Ever heard of Koala Fantic? Educate yourself below, then check out a rare BMW R1100RS cafe racer, a rare Bonneville TT Special, a vibrant Ducati Panigale V4S and a Yamaha XSR900 from Deus.
Animal Motor Company’s Fantic Koala Honestly, I had never heard of Fantic Koala until Wes sent me this set. So, until I get locked up for this heinous crime, I can also tell you a little more about this bike.
This is a 1987 Koala Fantic. It’s an 80 cc two-stroke engine, and apart from the engine, it’s pretty much like the Italian Suzuki VanVan or Yamaha TW200. Sadly, Google won’t tell you much more, but one look at these photos makes one thing clear: they’re interesting.
This particular example was customized by Ruben Cotarelo of Animal Motor Company, and it was pretty much unfinished when it arrived at their workshop. If I couldn’t even get information about the bike from Google, I would assume that finding the original parts would be a bit difficult. From this I can see why Ruben chose to customize over restore.
The giant balloon tires are the size of the factory so there is only one purpose for this bike – off-road adventures. Animal decided to rely on this and built a beach cruiser. The factory motorcycle has dirt bike-style plastic so all of them have been scrapped in favor of a custom bodywork.
A new tank, flat saddle and Renthal handlebars have turned the tiny Fantic into a very nice street bike. The front license plate conceals the coolant reservoir and is fastened to the left side of the bike as a surfboard/ski rack.
There are no lights (or even license plates) that I can see. However, if all you need is something to run you up and down the trails to hidden surf spots, I can’t think of a better mode of transport. [Animal Motor Company]
Cafemoto’s BMW R1100RS I don’t think anyone has ever called the BMW R1100RS slim. Sure, it’s lighter than the Goldwing, but at 540 lbs wet, it’s not exactly a purebred race bike. Georg Godde and Holger Maninger, the minds behind Cafemoto in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, aim to change this.
This is ‘Cafemoto 005’ and it’s Georg and Holger’s answer to BMW R NineT. The elephant in the room is BMW’s telescopic front suspension, the kind the guys really chose to keep. I’ve ridden a few BMW telescopic bikes and they’re very good at handling bumps, which is why the suspension is left alone on this version.
In fact, along with the suspension, the engine and most of the frame have remained from the original bike. Cafemoto chose to focus on reducing weight rather than increasing power, so the first thing they did was ditch the bodywork.
Number plate in front of new fork Motogadget Chronograph speedometer, LED headlights and oil cooler. The Telefix Racer clamp-on handlebars are in place, while the turn signals are also from Motogadget.
The fuel tank is from a BMW R45 and it took a long time to mix it into the car. To inject fuel, the bottom was cut out and reshaped before being aligned to the frame. Continuing on to the rear of the bike, the rear of the subframe has been modified and a new craft seat fitted.
After a coat of paint (BMW ‘Avus’ black) with Cafemoto branding, new Bridgestone rubber has been wrapped around the wheels. Cafemoto opted for a 180-section rear tire (up from 160) and they swapped out a 17” front wheel for an 18” front wheel.
Total weight saved at the end of construction? 121 lbs, bringing the weight down to 439 lbs with a full tank of fuel.
With 90 hp from the 1,100 cc twin engine, no matter what you think of the looks, you can’t deny it’s going to be a hit on the bumpy road. [Cafemoto | Images by Michael Larssen]
1967 Triumph Bonneville TT Special I have quite a few friends who ride British bikes – but I’m more inclined towards Italian machines. So I tend to spread sarcastic comments about bicycles in the UK on pretty thick (fun, of course).
That said, it’s amazing that I would give one of these; 1967 Triumph Bonneville TT Special. Aside from the lack of headlights, you’d be forgiven for thinking this is just an ordinary Bonneville. However, it is the engine internals (and heritage) that make this Special so special.
First released in 1963, the Bonneville TT Special was offered by two dealers in the US and was designed to compete in TT racing events. TT Obstacle Skating is similar to Flat Racing, but includes at least one right turn and one jump. From that description, you bet these races are very popular.
Hidden inside the 650 Bonneville engine box are 12:1 high-compression pistons and 17-tooth transmission sprockets. Up front is a single Smiths tachometer and nothing else; no headlights or speedometer. The ET ignition system, the larger Amal 1 3/16” carburetor, and the short, open exhaust make the engine breathe a lot easier.
As was the case with so many specialty factories of the day, not all bicycles were made to the same specifications. Some have 11:1 compression and 19T gear sprockets, and I’m sure the Triumph-cognoscenti will be able to spot other minor differences.
Since TT Specials were built for racing, there aren’t many surviving examples. Produced for only five years, their rarity and racial heritage mean they will perform well at auction.
This example of matching, well-preserved numbers just sold at RM Sotheby’s for $7,200 – well below the $10-12,000 it was expected to buy.
Price aside, the two-tone paintwork, exhaust and the desert sled’s vibration system really do the trick for me. It wasn’t quite enough to lure me away from the European weirdness, but it came close. [Via]
Ducati Panigale V4S by Dan Yoder Speaking of European exotics, this is a 2019 Ducati Panigale V4S and it was built by Dan Yoder of Mount Horeb, Wisconsin. Just shown off at the One Motorcycle Show in Portland, Oregon, this 211-horsepower Italian steed put on a show to match the ride.
Dan is a sign maker and artist by profession, and yes, he painted the bike himself. What you might not realize is that Dan has also hand-built the aluminum rear end and other bodywork for the car.
Dan’s company, Make Signs Not War, specializes in handcrafted signs so he wanted the bike to showcase his aluminum crafting and painting abilities. All paintwork is finished using matte paint and all graphics are hand-painted by Dan with glossy enamel. Pinstripes around the headlights are especially tasty.
From the factory, the front crank of the V4S blends into the fuel tank. Dan is not a big fan of this design so he opted to cut out this expensive Italian motorcycle. In my opinion, he pulled it beautifully and somehow made a sport bike even sportier.
The bottom of the crankcase has been trimmed back to reveal more of the engine, and the exhaust shield has also been given a haircut. The end of the Termingnoni exhaust was lengthened so Dan could use the SC Project anti-slip muffler, and the mirror mounts were blocked with aluminum panels.
“I don’t have an influence or concept other than to give the Italian bike a little more flair,” says Dan. “I always remember Roland Sands saying something along the lines of ‘let’s make it punk rock. “
This bike fits all my boxes – it’s Italian, has weird graphics, a good story, and most of all, it’s rideable as much as possible. [Via]
Deus ex Machina’s Yamaha XSR900 Seven years since its first worldwide release, Yamaha XSR900 is a popular choice for custom bike builders. With modern suspension, good brakes, and power from an 847cc inline trio, it’s easy to see why. This particular XSR is the latest creation from Jeremy Tagand’s Deus ex Machina Australia.
Built for a friend of Jeremy’s, this XSR900 features styling cues that may look familiar to fans of the 1988 hit classic, Akira. Set in dystopian Tokyo, Akira tells the story of Shōtarō Kaneda and Tetsuo Shima, best friends and the leader of the Bōsōzoku motorcycle gang, the Capsules.
Jeremy didn’t set out to reimagine Kaneda’s iconic red bike, but rather to bring the film’s neo-Tokyo vibe to a modern Yamaha. Marc Houssenloge’s dark, moody paint job with spooky graphics at Sydney Custom Painting, drives that home.
It’s hard not to notice the custom-built special wheels that adorn the bike. These were created especially for Jeremy at Deus by Mario at Ricci Engineering and set the powerful tone of the work perfectly. Adding to the theme is the Yamaha Tracer 900 slide from Givi, heavily modified to accommodate the new SC-Project exhaust.
The front fender, rear fender, chain guard and speedometer stand are all ‘Monkeebeast’ parts by Kedo, designed by The Wrenchmonkees. Front-to-back lighting duties are shared by the S2 Concept, Motogadget, and Kellerman divisions. Rounding out the car’s more subtle details are the taper bars from Rizoma, natural black.
I have never been mesmerized by the XSR900 in stock form. However, when the likes of Jeremy and the Deus group stepped in, I sat up and noticed. [Deus ex Machina Australia]
