Some bicycles only construction easier than others. The Honda CBs, the Yamaha XS650 and the Harley Sportsters are just a few of the names that come to mind, and you’ll find loads of parts and inspiration for these platforms. But there are many reasons why it might pay to start with the lesser known and give a little love to the weird. The following motorcycles are a small part of the road less traveled—the weirdest motorcycles you wouldn’t immediately consider customizing. Some of them are complicated, some are a bit ugly, and others have weird features that are hard to design around. On the other hand, most of these bikes are super cheap, and if you play your cards right, you’ll have the added glory of breaking the mold.
Honda Gold Wing 4 flat wheels As a large flat four-wheeler and weighing between 700 and 900 pounds, the Honda Gold Wing isn’t exactly on the bike builder’s 101 list. The Gold Wing began creating a niche in the long-distance touring scene in 1974 and attracted customers with its comfort, torquey flat-four engine, and impeccable five-speed transmission. and shaft drive.
Honda has built a lot of these bikes, over 640,000 in 2010 and owners have accumulated many kilometers on these machines before retiring them. 100,000 miles, no big deal if properly maintained, and there’s a Gold Wing out there that has done 457,000 miles—let’s talk about sitting time!
The bottom line of the story is that Gold Wings are tough and there are plenty of them sifting through your local classifieds with barely any break-ins. In our jungle we find a couple of Gold Wings per month asking for less than $600, just a little TLC and running well for under $1,000. The first generation GL1000 Wings were probably the pick of the ages, often sporting wire wheels and a more minimalist body, but later GL1100 and 1200 models are also viable options.
There are a few key things to keep in mind if you’re going to trim a Gold Wing, starting with that monstrous flat four-cylinder engine. The 80hp engine, its transmission and induction take up a lot of space, and the cylinder heads stick out pretty far from the sidewalls, but if BMW can do it, you can too. .
It’s also important to note that Honda’s uniquely shaped fuel tank actually houses the air conditioning box, glove box and radiator expansion tank, and the fuel tank is actually under the seat. With this setup, the ultra-wide frame at the backbone and fuel system modifications are a chore.
Even taking these hurdles into account, Gold Wings still makes some pretty cool cafe racers and unique styles, as evidenced by these modifications from Craig Rodsmith And Kevin Rowland.
Yamaha TW200 Ahh, simple air cooled. Topping the short list of bikes that haven’t changed in decades, you’ll find Yamaha’s tireless, durable TW200, boasting 35 years of (more or less) unchanged production. Aside from a few swapped part numbers, the only thing that separates the ’88 TW from 2023 is the graphics and front disc.
As simple and reliable as they come, Yamaha TW200 still built with a steel tank, basic telescopic fork, a 28mm Mikuni carburetor and a 16hp, 196cc, air-cooled single engine. It’s not fast and nothing changes that, but TW is fun and solid, and at the same time couldn’t be easier to use.
Because it’s so basic the only limiting factors to TW are your imagination and (possibly) the big wheel format. The fork and swingarm are set up in thick rubber and that’s what you should get in your build, but almost anything can be done with the right tools. We like direction Wolf Moto’s tracker-style TWincluding the bike’s fat, sturdy rubber roots, but with everything sleeker and these wild customs from Mike’s garage And Deus Ex Machina do it for us as well.
You can find T-dubs everywhere, from your local classifieds to your local dealer if you feel it’s expensive. A new TW sells for just under $5,000, but used bikes can go for under $1,000 if they need it. I personally bought a mint 96 model a few years ago for $1,600, but that model is a bit too pretty for cutlery.
Yamaha Virago Creating something from the Yamaha Virago is not for the faint of heart. That’s not at all confusing for anyone who’s ever set foot in one, but if you want to talk about design limitations, this bike has a lot of limitations.
The Virago has a pretty comfortable cruiser shape and the frame drops below the saddle, meaning you’ll need to get a welder if you’re up for something a little more aggressive. The boxy backbone chassis is also not a particularly good-looking part and can be difficult to repair. Also, the original fuel tank sits high up in the spine, and swapping it out will likely require a bit of cutting and welding.
The Virago’s 75-degree, air-cooled duo are suspended from the frame and it’s pretty close to the road when you start dropping the front end. While some Virago engines look better than others (the less chrome the better), the look will work when you add the right attitude, like these customs from Kerkus And Greg Hageman.
If you have the skills to turn challenges into opportunities, then Virago is your next build, as its most problematic features make a unique visual statement in the finished product. Viragos are plentiful and cheap, and there are at least three on our local classifieds site for under $1,000.
Honda CX500 The more things start to look alike, the less afraid you’ll be. And the front end of the Honda CX500 definitely sticks out—not like a Boxer like a BMW—but more like a Moto Guzzi. While its shaft-driven, vertically mounted V-twin goes against conventional bike-building knowledge, there are rewards to the work.
Honda’s standard CX bikes have been described as nasty, and even milquetoast (weak, bland or bland) by Revzilla, but as Rev aptly pointed out, they actually have a bit of a benefit to them. First, it’s a liquid-cooled Honda, that’s almost as reliable, and the V-twin is really a strained component in the chassis.
The CX was Honda’s first V-twin engine, and after prototyping with a 90-degree setting, Honda tightened the cylinders to 80 degrees and turned the heads 22 degrees to keep the carbon out. your business. Each end had four valves, but the engine layout forced Honda to use sturdy push rods instead of overhead cams, and the engine without hot rods only had 48 hp.
Like the Yamaha Virago, the CX500’s chassis doesn’t look as sharp, but it’s much easier to camouflage. The platform actually works quite well as a slightly modernized cafe racer, as is the case with Harry Blaise Fryer’s CX500 has been upgraded with GSXR forks and monoshock conversion. Extra points are awarded to the spokes wheels, which will require some effort to do the job with the hub drive shaft.
As is the case with the other bikes on our list, the Honda CX500 is as cheap as they are. A quick look at my local classifieds and I found four bikes for sale within a few hours’ drive, all for under $600.
suzuki gt550 The Suzuki GT550 and its squarish, long-travel engine were never designed to be an all-rounder, and those old enough to remember the golden age of three-stroke engines will no doubt remind them. you about that. While not a Kawasaki Mach III, the GT550 is a pretty absolute motorcycle for the rest of us and makes all the right noises for less than pennies.
It is ironic that Suzuki named the GT380 and 550 motorcycles after races like the Sebring and Indy, when their long wheelbases and long stroke engines were actually built for use in racing cars. tour. The GT550 isn’t a powerful machine, with an advertised 50hp, but it’s no slouch either and will get you to triple-digit speeds in its original form.
The most interesting aspect of the GT is the unique Ram Air System, which is nothing more than a fancy cooling visor. Designed to guide ambient air through the cylinder head, the Ram Air System seemed to have been somewhat effective at keeping the center cylinder cool, but today it’s just cool in a silly way. silly.
Partly a forgotten trio of its time, the Suzuki GT550 engine makes a huge visual statement in any kind of construction—a sort of party ingredient if you will. If you have the money, expansion chambers are still available from some manufacturers and should give the GT a bit more’ring-da-ding-ding‘ we all crave.
motorbike And Designed by Macdonald Hastings both made internet waves a few years ago with some wild GT550 styling and Sean Pelletier of The Motoworks built this gorgeous bike GT380 designed by CAD in 2020. Intrigued by this weird ’70s trio, we picked up a rusted Model 73 K from a warehouse a few weeks ago—now we just need the pipes… [Mecum]
