Bikes

Less than two months ago, the lid was lifted on the official Lotus motorbike. Avoiding its high-tech approach and futuristic design, Budde has instead remained faithful to the classic café racer appearance for his homage to Colin Chapman’s legendary racing team.

Designer Alan Stulberg and his Austin-based team at Revival Cycles created this beautiful custom motorcycle, based on a classic Moto Guzzi V50 and, allegedly, completed on a shoe-string budget. The original bike came from a friend of Stulberg’s, while the parts were mostly off the shelf – the fuel tank, for example, is taken straight from a Yamaha RD400.

The marque was conceived by World War One pilots Carlo Guzzi and Giovanni Ravelli and their mechanic, Giorgio Parodi. But Ravelli never saw the realisation of his dream as he was killed in a plane crash just a few days after the war's end. Guzzi and Parodi decided to carry on, commemorating their lost friend in the now-famous Moto Guzzi eagle logo (borrowed  from the Italian Air Corps) and using a 2,000 lira loan from Parodi's shipping magnate father to get the company going.

On home turf, the French watchmaker pulled the wraps off a wild-looking motorcycle which has just been 'officially' unveiled at the Baselworld watch show.

The B-Rocket is heavily based on the watch brand's associations with aviation

Around 25 RR350s were built over a three-year period (1974, '5 and '6) at the firm’s Varese factory in Italy, acquired following the full takeover of Aermacchi, the ailing Italian aircraft/motorcycle manufacturer. They were built for one thing and one thing only: road racing, incorporating what were then high-tech features, such as double-disc front brakes and a six-speed transmission. 

The bike’s owner was simply asked by the folks at Thrive what was on his mind right at that moment, and the response was very different from what they might have imagined. “A wood-burning stove,” he said: odd, considering the intense, year-long heat that the country endures.

In addition to the unique BMW transporter and MV Agusta 350 racing machine combination, Retro Classics 2014 (running from 13 to 16 March) will see a 1976 Magni 750 and other machines from the Italian manufacturer on the premium motorcycle dealer’s themed stand. Visitors to the Stuttgart show have also been promised a range of top bikes provided by Tobias Aichele but displayed on the stands of other select motorcycle dealers, such as a 1968 Münch Mammut and a 1938 Norton Inter with racing history.

Named ‘Concept Eve’, the striking bike is the latest product from Saigon-based outfit Bandit9, and is based on a 1967 Honda SS. The long tank/seat combination is one of the many handmade chrome parts that sees this bike test the fine balance between usable product and work of art – but that only heightens its charming appeal. No more than nine ‘Eves’ will be produced, with engines of 90cc and 120cc  available, and prices starting at $4,600.

The donor Yamaha SR500 was given its radical transformation into a desirable café racer under Budde’s ‘Kaffeemaschine’ label, with support from Hamburg-based marque specialist Kedo. “Although the SR has been around for more than 35 years and all possible customisation styles exist, I've only seen a few SRs coherently given the café racer makeover,” says Budde. His company not only fashions a new aluminium tank and seat to complete the conversion, but also puts around 250 man-hours into perfecting the smaller and more intricate details.