From Jacarta to Bavaria, great custom motorcycles have no borders. Our weekly recap includes a Yamaha XS650 chopper, a custom BMW R80RT and a modern Suzuki GSX-R1000 with a retro look. We wrap things up with a 1974 Ducati 750SS belonging to one of the most experienced photographers in rock ‘n’ roll.
Yamaha XS650 by Batakastem Workshop This daring Yamaha XS650 chopper from Abraham Simatupang and his team at Batakastem Workshop, based just southwest of Jakarta, Indonesia. It’s a little more colorful and a lot less formal than your typical Yamaha XS650 chopper—but that’s what happens when your customers treat their favorite cartoon character as an image character. enjoy.
Batakastem started with an original XS650 but quickly decided to scrap most of the original cars. The only Yamaha parts left are the front part of the frame, engine and wheels.
Abraham wanted to go the bobber-slash-chopper route, so the rear end was cut out and a custom subframe welded in. With the low and low rear end, the team shifted the focus to the front.
Notably, the new forks are from a Suzuki GN250—but despite their humble origins, they look neat and well matched on the larger XS650. The upper fork clamp is handmade at the Batakastem workshop — pretty much anything else on a bike.
The chunky front fork brace is particularly tasty, especially when mounted on the classic Avon Speedmaster front tyre. Complete with drum front brakes, yellow 5.5-inch headlights and manual narrow handlebars, the front end scores 10 consecutively.
A small Sportster-style fuel tank was installed to give a chopper feel to home; the team built the fuel cap and lock faucet. The engine has been cleaned up and fitted with a custom wheelie-cut exhaust kit and cross-cut muffler, along with a few color hints on the oil lines and spark plugs.
Leather seats are custom, as is the storage area under the seat. The cast iron taillights are bolted to the abbreviated rear fender, finished with a handcrafted sissy bar. New shock absorbers are also included, keeping the 3-inch wide Avon Safety Mileage rear tire firmly in place.
Finishes include chrome-plated bullet-shaped turn signals, joints and manual foot controls.
This paint color is based on the client’s love for the One Piece cartoon and his favorite character, ‘Tony Tony Chopper.’ The electric blue frame takes center stage, standing out against the champagne silver fuel tank and chrome parts. We especially love the hand-drawn details on the fuel tank and storage box.
It’s quaint, unique, and beautifully crafted by a group of clearly talented people. We will be keeping a close eye on the Batakastem Workshop from here on out. [Batakastem Workshop]
BMW R80RT by Woidwerk Hailing from Lower Bavaria, Woidwerk’s Ralf Eggl is no stranger to the world of BMW fighters. This BMWR80RTNicknamed ‘Kini’, are his latest works and it’s as neat as they come out.
Older BMW boxers are well-suited to many custom build styles, but there are certain tweaks that we see repetitive — such as bolting into a custom subframe. Ralf decided to take a different approach with this build. He designed a cantilever two-story seat stand that bolts directly to the main BMW frame, built from a single block of aluminum.
Above the brown leather saddle, this also houses the vehicle’s electronics, including the Motogadget controller. The LED taillights are mounted flush to the rear, with Motogadget turn signals mounted on the sides. Contrasting with the dark blue fuel tank and black frame, the new rear end is just modern enough to give the car an updated feel, while remaining in tune with classic BMW lines.
The front end is from a Kawasaki ZX-7R, complete with Tokico 6-piston calipers and custom front fenders. A Highsider headlight sits in front of a custom yoke that houses a small Motogadget speedometer. LSL clip-on handlebars and decorated with CNC gear lever, leather grips and turn signals at the end of the Motogadget bar.
YSS forks prop up the rear, while Heidenau tires wrap around the factory ‘snowflake’ wheels. New rear foot controller with custom links.
The engine is mostly original but has been fitted with a new Hattech silencer and custom headers. The original Bing carburetors draw air through a new set of pod filters, with a neat flap in place of the formerly ugly factory airbox. Ralf also moved the ignition to the top cover of the engine and finished off the engine block with a pair of subtle Woidwerk badges. [Woidwerk]
Suzuki GSX-R1000 by Cafe Rider Custom We wax lyrical in reading speed last week about a stocky late ’90s GSX-R outfitted with a No. 9 style. This week, we’ve got another Gixxer in the bag. But instead of one fixDubai’s Cafe Rider Custom has taken a different route and gone back in time in a modern Suzuki GSX-R1000 K7.
Fahim Rehman and the Cafe Rider Custom team turned this 2007 Gixxer into a GSX-R1100 ‘Slingshot’ that looks like a late ’80s GSX-R1100. You could say it’s easier to make an old bike look new make a new bike look older, and you were right.
Frames and fuel tanks have changed over the years, especially with the rapid adoption of electronic fuel injection systems. This significantly changed the design of the internal tank, as space was required for the fuel pump and filter. And that makes the custom builder’s job a lot harder.
So Cafe Rider wisely left the GSX-R’s gas tank alone, changing everything around it.
After finding a new set of GSX-R1100 bibs from German supplier Ricombi Weiss Racing Parts, the team got to work. After meticulously crafting all sorts of brackets and tabs to attach the shields, the team finally put them in place and looked sharp.
The headlights are donated by an original GSX-R1100, while the turn signals are from Posh in Japan. The original 998.6 cc K7 engine produces a healthy 157.2 hp, so nothing is lacking in the power department. However, a Yoshimura silencer, American-sourced and fitted to the custom head, frees up a few more horses.
Our favorite part of the build will have to be the paint color. Finished in a classic black, white and red that looks almost identical to the iconic GSX-R1100, the paintwork even camouflages the factory K7 gas tank. Hats off to Cafe Rider Custom; this Gixxer looks very fast, even when standing still.
Suzuki has a habit of recycling old parts, producing ‘new’ models that are really just old models with ‘bold new graphics’. Maybe it’s time they do something like this instead. [Via]
For sale: Guy Webster’s 1974 Ducati 750SS The origins of Ducati’s 1974 homologated specials are the stuff of legends. Often referred to as the ‘Green Frame’, the 748 cc L desmodromic twins from Bologna are coveted the world over.
From Hollywood A-listers to an eccentric super fan hiding in a warehouse, the 401 models Ducati originally built have found their way into the hearts of many. And after a spectacular double at Imola in 1972 at the hands of Paul Smart and Bruno Spaggiari, it’s easy to see why.
This particular example is from Guy Webster’s extensive motorcycle collection. Before his death in 2019, Webster was a world-renowned photographer. When he’s not pointing his lens at movies like The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys and The Doors, Webster is scouring the world for European sportbikes. A true enthusiast, he has amassed a beautiful array of bikes — including this 1974 Ducati 750SS.
It’s currently being offered for sale through Peter Boggia’s Moto Borgotaro outfit. Peter’s has made a name for itself among collectors of rare European motorcycles. This is not the first Green Frame to be sold through his store.
Martin’s 1974 750SS is beautifully presented and is in almost one hundred percent original condition—it even has its original seal intact. The paintwork is original and polished to such a beautiful level that the silver paint fades to a pistachio olive green. The headlights are the original JOD and the 40mm Dell’Orto carburetors are still intact, complete with fine mesh velocity stacks.
We are pleased to report that although it is original and in excellent condition, Webster and the current owner of this bike still cycle regularly. The odometer is just a little over 4,800 miles on the odometer, and we bet every mile of that is an absolute blast.
If you want to own this piece of motorcycle history (and make us jealous), contact Moto Borgotaro. [More]
