awesome.

[KungFooBob]

I pap'ed this in Saumur a few years back, I thought it looked rather spiffing, but it is an 'older' Goldwing.

[Mr. Dazzle]

CBR1800RR for the win.

[KungFooBob]

CBR1800RR for the win.

But from the other angle the swingarm looks a good foot too long.

[cheb]

I've fancied building something with twin engines, just for the sake of having a twin engined bike.

A couple a cheap 125s would do.

[A_morti]

I've fancied building something with twin engines, just for the sake of having a twin engined bike.

A couple a cheap 125s would do.

They call that a 250 twin.

[KungFooBob]

I'd like to build something like this...

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anz ... zpSFhNqYV8

That one is way too much money, but it's a fairly convincing replica at first glance.

RC36, with RC30 body work, Fireblade forks, etc..

Looks good imho as a poor mans RC30.

[Gimlet]

I pap'ed this in Saumur a few years back, I thought it looked rather spiffing, but it is an 'older' Goldwing.

That does look nice. I imagine it sounds good too. Would make a great alternative sunny day cruiser.
The only drawback with flat engines is they push your feet back and force a sit up and beg position, so I'd have that with a really sumptuous single seat. Like the wide bars though.

[Gimlet]

I bought my BMW K100LT with the intention of customising it in some way, let’s face it it’s no looker.



But then after riding it for a few weeks I realised just how practical that enormous fairing was, how much storage there is in the 2 “glove boxes and “boot”, how bright that big square headlight is. Not to mention the radio/tape player, deafening horns.I got addicted to the way the faster you go the more stable it feels.

Wonderful as the bodywork is, it’s a fat old knacker and moving around in the garage was a squeeze and after the second time of knocking the fixed mirrors off when filtering I decided to lose it all.

The plan to do something a bit more radical is still there but for the time being it’s more of a street fighter look.That engine needs to be seen.....and tarted up.

Had a puncture on the Yaris the other day and rode the K to work in torrential rain, did I miss that fairing and headlight.

Been looking into this (what else do you do on Christmas day....)
There's shed loads of customised old K series Beemers. Inevitably lots of generic hipster cafe racers but interesting stuff as well that showcase the engine.
https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CH ... 66&bih=625

Streetfighters certainly:

BMW-K100-Modern-Cafe-Racer-FB-3-1200x628.jpg (225.64 KiB) Viewed 997 times

Oddly, they even seem to work as retro style roadsters:

410bf5840dbf4c5caad8ff8f3bd0180a.jpg (57.3 KiB) Viewed 997 times

Get planning!

[Mr. Dazzle]

Love both of those.

OK. So realistic custom for me is a Hipster K75. Quite honestly though, the more I look into them the more I like R Nine Ts...

P.S. I really hate those exhausts made up of loads of little bits welded together.