Bikes
Layla 2.0 - Street Tracker
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It had been 12 years since we first built Layla. She went to one of most eclectic motorcycle collectors in the country and then changed hands again. The new owner wanted to see this motorcycle with the same soul, however in an all new avatar.
Moving away from the cafe style, with the rear-sets and the clip ons, the motorcycle had to be more streetable, more convenient and well more powerful. The Rear suspension got some vintage Koni treatment, while the engine got a complete once over.
The Spec pretty much stayed the same, but we dialed in the Squish for a set of DG heads and moved to Curve 2 on the latest (2022) version of the RDDreams CDI and built a set of Vanguard Replica chambers. There’s no other paint scheme we’d paint a Tracker that we want to see carry the legacy on for the next decade
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1986 RD350 upgrades
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TrailTech Vapor instrument cluster
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Carbon-fibre reeds
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RDDreams CDI
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Vanguard-replica Expansion Chambers
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Uni Filters
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RZ350 wheels and brakes
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HEL steel-braided lines
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Koni vintage shocks
1976 BMW R90/6
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This motorcycle was purchased blind and arrived in a truck after the new owner requested me to ‘service’ it. He said the selled said the tank was filled to the brim and was ready to go after a sync.
The Tank was filled to the brim, with water, and so was the engine, gearbox and bevel drive. The electricals were shot and the switches were butchered. And there in began the rebirth of this 1976 BMW R90/6.
We left no washer unchecked, no bolt unturned and no dime spared. The aim was to build BMW’s first classic Superbike, to a concours spec and then ride it 1500 kms to deliver it. And boy, what a ride it was, from the time the first bolt was turned to when the kill button was flicked in the owners garage halfway across the country
BMW R90/6 upgrades:
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Dyna III electronic ignition
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Paioli Gas Shock
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Period correct Corbin Touring Seat
Project 85
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Working on the Trials Bike
The first time I ever rode a Trials motorcycle was when @kallolmohanty ran a Trial School for a small group of friends in 2019. And boy, was I hooked.
He’s got himself 2 trials motorcycles, a Scorpa 125 and his home grown Trials that he built on a Hero Impulse frame. I was bitten by the bug, and i just had to get build myself one. Kallol was convinced and I rallied hard behind my resources who had access to design software that would really help me dial in the suspension and the geometry.
I had access to a Honda RTL250 - Honda’s winningest Trials motorcycle, and that was the foundation of the build. The only stock parts that remain on the motorcycle are the chassis backbone, the swing arm (with a few mods) and the engine (again a few mods to ensure peak torque).
We started this build in my back yard during Covid19 lockdown, and the aim was to achieve what we wanted while keeping the all up weight under 85kgs, and hence the name. Six months after we began, we built India’s second Trials Motorcycle.
Slabside
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We all have that one friend who calls and asks for the most absurd things as a favour.
"There’s a 1100cc motorcycle that’s not been run for a while, going for cheap, all we need to do is build it, Will you?"
What he failed to mention was that on the last outing this motorcycle had, at a race track, it crashed and ended up in the gravel trap in a ball of flames. So when we received the motorcycle in the workshop, it was actually a rolling chassis with an engine, and in that sense a blank slate to begin with. Except we had a bit of putting-the-slate-together to do first.
When you’re building a motorcycle, because you can, the possibilities are endless. We wanted to keep the retro theme and because the ergos were so comfortable, we thought this should definitely be something we could ride for long distances….an Endurance-racer of sorts.
We went big bore Wiseco with some mild Yoshi Cams, and Dyna 2000, which allows for multiple curves and an adjustable rev limiter. Six piston brakes had to go on, because this thing had to stop as quickly as it holeshot off the start line.
1974 BMW R75/6
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