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In the early glow of a summer morning in mid June, 12 people met at a filling station in Berlin. After filling our tanks and our bellies, we set out towards Kassel, final destination: the 12th edition of Wheels & Waves in Biarritz, France. The crew astride their iron steeds, including three Ducati’s, BMW’s, Triumphs, Honda’s, Royal Enfield, Moto Guzzi, and two sponsored Moto Morini’s (read our first ride review of the Seiemmezzo SCR).

Photo: Cäthe Pfläging

The unifying factor for this random collection of bikes: Craftwerk Berlin. Craftwerk is a community garage where members can store their motorcycles, do regular (supervised) maintenance, build their custom bikes, and enjoy a range of motorcycle related events, including ride-outs, workshops, and motoGP and documentary screenings. It includes an event space that can be rented and doubles as a museum, as well as a cafe that is also open to the public. If you find yourself in Berlin, this place comes highly recommended. One of the founders and one member put their heads together and planned this trip to Biarritz and dubbed it “Transpirenaica”. Why? Because we would make tracks across the southern, Spanish Pyrenees from the Mediterranean coast to the Atlantic coast and back along the northern, French side. 

Photo: Janna Strauss

The first leg, Berlin-Kassel, was uneventful, except for a rogue exhaust baffle that was McGyvered back into the exhaust with a paperclip. The route took us via the Bauhaus Museum in Dessau for a cultural coffee stop and through the Harz Mountains National Park to balance out the Autobahn kilometers. In Kassel, Rudi and his bus were waiting for us. A strategically timed bus to expedite the transport of the 12 and their motorcycles to Perpignan. Two more people arrived by train, they would be driving the support vehicle. While loading the motorcycles, the group enjoyed a lavish filling station dinner on the pavement, before the 14 embarked on the bus and tried to get some shuteye. 18h later, we disembarked in the south of France and gave our bikes and luggage a once-over. One of the oldies required its tappet clearances proofed and head studs retorqued, making it the second “repair” within 500km. Here, another Triumph plus rider from Vienna joined us.

Photo: Patricia Sevilla Ciordia http://pscfoto.net

From Perpignan we set out via the country roads into the hills to have lunch at le Donjon de Pyrepertuse in Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse. After refueling the humans, the curvy roads of the Pyrenees took us through de Gorges de Galamus, with its steep cliffs cut by the rivers deep down below and a road hacked into the canyon walls with dramatic overhangs, riding this narrow road send the heart racing while dropping your jaw in awe. The contrast when going over Col d’Ares, across the border into Spain, was stark. Whereas the canyon is enclosed and narrow, the views from the mountains are wide and far. We overnighted at the campsite Vall de Camprodon. Here, we were united with an additional 3 riders who made their own way south with the support van, loaded with a Yamaha, Rieju, and a BMW. Having a support van would soon prove to be the smartest decision of the entire trip. Earlier, we got separated from the Guzzi that had ignition issues, but made its way to the campsite with a hand drawn paper map. It sure helps when you speak Spanish fluently. 

Photo: Cäthe Pfläging

The next morning we left for Montardit de Baix, via Castellar de n’Hug and Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park. We had divided the group into two smaller groups based on riding skills, which eased the riding, yet complicated the logistics. Windy roads, up and down mountains were a welcome change from the straight roads we usually ride around Berlin.

Photo: Cäthe Pfläging

Next morning, after a breakfast of toasted sandwiches, croissants, coffees, and orange juice, we set out for some more mountain passes. Unfortunately, the Moto Guzzi stayed behind, again. Though this time something had gone missing… the ignition key. Searching every pocket, trousers and jacket, twice, and after unloading and repacking the van, twice, and searching through all the camping gear, the decision was made to load the Guzzi into the van and catch up with the rest of the group. Meanwhile, atop a mountain, one of the other riders was rather surprised to find an unfamiliar key in a jacket pocket… Black leather jacket surely do look alike when the sun has gone down.

Photo: Patricia Sevilla Ciordia http://pscfoto.net

The third night we stayed in Boltaña. We caught a little bit of rain that day, and we moped about Spanish summer weather. Little did we know what tomorrow would have in store for us. 

After a peaceful sleep, the skies had cleared up a bit, and we happily got on our bikes for more windy roads. We tracked through beautiful gorges and over mountain passes with stunning views. The weather, however, was not on our side that day. We barely saw the sun, and the clouds grew a deeper grey. The groups got further split up, and I was in a group of four tracking north through the valleys towards camping Asolaze in Isaba. As the rain got more intense, we missed a turnoff and rode all the way to the end of the valley in what had become a torrential downpour. On the side of the pavement, small rivers of murky yellowish brown water had started to flow. More than once we saw the front wheel dip into a puddle up to the axle. At the end of the road we spotted an inn, we made it!
Except, the inn was not Asolaze, it was the Linza Inn, one valley east of where we needed to be, separated by a 1500m tall mountain. So we had to track back half an hour, ride over the mountain pass, and north again in the next valley. The 20km that normally takes less than half an hour, now took 45 min. The rain persisted and the insoles of my boots were drenched, water had gotten in everywhere. Rain gear is only water proof until it is not. Luckily we all made it to Asolaze without any incidents or accidents, and warm tapas awaited us. Another sponsored bike, a BMW R18 ridden by the mind behind North of Berlin motorcycle gear, joined us here. 

Photo: Patricia Sevilla Ciordia http://pscfoto.net

No rides were planned for the next day, so everybody was free to decide whether they would ride somewhere, or relax and dry their clothes. A few made tracks into the mountains to the Canfranc hotel in the Aragon valley. The former train station, built in 1928 on the border of France and Spain, stood abandoned from 1970 until in early 2023, when it welcomed its first guests as a hotel. A great stop for photos or a coffee.
Half of the group tracked back to the gorge south of Ansó to shoot photo and video for the various motorcycle, gear, and helmet sponsors. Shooting video while riding the two Moto Morini and the two BMWs was fun! Contrary to the day before, it was a right scorcher! Over 30 degrees Celsius is comfortable at the beach or manageable while riding, but standing in the bright sun in a full North of Berlin suit or Rusty Stitches denim and leather gear is another story.

Photo: Patricia Sevilla Ciordia http://pscfoto.net

Photo: Patricia Sevilla Ciordia http://pscfoto.net

Photo: Patricia Sevilla Ciordia http://pscfoto.net

At the end of the day, everybody rode to the top of the pass for a sunset and picnic dinner. The road conditions were excellent, the curves exciting, yet fog obscured the view and dinner was postponed. The last rider joined the group here, atop a stunning Ducati 999S, now totalling 18 people.

Photo: Cäthe Pfläging

Photo: Casper van der Ven

The next morning we set out for our destination: Biarritz! Due to the recurring ignition difficulties with the Guzzi, and a worn rear tyre on a Ducati, a small subgroup set out to San Sebastián to find a motorcycle shop. While the shop changed the tyre, the boys got their tools out and had a go at adjusting the Guzzi’s points and timing. They were rewarded with a sunset on the beach, a couple of beers, and the local specialty plates of food to share, pintxos, or Basque tapas. Think deep fried potatoes (Krokettas), battered meatballs (Bolas de Carne), and omelets (pintxos de tortilla). Ádamo is famous for theirs. Since it was the night before the summer solstice, or San Juan Eguna, local artists performed on a stage on the Padre Claret square next to Zurriola beach and the entire town danced the traditional folk dances into the night around a huge fire. The atmosphere was simultaneously ecstatic and relaxed, without having that all too familiar tacky tourist vibe. The Guzzi remained in San Sebastián. This time not due to technical difficulties, but because the rider gifted this motorcycle to his father, who resides here and has been considering getting back in the saddle. What a wonderful gesture!

Our base in Biarritz was at Camping Erreka, a central point to enjoy the festivities around Wheels & Waves. We went to the flat track races in San Sebastián, the concerts and vendor show at the Cité de l’Océan in Biarritz, and spent a day on the beach to rest our bodies after a week of riding all day, every day. Unfortunately, the swell was taking a rest too, and surfing was out of the question. We made up for it by cutting ourselves a large slice of Gâteau Basque, a buttery, crumby textured, tender cake, the local specialty. 

Photo: Patricia Sevilla Ciordia http://pscfoto.net

Photo: Patricia Sevilla Ciordia http://pscfoto.net

Photo: Patricia Sevilla Ciordia http://pscfoto.net

Photo: Janna Strauss

Photo: Cäthe Pfläging

After two nights at the festival, enjoying the concerts, the motorcycles on display, the shows, the vendor stalls, and meeting like minded people, we set out back towards Berlin. Via various mountain passes, including Col de Cloze and Col du Tourmalet, we made our way to Camping d’Esplantats in Sarrancolin. Riding in this part of France provides routes to everyone’s liking. What a wonderful part of the world! The local bakery provided us with croissants, coffee, and even flan, the caramel pudding, before setting out the next morning. Parts of the group had split off to make their own tracks back, due to different schedules and obligations. 

Photo: Cäthe Pfläging

After a long day in the saddle, over hills and through beautiful forests, we arrived at Camping Domain LaCanal, run by a Dutch couple. Though they weren’t quite open for the season, they put us up for the night and even cooked up an enormous breakfast the next morning. A lovely campsite on a hillside, with a fantastic view down the valley. Unfortunately, I had to retire the R80 and send it home with the van due to a blown seal and insufficient time to obtain parts, repair it, and make it to Italy in time for a wedding. Similarly, the Ducati 999 had to retire as well. It had tried spreading its wings the previous day, when someone took it for a top speed test on the local highway. It overtook me with a roar unique to a desmodromic twin with an open exhaust system. Shortly after I spotted a bright red panel on the asphalt, as well as two black tyre tracks, waving and crossing each other from the left lane, into the middle lane, across the right lane, and I feared to see motorcycle and rider separated on the side of the road. Due to skill and a huge dose of luck, both rider and bike were standing upright at the next exit, though the Ducati looked a little naked. The Italian Stallion had actually succeeded in shedding its wings. The wind had caught underneath the fairing and ripped both left and right panels off, almost throwing the rider off in the process. Shaken and flabbergasted, we all took a minute to count our blessings.

Photo: Casper van der Ven

The blown seal ended the trip a little early for yours truly, but thanks to the French and Italian public transport system, I actually made it to the wedding in Italy three days later. The rest of the crew tracked back to Berlin via the French and Swiss Alps. Keen to see more? Check out this video on Nils Homann’s channel (photo & video credit: Cäthe Pfläging, Patricia Strauss, Felix Schmidt)

Photo: Cäthe Pfläging
Photo: Cäthe Pfläging

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It is common for us to write about a motorcycle with a special story, and in a way, they are all very personal. Still, this might be the most special motorcycle we have covered to date. This is a story about a man that does not compromise.

Controversial Design

Let’s start with the bike we have at hand. It started out its life as a Ducati 999; a controversial motorcycle designed by the famous Pierre Terblanche and produced in the Ducati factory from 2003 till 2006. Why was it controversial? Well, first off, Terblanche superseded Massimo Tamburini, the man that designed the magnificent Ducati 916, among others. Tamburini designed motorcycles for Cagiva, Ducati, MV Agusta and even founded Bimota. All of his designs were basically iconic. Does are some pretty big shoes to fill for Terblanche.

Terblanche had his own style, which wasn’t always liked by everyone. Despite the odd looking double stacked headlight, and sharp lines of the original 999 and its smaller displaced 749 sibling, Terblanche’s design grew a cult following. Also because the 999 was an incredibly capable sport bike, with various victories in the Superbike World Championship. Compared to today’s figures one might not be impressed with the specs. However, nearly 20 years ago, it was a totally different story. So far the history lesson.

A man from Twello

So how did this Ducati 999 end up in the workshop of the dynamic Dutch duo Moto Adonis? Well, THAT’S an interesting story! This may sound like a story you would hear in a bar. Maybe one to take with a pinch of salt. Not this one. So here goes.

A few years ago, a man from Twello, a small town in the Eastern part of the Netherlands, had a traumatic accident. As a matter of fact, it was so bad, that he lost his left lower leg. Since then, he learned how to use a prosthetic leg and moved on with his life. This man had a vivid dream. He dreamt that one day he would be able to ride a sports bike. Not any sports bike, but a Ducati 999 nonetheless. He was so focused on achieving his dream, that he purchased a 999, bought a retro styled fairing kit, and tried to build the bike he had dreamt of. There was one major issue though: his leg. No matter how you look at it, a left leg and foot is needed to control the gearbox. Despite this setback, he kept moving forward, and found the boys of Moto Adonis. Together they came up with a plan.

Shifting Gears

We’ll cut straight to the chase. To deal with the gear shifting challenge, a pneumatically actuated manual shifter was created, which allows the rider to shift gears with the push of 2 buttons on the left clip-on. To give the prosthetic leg a safe place to rest, and to keep the motorcycle in balance, a modified floorboard was created from scratch. This is what engineering is about! To make the 999 look like a million bucks, the fairing kit got customized to suit and the side panels were ditched. The tank got modified to flow with the rest of the design, which as you can see, is heavily inspired by 1970’s race bikes. The subframe had to be modified and now houses the battery.

The seat was custom made and designed to look like a horse saddle; courtesy of Miller Kustom Upholstery. Looking closer and you will see an LED taillight, which is actually of a Yamaha XSR700. A round 7” headlight adds to the classic look, as well as the round Motogadget speedo. To custom paint job really pops when you see the Ducati, with a Moto Adonis unique twist to the Italian Tri-Colori. Not red, white and green, but red, gold and blue. Ohlins suspension ensure proper tractability, and the SC Project silencers add to the audible character of the liquid cooled L-twin from Bologna. Combined with the unique, classic Ducati logo on the tank, we think this is the best looking 999 in the world!

There’s more…

There is a little bit more to this story that we would like to share with you. The original prosthetic leg had to get irreversibly modified to allow the owner to sit properly on the motorcycle. This was a bit of a problem because he only had 1 prosthetic leg, and another one would cost a fortune. Also, not one single prosthetists was willing to modify a leg for motorcycle riding. Fortunately, the guys from Moto Adonis were willing to do the modification, provided a leg was available. When word got around, another motorcycle rider with a modified motorcycle and a prosthetic leg offered a spare prosthetic leg. Legend has it that both are now riding buddies and have become close friends. Now that is a story worth telling.

Builder details:
Moto Adonis
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Another XV!
So when our friend Jeremy Duchamp of JeremMotorcycles shared his modified Yamaha XV1000 TR-1 with us last year, we were over the moon! The Frenchman can’t seem to get enough of the Yamaha XV, so he spent over 240 hours in his shed brewing on another Yamaha XV project, this time is a XV750. We have to say that we were blown away by how this café racer turned out!

It goes without saying that the XV didn’t start of its life like this. Jeremie bought the 1983 XV750 about 1 year ago and it was not in a good shape, according to the craftsman. Each and every bolt was removed and replaced where necessary. The subframe and swingarm had sever corrosion and were removed and decluttered, after which they got sandblasted and powder coated in a gloss black finish.

Serious components
The front end of the XV received a serious upgrade. The front fork has been adopted from a Ducati Monster and was mated to a  Ducati Diavel front wheel. To make it all work , a custom triple clamp was made by USV Racing. Integrated into the top yoke is a KOSO speedo. The radial brakes are courtesy of Brembo and offer tremendous stopping power. The brake lines are of aviation grade quality too. On the clip-ons we find CNC’ed micro switches. All the switches and electrics have been connected to an M-Unit by MotoGadget. Talking about electrics, the café racer received an LED headlight, mini front indicators, and a tail light that appears to be floating, pretty neat! All of this is powered by a Solise lightweight Lithium battery which has been placed underneath the tank.

Moving towards the back of the Yamaha, we can see some serious eye-candy. The rear wheel is an absolute stunner, with the closed rim giving it an old-school racer look. A custom rear-set ensures the rider maintains full control. The rear shock comes off an MV Agusta 800 and has a custom mounting system. The single seat has been built to spec by “Point Sellier 34”, in a beautiful black leather finish with a colour matching piping.

Engine Refreshment
The engine wasn’t up to snuff to begin with, so Jeremie decided to replace it completely by a unit with a lower mileage. With less than 10.000 km on the clock it definitely was a lot fresher. From there it was simple. Replace the original carburettors with a pair of Dellorto PHF32’s, open air-filters, and get the lot tuned by “Les Belled d’Oc” in Béziers, France. To let all the gases out in an efficient way, a custom exhaust was made in the JeremMotorcycles workshop.

Green by AUDI
To finish this custom project off, the engine received a fresh coat of paint, and the fuel tank got painted in a lush AUDI green paint. The fuel tank also received a protective KEVLAR layer underneath to protect against any unwanted influences. There are little easter eggs hidden all over this build; JM logo’s are engraved or painted in countless places, most notably on those Metzeler tires.

Putting all things together, we can’t imagine how Jeremie completed this build in only 240 hours. It is truly impressive, and we hope that someday we can see and hear this beautiful café racer rip the streets of France, in real-life.

Photo Credits: Jonathan Silene

Builder details:
Jerem Motorcycles
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Beautiful Monster

Monstrous Monster
Taking a Ducati Monster and turning it into something more monstrous is not an easy feat. Yet, the folks from Moto Adonis didn’t shy away from such a challenge. As the Dutch builders have done before, they like to do thing different from other builders. It is clear that they have their own design language, which is great! Their bikes showcase their creativity, originality, and a level of craftsmanship we don’t often get to see. Just look at some their recent build to judge for yourself.

While you are reading through this, have you ever considered having your own custom motorcycle built? Are you worried about how much work it actually is? Well, we have good news for you! Moto Adonis in the Netherlands have increased their capacity and are currently looking for new projects to take on! Make sure you go over to their website https://www.motoadonis.nl/ for more details.

Great start!
Now, it must be noted that there was already some work done on this modified 1995 Ducati Monster 900. When the bike arrived at the Moto Adonis workshop, the engine had already been treated to a big-bore kit, a custom exhaust, and was tuned for performance accordingly. So no additional work was needed to the engine, a great start! There was also some work done on the tail section and fuel tank, however, the customer wasn’t very happy with this. That’s why he visited the folks of Motor Adonis.

Unique design
First step was cutting the tank and tail section apart and modify it to their own design. They also made an aluminium front headlight fairing with a laser cut Ducati logo in the center. After these initial mods, the customer seemed very pleased with the direction the build was going. The next step was to seriously upgrade anything that could improve the handling and the looks (obviously!). An original Ducati S4R single-sided swingarm replaced the original unit. Marchesini magnesium wheels, with upgraded Brembo radial brakes, all original Ducati parts, were also added. To top things off, a set of Öhlins fully adjustable rear shock and front forks were added.

Under the skin
Some modifications were made to the suffrage to accommodate the single seat, curtesy of Miller Kustom Upholstery. The fenders and various brackets were all made in-house by Moto Adonis. To keep a clean look, the wiring needed to be reduced to an absolute minimum. For this reason the battery got relocated and a MotoGadget m.unit system was added to run all electronics. Some of the components that are connected to the m.unit are a Motoscope tiny speedometer, mo.blaze indicators, minimalistic Motone handlebar switches, and the head and tail lights. To accommodate for all of this, a completely new wiring harness was designed and built.

Factory-style
The show ain’t over until the fat lady sings, or in this case, no build is complete without a well-thought of colouring scheme. And the paint job on this Ducati Monster is something of a statement, even if we have to say so ourselves! The combination of black, gold, vintage Porsche orange and gray fits the Monster and the lines of the bodywork really well. It almost looks like a factory option.

Photo credits: Lennart Stolte

Builder details:
Moto Adonis
Website
Instagram
Facebook

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XTR Pepo
Then there is Pepo Rosell. If you don’t know who that is, make sure to check out some of the articles we have written before. The Frenchman who has been living in Spain for a long time now, is known for his radical designs; a craftsman of the first-degree. Pepo maintains an almost scientific approach to building motorcycles. And when we say build, we mean BUILD, as in, from the ground up. Pepo has a passion for racing too, so it comes as no surprise that most of his builds are race inspired, often replicas of real racing machines.

Performance mods – Body
Let’s get down to business. Everything about this Continental GT breathes RACING. To begin with the most rigorous mod that Pepo performed on this build, it has to be the modified frame. Harris Performance did an outstanding job designing the original frame. Pepo must have thought differently and reduced weight and added stiffness to the already pretty-good frame. The rear swing arm is a modified unit from a Ducati Pantah(!). The front and rear wheels come off a Triumph Daytona 675R and is a lot lighter than the original wire-spoke wheels that come stock on the GT 650. The brakes are BREMBO – Kevlar brake lines anyone?
The front and rear suspension are OHLINS fully adjustable units. It goes without saying that all brackets have been custom CNC’d from billet aluminium by Pepo, including the triple clamp. A set of clip-ons and DOMINO controls & grips ensure the right kind of control. There are various carbon fiber bits and pieces used such as the custom fuel tank with endurance style filler cap, carbon fiber front fairing, rear mudguard, and the one-off seat. Carbon fiber is great for weight saving. The FULBAT Lithium battery helps with that too, weighing less than 700 grams it’s literally a lightweight.

Performance mods – Engine
XTR went all out with the engine mods, without sacrificing reliability. The parts that have been used are tried and tested. There are the obligatory DNA pod filters, custom exhaust system curtesy of Wolfman and Spark, and high-performance HT leads. What’s more interesting are the S&S performance cams and the high compression pistons. Combined with a custom fuel map with the help of a Power Commander, we wouldn’t be surprised if this Royal Enfield produced more than 60hp at the rear wheel. Combine that with the ridiculous weight savings on the body and unsprung weight, and sticky Continental SPORT ATTACK rubbers, we are convinced that Pepo turned this easy-going Continental GT into a fire-breathing, hell-raising, racing machine!

Finishing touches
What we love the most about XTR machines is the level of detail each build is delivered with. Whether it’s the machines rear set, double headlight with external brackets, LED indicators, machined levers or unique paint-scheme (by ARTENRUTA Painting), each bike looks like it’s doing a 100 mph at standstill. There is no doubt that Pepo has racing fuel going through his veins and for that we salute him.

PICTURES by SERGIO CARDEÑA

Builder details:
XTR Pepo
Website
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Lately we have been seeing a trend in the café racer scene. More and more builders are starting to look at the venerable Honda CB 750 to use as a base bike. We think that this could be the revival of the Honda café racers and we are digging it! Don’t get me wrong, we love seeing Triumphs, BMW’s and Moto Guzzi’s being chopped and rebuilt into tasty café racers and scramblers. But there is something about the shape and style of a JDM inline-four that catches our interest. After all, they did deliver super-bike performance for moped prices back in the day.

You may remember the name Jeremy Duchampt from some time ago. The Frenchman is responsible for two Ducati’s and a Yamaha TR-1 that we featured here on BikeBrewers not so long ago. When we received a message from the main man behind Jerem Motorcycles that he had built a Honda CB 750 Rothmans café racer, we got warm and fuzzy feelings in our bellies; we knew it had to be good! Oh boy were we in for a treat. This Honda is so elegant, the proportions are so well-balanced, it looks like the CB is doing 100 mph at stand still!

The foundation of this project is a Honda CB 750 F2, as it is officially called. A model which was produced by Honda from 1992 all the way up to 2007(!). Honda’s R&D department must have been very pleased with this, no doubt. On paper, the CB 750 produced around 75 hp and 65 Nm of torque, with a claimed weight of around 210 kg. No mind boggling specs, but there is more to it. The Seven Fifty stands out in it’s a simplicity, reliability, and overall reputation of being bulletproof.

What Jeremy did to this bike is extraordinary. The list of modifications is long, so here’s a brief summary.

• Custom front fender
• Modified subframe
• Custom café racer leather and Alcantara seat with stitching (Irina: Point saddler 34)
• Custom made cowl with integrated LED taillight (FFPro Design)
• LED bar-end indicators
• Bar-end mirrors
• LED vintage-style, round yellow headlight with custom brackets
• Keyless ignition (KAIROS RFID)
• Vintage speedo (FIVEACES)
• Laser-cut top triple clamp yoke (USVracing)
• Clip-ons with brown handlebar grips
• BREMBO brake master cylinder and levers
• Powder coated rims
• Modified rear shock absorber
• Air box removed to with DNA pod filters
• Blacked out engine, frame and swingarm
• Custom 4-in-1 exhaust
• Carb tuning
• Custom painting Rothmans Style (FFPro Design)

The way this café racer turned out is mesmerising. Growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, cigarette companies often sponsored race teams, one of which was Honda. Who remembers the NSR250, NSR500 or RC30? This Rothmans inspired design brings back memories of those days, where small displacement, high revving engines dominated the tracks and the streets. It’s not a secret that we would love to get our hands on this Honda. For now, we have to do with the pictures.

Builder details:
Jerem Motorcycles
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When Ducati’s 350 cc and 500 cc parallel twins could hardly be called a marketing success, their fabulous engineer Fabio Taglioni set tout to develop a replacement.
The Pantah 500 originates from the last of the GP500 racers of 1973. The Pantah and many bikes afterwards, have shown that, a twin-cylinder motorcycle can compete successfully against bikes with a four cylinder engine. This is contrary to all expectations and that’s where the greatness of Taglioni lies.

The Panthah was first introduced during the Milan Bike Show (now EICMA) in December 1979. It was quite revolutionary as it had a trellis frame, contrary to earlier Ducati motorcycles. The engine is suspended in the frame acting as a stressed member of the whole. It was the first Ducati not fitted the old bevel-gear OHC design. Instead it had belt-driven cams. That, and the trellis frame, would turn the bike into the spearhead for the brand for generations of V-twins for years to come.

Although the 500cc engine was already endowed with impressive power, Ducati decided to amp it up a bit in 1981 by introducing 600cc engines, later to be increased to 650cc and even 750cc. The single overhead camshaft was driven by toothed rubber belt and primary transmission was via Morse chain. The Pantah’s performance gloriously surpassed that of the ill-conceived 1976 parallel twins.

Madrid Calling
Enough history for today.

Whenever we get a phone call from Madrid our hearts skip a beat. More often than not Pepo Rosell manages to get us excited straight from the starting line when new build roll through the doors of his workshop.
This time was no exception. The ‘La Guapísima’ (‘The Beautiful One’) is in your face from the moment you feast your eyes on her.
There is so much beauty and excitement going on with this machine, you just want to get on it and twist the throttle South!

Irons Café Racer
We are quite familiar with this shop in Madrid, even though we are yet to set foot in the door ourselves in person.

As BikeBrewers are involved with the innovative European rental platform MotoShare also, we used this location to launch Tamarit built ‘The Gotham’ earlier this year.

This shop, which sells motorcycle clothing and accessories, is obviously run by oil-blooded motorcycle afficionados. It is clear why they commissioned their next door neighbour to come up with this magnificent machine.

Upping the ante
The donor bike used is a 1986 Ducati 600TL Pantah. A nice machine already but Pepo would not be XTR Pepo if he did not do some magic on the engine before mounting it back in the frame.

He installed a Cagiva Elefant 900 Marathon motor with high compression pistons added. The heart of the beast has ported heads a ‘SLIENT HETKIT’ ignition kit with 16 maps and a lightened fly wheel for more immediate responsiveness.

While we are on the subject of technicalities; breathing in arranged by adding two Keihin FCR 39 carburettors with DNA filters, while the exhaling is done via a two-in-one Wolfman exhaust.

A Ducabike antihooping clutch is mounted to keep the horses at the rear wheel under control, but riders may skip that part as a quickshifter is also part of the package.

And that on a 1986 machine!

More technical stuff
There is much that meets the eye when you look at this apparatus. But the list of (sometimes invisible) modifications just never stops!

As we are more about the bike and what it does to your hormone levels when riding it, we will just sum it up below. But before moving over to that, we point out the front fairing.

This is a particular piece of the bike that makes it stand out we think. It is nice and streamlined with a feel of those 70’s and 80’s dragracers we grew up with. This element is produced inhouse by XTR, while the cool paintjob is done by their friend Pintumoto.

Modifications:
(inhale deeply)

PANTAH modified frame
Engine : CAGIVA ELEFANT 900 Maraton , high comp , ported heads, SILENT HETKIT ignition kit with 16 maps , lightened flywheel,
DUCABIKE antihooping clutch , quickshift , KEIHIN FCR 39 carburators , DNA air filters.
RC racing oil radiator
Exhaust : 2 in 1 WOLFMAN.
Swingarm : CAGIVA ELEFANT 350
Rear suspension : OHLINS
REGINA gold chain
HYOSUNG GT 650 Front fork, lightened yokes, wheel ,NG rotor and brake caliper with BREMBO pads
BREMBO front brake pump with XTR regulable and foldable lever
BREMBO rear brake pump
FRENTUBO front and rear brake line
BREMBO Clutch pump with XTR regulable and foldable lever
FRENTUBO clutch line
XTR front mudguard
XTR clip-ons
RIZOMA Nex brake fluid reservoir
RAV footrests
AVIACOMPOSITI Dashboard (rev counter)
DOMINO quick open gas throttle and grips
DOMINO starter commando
FULBAT LIPO battery
4,5 x 17 inches alluminium rear rim
OSADO lenticular covers
CONTINENTAL Conti Sport Attack 4 front and rear tires.
XTR front fairing and bracket
XTR fuel tank
CNC racing fuel cap
XTR MK2 solo seat
XTR upholstery
XTR carbon fiber bellypan
PINTUMOTO painting

(…aaand exhale!)

Finish line
As usual we wish we lived in Madrid to be close to the man and his work. Searchin online we noticed a video with a very lucky lady rider hitting the throttle on this Duc!

As we understand the bike was supposed to be at the starting line of the Sultans of Sprint in Glemseck this past season. Unfortunately COVID came in between and we can only imagine what this ‘Guapísima’ would smell and sound like in real life.

We hope to meet her in the flesh one day.

Builder details:
Builder: XTR Pepo
Instagram
Photography: Ruben del Valle Producciones

The post Madrid calling – Ducati ‘La Guapísima’ by XTR appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

Build nr. 3

An unusual suspect
Well, Ivan Mushev, owner and driving force behind Bull Moto Custom is back, with his 3rd build so far. Again, with a Honda Hornet 600. And why not? Honda has been a house-hold name for café racer builders for decades. They are reliable, affordable, easy to work on, and they offer a ton of bang for bucks. The Hornet is quite special, too. The 600cc Hornet engines pack a respectable 100+ horsepower which are thunderously available around 12.000 rpm. Most of us are probably familiar with this popular bike, which can be ridden in comfort at lower speeds. However, when revving over 7.000 rpm we enter the comfort zone of this particular bike. The same engine can be found in the CBR600RR

VFR swingarm
When we take a closer look at this bike, we can see that a lot of work has been put into this build. It is not often we see a Hornet sporting a VFR single-sided swing arm. An incredibly complex and tedious job to get done right. Inspired by Ducati, Ivan made work out of this task. Many have tried, but only a few actually succeed. We have to admit that it takes the Honda to the next level!

Exposed rear
The factory subframe was made redundant and a newly built, minimalistic unit was built, exposing that beautiful VFR rear wheel. It also allowed for a custom built under seat exhaust. The end-can or muffler is a box shaped, and looks the part. The seat pan is also custom made, and has integrated brake-lights and turn signals. A brilliant way to keep the Hornet road-legal whilst looking incredible! The alcantara seat cover just looks perfect, specially made by MG Design.

Custom made
When we move to the mid-section of the bike, we can see that the original airbox has been removed, and a custom-made box now houses the electrical parts of the Honda, giving it a clean and industrial look. The air filters have been replaced by a single, open-flow, unit. A bit further, and we can also see that the radiator overflow has been replaced with stainless steel containers.

Stoppie time?
Moving to the front we can see a Kawasaki ZX9R front suspension, complete with ZX9R front wheel and brakes, giving the Hornet some serious braking power. The naked bike handlebar has been swapped out for a set of clip-ons, giving the rider more control. Above the clip-ons we spot a mini KOSO speedo, giving the rider nothing more than the most essential information, while keeping the front clean. The headlight is an off-the-shelve unit from LSL, finished off with a custom-made headlight grill.

There are a few fiberglass parts that have been made to fit the bike, such as the belly pan, the headlight cover and radiator covers. What make this entire build stand out it that beautiful, deep, lush, Misano red pearl color.

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Photo Credit:Vladislav Chanev
Model: Aleksandrina Boqnova

Builder details:

Facebook (builder)
Instagram
Email: bullmoto@abv.bg

The post Red Hornet by Bull Moto Custom appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.