This week’s collection starting with a snow white Honda Monkey and ending with a custom Yamaha TMAX scooter. In between, we review a Honda XR250 from Argentina, a BMW R100 from the Czech Republic and a BMW R100GS Paris Dakar Classic still in its bin.
Honda Monkey by K-Speed K-Speed’s Honda Monkey The custom is very common, so they are often asked by customers to follow their winning formula. This one was built for a snowboarding instructor, nicknamed ‘Snow Gorilla’. It’s based on their previous Monkey builds, with a few select mods to set it apart — like its snow-white paint scheme.
Starting with an end model Monkey, K-Speed the team bolted to a set of 14” wheels with some alloy wheel covers. The brakes have been upgraded with fancy new spinning wave discs and front and rear Brembo brake calipers. It might be a bit of an overkill, but hey, it looks slick.
The front fork is lowered and a YSS rear shock absorber is fitted for a moderate stance.
The fuel tank is an ABS cap that slides over the factory tank for a cool look. A new leather seat sits on top of the modified subframe, with some custom side panels to cover it up. The front and rear guards are also new.
All lights on the car have been refurbished with LED lights. Clip-ons have replaced the stock handlebars, with alloy plugs fitted in place of the former handlebars.
The custom belly pan is another standout, adding an aggressive and powerful feel to the Monkey. The small carb has a new air filter assembly and a muffler that switches off the exhaust.
Snow Gorilla is another hit from K-Speed. Something tells me this won’t be the last Gorilla they release into the wild. [K-Speed | Images by Hipmotography]
Honda XR250 Tornado by Rodando Sur The Honda XR250 was first made in 1979 and they were available almost anywhere in the world until around 2004. While most of the world switched to the new CRF series of dirt bikes, Honda continues to produce XR250 for the African and South American markets. Dubbed the XR250 Tornado, most things aren’t exactly blown away by its performance — but in remote corners of the world, bulletproof reliability is everything.
And if you are looking for a bike to customize rival above, the XR250 is a great choice. Once you’ve removed the factory plastic bodywork and trunk, you’re left with a solid foundation. That’s exactly what the gang at Rodando Sur in Argentina did with this 2020 model XR250.
Now equipped with new wheels and bodywork, the XR is almost unrecognizable.
Up front are LED headlights housed in a custom spokes bar, just above the overhead fenders. Rodando Sur also adds new steering, grips and a digital rev.
Further afield are the new fuel tank and custom subframe, with a rather striking saddle featuring hexagonal stitching. The LED taillights are hidden below. Rodando Sur did all the design and build in-house, including the stainless steel exhaust and air intake.
This XR is also packing a large 293 cc drill set. Along with the new exhaust (and possibly a few tweaks to the carburetor), Rodando squeezed a few more horses from the engine. Nicknamed the “Pig Tracker” (because the owner works in the pork industry), this XR looks like a bicycle to navigate the streets of Buenos Aires. [More]
BMW R100RT by Gas & Oil Bespoke Motorcycles Speed Read’s first BMW pickup this week comes from Gas & Oil Bespoke Motorcycles, just outside of Prague, Czech Republic. Start life like a 1983 R100RT—BMW’s twin-cylinder touring bike of choice at the time — it was transformed into a rather luxurious street bike.
After all the shock absorbers are removed and stripped of the bike, the wheels, engine and all other alloy parts will be fine sandblasted. After the metal is bare, the engine is treated for a complete rebuild. There’s fresh paint all over the place, including a splash of white on the frame.
The rear subframe has been modified and is now rejoined at the rear, and is welded to the main frame rather than bolted. G&O even designed a new rear shock mount, which contains a pair of bolted YSS units. The leather seats are generously padded, with a battery hidden inside.
High, wide, bolted BSA handlebars, one behind Motogadget Time meter. All have new lighting systems, including classic fog lights that attach to the right side bumper. The electronics have also been updated, complete with a generator and a full igniter from Silent Hektik.
Eagle-eyed BWM fans will notice that the fuel tank has also been raised slightly at the rear to improve the car’s contours.
“We were really trying to come up with a new design that is beautiful and functional,” explains G&O founder Matej. “Everything is painted pure white, as a reminder that there are not just black or gray BMWs out there.”
The Gas & Oil Bespoke Motorcycles team is pretty proud of their latest release, and why shouldn’t they be? They have turned a reliable but boring touring bike into a fun, yet comfortable street bike. [Gas & Oil Bespoke Motorcycles]
1995 BMW R100GS Paris Dakar Classic Rated I will never understand people who buy a nice car or motorcycle and only use it sparingly throughout their life. I have never seen a reason to own the aforementioned car to run only a few hundred miles on the odometer per year. This bike goes even further than that.
This 1995 Avus Black BMW R100GS Paris Dakar Classic has never left the box it was delivered to. For unknown reasons, it was purchased new in 1995 by a Canadian dealer and was never assembled. Completed with chrome brackets, chrome bumpers and classic BMW ‘peanut’ covers, this may be the only R100GS PD in the world still in the factory box.
Following on from the success of the Dakar award-winning BMW R80GS, the R100GS Paris Dakar has a lot to offer. But thanks to its larger engine and mechanical simplicity, it was much sought after — and still is today. The Paris Dakar models have larger cranks and a 25-litre fuel tank, further increasing the vehicle’s appeal.
If you’re wondering just how exceptionally crammed an R100GS is, consider this: Brooklyn-based Moto Borgotaro just sold this on Mang a Trailer for the small amount of $47,250. [More]
Ortolani Customs’ Yamaha TMAX 560 The older you get, the more maxi motorbike makes sense. Comfortable couch with upright ergonomics? Test. Can a snappy engine get you over the speed limit in almost any country? Test. Cruise control, windshield and enough storage space for a weekend getaway? Test, test and test.
The 560cc Yamaha TMAX fits the bill — and this custom TMAX from Olivier at Ortolani Customs looks exactly like a man. It is authorized by Yamaha dealer Castellan.
Olivier describes: “They wanted me to modify vehicles for them, but I specialize in modifying motorcycles. “It was a great surprise when they asked me to modify a Yamaha TMAX 560. I hesitated for a long time, then I decided to take on the challenge.”
“I told myself it could be great, especially since the modified TMAX models have been built by Roland Sands.”
Putting a brand new TMAX into the workshop, Olivier got to work. A complete teardown was completed and after some 17” wheels (lifted from an Aprilia RSV4) were fitted, the team had a good idea of what they could achieve. Okay. Olivier pursued a more aggressive and sporty aesthetic, but in the first place, he didn’t want to just convert it into a motorcycle.
The entire bodywork is hand-made from aluminum. Maxi scooter has a large bodywork compared to a normal motorcycle, so this is more of a trainer construction than a bike design. The front fascia design and LED headlights are almost inspired by Yamaha’s venerable R1, but the rest of it is beyond Olivier’s imagination.
The TMAX is trimmed with premium parts from Rizoma and HP Corse, and a custom TFT panel retains all factory controls. This was created specifically for DEV’MOTO’s project in Marseille.
Then there’s the gorgeous paint job. Olivier ordered it himself and opted for a green Porsche 911 GT3RS with Lotus yellow accents. [Ortolani Customs | Images by Alex Chailan and Wellky Films]
