We open this Weekend activities with the elegant Moto Guzzi 1000 SP coffee racing car from Italy’s North East Custom. Tamarit offers a subtly modified Triumph Scrambler, while a CBX-powered Honda RC166 replica is up for auction at Mecum. We finish with a fully custom Kawasaki ZRX1200R inspired by the AMA Superbike racers of the 80s.
Moto Guzzi 1000 SP by North East Custom In standard form, the Moto Guzzi 1000 SP is a quirky 1980s Italian tourer. But as custom builders have proven time and time again, it has a lot of potential.
This shiny Moto Guzzi 1000 SP cafe racer from Northeast customs provide further evidence. Based in Northern Italy and run by brothers Diego and Riki Coppiello, North East Custom’s interests are more varied than most. They’re happy to build muscle convertibleinspired by the protest adventure bikeand in the case of this Guzzi, cafe racers with a vintage appeal.
Starting with a 1980 1000 SP, North East swapped out the bodywork for a handcrafted aluminum fuel tank and tail. A leather seat sits between them, and the subframe has been cut and bent to narrow the rear end. The whole arrangement is elegant and clean.
Moving on to the drivetrain, Diego and Riki replaced the Moto Guzzi’s 80s alloy wheels with threaded rims on CNC-machined axles. The Brembo calipers are from a Ducati 749 and are mounted on CNC-machined adapters. North East upgraded the OEM forks with Bitubo springs and installed a new Bitubo rear shock.
The 1000 SP’s V-twin is fed by a Moto Guzzi 850T carburetor and exhales through a beautiful Lafranconi exhaust. The cockpit features a custom upper handlebar with an integrated Motogadget speedo, new handlebar clamps, Biltwell Inc. grips, vintage switchgear and a bar-end rearview mirror. The ignition has been moved to the right side of the bike, just below the seat.
Other additions include new rear foot controls and a beefy CNC-machined transmission brace. A flush-mounted fuel cap with a custom ‘key’ finishes things off in style.
With its glossy black paint contrasting with the Moto Guzzi 1000 SP’s myriad polished details, this is pretty much the best classic Guzzi cafe racer around. [North East Custom | Images by Filippo Molena]
Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE by Tamarit Motorcycles We’ve seen some wild cafe racer concepts being released. Tamarit Motorcycles workshop in Alicante, Spain, recently. But the costumes also happily build a light—and, dare we say, practical—mixer when needed. Take this cleverly tuned Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE for example.
Tamarit’s aim with this build was to enhance the already beautiful Triumph’s aesthetic by giving it a bit more modernity than the classic styling. The brief was for a daily rider that would spend most of its time on tarmac, but could still take a spin on gravel roads.
Tamarit’s modifications to Triumph’s big scrambler are extremely well thought out, and feature many parts from the shop’s bolt-on parts catalog. Starting at the front, you’ll find a pair of Tamarit fork guards, with Tamarit fenders mounted higher. A classic scrambler-style rocker guard protects Triumph’s OEM LED headlight.
If you’ve ever ridden a Triumph Scrambler 1200, you’ll know that its cockpit dimensions are nearly perfect—so Tamarit has kept most of the original details intact here. Elsewhere, they’ve installed a massive fairing and a stainless steel chain guard.
The seat and two-into-one exhaust system are also Tamarit parts, but both have been modified to suit this particular build. A custom number plate hangs from the side of the exhaust, providing a different style and a little more heat protection. The rear is finished off neatly with an enduro-style fender, complete with an integrated LED taillight and a Tamarit taillight kit that’s been fitted with a set of Motogadget turn signals to match the lights up front.
The Scrambler’s paint job is a testament to Tamarit’s keen eye. The bike is predominantly black, with alternating matte and gloss finishes. Subtle gold accents and custom badging complement the colors of the front forks and Öhlins rear shock reservoir.
While we would be delighted with a standard issue Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE in the garage, we can’t deny that Tamarit’s custom Scrambler is a cut above. The fact that it’s a road bike is no slouch either. [More]
Jim Reger’s Honda CBX1000 A very interesting find just appeared at Mecum’s Monterey auction this year. At first glance, this Honda has all the hallmarks of a classic race car. But the weight of the triple mufflers on either side betrays its origins.
This is really 1979 Honda CBX1000cleverly disguised as a Honda RC166; the 250cc six-cylinder racer that dominated the 1966 Grand Prix championship. Ridden by greats such as Mike Hailwood and Jim Redman, it remains one of Honda’s most iconic racers. So it’s no surprise that Japanese motorcycle enthusiast Jim Reger decided to pay tribute to it with his own supersized racing replica.
The RC166 was faster for its time, but the CBX1000’s 1,092cc inline-six made an extra 45 horsepower, despite weighing almost twice as much. Thankfully, Jim’s CBX shed some of that weight.
The CBX’s new tank and tail are straight from the RC166’s manual, as are the handmade aluminum fairing and period-correct front fender. Jim fabricated a new swingarm to shorten the bike’s wheelbase and trimmed the subframe, bringing the bike’s proportions closer to the RC166’s. The black six-into-six exhausts are also custom-made.
The rest of the bike is a mix of reused parts. The gauges and windshield are from a Honda CR750, the rear wheel, brake levers, and shifter are from a Honda Super Hawk, and the footpegs are Honda VFR750 parts. The front drum brake hubs are from a Suzuki GT750, the hidden rear fender is a BSA part, and the shock absorbers are Koni parts.
With the red and silver color scheme of the RC166, and yellow and green details, Jim Reger’s CBX is a bold combination of 60s racing style and late 70s raw power. [Source | Additional info]
Alpha Moto’s Kawasaki ZRX1200R Freddie Spencer’s Honda CB750 and Eddie Lawson Kawasaki KZ1000R typified the AMA Superbike era of the 1980s. These brutal, fire-breathing four-cylinder machines were a far cry from the sleek, high-tech, aerodynamic racing bikes today—maybe that’s why they’re so memorable.
Both of these bikes are honored in this custom Kawasaki ZRX1200R from Alpha Moto. The ZRX itself was released in 2001 as a Lawson-inspired modern classic, but this bike strayed from Kawasaki’s original formula. Alpha’s client (who is now one of their business partners) wanted a modern, race-inspired custom—but he also wanted hints of Spencer’s race bike mixed into the Lawson-inspired donor bike.
It might sound like a strange brief, but it worked out well. Alpha kept the ZRX1200R’s fuel tank but ditched its signature bikini top. A custom fiberglass tail section sits at the back, modeled after the classic CB racers but with more modern proportions.
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-7R forks are up front, with twin Öhlins shocks at the rear. Alpha upgraded the carbs with a Keihin FCR39 single-row and added a shorty exhaust from Vandemon Performance. They also equipped the Kawasaki with Sato Racing rear shocks, braided stainless steel brake hoses, PSR levers, and a Domino throttle.
Alpha also fabricated a host of titanium components, including the headlight bracket, side stand, exhaust mount and front fender. Aluminium was chosen for the bike’s coolant tank, swingarm and speedometer mount. The speedometer itself is from Motogadget, the LED headlight is from Cognito Moto and the wiring is all new, using a Motogadget controller and Antigravity battery.
It’s not just the look and shape of the ZXR that’s now completely different. The traditional Kawasaki green paint job is gone, replaced by a sporty titanium grey paint job with red accents. [Source]
