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
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The post Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 “Black Fury” by XTR appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

Smiles-per-mile
When Royal Enfield unleashed their 650 twins into the world, nobody had expected that they would take over the world by storm. It was and still is the bike Royal Enfield owners were craving for. Not only that, the classic design of the twins has stolen the hearts of many new and old motorcyclists, including myself! Royal Enfield has proven that more horsepower, and a higher price tag don’t automatically mean more smiles-per-mile. Many motorcycle magazines have awarded the Interceptor 650 the “Motorcycle of the Year” award for that particular reason.

Builders choice
The simplicity of the Royal Enfield 650 speaks to many, especially in an age where more and more motorcycles are drenched with technology and computers. Don’t get me wrong, we aren’t against hi-tech bikes, but the no frills no non-sense experience out-trumps tech any day, especially if you love working on your motorcycle.

Racing pedigree
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.

Replica
Everybody agrees that the Continental GT 650 isn’t the fastest or the sportiest bike out there. The handling is good, and the power is more than adequate. What we see here today looks completely different than that. The “Lilith” as Pepo has dubbed this build, looks like it just came off a race track in the 1970/80s. Probably a street track too! When you take a look at the extensive list of modifications below, it is clear that an incredible amount of work has been put into this. This isn’t a café racer; this IS a RACER!

Manual labour
Some of the mods that immediately stand out have to be the front fairing with the twin protruding headlights, just like the old racing bikes. The fuel tank with the quick-fueling system doesn’t only look mean, it has a function too. It is made out of fiberglass and is, obviously, hand-made. Neat feat is the fuel gauge “window” on the side, that allows for a quick visual on the fuel levels. There are loads of details that pop up the longer you look at the GT. Another example of Pepo’s skills is the unique racing solo/dual seat. Then there is that beautiful red paint finish. Nothing screams speed more than that bright red colour.

We really like the way this Continental GT has turned out, and would love to hear and see this one in real life. In the meantime, we will have to make do with the stunning pictures that were sent to us from Spain. Salud!

PICTURES by Belen Piqueras

Mods list:

• XTR glass fiber fuel tank with fuel level stripe
• ACC Endurance gas cap
• Modified subframe
• XTR Solo/Dual seat (XTR design)
• XTR upholstered seat
• XTR rear light
• XTR led turn signals
• XTR licence plate support
• YSS adjustable rear shocks
• Turbokit Megaphone mufflers
• Shortened exhaust lines
• CNC RIGA aluminium chain tensioner
• K-Speed foot-pegs and brackets
• 17″ aluminium rims
• DNA air filter
• DOMINO quick throttle
• XTR machined clip ons
• XTR machined bar-ends
• CNC RIGA aluminium CNC machined top yoke
• RR oil temperature gauge
• XTR front fairing and windshield
• XTR CNC machined adjustable brake and clutch levers
• BREMBO Gold front brake pump
• XTR endurance lights
• HIGHSIDE mirrors
• Modified front fender and support
• FULBAT LIPO battery
• ARTENRUTA painting

Builder details:
XTR Pepo
Website
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The post Bombastic Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 “Lilith” by XTRPepo appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

Ducati Cafe Racer
We have seen some very interesting and perfectly executed café racers here on BikeBrewers, built around Ducati’s. Sure, it is not everybody’s cup of tea, but it definitely is ours! Café racers can be defined as lightweight, powerful motorcycles, that are optimised for speed and handling rather than comfort, and for quick rides over short distances. We’ve come a long way from the original café racers that were built in the 1960s, and yet, if we look closely at the definition of a café racer, this build ticks all the boxes.

Racing Pedigree
Radical Ducati has shown us how a café racer in the 21st century looks like. Motorcycles have become more high-tech in recent years, with a plethora of software and hardware that keep the bike and rider in check. Heck, even the MotoGP and Superbikes racers can’t control their machines without the help of traction control and wheelie control. And rightfully so, with well over 200hp at 15,000 rpm, those machines are no joke. It makes sense that the motorcycles that aren’t meant for racing still incorporate some of the tech from the MotoGP and Superbikes. ABS wouldn’t have made its entrance to mainstream motorcycles if it wasn’t for the racing industry. So does this Ducati 1198s Corse; it is a race machine made suitable for street riding.

Solid Foundation
First things first, the entire body work of the 1198 had to go, except for the fuel tank. Somehow the 1198’s original aluminium fuel tank looks too good to be neglected, plus it is a race replica. All that the tank needed was a bit of sanding, some clear coat, and a racing filler cap. The front suspension is a special bit of racing spec kit too. that came from the factory on the 1198 S Corse; it’s a fully adjustable Öhlins 43mm with low friction titanium-nitride treated fork sliders. At the rear we find the venerable Öhlins TTX race shock. On top of that, the original super powerful Brembo Monoblocs were also retained. These are some of the highest spec brake callipers in the world. The same goes for the lightweight Marchesini 7-spoke forged aluminium wheels.

Lightweight
If so much got retained, what did the folks at Radical Ducati change? Let’s start at the front. The CNC’d headlight bracket is custom made out of lightweight magnesium, and it holds the classically shaped round headlight, but with a modern LED touch. The rear subframe is a custom-made aluminium unit, built to spec by Radical. Welding aluminium can be tricky, but at Radical they know their stuff and finished the rear subframe off with a beautiful rear cowl that matches perfectly with the fuel tank, creating an aggressive flow to the whole.

Desmodromic Dreams
The 1198cc Testastretta L-twin pumps out a healthy 170hp at 9750 rpm and 131 Nm (97 lb-ft) of torque at 8000 rpm. These are unique figures for a desmodromic engine, where valve closure is activated mechanically. The engine itself came with the necessary weight saving, by incorporating magnesium allow parts such as the vale covers. The already performance oriented 52-57mm exhaust system got upgraded for a set of SC Project full line exhaust system, allowing the 1198 S to better breathe. The thermal wrapping around the exhaust is supposed to lower some of the heat dispersion these bikes are notorious for. Radical added some of its trade mark touches such as transparent belt-covers, red Samco hoses for all the fluids, which blends perfectly with the red frame. The clutch cover also received a transparent treatment.

For legislation compliance purposes, a side-mounted plate holder form Lussardi Racing does the job neatly. A handmade leather seat makes the build complete. We would love to know how this Radical Ducati café racer riders, but we do have an idea of what it sounds like. With over 170hp and less than 170kg of weight, the perfect power-to-weight ratio can only mean one thing, and that is that this Ducati will go anywhere fast and in style.

Builder details:
Radical Ducati France
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The post A Ducati 1198 S Corse Café Racer built by Radical Ducati in France appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.