Version this weekend of Speed Read begins with four of our favorite words—“Suzuki Katana” and “AC Sanctuary.” We also profiled a classic Triumph Tiger, a rare BMW R68 ISDT Special and an elegantly tuned Triumph Street Twin from Deus.
Suzuki Katana of AC Sanctuary What happens when a legendary Japanese workshop customizes an iconic motorcycle? Magic, that’s what. Pure classical magic.
Commission for this special suzuki katana the project comes from a source close to AC Sanctuary. This bike belongs to Mr. Wang who not only runs a hugely successful motorcycle dealership in Taiwan but is also the only licensed AC Sanctuary dealer in the country. Given their close relationship, he is pleased to have given AC Sanctuary’s Hiroyuki Nakamura the freedom to work on the project.
True to form, Nakamura-san did not disappoint. Step one is to take the bike apart and place its frame in a jig to make sure everything aligns. AC Sanctuary also reinforced the frame in the right places, then added a beautiful alloy rear swingarm.
The Katana now rolls on OZ Racing wheels, with Öhlins suspension at both ends. The rear wheel is wider than the original, so AC Sanctuary modified the engine mount to ensure that the rear sprocket stays in perfect alignment. The brakes are a mix of AC Sanctuary ‘RCM’ parts and high-end Brembo gear, and the tires are Pirelli Diablo Rossos.
Katana’s bodywork looks like the original, but it’s actually brand new. AC Sanctuary built most of it from scratch, buying only smokescreens, headlights and front fenders. YF Design set graphics; an intoxicating paint color with a Suzuki factory racing feel.
AC Sanctuary also put considerable effort into upgrading the engine. It has been completely rebuilt, complete with drilled and honed cylinders, cut-out heads, modified valve seats, a balance crank and forged Wossner pistons. Currently available at 1,135 cc, power delivery is optimized through a programmable ignition system, a series of Mikuni Yoshimura carburetors and an all-titanium exhaust system.
A wide range of enticing add-ons and exquisite mods will take the score home. The dashboard is exceptionally neat, complete with a carbon fiber backplate and tacho Stack wheels. If you’re wondering what the perfection of a motorcycle looks like, this is it. [Via]
Serge .’s 1973 Triumph Tiger 750 It’s rare that we introduce a custom motorcycle without knowing the history of how and why it was customized. But the story of this sought-after Triumph Tiger 750 is less about its mods and more about its owner. It belongs to a Frenchman named Serge Reveneau, and it symbolizes his return to two-wheelers.
Serge has been a fixture in the local motorcycling scene for quite some time and has built a few interesting bikes. But things took a turn for the worse when, one fateful day, he took one of his bikes out for a quick test of some carburetor adjustments. An SUV made an illegal turn in front of him, and Serge had nowhere to go.
Incidentally, the car behind him was an ambulance—but his road to recovery was difficult. He had surgery for 10 hours, a coma for 19 days, and intensive physical therapy for the longest time (with several subsequent surgeries performed for good results). All the while, Serge had to battle the physical and emotional pain that often accompanies this type of traumatic event.
Fortunately, Serge is a famous motorcycle photographer, Kati Dalek, and her boyfriend, Basti, among his friends. The two have been relentlessly visiting him during his recovery, starting a social media campaign to rally support for him and reminding him of how exciting motorcycling can be. At any rate, by the pictures she took of him pinning it on the beach at a popular event. Wheels and Waves Festival.
More than two years after the accident, Serge was riding again with this 1973 Triumph TR7RV Tiger. It was originally owned by a woman who had never owned a car, then the second owner rebuilt it as a disturbance person—but don’t ride it much.
Serge is the third owner and plans to keep it running as a street-legal sled.
To celebrate Serge’s return, he, Kati and Basti took his Tiger down to the beach, let it loose and took these pictures. Welcome back, Serge. [Via]
Sold: BMW R68 ISDT Special The BMW R80G/S may be the first dual-sport motorcycle the German marque has ever built—but it’s not the first time they’ve entered the off-road race. Back in 1952, BMW marketed three R68 boxers during the International Six-Day Test in Austria.
Driver Hans Roth nearly won the event with a perfect scoreboard. But a mechanical failure during speed testing, when he reached 104 mph, disqualified him from the event.
The BMW R68 is the follow-up to the previous 594 cc BMW R67. With improvements to the engine and braking system, along with a larger carburetor, it has been dubbed the “100 mph motorcycle” by BMW. It makes 35hp at 7,000rpm — up from the R67’s 26hp.
BMW offered the R68 in ‘standard’ touring form and ‘Gelandesporte’ version — recognizable by its high-mounted exhaust system. Rarer of the two models, this is the version that BMW ran in the ISDT.
The R68 you’re looking at here is as clean as these rare machines. It has been restored to a uniform standard by a BMW specialist, with matching numbers and the original manufacturer’s ID plate still on the frame and engine.
If you want to park it in your garage, we have bad news: it’s on sale at Mecum .’s Las Vegas Auction this weekend, and already on sale. We shudder to think how much. [Via]
Triumph Street Twin by Deus ex Machina It’s hard to beat a modern classic Triumph as a starting point for a custom build. They look really good when they come out of the factory—meaning you can change as little or as much as you want and still get a beautiful motorcycle.
This Street Twin comes from Jeremy Tagand’s workshop, in Deus ex Machina in Australia. And it while it doesn’t go too far from the classic winning car formula, it really has a lot of smart mods. Park it next to an original Street Twin and it won’t take long to notice the difference.
For starters, it rolls on much fatter rubber. Jeremy installed wider yokes from Down and Out Motorcycles, along with strong wheels from Canyon Motorcycles. Measuring 150 wide at the front and 180 at the rear, they are wrapped in dual Pirelli sports tires.
The fork has been upgraded with a new interior and a longer rear shock; all courtesy of YSS. Beringer brake units add additional stopping power.
Jeremy also fitted alloy fenders at both ends and a custom saddle. A lot of work has been done in the cockpit, which now features 1-inch-wide bars, Kustom Tech gearshift levers, Purpose-built Moto mirrors and Motone switches. BAAK Motocyclettes in France sent in leather fork covers, leather ‘cables’, skid plates, front turn signal mounts, igniter repositioning brackets and headlights with speedometer Integrated Motogadget. Kellermann LEDs take care of the turn signals and taillights.
The engine now inhales through a K&N filter and exhales through a pair of HiTech muffler headers with SC Project mufflers. It has also been tuned thanks to RB Racing and the Dynojet chip.
Covered in an alluring blue finish (by Jud’s Kustom Paint), with a leather accent on the saddle (by Badarsetrimco.), this Triumph will look right at home on New Zealand’s North Island, where it is aimed at. [More]
