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38 Articles

IF LAST issue was our six-cylinder special – we ran two, a Honda CBX1000 and Kawasaki Z1300 – then let’s dedicate this one to the mighty two-stroke. These days mostly confined to chainsaws and the like, two-stroke engines were a mainstay of motorcycle propulsion for the best part of a century before falling foul of environmental legislation in the new millennium. “Two-strokes were a mainstay of motorcycling for a century” At first glance, Phil Rowe’s Yamaha RZ on page 64 and Sammy Miller’s Maico Taifun on page 84 could not be more different, but both are powered by 350cc two-stroke vertical twins. The liquid-cooled 1985 Yamaha is the quintessential boy racer, the air-cooled 1957 Maico a luxurious gentleman’s tourer. At the birth of internal combustion engines, the four-stroke was first…

SOME people are good at picking their parents, like Melbourne’s Scott Gercovich, the creator of this tough urban bruiser. “I’ve had a passion for all things two-wheeled since I got my first bike, a Honda Z50R, when I was about five,” he says. “But of course, as you grow older, the bikes got bigger until I could finally get my motorcycle licence and buy my first road bike. I have never looked back.” That journey eventually led the now 46-year-old Scott to hyper sports bikes like the Honda CBR954RR and BMW S1000RR, until an overwhelming urge to scratch an itch took him down a different path. “I’ve always had a fascination with café racer builds and really wanted to have a go at transforming a standard road bike into one,”…

BMW turned its back on 60 years of carburated air-cooled OHV flat twins when it released the fuel-injected liquid-cooled DOHC four-cylinder K100 inline fours in 1983. It was a radical design, with the engine lying on its side – the cylinder head on the left and the crankcase on the right – but with crankshaft running north-south in typical BMW fashion to allow shaft final drive. The ‘lift-off’ space-frame chassis was equally innovative, not least the single-sided swingarm which predated the Honda RC30 by four years and the Ducati 916 by more than a decade. The first K100, a naked-style bike, was soon joined by the fully faired K100RS and K100RT, and eventually the K100LT luxo barge in 1986. The engine was upgraded from two valves per cylinder to four…

ENGINE Liquid-cooled four-stroke inline four; chain-driven DOHC, four valves per cylinder; 70.5 x 70mm for 1093cc; 11.0:1 comp; Bosch Motronic ECU; wet sump; K100 headers, Café 4 Racers collector and right-side conversion pipe, Termignoni muffl er; dry single-plate clutch to five-speed gearbox; shaft final drive; 100hp at 7500rpm (stock) CHASSIS Space-frame chassis in tubular steel, fairing tabs removed; shortened seat sub-frame; sandblasted and finished in Dulux semi-gloss black; 41mm conventional telescopic forks, twin 305mm Arashi wave rotors with Brembo four-pot calipers on 18in alloy wheel; single-sided Paralever swingarm, single 285mm Brembo rotor and twin-piston caliper on 17in K1200 alloy wheel BODYWORK Stock tank; custom seat and fibreglass mudguard; Starlight Black paint; Koso Thunderbike headlight; Motogadget dash WANT MORE Go to twistedfatebuilds.com for detailed build pics BEST Amazing first-time shed build;…

“THE ALUMINIUM BODYWORK WAS SCULPTED BY HAND-USING TRADITIONAL TOOLS” THERE are many reasons why this UK-built café racer hits our buttons. It’s powered by an air-cooled Ducati, always a good start. The design is innovative and elegant, and the metal craftsmanship outstanding. And it was all built at nights and on weekends by one man working in his well-equipped shed. Jim Alonze is a 35-year-old welder from Scarborough specialising in bespoke two-stroke exhausts and one-off fabrication. As a hobby, he builds motorbikes under the banner, Alonze Custom. “I got my first bike when I was seven and loved them ever since,” he says. His stable is an eclectic one, currently comprising a Buell XB9, a Yamaha RD350 flat-tracker, a 1954 Triumph chopper and a Ducati 600 custom that first brought…

ENGINE Air-cooled four-stroke 90-degree V-twin; belt-driven desmodromic SOHC, two valves per cylinder; 88 x 61.5mm for 748cc; 9.0:1 comp; wet sump; electronic injection and ignition; custom titanium exhausts; gear primary drive to multi-plate clutch and five-speed gearbox; chain final drive; 62hp at 7500rpm (stock) CHASSIS One-off brazed and welded trellis chassis in mild steel, nickel-plated; Yamaha R6 conventional forks in custom trees; fabricated monoshock swingarm in mild steel, nickel-plated; custom hubs with inboard disc brakes, laced to 3 x 18in alloy rims; Avon tyres BODYWORK Custom one-piece tank and seat unit, nose fairing and front mudguard all handmade in aluminium; leather seat and grips; Motogadget Chronoclassic clock BEST Peerless style, workmanship and presentation; innovative chassis and brakes NOT SO GREAT Nothing…

Don't look twice

“WHEN THE GOALPOSTS APPEAR CLOSE, THEY MAY NOT BE. IT WAS VERY LABOUR INTENSIVE” WE HAVE featured a couple of Jim Mott’s specials over the years, the first a Suzuki Bandit-powered XR69 tribute in issue #27 and then a brutal 1145cc GS1000 roadster in issue #32. Trading as Hand Made Racers, the prolific 60-year-old Brisbane bike builder makes them to ride them, although the finish is always first class. His latest creation, what looks like a Honda RC30 but isn’t, is no different. Jim has been riding forever and has owned a zillion bikes, including a genuine RC30 back in the day. Constructed by Honda Racing Corporation from 1987 solely as a homologation special for Formula 1 and the then-new World Superbike Championship, the VFR750R (as it was formally known)…

Don't look twice

AS a road tester for Two Wheels in 1989, I was lucky enough to ride an RC30 owned by former TW art director, Lindsay Hannington. My memories are of a physically small and light bike (185kg dry) with impeccable steering, very good suspension, plenty of brakes, smooth progressive power and a unique ‘big bang’ exhaust note. Its only shortcomings were that it didn’t like traffi c (it got hot) and I would never be able to afford one. To this day, it is my all-time favourite Japanese motorcycle. While it was and is a superlative sports bike, the RC30 was designed and hand-built in Honda’s race workshop for one purpose, produced in just enough numbers to homologate it for international and domestic competition. It was spectacularly successful, winning the inaugural…

ENGINE Liquid-cooled four-stroke 90-degree V4 (VFR750FL); 180-degree crankshaft; gear-driven DOHC, four valves per cylinder; 70 x 48.6mm for 748cc; 11.0:1 comp; wet sump; 4 x 36mm Keihin CV carbs; electronic ignition; gear primary to wet clutch and six-speed gearbox; chain final drive; 105hp at 9500rpm CHASSIS Twin-spar aluminium frame, anodised; 43mm 919 Fireblade forks, trees and twin four-piston 296mm disc brakes on 3.5 x 17in NC30 alloy wheel; single-sided monoshock swingarm, single twin-piston 220mm disc brake on 5 x 18in alloy wheel; Avon Spirit tyres BODYWORK Modified NC30 tank and replica fairing; modified RC30 replica mudguard, tail and seat; paint by Buddha’s Motorcycle Paintwork; CBR919 instruments, clip-ons and rear-sets BEST Convincing tribute to an iconic bike; attention to detail; on-road performance NOT SO GREAT Labour-intensive build…

“IT HAD TO BE A REAL KICK START, A MECHANICAL ONE, NOT ELECTRICAL LIKE ON SOME BIKES. YOU EITHER HAVE IT OR YOU DON'T” RIDING motorcycles up steep hills has been a popular form of motorsport for the best part of a century, none more so than in the heartland of the United States. By the 1930s, stripped-down Harley and Indian V-twins were sporting extended rear ends to counteract the tendency to flip over backwards on the gnarliest sections, affording the bikes a unique elongated style. Consider, too, that the machines were rigid-framed with rudimentary springer forks, and mostly fitted with low-revving side-valve engines, foot clutches and hand-shift three-speed gearboxes. Every run was all or nothing. Commitment was everything. Very few made it to the top. This magnificent feature bike…

HERE ARE SOME WE PREPARED EARLIER

WE ARE big Harley Sportster fans here at Retrobike. To our minds, it is the ultimate retro, having been in continuous production since 1957. Immediately identifiable by its parallel pushrod tubes – each running off its own gear-driven single-lobe camshaft, a carry-over from the side-valve era – and unit-construction crankcases, the Sportster engine has been essentially updated only once in 64 years, when the troublesome air-cooled OHV 45-degree Ironhead V-twin was replaced with the reliable air-cooled OHV 45-degree Evolution V-twin in 1986. Park a new one next to a ’57 and they’re the same bike. Although Lucky Boy Loen Montefusco has dabbled with Big Twins, he is best known for his roarin’ Sporties built in a range of styles, although all feature his favoured springer forks and rigid frames which…

HERE ARE SOME WE PREPARED EARLIER

ENGINE Air-cooled four-stroke 45-degree V-twin; OHV, two per cylinder; 88.8 x 96.8mm for 1200cc; carby-fed with ram tube; digital ignition; custom exhausts; dry sump; kick start conversion; chain primary to multi-plate clutch and five-speed gearbox; chain final drive CHASSIS Custom single-downtube rigid chassis; vintage Harley forks, with disc brake; no rear suspension, one-piece brake rotor/ drive sprocket; off-road tyres BODYWORK Custom fuel and oil tanks by Loen and Kalie; custom handlebars with internal throttle and Lucky Boy button-style switchgear; custom sprung leather seat; custom rear guard BEST Proportion, stance, finish; refreshing take on a classic style; that kick start NOT SO GREAT We like it all…

MOTORCYCLES are many things to many people, a heady amalgam of freedom, engineering, adrenalin and style. But it’s not every day that motorcycles are considered purely as art. That all changed in New York in 1998, when Charles Falco and Ultan Guilfoyle curated ‘The Art of the Motorcycle’ at the Guggenheim Museum. Some critics wondered what they were doing there, the bikes I mean, but not the public, who flocked in record numbers. And now Falco and Guilfoyle have teamed again to present ‘The Motorcycle: Design, Art, Desire’ at Queensland’s Gallery of Modern Art in South Bank, Brisbane, from last November. “MOTORCYCLE DESIGN EMBODIES BEAUTY, DANGER, STYLE, POWER AND FREEDOM” Michael O’Sullivan is Design Manager of GOMA and Coordinating Manager of ‘The Motorcycle: Design, Art, Desire’. “‘The Art of the…

FRANCESCO Tutino is the proprietor of Francis Von Tuto Moto Works. He is a 36-year-old Italian motorcycle mechanic who has spent the past six years building custom bikes in Brisbane, initially for himself and then for others. Sometimes for both. “The bike was originally purchased to build wifey a little custom she could learn on, but she never got around to getting a licence,” Francesco says. “So it ended up being a tribute to the smaller-class grand prix bikes of the past.” His interest in racing goes back to his apprenticeship, when he spent three seasons as a technical assistant in the Italian Supersport Championship. “This bike is my personal tribute to the lightweight GP bikes of the past. The name ‘Motoleggera’ comes from a category of small-capacity motorcycles now…

ENGINE Air-cooled four-stroke parallel twin; chain-driven SOHC, two valves per cylinder; 53 x 53mm for 233cc; 9.2:1 comp; 2 x CV Keihin carbs; CDI ignition; wet sump; custom two-into-two exhaust; five-speed gearbox; chain final drive CHASSIS Spine-style single backbone frame; shortened seat sub-frame; 32mm conventional forks with spacers; disc/drum brakes; recalibrated CB400 piggy-back shocks; 2.5/3.0 x 17in aluminium rims; Supercorsa tyres BODYWORK Honda Dream 50 fuel tank (replica); custom mudguard and seat; paint by Kustom Corner; PBM headlight; LED strip blinkers and taillight SPECIAL THANKS Antonio from Kustom Corner for paint; Craig from CSF Specialist Welders for teaching me how; Josh and Denny from Port & Hide; Alex Kelly from Skinny’s Garage for sub-leasing his workshop space and being the best help and friend in and out of the shop…

NORTON motorcycles aren’t the first things that come to mind when thinking about New York City. But the great metropolis is birthplace to some of America’s finest Commandos, courtesy of ‘Whitworth servant’ Kenny Cummings and his NYC Norton workshop. “We are not your standard roll-in service shop but a high-end dedicated workspace,” Kenny says, “streamlined for the sole purpose of producing and restoring (Nortons) and assembling their associated components.” NYC Norton is as internationally renowned for its fast, fine-handling Norton Seeley cafe racer replicas as it is for its street specials and meticulous Commando restos. “Each restoration has every nut and bolt removed, every fastener replated or replaced, every element assessed and recalibrated to develop the machine into a stunning example of one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever to…

IF you are a fan of modern, street tracker-style custom bikes, the Trackmaster racing chassis is where it all started in the late 1960s. Developed for American flat-track racing, initially to house Triumph twins, the lightweight bare-bones design spawned similar frames from the likes of Champion and Redline, and eventually became the standard across the sport. In an interview with Motorcyclist in 2018, Trackmaster brand owner Gary Davis recalled the birth of the style when Triumph Motorcycles commissioned a batch of ‘factory’ replacement frames from race tuner Ray Hensley in 1967. Despite being fabricated in the US from chrome-moly steel and featuring revised geometry to make them turn better, they would be stamped with official Triumph part numbers and so be eligible for Class C dirt-track events. “If it was…

ENGINE Air-cooled four-stroke parallel twin, 360-degree crank; OHV, two per cylinder; 74 x 89mm for 750cc; 10:1 comp; 2 x Dell Orto PHF 34 pumpers; Joe Hunt magneto ignition; dry sump; tuned-length exhaust; 40mm belt-primary to five-plate clutch and four-speed gearbox; chain final drive; 65rwhp (est) CHASSIS Twin-downtube oil-in-frame chassis in chrome-moly, welded-on sub-frame, nickel-plated; 35mm Ceriani forks in replica trees, twin Hurst Airheart calipers and Barnes rotors on WM3 x 19in alloy rim; twin-shock rear, Girling replica dampers, Hurst/Barnes rear disc on WM5 x 19in alloy rim; Pirelli/Carlisle tyres BODYWORK Alloy tank by Evan Wilcox; custom alloy guard; graphics by Jen Mussari SPECIAL THANKS Marian Sell for photos; NYC Norton staffers Jon and Pat; and Andy, our client BEST Unapproachable design, workmanship and performance NOT SO GREAT Not cheap!…

UNIKAT Motorworks has been operating in Wroclaw, Poland, since 2013 and has built over 100 custom bikes in the years since. Many have been featured in Euro print magazines and international blogs, garnering awards including CafeRacerTV’s Best Build 2016 and RideToBe’s Bike of the Year, and making Top 10 2019 at Return Of The Café Racers. Unikat’s Grzegorz Korczak takes up the story “THE CENTRE OF GRAVITY IS MUCH LOWER AND TOTAL WEIGHT REDUCED BY ALMOST 40KG” WE MAINLY build motorcycles for individual orders; this project is even more exclusive as we built it just for us, from the heart. I bought the Honda CB 900 C in 2014 because I wanted to build a classic but also a strong café racer for myself. I was a bit afraid of…

10-SPEED WONDER

THE CB900 Custom was cobbled together from the Honda parts bin in 1980 to repackage its new DOHC 16-valve Honda CB900F Bol d’Or as an American cruiser. It has all the hallmarks of a bike designed by committee, a mishmash of high-performance sports bike engine and touring bike drivetrain in city-centric cruiser styling. The brief included shaft drive, which makes perfect sense on bikes with crankshafts in line with their wheels, like BMW flat twins, Moto Guzzis, Honda CX500s and GL Goldwings. It makes less sense on bikes with crankshafts lying across the frame, like inline four-cylinder Hondas, where chains or belts work best. To convert the CB900’s existing left-side chain final drive to the GL1000’s right-side shaft, Honda engineers cobbled together some transfer gears, a jack shaft and stout…

ENGINE Air-cooled four-stroke inline four; DOHC, 16 valves; 64.5 x 69mm for 901cc; 8.8:1 comp; wet sump; 4 x 32mm CV Keihin carburettors with custom trumpet air cleaners electronic ignition; custom 4-into-2 headers with megaphones; Hy-Vo chain primary drive to a wet clutch, five-speed gearbox and two-speed secondary transmission; shaft final drive; 95hp at 9000rpm (stock) CHASSIS Much-modified CB900 C chassis; shortened 37mm air-assisted conventional forks, 2 x 280mm rotors with twin-piston calipers on laced 17in Takasago rim; stock swingarm chromed, with stock CB900C/ GL1000 shocks and relocated disc brake (single rotor) on laced 17in rim; Metzeler Roadtec tyres BODYWORK Modified CB900 fuel tank and solo seat by Unikat; Motogadget speedo; paint by Marcin BEST Style for miles; clean as a whistle; you can make a silk purse from a…

SWISS motorcycle engineer Fritz Egli, now 83, is an icon of café racer style and performance. Creator of the legendary Egli-Vincent V-twin from the mid-1960s, he also built race and street specials around Vincent singles and all manner of hot rod Japanese engines, including Yamaha TZ750s, turbocharged Kawasakis and V-Maxes. And then there is his Egli-Enfield 624 Café Racer, which debuted at the IFMA Cologne Show in 1996. “IT MAKES 47.5HP AT 5100RPM, ABOUT THE SAME AS A GOOD G50 MATCHLESS” Yes, that's right, Enfield as in Royal. Egli’s first bike was an Enfield and he became Swiss distributor of the marque in 1992, also signing on as an engineering consultant (see breakout box). “I designed this bike for the Royal Enfield factory in India under my consultancy agreement with…

WHEN Fritz Egli became the Swiss Royal Enfield importer in 1992, all the bikes were first treated to what he called a ‘Swiss Finish’, a process that entailed completely dismantling the engines and gearboxes, removing any inherent glitches, then rebuilding them to much closer tolerances. The cylinder head flange was machined to match the cylinder face and thus remove the need for a head gasket. Great attention was paid to the valves, guides, springs, seats and rockers, a new inlet manifold was fitted and the 28mm carb upgraded with an Egli slide and needle. The ignition was completely revamped, as was the lubrication system. The result on the 500 was an extra 4hp (for 26hp), infinitely improved reliability and steady sales across central Europe. Egli’s 47hp 624cc engine was all…

ENGINE Air-cooled four-stroke single; OHV, just the two; 87 x 105mm for 624cc; 8.9:1 comp; dry sump; 34mm Mikuni flat-slide carburettor; Boyer-Bransden electronic CDI; pre-unit construction; belt primary drive to dry clutch and four-speed gearbox; chain final drive; 47.5hp at 5100rpm CHASSIS Oil-bearing spine frame in mild steel, nickel-plated; fully adjustable 38mm Egli fork, eight-piston Egli caliper and 300mm Spiegler rotor on 2.5 x 18in Egli cast magnesium wheel; box-section swingarm in mild steel, Koni shocks, 220mm twin piston Brembo on 3 x 18in Egli mag; Metzeler Lazer tyres DIMENSIONS Wheelbase 1410mm; seat height 700mm; 139kg with oil, no petrol; fuel capacity 14 litres BEST Everything that’s good about single-cylinder sports bikes; race bike engine performance NOT SO GREAT Dreadful gearbox…

FOR the past 10 years or so, I’ve been re-building and customising some of my favourite bikes I had in my younger days,” says Brisbane IT specialist and hobby motorcycle engineer, Phil Rowe. “Back in those days I couldn’t afford to customise my bikes the way I truly wanted to, but now that I have the workshop, tools and experience, I’ve been building and customising a number of bikes as I’d always wanted them. “I HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING WIFE WHO APPRECIATES THAT A GUY HAS TO HAVE A PROJECT” “The only bike I’ve ever bought brand new was a 1981 Yamaha RD350LC. That thing was scary fast! Some of my friends had air-cooled RD400s and other two-stroke dirt bikes but the LC was wicked. I ended up putting clip-ons and…

ENGINE Liquid-cooled two-stroke reed-valve vertical twin; variable height YPVS exhaust ports; 64 x 54mm for 347cc; 6.0:1 comp; 2 x Mikuni VM26 carburettors; oil injection; programmable Zeeltronic ignition and power valve controller; Jim Lomas expansion chambers; gear primary drive to multi-plate clutch and six-speed gearbox; chain final drive; 52hp at 8750rpm (stock) CHASSIS Twin-downtube tubular-steel mainframe; custom bolt-on sub-frame; RGV250 triple clamps, upside-down forks, banana swingarm, 17-inch wheels and brakes; GSX-R750 rear shock; Bridgestone S21 tyres BODYWORK TYGA Aprilia RS250 fairing; RZ350 fuel tank; Honda RS125 tail unit; TYGA carbon-fibre RGV mudguards; Koso DB-02R dash; paint by owner BEST Creative blend of makes and models; wicked engine, brakes and handling; light weight; sound NOT SO GREAT No excuses!…

THIS stunning Ducati 848 café racer was built in the home workshop of Jérémie Duchampt in Béziers, a southern region of France equally famous for wine making and bullfighting. So no surprise it blends intoxicating looks with brutal performance in equal measure. Jérémie is an automotive enthusiast who builds cars with his friend Chris under the moniker JC Racing and more recently custom bikes under the banner, Jerem Motorcycles. This is his second complete bike build, the first being a streetfighter built around a Ducati 1098S painted in the famous Gulf Oil livery of legendary Ford GT40 and Porsche 917 Le Mans endurance racers from the mid-1960s and early 1970s. This time round, it is the equally revered bevel-drive Ducati Super Sport of the mid-1970s that provided his inspiration. “FEW…

DUCATI’S famous air-cooled SOHC two-valve V-twin in 1975 powered the fastest production bike in the world, the 900 Super Sport, but within a decade had been swamped by ever more powerful Japanese fours. With legendary Ducati chief engineer Fabio Taglioni approaching retirement, the baton was passed to his understudy, Massimo Bordi, who, with input from Britain’s Cosworth Engineering, designed a new water-cooled V-twin with DOHC and four valves per cylinder. It debuted in September 1986 as a 750cc endurance racer, soon bumped up to 851cc in March 1987. A road version was released in 1988 to homologate the engine for the new World Superbike Championship, duly won by American Fred Merkel on a Honda RC30. Merkel won again in 1999, but Bordi’s ‘desmoquattro’, now 888cc, triumphed in 1990 with Frenchman…

ENGINE Liquid-cooled four-stroke 90-degree V-twin; belt-driven DOHC, four valves per cylinder, desmodromic valve train; 94 x 61.2mm for 848cc; 13.2:1 comp; wet sump; Marelli EFI, 60mm throttle-bodies; Marelli digital ignition; gear primary drive to wet clutch and six-speed gearbox; chain final drive; 140hp @ 10,500rpm CHASSIS Tubular-steel trellis mainframe; custom sub-frame; fully adjustable 43mm Showa USD forks, 2 x 320mm rotors with Brembo Monoblock four-piston calipers on 3.5 x 17in Enkei alloy wheel; aluminium single-sided swingarm with fully adjustable Öhlins mono-shock, single 245mm rotor with Brembo twin-piston caliper on 5.5 x 17in Enkei alloy wheel; Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa tyres DIMENSIONS Dry weight 168kg (stock); wheelbase 1430mm; fuel capacity 15.5 litres BODYWORK Standard 848 fuel tank; fairing by Tex Design; seat unit by FF Prodesign; paint and graphics by Anthony A2F…

THE GREEN HORNET

“THERE’S NOTHING BETTER THAN RIDING A SMALL BIKE FAST” CLASSIC air-cooled small-capacity multis provide big bangs for modest bucks. Easy on the wallet and even easier to ride, they often handle better than their grown-up siblings while still delivering smooth performance and that rip-snorting exhaust howl when you give one the berries. Tom Gilroy of Purpose Built Moto on the Gold Coast is a fan. “I don’t care who you are, if you can’t see the appeal of a classic four-cylinder Honda, I’d almost postulate you may not have a heartbeat,” he says. As for why you’d go for a good little one over a good big one, “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there’s nothing better than riding a small bike fast.” We concur. Riding a…

THE GREEN HORNET

IF the CB350 Four released in 1972 was a vanity project for Honda – the world’s smallest ever four-cylinder production model, but heavier, less powerful and more expensive than Honda’s existing 350 twin – the redesigned 400 Four that followed was a revelation, a glimpse into the future, the first Japanese bike to take on the Europeans for handling and café racer style. A 4mm bore job (to 51mm) for 408cc and a redesigned cylinder head, slightly larger valves, a one-point jump in compression to 9.4:1 and an extractor-style four-into-one exhaust boosted power from 34 to 37hp. Every little bit helps, but the more significant change was probably the extra gear in what was now a close-ratio gearbox, the first six-speed in a production bike. Flat bars, rear-set foot pegs…

ENGINE Air-cooled four-stroke inline four; chain-driven SOHC, two valves per cylinder; 51 x 50mm for 408cc; 9.4:1 comp; wet sump; 4 x 20mm Keihin carburettors; no-name 4-into-1 headers and torpedo muffl er; Hy-Vo chain-driven primary drive to multi-plate clutch and six-speed (count ’em) gearbox; chain final drive; 37hp at 8500rpm (stock) CHASSIS Single-downtube twin-cradle frame in tubular steel; conventional non-adjustable forks, single 260mm disc brake, 18in Excel rim; swingarm rear with XL350 shocks and 160mm sls drum laced to 18in Excel rims; 4.00 x 18in Hiedenau K34 hoops BODYWORK Stock CB400F tank; custom fibreglass seat unit by PopBang Classics; PBM front guard; paint by PopBang Classics to PBM design; upholstery by Timeless Auto Trimmers; all on the Gold Coast WANT MORE? Youtube.com/c/ purposebuiltmoto BEST Classic style and paint; fun to…

MAKE MINE A MAICO

FOR FANS of 1970s off-road racing, when ‘Maico-maniacs’ like Adolf Weil, Åke Jonsson and Willy Bauer gave Husqvarna, CZ and the Japanese factories the hurry-up in international motocross competition, it’s often a surprise to learn that the West German company was also a successful road bike manufacturer, always with two-stroke motors of its own design. “DRY WEIGHT IS 164KG THANKS TO EXTENSIVE USE OF ALUMINIUM” Founded in 1920s Germany by the Maisch brothers, Wilhelm and Otto, as a spinoff from their father Ulrich’s car repair workshop near Stuttgart, Maisch & Company originally produced cycle accessories, but in 1931 began making complete bicycles, too. Attaching a proprietary 98cc or 118cc ILO two-stroke engine from 1934 was a logical step, but the brothers were later forced to switch production to aviation components…

MAKE MINE A MAICO

THE GERMANS ARE COMING

SOME 1500 examples of the Taifun were built before production ended in 1958, with the West German motorcycle market at a low ebb as the popularity of small cars grew. The Taifun 350 was, however, exported all over the world, including to the UK, where our unrestored example is now on display at the Sammy Miller Museum. First registered on November 1st, 1957, it has an apparently genuine 4676 miles on the odometer. “We bought it late in 2018 from a gentleman who was reducing his collection of German bikes,” says Sammy. “I was already planning a German Corner within our new extension. I’ve always admired the excellent quality and high engineering standards of their bikes over the years, and we have examples of all the most significant models from…

ENGINE Air-cooled two-stroke vertical twin; 180-degree crank, piston-port induction; 61 x 59.5mm for 348cc; 7.2:1 comp; 26mm Bing concentric; 25:1 premix lubrication; battery/coil ignition; helical-gear primary drive to wet clutch and four-speed gearbox; enclosed oil-bath chain final drive; 19.5hp at 5100rpm CHASSIS Composite frame from iron and aluminium castings and forged steel spine; Earles-type leading link forks; cast rear swingarm incorporating chaincase, twin springs and single damper unit; 200mm sls drums on 2.15 x 18in laced rims DIMENSIONS Wheelbase 1400mm; 164kg dry; fuel capacity 16.6 litres WANT MORE? www.sammymiller.co.uk BEST Innovative engineering; superlative build; unique NOT SO GREAT Thin on the ground…

MERLIN CAMBRIAN • Premium 1.0 – 1.1mm Waxed Cowhide Leather construction. • D30® LP1 CE Level 1 shoulder and elbow armour pre-fitted. • Perforated leather panels with highly breathable mesh lining. • Premium YKK® zippers used throughout. • Manufactured to meet or exceed CE Safety Standard EN17092 – AA Rated. RRP $499.95, www.merlinbikegear.com.au TCX X-BLEND WATERPROOF TCX’s traditional lace-up café racer style all-leather boot, the X-Blend Waterproof is designed for the modern-day urban and light touring rider who loves that traditional look and feel of full grain leather. Available in a natural finish brown or a brush finished black, the X-Blend boot is durable, highly protective being fully CE-certified, waterproof and yet has a breathable T-Dry lining for all types of weather. Featuring a high grip, wear-resistant rubber outer sole,…

JOBS FOR THE BOYS

IT LOOKS like the wheel has turned full circle. "Interested in a regular spot in Retrobike, John?" Maybe that should be two wheels have turned full circle. For 34 years, I've had something in an Aussie motorcycle magazine somewhere on a regular basis. That's not a boast, more a commitment, maybe an addiction. Because when you love motorcycling at some primal soul-deep level, the best job on earth is on a motorcycle magazine. That's where the free rides are, where you experience bikes you'd never have the opportunity to ride or possibly never bother with otherwise. It's to be at the front of motorcycle knowledge. Maybe you're bringing a small notebook to the table but you've got access to the whole library. There are not many jobs that see a…

JOBS FOR THE BOYS

AS I was the owner of the bike with the most comfortable pillion seat, an R100 BMW, I was given the awesome responsibility of taking John’s sister, Jen, as my pillion on our short country ride. As it turned out, I don’t think I was really the best choice. Yes, the Beemer had a lovely two-up saddle, comfy as could be, and John and my other mates had sporty Japanese bikes with hard pillion seats no bigger than a knee pad. The problem was, though I had the comfiest bike, I didn’t have all that much experience with pillion passengers. Quite frankly, I don’t like pillions all that much. They’re extra responsibility, for starters. Two, they force you to ride slower, and that’s no fun. Three, bad pillions come in…

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Recent Retrobike Digital Issues Browse all back issues

Retrobike (Digital) Subscription June 1st, 2021 Issue

Retrobike (Digital) Issue 42: $2.27

Retrobike (Digital) Subscription March 1st, 2021 Issue

Retrobike (Digital) Issue 41: $2.27

Retrobike (Digital) Subscription December 1st, 2020 Issue

Retrobike (Digital) Issue 40: $2.27

Retrobike (Digital) Subscription September 1st, 2020 Issue

Retrobike (Digital) Issue 39: $2.27

Retrobike (Digital) Subscription April 1st, 2023 Issue

Retrobike (Digital) Issue 48: $2.38

Retrobike (Digital) Subscription October 1st, 2022 Issue

Retrobike (Digital) Issue 47: $2.27

Retrobike (Digital) Subscription July 1st, 2022 Issue

Retrobike (Digital) Issue 46: $2.27

Retrobike (Digital) Subscription April 1st, 2022 Issue

Retrobike (Digital) Issue 45: $2.27

Retrobike (Digital) Subscription January 1st, 2022 Issue

Retrobike (Digital) Issue 44: $2.27

Retrobike (Digital) Subscription November 1st, 2021 Issue

Retrobike (Digital) Issue 43: $2.27

Retrobike (Digital) Subscription June 1st, 2021 Issue

Retrobike (Digital) Issue 42: $2.27

Retrobike (Digital) Subscription March 1st, 2021 Issue

Retrobike (Digital) Issue 41: $2.27

Retrobike (Digital) Subscription December 1st, 2020 Issue

Retrobike (Digital) Issue 40: $2.27

Retrobike (Digital) Subscription September 1st, 2020 Issue

Retrobike (Digital) Issue 39: $2.27

Retrobike (Digital) Subscription April 1st, 2023 Issue

Retrobike (Digital) Issue 48: $2.38

Retrobike (Digital) Subscription October 1st, 2022 Issue

Retrobike (Digital) Issue 47: $2.27

Retrobike (Digital) Subscription July 1st, 2022 Issue

Retrobike (Digital) Issue 46: $2.27

Retrobike (Digital) Subscription April 1st, 2022 Issue

Retrobike (Digital) Issue 45: $2.27

Reviews