We have cast net wide this week, with a whole host of deliciously different motorcycles. Purpose Built Moto kicks things off with a sleek Ducati 900SS coffee racing carThen we’ll look at a gorgeous Kawasaki H1 Mark III restomod from the USA. Our fastest contenders are this week’s 75th anniversary MotoGP bikes, and our slowest contender is a 1965 BMW R60/2 with a very strange side-mounted motorcycle.
Ducati 900SS by Purpose Built Moto Our friends at Purpose of building Moto in Gold Coast, Australia build a lot of custom bikes from scratch, but they’re not opposed to taking on smaller jobs either. The owners of Ducati900SS cafe racer brought the bike to life with a solid set of mods as its foundation—but it took Tom Gilroy and his team to get it across the finish line.
While the Ducati looks like a modified 900SS, it’s technically a replica. Since it arrived at the shop with most of the cosmetic and engine work completed, Tom isn’t sure what to make of this donor bike—but the numbers suggest it may have started life as a Darmah.
The shop that had worked on it before treated it to a carbon fiber body kit, bright red frame, rebuilt 18-inch wheels, and a completely rebuilt engine. PBM was tasked with adding a custom exhaust and front fender, finishing the lighting system, and rewiring the car from top to bottom. While they were at it, they cut and stuffed a few things to tighten up the whole package.
Tom isn’t sure exactly what’s going on inside the engine, but he can confirm that it’s running a Mikuni carburetor and a new ignition system. From there, PBM fabricated a pair of two-into-two exhaust pipes that trace the engine cases before ending in a pair of stainless steel mufflers. (The barely visible muffler brackets are particularly neat.)
Wiring is a dark art (and a chore), but it’s at the core of PBM’s business. The Ducati 900SS has been completely rewired, with the shop’s ‘Black Box’ unit at the heart of the new system. Everything is neatly tucked away; the horn, ignition and coils are under the tank, and the Black Box is tucked under the seat hump.
Moving on to the bodywork, PBM tweaked the subframe and tail section for a better fit, before completing the rear loop with a custom tail unit. PBM LED combination turn signals and taillights flank the license plate mount.
At the opposite end of the bike, the team took a carbon fiber front fender designed for Harley, trimmed it, and fitted it with custom fairings. Up top, they repurposed an old headlight bin to create a PBM LED headlight and speedometer housing, then wrapped it in carbon fiber. The headlight, front turn signals, and neat pushbuttons that adorn the Tarozzi clamps are all PBM parts.
Tom and his team may not have started this project, but they finished it off in style. And as anyone who has ever built a custom motorcycle will tell you, the final stages of a project are often the hardest. [Source | Via]
Kawasaki H1 Mach III restored by Atlanta Motorcycle Works The Kawasaki H1 Mach III needs no introduction. A true monster on two wheels, its 500cc three-cylinder two-stroke engine was a hit—rough handling and all. More than half a century later, it’s a true icon.
This Sharp 1971 Kawasaki H1 Mach III recover from Atlanta Motorcycle Works in the US is notable for a couple of reasons. It arrived at the shop in boxes – an unfinished project commissioned by their customer’s late father. By the time AMW finished it, it had been upgraded in every way possible.
The H1’s pairing included an engine rebuild with custom billet heads, bore cylinders, new Wossner pistons, and a rebuilt and balanced crankshaft. AMW also added a Mikuni VM34 carburetor and a Higgspeed three-into-three exhaust system. The electrical system was also overhauled, with a new wiring harness built around an NWT Cycletronic shaft.
Next, AMW focused on bringing the notoriously twitchy H1’s handling up to modern standards. The new front forks and twin brakes are taken from a mid-90s Suzuki GSX-R, while 17” Excel wheels are wrapped in new Bridgestone touring tires. Steering stabilizers give you more peace of mind, with a reinforced swingarm doing the rear work.
Other additions include new grips, bar-end mirrors, and a Koso speedo. A pearlescent blue paint job ties it all together, complete with original graphics. Atlanta Motorcycle Works didn’t just rebuild this legendary two-stroke, they upgraded it. [Source]
Vintage MotoGP Jackets at Silverstone Today’s MotoGP race at Silverstone in the UK marks the 75th anniversary of motorcycle Grand Prix racing. To mark the occasion, all of the premier class MotoGP teams have donned special livery, paying tribute to the bikes and riders of years past.
The Ducati team’s 75th anniversary design is a simple combination of red and white with a brighter red than the current design; reminiscent of the Marlboro-sponsored Ducati sponsored by Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss in 2003.
Yamaha designed their bike in white and red, which was the colour scheme for their racing bikes in the 60s and 70s, while the VR46 team looked to Valentino Rossi’s iconic ‘sun and moon’ design. Aprilia [above] opted for a sharp black paint scheme with minimalist graphics; reminiscent of Max Biaggi’s 1994, 1995 and 1996 championship-winning Aprilia RSV 250 cc.
However, some bikes of the day stood out above the rest—like the KTM RC16 [above]. While the RC16’s special edition livery isn’t a direct copy, it is based on the KTM LC4 that KTM’s current Vice President of Road Racing Technology, Wolfgang Felber, won the German ‘Sound of Singles’ championship on in 1989. Regardless of its origins, the striking colors and sharp, bold graphics are a cut above KTM’s regular RC16 livery.
The most beautiful bikes on the track are, without a doubt, the Gresini Ducatis. [above] ridden by the Marquez brothers. A tribute to Gresini’s late founder, Fausto Gresini, the bikes feature the same minimalist ‘il Tricolore’ design as the Garelli bike on which he won the 125cc title in 1985 and 1987. Simple yet iconic.
Also notable is the Primi Pramac Ducati GP24 [below] Jorge Martin took his second step on the podium, reclaiming the lead in the 2024 championship standings.
Covered in red and black graphics, the bike pays tribute to legendary Spanish rider Ángel Nieto—specifically the Garelli with which he won the 125cc championship in 1983. (Ángel is also the uncle of current Primi Pramac Racing sporting director Fonsi Nieto.)
The temporary redesign is a breath of fresh air, with Pecco Bagnaia even joking after the race that he prefers the current livery to the usual Ducati GP24 livery. But it does make us wonder why MotoGP bikes haven’t always been this good. [Source]
For sale: A 1965 BMW R60/2 with Steib cargo sidecar 1960s BMW boxer and Steib sidecar go together like peas and carrots—but have you ever seen an old Beemer with a Steib delivery truck bed? Neither have we.
At first, we thought we were looking at the world’s most stylish custom-built hearse. But it turns out that the famous German sidecar manufacturer actually makes a sidecar designed to transport things, not people.
Its official designation is the ‘LT200 sidecar’ and it is built on the same platform as the company’s LS200 sidecar.
Measures 146 cm [57.5”] long, 40cm [15.7”] wide and 50 cm [19.7”] depth, LT200 can carry up to 120 kg [265 lbs] of goods. This is lined with black walnut and has a lockable lid.
Of course, the motorcycle attached is nothing to scoff at either. BMW R60/2 It had all the goodies of the day; a 30bhp engine, Earles forks and shaft drive. It still had the proper Denfeld seat and was fitted with BMW saddlebags, a larger ‘sports’ tank with tool compartment, Albert mirrors and genuine Hella bar-end turn signals.
If that sounds like your bulk tea order, Iconic Motorcycle There’s this strange old car, currently in California, listed for just $19,260. Which leaves only one question: what are you going to carry in it?
