For your eyes unique: a KTM 690 with an all-aluminum body, a humble Daelim turned beach racer, a Ducati 1098S cafe racer and a special James Bond edition Triumph Speed Triple RR. We also say goodbye to one of motoring’s greatest riders, Phil Read, who sadly passed away this week.
KTM 690 Enduro R by Unikat Motorworks What took 60 hours to design, progressed through three different concepts, and then took 480 hours to build? If you guess this KTM 690 from Unikat Motorworks in Poland, then you are right.
Amazingly, this version starts out as a 2012 model KTM 690 Enduro R — what some describe as a unicorn among adventure bikes.
It’s lightweight, produces plenty of power, and can be recharged for multi-day trips away from home. It also has a six-speed transmission for highway speeds, good suspension, and a 3.43-gallon fuel tank.
But what Unikat wants from KTM is an urban attack vehicle that can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The 690 is one of the few motorcycles with a rear-mounted fuel tank from the factory. So Unikat spent a lot of time and effort on this aspect of the build process. It should be sturdy (since it’s also a subframe), look good, and work perfectly.
A new fuel tank is hand-formed from aviation-grade aluminum and fitted to the frame. Then the rest of the body panels and headlights, are shaped from aluminum to match.
Once finished, the aluminum bodywork is hand-polished and polished. A modified skid plate and small front fender have been added, while the engine, swingarm and other metal parts are polished or brushed.
The custom leather seat is long, offering plenty of comfort and space to move around — and it’s generously padded, perfect for long days in the saddle, cutting through canyon roads.
The front wheel has been modified to 18-inch Excel rims and street tires are mounted on both wheels. Unikat also installed a K&N racing filter and an Ixil silencer that complement the bodywork perfectly.
Shiny enough to start a fire, just as this doesn’t take long in the woods anymore. From Terrain Weapons to Unique Weapons street watchersWe bet the new owner of KTM is really happy. [Unikat Motorworks]
Garage94’s Daelim Daystar Based in Seoul, South Korea, Garage94 recently partnered with Vans Korea to create a series of custom bikes, inspired by the sneaker giant’s most iconic shoes. Based on Vans’ tagline, ‘Classic Since Forever’, Garage94 built five different motorcycles in five different styles.
This tiny cruiser is the second in the series, and it’s based on the humble Daelim Daystar 125. In stock form, the Daystar is a small capacity commuter bike with some cruiser styling aspects. The 4-stroke single is popular in Korea, which is one of the reasons it was chosen for this build.
Garage94’s Smith Kim has made some impressive changes to Daelim. The inspiration was Harley-Davidson’s venerable WL Flathead racing bikes from the ’30s and ’40s, and it shined brightly.
The custom split tanks feature the iconic Vans checkerboard motif on one side, with a scalloped design on the other. The frame has been converted to a stiff tail, with the rear fender placed over a pillion pad to accommodate the custom solo seat. A conservative sissy bar completes the rear end.
Sport Grips Vans’ classic ‘waffle’ tire pattern is a perfect finishing touch, as are the tight exhaust tips and tulip-style silencers. Daystar also carries tires and front number plates, because Garage94 holds the biggest vintage dirt event in Korea. It’s called the Camel Race, and this bike will be participating.
From a bland commuter to a gorgeous, vintage-inspired dirt pair of scissors. We love it. [Smith Kim of Garage94]
Ducati ‘Evo Racer’ by NCT Motorcycles David Widmann and his Austrian outfit, NCT Motorcycles, just took the cover off their first limited-edition bike. Called the NCT Evo Racer, the series is based on the Ducati 848, 1098 and 1198 produced between 2007 and 2011.
Have inspiration from cafe racer 1950s, but still retains beautiful modern Ducati gear, which took more than two years to develop. The test bed, the one you see here, is a 2009 Ducati 1098S.
NCT chose to remake this Italian horse without the clothes, so the parts and bodywork are gone. The new subframe supports the classic cafe racer seats, made of carbon fiber. The rear hump houses a host of electrical components and has LED taillights integrated into the rear.
NCT developed their own carbon side panels to tie the new saddle to the fuel tank, and all of the plastic caps on the engine were replaced with carbon parts by us. Up front is a circular LED headlight, supported by a custom bracket.
A new Akrapovič exhaust system replaces the factory exhaust system. Along with a revised ECU, it now produces an additional 20 hp. Weighs only 156 kg [344 lbs] and now pushing out 180 horsepower, this must be a blast to go.
Finished in British Racing Green with wheels painted in gold to match factory Öhlins forks, the finished bike is in good shape.
Now that the test build is complete, NCT is taking customer bike orders. So if you want one, contact them quickly. With the choice between buying a 1098 and this one on a twisty mountain road, you know which one we would choose. [Source]
Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR Bond Edition Another week, another Bond special edition motorcycle from Triumph. This time it’s the Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR treated 007.
This 1200 RR wears a special 60th anniversary James Bond paint job. It’s a combination of black and two different shades of gray, with the titles of all 25 James Bond films listed on top of the tank, each in their original title font. The 007 graphics and gold pin strip add more detail, and there’s a barrel design on the fairing, which, admittedly, looks quite nice.
Quantities are limited to only 60 worldwide and each bike is individually numbered. A hand-signed certificate of authenticity and a Bond-themed indoor bike cover are also included.
As far as we can tell, it’s a ‘regular’ Speed Triple 1200 RR at the factory underneath the paint job. But that’s a good thing – it’s one of the best looking bikes in the entire modern classic car segment and it has to fit the show.
The 1,160 cc 3-cylinder engine produces 180 hp at 10,750 rpm and 125 Nm of torque at 9,000 rpm. It has a full range of electronic safety features, a large TFT instrument panel, electronically adjustable semi-active suspension and Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V3 tires. It all comes together to make a compelling argument for why you should park one in your garage.
If you can look past the obvious marketing ploy and the fact that Bond hasn’t actually ridden this bike in any of the movies, it’s undeniably a nice bike. If you would like to own “a piece of motorcycle and film history”, contact your nearest Triumph dealer.
Or not. Because, like Bond, we all know that Triumph will return (perhaps with another special version of Bond). [Triumph Motorcycles]
Vale, Phil Read The motorcycling world lost a true legend of the sport this week, with the passing of eight-time world champion, Phil Read MBE.
Read was the first racer to win junior, intermediate and senior world championships, in those days 125 cc, 250 cc and 500 cc respectively. In other words, only two other people have ever achieved this incredible feat – two gentlemen named Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez.
Phil won the day over many of the safety devices and regulations we are familiar with today. Half helmets and basic skin types are very common on the mesh. There are no articulated gloves and boots or carbon fiber helmets, and certainly no airbag suits. Life is lost in each season he’s in, but despite the danger, Read has risen to the top and lived his life like every moment was his last.
Phil passed away peacefully at his home in Canterbury, England. He was 83 years old. [Source: This great account of Phil Read’s life and achievements, by accomplished MotoGP journalist, Mat Oxley]
