The post Unleashing the Beast: The Triumph Rocket 3R Supercharged by Roké Motors appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

The post Registrations open for the 2024 Budweis Indian Motorcycle Custom Show! appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

The post Enduroboxer, a BMW airhead transformed from a police motorcycle into an winning enduro racer! appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

The post Rough Rogue – Indian Scout Rogue by Hardnine Choppers appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

Boutique Manufacturer
Los Angeles-based ARCH Motorcycle describe themselves as a ’boutique manufacturer’. We would rather describe them as cool dudes that create magnificent bikes.

Co-founded by Gard Hollinger and Keanu Reeves, they produce bespoke production motorcycles in their state-of-the-art, Los Angeles area factory.
They are smart about the way they go about their business too by creating over 200 unique parts in-house, which are proprietary to the currently available ARCH KRGT-1, their first production model, as well as their upcoming ARCH 1s and ARCH Method 143 models.

Designer and builder Gard Hollinger oversees a seasoned staff of devoted craftsmen who hand-assemble each unit to meet their client’s ergonomic and aesthetic preferences. ARCH Motorcycle was founded on the idea of redefining the American performance cruiser. Their bikes are manufactured with the idea to deliver an unrivaled riding and ownership experience through an obsession for innovative design, engineering excellence and dedication to the rider. On their website it reads: ‘Every ARCH Motorcycle is delivered via a uniquely collaborative process tailoring livery and ergonomic fit to each owner. What started off as an exploration of what may be possible in the world of motorcycling has quickly evolved into the benchmark for the premium motorcycle category’.

Phew! Sounds great. Unfortunately the BikeBrewers team has not yet had the pleasure of experiencing their claim to fame in real life, so in the meantime we just have to believe them on their word.

Quest for quality
Anyway, all joking aside, as a result of their quest to create awesome bikes, the boys from LA are teaming up with J.W. Speaker, an LED and emerging lighting technologies designer for automotive, power sports, transport, and industrial products.

J.W. Speaker will provide its LED headlights for all ARCH Motorcycle units built in 2022, including the ARCH KRGT-1 and the upcoming ARCH 1s and ARCH Method 143 models. J.W. Speaker and ARCH Motorcycle will also partner in developing customized LED lighting technology for future ARCH models.

Innovative lighting
To find out what this deal was all about we had a quick call with Trish Logue, Director of Marketing at J.W. Speaker.

According to her “the team at J.W. Speaker are beyond thrilled to be working with ARCH Motorcycle as their lighting partner for 2022 builds and beyond. We look forward to collaborating with the ARCH team. We have been at the forefront of innovative LED lighting designs for decades and developed the world’s first dynamically Adaptive Motorcycle Headlight™, designed to calculate bank angles on a real-time basis, automatically sending light up or down as the motorcycle leans into a corner. ARCH Motorcycle has built its brand around utilizing best-in-class components and we’re proud to be part of its roster of partners.”

So we quickly race back to Gard who responds: “J.W. Speaker has been an important partner of ours for years, so we’re excited to evolve that relationship further as we look ahead to the release of upcoming models like the ARCH 1s. Our riders’ safety is of utmost importance and working alongside a trusted partner like J.W. Speaker with their Adaptive 2 Series headlights ensures we deliver best-in-class lighting technology for all ARCH motorcycles.”

Well, if two people are so happy about working together, magical things are never far away.
We look forward to seeing all those excellent plans come to fruition that will further enhance the pleasure of riding those magnificent machines created on the West Coast.

Even better, we look forward to receiving the invitation from ARCH Motorcycle and J.W. Speaker fly over to test them and serve a live report about all those wonderful things we just read about.

More information
Bikes
ARCH Motorcycle
Light
J.W. Speaker’s premier LED lighting technologies,

The post And then there was light_Arch Motorcycle teams with J.W. Speaker appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

Moto Adonis

Artistic freedom

Lean and mean

Cardboard and tape

Head to tail

Box exhaust for the boxer

Any color, as long as it is black!

Photos: Mark Meisner
Video: Deep bold studio

Builder details:
Moto Adonis
Website
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube

The post BMW R NineT ‘The Girder’ by Moto Adonis appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

New Partnership
Indian Motorcycle have created interesting partnerships with extremely talented builders in recent years. They invariably resulted in truly magnificent machines based on one of their new models. Now the 120 year old American brand has partnered with former FMX star and award-winning vintage custom builder Danny Schneider for exciting future collaborations.

“This is a huge honour. Indian Motorcycle is an old love of mine particularly since I built my 1931 Scout. Then when the FTR came out, I wanted one so badly. And it’s now a reality thanks to the team at Indian motorcycle,” said Danny. “I expected the FTR to be quite different and that I’d need a lot of time to get used to it. But as soon as I sat on it, we clicked. I felt super comfy and confident and that’s the most important thing whenever you try a new bike. The balance, power, and handling are extraordinary. Plus, I love the display.”

While the details of the collaboration are still to be revealed, Danny’s personal affinity with Indian Motorcycle has been long standing, BikeBrewers were offered a chance to talk to Danny to find out about his history and his special vintage Indian Scout creation.

Like Swiss clockwork
Born on August 1974 and growing up in Bümplitz, Switzerland, Danny Schneider went from an early start in BMX to becoming an FMX star then switching direction to become an award-winning custom bike builder. Danny Schneider puts all of himself into anything he does and has bikes running through his veins, he could even wheelie at four years old.
“I was diagnosed with ADHD and needed an intense sport like this, something I could really throw all my extra energy into. I had a blast.”

End of career.
With his natural talent for riding, Danny ventured into Motocross at 16 and by 20 was competing in the extreme sport of FMX (Freestyle Motocross) to become a major force in the developing Swiss scene and a global FMX star. But then Danny had a huge practice crash that saw him in hospital for four months, a career ending injury.
“I knew my competitive riding days were over, but I also knew I couldn’t re-train to work in an office. I needed to find something that would let me express myself. As soon as I could, I bought an old bike and started to modify it and what started as a hobby soon turned into a profession. In 2002, I founded my Hardnine Choppers garage and I’ve been customizing vintage motorcycles ever since. Bringing them back to life as roadworthy pieces of art.”

Still at the top
Now ranked among the best vintage bike builders worldwide, Danny needed his friends’ help in the early days to learn the metalwork skills to be able to realise his creations. But soon his builds started to gain attention and the 2009 D’MX build gained praise in over 20 international magazines.
“That was a real turning point for my career and Hardnine Choppers. The global attention the D’MX bike got was incredible. Soon I was being invited to custom shows and winning trophies in the big competitions.”

Danny is a major name in the custom bike world with fans in America asking for his autograph whenever he attends US shows. A big part of Danny’s appeal is that he never follows trends or gets stuck creating the same style of build. Whether you like café racers, flat trackers or classic choppers, Danny will have built something that will appeal to you. Including a beautiful 1931 Indian Scout which Danny built in 2012.
“For me, the Indian Scout is the best original looking bike ever. When I saw an early Indian Scout, the first Indian Motorcycle I had ever seen, I was blown away by the design and the technology that Indian Motorcycle had back in 1930. Then, after seeing the movie ‘The World’s Fastest Indian’ it became my dream to be the proud owner of one and to build it up from scratch.”

Dream come true
Danny’s dream would come true when he was given the opportunity to buy an incredibly special 1931 Indian Scout 101.
“The amazing part was that the bike was owned by Hans Mack in Germany, a one-of-a-kind wall of death rider back in the day. When he sold it to me, Hans was 83 years old, and he was still riding it. I mean, being able to buy a bike from a legend like him with so much history just blew me away.”

Danny then had a serious decision to make, restore the bike as it was or customise it.
“When you start researching what people have done with the Indian Scout 101, like 99.9% are in original condition and I might get some heat from people if I modified it. But I just couldn’t leave it like this, I have to create unique bikes. So, my game plan was to show respect to Hans by keeping all the original parts, leaving the frame and forks original by not cutting anything off. Welding new stuff on would work because I could always take it away again and take the Scout back to original in the future if I wanted to.”

Lit the torch
As Danny began to disassemble the Scout, he wanted to create a new fuel tank and bought two fuel tanks to use as the base, but they needed a lot of attention due to their age.
“I hand shaped one new tank out of the parts of the two old ones and it took a lot of sheet metal work because they were in a really bad condition. Then I hand hammered a fender and shaped the bars. It sounds easy but it’s a hell of a job, luckily it’s one that makes me super happy because I love the work.”

In the middle of the build, Danny had the idea to photograph the bike on the Offene Rennbahn Oerlikon bicycle track in Zürich, Switzerland which was built over 100 years ago and had also hosted flat track races in 1920.

“I called up and ask if I could ride there as soon as I finished the bike and thew were onboard immediately. But they let me know that the track would be shut for the year from October 13th. Turning around to see a frame with a big mess of parts all around it, and then seeing that the calendar said it was August 27th, my four-month build plan had to go into overdrive. I forced myself to work 18-hour days to complete the bike in time, I wanted to ride this bike on that track so badly.”
 


Call for help
Luckily just days later, Danny’s friend Steve Hopkins rang and Danny told him about the project and the tight timeline. Steve immediately offered to come over to help. Two days later, Steve, a helicopter mechanic, arrived and set to work on all the small, time consuming work like making spacers and fixings for the seat and fenders, plus polishing the engine.

“Steve really helped me with all this small stuff that takes so much time, and I could concentrate on rebuilding the engine. As soon as the fender, bars and tank were done I had them painted. The first time I hadn’t used flakes as I wanted it in an old school traditional look, nothing high gloss. After this I sent the fender and tank out to Japan to Mr.G who does a lot of my artwork for me. In my eyes he is the best and he hand painted them in two days, incredible.”

While waiting for the tins to return from Japan and the tyres to arrive from America, Danny turned his attention to re-building the wheels and completing the engine build.
“In the meantime, I was thinking about how I wanted to do the pipes. With this engine I’d have to do really tight bends to make it fit which would affect the performance of the engine. It took me two weeks of measuring, bending, welding, re-measuring, and trying again before I got the shapes that I was happy with. Plus, the sound is so nice.”
By the end of September, Danny had the project ready for final assembly and with help from Ramon of Hotcycle Pilotes who did all the electrics, the big day came.

Back on the track
“Four kicks and it was running. I adjusted the carb, did a short test ride and I was ready for the big photoshoot. I had the bike completed by October 5th with just days before the track would close. To make a long story short, the track was dry, we shot some great photos and I had an amazing time riding the Indian Scout for the first time. They almost had to shoot me to get me off the track.”

The BikeBrewers team are happy Danny took this Indian and restored it to its former glory.
Paying hommage to the vision and design which dates back almost a century is what this bike really deserved. Taking it back to its natural habitat on the track made us drool. We can’t wait to see more coming out of the Swiss’ workshop!

Builder details:
Builder: Danny Schneider – Hard 9 Choppers
Instagram
Photo credits: Janosch Abel

The post Indian Motorcycle partners with Danny Schneider appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

You may have come across some very good-looking BMW R-series custom motorcycles on the internet or Instagram. The dynamic father-and-son duo, Mari and Maarten Bressers are at the heart of the Netherlands based Moto Rebuild. We’ve asked Maarten a few questions about their business, here’s what he had to say.

BB: How and/or why did you get into motorcycles?
MR: My dad made me addicted, he has been riding motorcycles for 40+ years and has often told me stories about his adventures when he took a road trip. Until one day I wanted to get my driver’s license myself and I always dreamed of building a BMW scrambler. New ones are too expensive, so what do you do when there is an expensive price tag? Build it yourself!

BB: When did you start riding (illegally or legally)?
MR: In 2014 after getting my driver’s license, before that I already owned my first bike, a BMW R1100GS so I couldn’t resist taking it for a spin from time to time… As a matter of fact, my father and I (Maarten) started converting the BMW before I even had my license!

BB: Since the R1100GS, what other motorcycles have you had?
MR: I’ve owned and modified a number of bikes, but mostly Honda’s and BMW boxers:
1981 Honda CB400N, 1980 Honda CX500, 1981 BMW R80RT, 1979 BMW R100RS, 1993 BMW R80R, and 1985 BMW R80RT

BB: Which of those bikes brings back the fondest memories?
MR: I think one of the last 2 motorcycles I’ve owned, both BMW R80’s. That’s because I’ve owned these longer and have ridden them more that any of the other bikes I’ve had. Now that we also ride more often and the summer is approaching, we get to meet more people. The bikes are always an interesting point of discussion with fellow bikers, but it always gives a great sense of satisfaction.

BB: Would you say that you have a brand preference? And why?
MR: Absolutely, BMW Boxers. The reason for that is the way the bike vibrates and shakes when it’s idling. It has a real nice character, very old school.

BB: Do you prefer riding or wrenching?
MR: Both! Our goal has always been to convert motorcycles for ourselves and that we can enjoy them ourselves. If we start feeling that itch to build again, we sell the bike we have, and buy another one to modify. This is the main difference between us and most other custom builders.

BB: What would you like to accomplish as a builder?
MR: I want us to be an inspiration for others, riders, builders and non-bikers. That is why we work on establishing our Instagram presence at the moment. But definitely being an inspiration to others who dream of building their own motorcycle.

BB: With an unlimited budget, what kind of motorcycle would you build?
MR: I think I would continue doing what we are already doing. It’s not about how much money you put into it, it’s about the vision and the number of hours of labor and love you put into it. The aim should always be to showcase the original characteristics of the bike.

BB: One of your latest bike builds is the BMW R80R. Could you tell us a bit more about this bike?
MR: I’ve had the R80R for some time and decided it was ready for a make-over again. I’d lke to think that this model has all the ingredients to create a fantastic custom motorcycle. I had a clear idea of how I wanted the bike to look. Furthermore, it already had wire-spoked wheels, which I absolutely love. It has a mono shock at the rear where we could weld a floating saddle, to give a bit more of a futuristic feel. My inspiration came from the fact that I didn’t wanted an old motorcycle to look and feel old.

BB: Did you face any challenges during the build?
MR: There were a few minor challenges. Coating the wheels took me the most time. I work together with my father on the bikes, we do most of the work together. Besides the electrical work, we do most of the stuff ourself. Some of the notable changes we’ve made are the tank swap, and the front fender. They really finish the bike off.

BB: So, now for the most important question of them all: how does it ride?
MR: It rides like a typical BMW: proper. It handles well, the power delivery and torque are smooth, and it sounds phenomenal.

Photo credits: Maarten Bressers

Builder details:
Moto Rebuild
Instagram

The post Bike Builder Profile: Moto Rebuild appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

Born to be a builder

Modern over Classic
A true petrol-head at heart, Luuc got his license when he was 19 years old. His 1^st bike was a Honda VT600 Shadow. Rest assured it never stayed stock. As a matter of fact, Luuc turned it into a bobber. None of all the 8 other motorcycles he has owned since have stayed stock for long. Once, he even won the bid during an auction on a Honda CX500, with a quirky transverse v-twin. The CX500 didn’t stay stock either, and got turned into a racer and got sold to a man in Sweden, who still owns it to date. Although Luuc doesn’t have a specific brand preference, he must admit that he likes modern machines the most. Basically, anything made after 2010 with EFI. However, he does have a tiny week spot for Indian and KTM/Husqvarna.

Design Contest
In 2019, Luuc participated in a design contest. The task was simple: design a marketing bike for Indian Motorcycles based on their Scout Bobber. He submitted his design and a panel of judges decided that Luuc and 2 other contenders won the assignment. A final poll online showed that the people loved his design, marking him the winner of the contest. This meant a nice trip to London, and while at it, he also went to visit the Bikeshed MC, which was great! This also meant that he now had to build his designed bike for real. No pressure…

Board Tracker
The vision Luuc had for the bike’s overall design was based around a question: what would the Indian Scout look like if motorcycle design remained the same for 100 years, but technology didn’t? An interesting proposition indeed. It is clear that the original 1919 Indian Board tracker served as an inspiration for him. The first step of the design process was to create a digital sketch, followed by a detailed 3D render, in which each part of the bike was carefully measured and recorded. A time-consuming ordeal that required a ton of patience. As a matter of fact, this whole project took about 20 weeks to complete, while he was still working his day job! How does that look like? Work in the office from 9AM to 6PM, work on the build from 6PM till well over midnight, go to sleep, and repeat. Luckily his girlfriend, family and friends all supported him.

Digital Design
We have met with a number of bike builders, none of which have ever pulled off a build like this in a mere 20 weeks, let alone while working in the evenings and weekends alone. Luuc’s secret? Remember he designed this whole motorcycle in 3D, carefully measuring and recording all dimensions? This actually made all the difference. Since the entire project was recorded digitally, it was very easy for Luuc to outsource certain jobs such as frame components. This meant that most of the time could be spent on perfecting the welds and sticking the parts together like a giant LEGO. The gas tank posed a unique challenge on its own. Hard to see from the picture, but the tank actually houses the M-unit, a fuel cell, wiring, air intake, and is even a part of the frame. No digital wizkiddery here, but old school sheet metal shaping by hand.

Bling Bling!
The Indian is full of special parts. The front suspension, for instance, was made by CeraCarbon racing. CeraCarbon racing make some of the worlds lightest motorcycle parts, designed for performance. Then the electrics. Luuc made a completely new harness based around an MO-unit and Motogadget components and with the new racing Carrot C32 ECU replacing the old one, the Indian made more power and the electrics got a whole lot cleaner. Then there is of course the titanium exhaust. This was sponsored by Akrapovic themselves. Luuc and Bert Jan from Outsiders Motorcycles went on a trip to Slovenia with the bike in the back of a van to visit the Akrapovic factory. Together with the grandmasters themselves they built a one-of-a-kind titanium exhaust that is freaking loud! This also spurred the birth of the name of this wild machine: Hasty Flaming Buffalo. It’s fast, it’s red, and you better get out of the way if you see it coming at you!

A Piece of Art
We asked Luuc what he likes the most about this build. “It may sound a bit strange but actually finishing the bike in time, achieving the challenge set by the deadline, for filling the vision I had and firing the bike up for the first time. That just sounds like a lot of violence and must have come close to what the racers in 1919 must have heard and felt while riding the bike!” We can’t help but completely agree. We have seen and heard this piece of art in real life. It is truly something extraordinary, that rather belongs in a museum than in a shed.

A personal message from Luuc Muis:
“This project for me was the stepping stone to start my own business: engineering products & building custom motorcycles. While the Hasty Flaming Buffalo was a marketing project for Indian, I also build bikes for private clients and if you are interested in something unique based on a modern platform bike, you know where to find me.”

Photo Credits: Ronald Rink

Builder details:
Luuc Muis Creations
Website
Instagram
Facebook

The post Hasty Flaming Buffalo: an Indian Scout Board Tracker by Luuc Muis Creations appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

BMW R80ST
So why not start with the R80 G/S that was already at hand? The answer is simple: the G/S now holds a sentimental value. Modifying it to something else would be too painful. So a different bike was going to be needed. He managed to find a 1985 BMW R80 ST, which in many ways is nearly identical to the R80 G/S he did his trip on. Matias knew the R80 inside and out and felt confident in using it as a base bike. Being a perfectionist, Matias wanted to do as much of the work himself, including the welding, grinding, and electrics. A graphic designer by trade, Matias first started with a couple of sketches and drawings. Once he knew what look he wanted to go for, the project could commence.

Long traveller or long travel?
Building the perfect overlander is not an easy process. Every part of the build needs to be well thought of, and often takes many hours before a final decision is made. First, the R80 ST got stripped to its bare bones. To improve the overall handling, the chassis needed some beefing up. 16 (!) reinforcement plates were welded in 6 different stress points on the frame. To improve front end responsiveness and increase suspension travel, the stock forks were replaced with a set of WP open chamber forks, now delivering a proper 250mm of travel. At the rear, a custom made Wilders shock was added to increase the rear wheel travel by 50%. The rear swing-arm has been extended with 100mm. All of which improves handling and stability at both low and high speeds.

Takasago rims on Talon hubs in the front and rear are held together by heavy-duty stainless-steel spokes. Interesting detail is that the rear wheel has a slight offset, allowing for a wider section rear tire. A Brembo 4-pot front calliper and a 320mm front brake disc give this BMW some modern stopping power.

No replacement for displacement
1001cc. That’s how much volune the boxer engine now measures. The cylinders were bored out to fit high compression 95mm pistons from Moorespeed. The crankshaft, rods, piston, and flywheel assembly were all dynamically balanced together for a smooth and responsive feel. This engine now pulls a healthy 72hp at the rear wheel.
The displacement and flow increase, required larger carbs. Since this is ultimately a touring bike that will have to cruise at both 20 and 80mph, Matias decided to go with classic 40mm Bing units instead of more aggressive options. Bings are consistent, fuel-efficient, and easy to maintain.
To improve the gas flow, the heads were ported, an open air filter were added, and a new Siebenrock exhaust was placed.  The new exhaust system helped get rid of the collector box, and simplified the removal and installation of the whole system on the road. The weight reduction of 11 lbs was an added bonus. With travelling across Africa in mind, Matias thought of a way to deal with poor fuel quality. The ignition was upgraded to a dual curve ignition. This can be switched from the dash to retard the timing and avoid pinging with poor quality fuel.
DAKAR vibe
Looking at the pictures Matias sent us, we can’t help but notice the aesthetics of this BMW. First, there is that magnificent HPN 43 litre (11.3 gallon) nylon fuel tank, which was painted by the same people that paint Walt Siegl’s bikes. A nice detail is a small strip that was left unpainted at the front, to act a as a visual aid to check the fuel level. The rear fender also comes from HPN, but uses stock BMW taillight and indicators. Matias left the dash pretty essential. He wanted it to be easy to read and operate, with gloves on. It’s housed in a HPN Acerbis Cockpit with the stock ST gauges. Matias also added a dual-port marine USB hub, a hazard light switch, and a switch for the second curve on the ignition were added.

More to come…
With the completion of this build, a new era has started for Matias Corea. The responses to this BMW “Myth 001” were overwhelming, leading Matias to start a new company: Myth Motors. Customers can now order their own custom-built BMW “Myth” motorcycle, built to their needs. Something tells us that we will see a lot more from the Myth Motors workshop in the near future!

Photo Credits: Ryan Handt

Builder details:
Myth Motors
Website
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube

The post “Myth 001” BMW R80GS by Myth Motors appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.