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Swiss Sense
The last few years we have been receiving less good news from Switzerland. There is some numbnut who is trying to convince the world we will only be happy when we own nothing.

Well, after laying eyes on this bike, we could not disagree more with this character and his crazy ideas. Let’s be honest, who would not like to own this magnificent machine?

Presenting the Tracker
It is the collective from Emmental, Switzerland, who are responsible for our flash of gluttony. They go by the moniker Arctos Collection, which is steady collaboration between Ulfert Janssen’s industrial design studio, Gannet Design, and Stefan Fuhrer’s custom bike workshop, Fuhrer Moto.

Ulfert Janssen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Design from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, USA
His partner is Stefan Fuhrer (Fuhrer Moto), a former racing mechanic of Dominique Aegerter and Tom Lüthi (now Moto2), with the latter he became the world champion in 2005 in 125cc class.

Under the umbrella ‘Arctos Collection’ Ulfert and Stefan are “brothers in crime” for the Gannet custom builds.

Stefan brings his racing know-how, precise engineering skills to the party and his team of artisans are the perfect addition to create what you would call a dream team. Their workshops being just around the corner from one another, makes for smooth and quick interaction.

It is likely that the client that rode in the 2021 Indian Motorcycle FTR 1200 into Ulfert’s design studio, was looking for the best of both workshops.

Brainstorm
Ulfert explains: ‘We thought it would be cool to have a flat track theme on the bike and the brand Indian Motorcycles has a strong DNA in flat track racing.
Together with the client we decided that it would be great to fully expose the beautiful trellis frame of the FTR which in original is partly covered by the plastic “tank covers” which are housing the airbox.“

Continuing: “We immediately became aware why Indian designers decided to partially cover the frame as everything is asymmetrical on that tubular frame, especially with the mono rear suspension. But we decided to take on the challenge and expose the beautiful trellis frame in full. It gave us a lot of headache, but it was totally worth it and the result with the exposed frame painted in pearl white is stunning.”

From sketches to clay
The Swiss team set out with initial design sketches. The renderings were first translated into a clay model to find the form in 3D in preparation of the metal work.

Enter the team of aforementioned artisans. This is a very specific skill and these guys worked their magic by forming and tinkering the actual parts out of metal.

One of the features we really find original is the speedometer screen. This piece of equipment was integrated into the tank cover and made it ‘inlay and flush’ as the team describe it themselves. We think it adds to the cleanness of the FTR. Its handlebar design is more pure and racing, without the gadgets that normally cloud the front end.

Another spec of this Indian Motorcycle the BikeBrewers team appreciates, is the decision to substitute the original plastic tank under the seat with an aluminium flat track racing tank and add a tail section designed by Roland Sands. You can’t lay bare the beautiful foundations of a bike like this and end up with some ugly piece of plastic in plain sight.

Stefan adds: “Our goal was to integrate all the technical requirements and adjustments without affecting the concept. That was a real challenge because of incredible tight space issues for all the components and we had to replace many parts in other locations on the bike and reroute the cables and electronics.
It was important to us that we solve and adapt the individual components in such a way that there is a coherent overall picture to get a very sleek and technically perfect racer.”

More stuff
Other details that make this FTR into a true piece of art are the Jetprime’s all-black racing control buttons and footpegs from Gilles. But also the small tail light and the two small high tech headlights from Highsider Germany add to the excitement.

Topping it off are the small tail light as well as the two small high tech headlights also produced by Highsider Germany.

We like the spoked Kineo wheels, but are less enthusiastic about the choice for two different colours (black and gold). That also goes for the fitted Michelin Anakee Wild knobby tyres. We understand the choice from a heritage and design perspective, but it is a choice which is often revised due to uncomfortable handling of the bike. But to each his own and discussions on taste are useless.

We got more hands raised in our team when we got to the exhaust system. It is a special titanium version made by Zard and gives the lovely blue tint. The slip-on is a SC-Project exhaust and gives a round note to the two cylinder engine according to Ulfert and Stefan.

Worth mentioning is the seat, which is a custom upholstery job by Zwahlen NIZ.

Prizeworthy
An interesting note is that news on the bike was picked up by Indian Motorcycle Benelux. Immediately after the first pictures hit the digital highway, Ulfert received an invitation to ship the bike to the Netherlands.

It will be exhibited at the booth of Indian Motorcycle Benelux during the 2022 Bigtwin Expo. To add a little more excitement, they have also entered the bike in the competition on behalf of the Swiss team.

Let’s see what the jury has to say; “The Netherlands, may we have your votes please?”

As far as the BikeBrewers team are concerned, this build deserves an award.
We will be visiting the exhibition to get a good first hand look of the quality to the work the Arctos team have performed.
Make sure to check out the pictures on our social platforms!

Builder details:
Builder: Arctos Collection
Website
email: ulfertjanssen@gmail.com
Instagram
Facebook
phone: +41 (0) 79 179 69 46

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Luckily for us, the standard is pretty high when it comes to their custom built motorcycles, and the BMW you see here today is no exception. Built on behalf of Bartek Prokopowicz, a Polish movie director and lifelong petrolhead, Grzegorz Korczak decided to do something different this time. What started out as a standard BMW R80 police style motorcycle, has been transformed into a cafe racer styled tracker. What makes this 1978 BMW even more special is the treatment all surface areas were given to get a very distinct look. Take a closer look and you’ll see what we mean. Some parts look a bit rusty, and maybe even a bit rough and dirty. Make no mistake, this was done on purpose, through a series of rigorous processes, to achieve this unique, patina look. As if this BMW was built a long time ago. Very cheeky!

It’s clear that this BMW R80 is meant to look a bit rough and used, but that’s just one part of the story. Underneath the surface, everything was redesigned. Let’s start with the most notable changes, like the rear subframe. Or rather, the lack thereof. We see that on top of the minimalistic subframe a beautifully stitches single seat is resting. It almost looks as if it is floating. Some of the worlds’ smallest LED brake and indicator lights can be found underneath the seat.

To keep a clean look, the battery had to be relocated somewhere less obvious; underneath the bike. A custom battery bracket was fabricated to allow for the relocation. This gives the BMW a clean look. The engine and air intake has been kept stock for a change, and we love that! Everything was done to ensure the 800cc boxer is up to snuff, thanks to a thorough inspection and service. At the front the suspension was upgraded to YSS springs and received a pair of fork gaiters. A set of YSS fully adjustable twin shocks take care of business at the rear.

But there is more! Although the rest of the front looks stock, most isn’t. First there is the Motogadget speedo, that looks a lot smaller than the factory cockpit. A black aluminium handlebar replaced the stock steel unit. The handlebar grips have been wrapped with leather, and at the end of them, a pair of Motogadget bar-end indicators have been mounted. A classic oversize black round headlight adds to the distinguished look. The custom short fenders, the blacked out exhaust headers, and the twin brushed end cans all add to the classiness of this R80. No wonder it took almost a year to complete this project!

In the end, UNIKAT managed to create yet another timeless looking custom motorcycle. It’s hard to imagine that they built another bike simultaneous to this project. And yet, they did just that! Stay tuned for more, here on BikeBrewers.

Photo credit: UNIKAT

Builder details:
UNIKAT Motorworks
Website
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube

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From the Czech Republic with love
We told you to remember his name back in November!
At the time we published a post on his BMW K100RT and warned you that Marcel Galuszka would be back with more.
Well, here he is. In just a couple of months he has yet again created a very nice piece of machinery.

Suzuki GSF600 Brat BCD
Marcel gave us a call last week to announce that he would be sending us material on his latest build. He told us: “I named this motorcycle Brat Cafe, but the final form deviated a bit from the original idea and it’s more of a Brat Tracker. But you know what, the boxing is not so important, the final decision of the owner was important here, so in the end the handlebars in the style of cafe racer exchanged for more comfortable heights, which allow for a smoother ride.”

Continuing: “This is a 2002 Suzuki GSF600 Bandit, which the proprietor had left outside for a couple of years, covered up but still left to battle all kinds of weather. It was very clear that the bike had been struggling to survive many seasons of rain, snow and trying not to melt when the sun was burning mercilessly. Your can say it really scarred the Suzuki.”

Worst case scenario
As you might have suspected our courageous Czech was challenged beyond his worst nightmare when he set out to rescue the Suzuki.
The motorcycle had really suffered from the lack of TLC. The tank was perforated on the left side and it was repaired very poorly. The frame was beaten on the same side also, crooked, which resulted in work on the motorcycle lasting way longer than anticipated. Unfortunately for the owner it began to affect the investment that he was ready to make to keep it at a reasonable level without having to face the wrath of his wife.

‘Make me a café please’
When work began Marcel had no idea about the condition of the bike. The owner bought this motorcycle as his first ride with the intent to learn to ride properly.
Once he had the hang of it and he had been riding the bike for years and left it outside as described, he thought it to be a good idea to convert to the Suzuki into a caféracer. When he briefed the builder he actually wanted just minor modifications to do the trick. On his wish list was the overall caféracer look, but still have room for a pillion passenger.

From caféracer to brat
Once the work began and the concept turned into a real bike, thoughts and ideas began to shift. And so from the classic concept of caféracer, concessions gradually emerged to this final form. It had become quite a bit of a struggle for Marcel. Apart from not being very please with the state that this bike was in to begin with, he commented: “It should also be mentioned here that this Bandit is not exactly a great donor for the transformation to a cafe racer! I have grown some extra grey hairs during work on this project hahaha!”

From tank to bottom
The whole tank is completely overhauled and painted with beautifully pearl paint. The frame is completely repaired and entire rear part is redesigned to accommodate two passengers. It is sandblasted and powder-coated to stand the test of time and weather.

LED light in front, miniature Kellerman lights in the rear combining rear light and brake, but it also comes with integrated turn signals.

Nice little touches are:
– Motogadget MO.Blaze Disc turn signals in the handlebars
– Motogadget grips
– Motogadget Tiny speedometer
– Custom seat
– All electricity hidden in the space under the seat.

In short, everything that needed to be mended and taken care of was done and some nice modifications were added.
The result is a city motorcycle, which should be fun to take out on longer rides.
When compared to its original state it looks diametrically different and is very pleasing to the eye.

Says the builder: ‘Most important of all, the owner is satisfied and is riding around town with a big smile on his face. (The opening picture of this post is featuring Marcel Galuszka, not the owner – ed.) What else can I say? I’m very excited about the way the Suzuki turned out and I like it a lot!”

Builder details:
Builder: Blackout Custom Design
email: blackout@blackoutcustom.cz
Website
Instagram
Facebook
Pinterest
YouTube

Above: the Suzuki GSF 600 Bandit before and after

The post Suzuki Bandit Brat – Blackout Custom Design appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

Skyrocketed to top position
After the crowning of the Meteor 350 to MCN “2021 – Retro Bike of Year”, Ironwood Motorcycles, have launched “The Starship Meteor” – a custom version of the affordable urban cruiser.
Earlier this year BikeBrewers had a fun day on this bike when it was introduced. Read about our experience in this post.

Since its launch at the end of 2020, the Meteor 350 has quickly built up a cult status worldwide and won multiple awards and accolades around the world. Praised for its build quality, retro styling and refined design – and the remarkable price point for a motorcycle that offers so much more than the sum of its parts – it offers a rather remarkable blank canvas to then stamp your own personality on.

Build your own
The in-house Custom Team of Royal Enfield’s English technical centre challenged Ironwood Motorcycles and its creative director and founder Arjan van den Boom to design and build their own ideal Easy Cruiser.

Arjan van den Boom of Ironwood Motorcycles: “The Meteor meets a lot of requirements, and it was our job to spice it up a bit. As a basic package, the Meteor is hard to beat for the budget-concious rider. Ultimately, we wanted this important element of accessibility and entry into the world of motorcycling and customizing motorcycles, which the Meteor offers, retained – but of course add our unique ‘Ironwood creative touch’ to this particular build.

Hitting the streets of Amsterdam
We received a Meteor Fireball Yellow from the team at Royal Enfield and immediately rode it through the streets of Amsterdam as much as possible to get used to the feel and ergonomics of the bike before taking it apart.
Because the seating position is super comfortable and the balance refined, we wanted to preserve as much of the original Meteor DNA as possible. Motorcycles with a smaller displacement engines are too often classified as ‘entry-level engines’, which is really unfortunate. Our goal was to give the Meteor a sprinkle of the Ironwood sauce and an overall more powerful look by upgrading a number of parts, while ensuring that the Meteor’s core identity would remain intact.”

Clear vision
Continuing: “We had a very clear visual identity what we wanted to develop. This was largely inspired by our love for all things Star Wars! We decided to blacken many of the parts so that the fantastic “Meteor Rain” paint from Royal Kustom Works on the tank would really stand out from the rest. The black fork protectors, the black supercross handlebars, custom fenders, the fat thick rubbers from Continental and the piggyback shock absorbers from YSS compliment what we consider to be a very exciting look
The CNC manufactured saddle support, our signature floating bobber saddle, further adds to the true custom look of the motorcycle. The diamond pattern on the saddle is all hand finished by our good friend Marcel Miller of Miller Kustom Upholstery.

The Biltwell grips, Motogadget turn signals in the front and the Kellermann 1000DF taillights, combined with the custom piping that breathes through an Akrapovic muffler, result in a beautiful little Urban Cruiser that exceeds expectation.
Each time you start this air-cooled one cylinder engine, a nice growl comes out of the racing exhaust and you feel like hitting the road.

Mission accomplished!”

Royal Enfield’s view
Adrian Sellers, Head of Royal Enfield’s Custom Programme, reacts: “Ironwood’s creative minds have followed the assignment we gave them more than perfectly and we are very happy with the end result. Importantly, the core identity of the Meteor 350 – a motorcycle we know provides a fantastic basic platform for creative expression – has been retained and embraced.

This project reinforces how important accessibility is for us as a brand, and how much can be achieved with a little imagination. All credit to Arjan and the Ironwood team – this is the first custom build we have done with the Meteor, and it marks an important and exciting milestone for this 350 engine platform”

The Ironwood Custom Meteor 350 will be on display at the EICMA 2021 in Milan at the end of November.

The post ‘Starship Meteor’ – Royal Enfield meteor by Ironwood Customs appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

Unusual suspect

Café racer meets brat
Behold, a not so boring 1981 Yamaha XS400 arises from the ashes in Poland! Built by Marfil Moto, which is owned by Maciek, we see an XS400 that looks anything but dull. This café-racer meets brat mash-up looks intriguing, more noticeable because of its perceived simplicity. Interestingly, the story behind this build resembles the build in more than one way. Maciek built this bike for his wife, because she felt it was time she got her own custom motorcycle. Instead of spending months on doing research and trying to find he “perfect” base motorcycle, Maciek decided to work on the bike he had in his shed: the XS400.

It’s not the size of the tools that matters
Inspired by some of the brilliant machines he has seen on the Bike Shed London, Maciek was fully aware that he didn’t have all the tools and equipment he needed to build this XS400. However, he did have faith, and he knew that all he needed to do, was to just get started. First, the Yamaha got disassembled and stripped from all unnecessary components. The engine and carbs underwent a thorough mechanical overhaul and were subjected to glass bead blasting to achieve a raw aluminium effect. The frame got shortened and powder-coated in black satinThe front forks received a service and remained unchanged. The bulky original cockpit got removed, only to be replaced by a small MMB speedometer to achieve a minimalistic look of a café racer. The handlebar is a one-off. We are most intrigued by the stainless-steel grips. We don’t see those that often, but we definitely dig them! A single Halcyon 830 bar-end mirror finishes off the front.

Nip and tuck
The complete electrical system, together with the battery mount, have been modified and minimalized. The seat has been re-made and covered with black leather. The tank received an anti-corrosion treatment and got painted in a shiny grey color, leaving in the original Yamaha emblem intact. The exhaust received a thermal wrap treatment for that old-school racer look. Combined with the chrome shotgun-style mufflers, this XS400 is bound to sound like a bomber.

Fruition
The original black rims are fitted with classic shinko tyres. The main focus of this build was to stay true to the simplicity of form. Sometime we even say less-is-more. Maciek did an incredible job in completing this build, which is in fact a shed-built bike. We’ve said before and we’ll say it again: keep an eye on the Polish custom builders, for they are true masters of building incredible motorcycles. Not just the big names, but also the little guys like Maciek.

Photo credits: Pawel Magiera

Builder details:
Marfil Moto
Instagram
Facebook

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Long runner
The Harley-Davidson Motorcycle company is one of the world’s oldest motorcycle manufacturers. One of the company’s most successful models has got to be the Sportster, which has been produced continuously since 1957. There have been countless different Sportster models, however, all of them had a 45-degree air-cooled V-twin engine and a softail. The long production run makes the Sportster one of the most popular motorcycles out there that are being modified by owners. And why not? Aftermarket parts are sold in abundance and in a wide variety of prices. People that own a Harley Sportster really love their bike. For a very long time, it was also the most affordable Harley-Davidsons on the price list. It is the VW Beetle of motorcycles.

Minimalistic
Daniel Nyland is an Arizona based engineer that loves to work on motorcycles in his spare time. He grew up riding dirt bikes and ATVs, and this particular Harley-Davidson was his first street motorcycle. The 1991 Sportster was sourced fairly cheap, which was great because that meant money could be spent on modifying it. Daniel feels that people often talk a lot of smack about Sportster, which is a load of nonsense because they are a blast to ride. We wholeheartedly agree with him on that point.

Inspiration for this build cannot be pinpointed to one specific moment or event, but rather a combination of various ideas. Daniel likes café racers and bobbers, so some influence was drawn from those. Many hours were spent on the internet looking at bikes and trying to figure out what would look badass. Going minimalistic was on the table, and it didn’t take long before all non-essential parts were removed, and the bike was stripped down to its bare bones. The engine had to be the centerpiece and everything else had to flow from there on.

Flow
Daniel believes that there are three major aspects to a well build motorcycle: the engine, the frame, and the bodywork. Each has to flow well with itself, but they all have to work with each other as well.  The look of bare metal and seeing the grains and imperfections that are normally covered up by a traditional paint job, are what make Daniel’s heart pump faster. So, he wanted all the tins to be bare and add some hand drawn sketches to break it up as well as add some unique character to the bike. He knew he wanted the engine-case to be a semi-gloss black, with the covers and starter being raw metal grey, accompanied by a bitchin’ stainless steel 2-2 exhaust.

As with most builds, there were some challenges during the process. Assembling and disassembling the bike multiple times, making sure that everything was the way Daniel wanted it was one of those pains. All to make sure that in the end, he would realize that he should have done it differently. “When you look at the gorgeous creations from the pro builders you don’t understand the amount of foresight that goes into building a quality bike until you’re doing it yourself.”

Serious upgrades
Some of the work was done by a local shop called “Bloody Knuckle”. They helped out with some of the welding on the frame as well as creating the rear fender. Hammer Performance supplied the motor kit as well as reworking a set of 2007 heads. Everything else was done by Daniel himself.

What modifications are made and what parts were used?

• Bare Knuckle Choppers hardtail kit
• Black powder coat spoked wheels
• Custom speedo mount
• Vertical oil tank
• Blackbird fuel tank w/ integrated fuel sight
• Custom rear fender
• V-rod style headlight cowl
• Chainsikle rearsets
• 1275 kit from Hammer Perf w/ reworked 2007 heads
• HP560 cams
• CV40 performance upgrades
• RXC velocity stack
• EMD primary cover
• Custom SS exhaust w/ internal ceramic coat
• Dyna 2ki ignition w/ Dyna coils
• Trimmed cam cover
• Cognito Moto GPS Speedo
• Custom coil mount
• Antigravity battery
• Tokico front caliper conversion
• Progressive Suspension lowering springs
• Custom electrical box hidden underneath battery tray

Results
It is incredible to see that everything flows perfectly together, especially the subtle brass accents that help tie everything together.  The Sportster rides like a beast, with the Hammer Performance kit hitting hard and pulling long. It’s loud, low, and without a doubt terrorizes the quiet suburban street of Arizona. If there is one thing that Daniel learned from this experience, it is that anyone can do this. Building a motorcycle is an amazing experience and everyone’s motorcycle should be an extension of themselves. Hear, hear!

Builder details:
Daniel Nyland
Instagram

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When we start a project we first want to hear about the clients’ wishes and transformation ideas. It is a great opportunity for us to get to know our client and enables us to visualize what his dream bike would look like. For this project, the approach was completely different.

The story began when our client Olivier came to the workshop to order a custom motorcycle. He had the opportunity to see some of our past projects and had ideas of his dream bike. But when he arrived at the workshop he directly fell in love with TOMA#1, one of our personal bikes, a vintage green BMW k1100, that we started to transform several years ago but did not completely finish yet. He just wanted that one. Olivier liked the fact that this bike was unique and he convinced us to complete a very cool project together.

It was not an easy decision to make, as the bike is special to us. Being the very first one we worked on. But somehow this felt right, like a turning point. Our very first creation would be in good hands.

Regarding the modifications, we decided to keep the original tank and rather align / shorten the rear part of the frame. We cut and welded a shorter frame loop and replaced the original huge saddle by a custom seat base that we then sewed by our workshop. The finish and covering of the saddle is in Alcantara leather. Replacing the handlebar and changing the tires also helped work on the line of the bike.

All electronic components have been replaced by new and more minimalist elements (led indicatorlights, led taillights, Daytona speedometer, battery) to make the motorcycle look more modern. List of modification also includes the build of a battery box and the modification of the muffler. In the front we removed the fairing and replaced it by a more aesthetic head light and an original yellow side light to give it a nice retro touch. The green color of the bike is inspired by vintage Italian cars.

List of modifications

• modification/shorten of the rear part of the frame
• reworked the exhaust line
• custom plate holder
• new headlight and yellow side light
• new set of led indicatorlights
• new handelbars
• bespoke seat with alcantara leather
• bespoke battery box under the seat
• Daytona speedometer
• removed a lot of original accessories that were superfluous

Info/contact

• Workshop : TOMA CUSTOMS
• Location : Brussels, Belgium
• Website tomacustoms.com
• Instagram : tomacustoms
• Facebook : toma customs
• Other: +32 479351638
• Owner of the bike: Olivier
• Owner of TOMA CUSTOMS: Thomas Jeukens
• Picture : Olivier Truyman

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Industrial Moto’s first build was a 250 Suzuki cafe racer. It was purchased locally in Virginia by a guy who had never ridden a motorcycle before. Since that time he has completed a motorcycle trip across Vietnam and put many miles on his Suzuki closer to home. When he decided it was time to move up, he contacted industrial Moto again. This time he wanted to purchase a bike and have iM turn it into something unique. A BMW fan, he decided on a K75 for this project. He knew the color scheme he wanted and his vision for the overall look resulted in the name “Project Geist” (ghost in German).

The customer wanted 5 spoke wheels, clean, pull-back handlebars, knobby tires, and a “minimalist” look. Tyler at industrial Moto went to work turning that vision into reality. 5-spoke Honda wheels were machined to fit the front and rear. A Yamaha R-1 front end was mounted with a custom top triple tree, machined from a solid block of aluminum. The Moto Gadgets speedometer display was recessed into the top tree and all wires hidden from view. The front brake reservoir was relocated under the gas tank to help provide the clean handlebars. The electrical systems are all controlled by 4 small buttons embedded directly into the bars.

One major challenge was designing a custom air box that would retain the original sensors and fuel injection components. The air filter box was machined from a block of aluminum and powder coated to match the color scheme. The original BMW logo on the crankcase cover was machined off and replaced with a powder coated industrial Moto logo. A handmade, side exit exhaust was fitted to the stock headers. A seat pan was designed, built, and then sent to Tuffside in Las Vegas for padding, covering and stitching with leather and black tweed. The seat is the only part of this build that was not done completely in-house.

Other iM finishing touches include the embedded tail light/turn signal unit and custom footpegs that include bolt-on passenger pegs for two-up riding, Tyler wanted to keep a touch of BMW blue somewhere, so the winding inside the alternator and a small LED inside the valve cover will provide the only splash of color.

How does it ride? The R-1 front and rebuilt rear suspension, and the extreme weight loss overall, give this bike a ride like you might expect from a sport bike on knobby tires. Smooth handling, easy to turn, but don’t lean too far on those tires. :)

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Although Suzuki is one of the largest motorcycle brands, we don’t feature a lot of customized Suzuki’s. In fact, it was back in January since we’ve featured one. So I was glad to receive a submission of this Suzuki GS1000 Brat from Tom Gilroy, owner of Purpose Built Moto.

The GS1000 is one of those early-day superbikes from an era that all manufacturers were building fast and high-powered 4-stroke bikes with big displacements. Suzuki was the last brand of the Japanese “big four” to join the club of 1-liter-machines. Honda had its GL1000 Goldwing, Yamaha a powerful XS11 and Kawasaki had the KZ1000. With a machine that was slightly lighter than the GS750 (!) and 90hp, the GS1000 was a very serious weapon. Tom, riding a GS550 himself, was thrilled when his customer rode in his ’78 GS1000 for some tweaks. No huge transformation, but some TLC and a few style adjustments this 40-year-old machine is back on the road for some decent touring. Read the full story on Tom’s website.

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