At long last: a proper Harley Davidson Cafe Racer.

From The Kneeslider:

"..Hogbitz, in Chigwell Essex, England are now building Sportster based café racers.
The man behind the builds, Brian Udall, takes low mileage Sportsters and rebuilds them to resemble classic Tritons. The stock frame and forks are retained, to keep the cost down, the main changes are to the bodywork. The tank is swapped for a distinctive, hand beaten alloy unit and a new rear fender is fitted. The stock front fender is kept but cut down. The standard fork legs are also retained but polished, as are the calipers. The legs are then raised in the trees to steepen the head angle and quicken the steering.
Engine modifications are dependent on the customer with this example running an 883R motor that has been converted to 12000R and fitted with ported and polished Buell Lightning heads, a forced induction air cleaner and 2-into-1 SuperTrapp pipes.
The bike is finished off with Hogbitz clip-ons and a set of LSL rearsets to push the rider into a racing tuck aboard the custom seat. Hogbitz has plans to introduce its own line of rearsets in the future. There is also the option of an alloy seat unit which replaces the rear fender. The stock hubs are rebuilt into 18 inch alloy rims for the period correct look.
On the road the bike feels quite small and narrow and puts the rider into a stretched out, forward leaning riding position that is hard on the wrists until up to speed when the wind blast relieves some of the pressure.
The motor revs surprisingly freely and accelerated well from standstill and plenty of torque means the bike easily powers through bends in higher gears. It idles smoothly at low speeds in town without needing much in the way of clutch feathering.
Braking is fine with a two-fingered squeeze though lacking bite, which is typical of stock Harley brakes.
The relatively stock suspension soaked up bumps easily but was still firm enough to feels stable and planted through sweeping bends taken between 50 and 70 mph, a benefit of the forks being rebuilt with progressive springs and other internal changes. The change to the head angle made it surprisingly quick turning and flicking the bike from left to right was easy with a quick push on the clip-ons.
With a starting price of £7,500 the Hogbitz café racer is an affordable option for those who want the look of a classic bike but not the hassle of keeping an old Brit bike on the road."

A very special Vincent: the Vincati.

From Cycle World october 2006 by David Edwards

"What makes a custom a custom and a special a special? Hard to say for sure, but generally the latter involves an engine swap. We all know about “Tritons,” with their built Triumph Twins in the famously good-handling Norton Featherbed frame. And, of course, that rarer, costlier derivative, the “Norvin,” featuring a hulking Vincent V-Twin somehow shoehorned into the same cage (perhaps, as our own Allan Girdler has suggested, with a whip and a chair?). And who can forget the “Nortley-Fartster,” a Harley Sportster motor housed, again, in a Norton Featherbed?

To this convention of crossbreeds let's now add the “Vincati,” a 998cc Vincent Vee slotted into an early 1970s Ducati 750 GT frame. As you can read in the current October issue, we sent Peter Egan to ride a freshly cobbled Vincati, the creation of Vincent specialist (some would say legend) “Big Sid” Biberman and his college professor son Matthew.

The duo wants to build a limited run of Vincatis at (wait for it…) $100,000 a copy. For those kind of clams, you can buy a pristine stock Vincent and the best Ducati GT in the world, but, hey, nobody said building specials was an exercise in rationality."

Gallery: Thruxton JP's "SR400 Sports M1 Road-Bomber Replica"

Innovation: Craig Vetter's 1968 Suzuki 500 seat/tank combo.

From Craig Vetter.com

"I took this bike drag racing at the Indy 1/8 mile drags. It was light. I was light. We were very fast.
One night after the heats, I parked it next to a beautiful, customized Triumph Bonneville that I had just dusted off. To my disappointment, nobody seemed to be interested in my slick design. Turns out it was too slick. It made your eyes zip right off onto something else. Anything else! Like the more complicated looking Bonnie.

When it came time to redesign the BSA Rocket 3, I made sure that it would stop your eye. That is the basis of the distinctive "Z" profile."

Vetters seat on display at the AMA's Hall of Fame Museum

Vetter has recently just started a new blog: Craig Vetter on motorcycle design. be sure to check it out,-it could be most interesting.

Dave Hartleip's Ducati Monza 250 Cafe Racer.

Another great score from the Kneeslider.

"This bike was a literal barn find that my brother and I stumbled upon in 1975. The farmer gave it to us, and we spent the next 18 months rebuilding it into a cafe racer. We sold it to a high school friend, who rode it a couple times before the bevel drive shaft blew apart. He put it in his Dad’s chicken coop and forgot about it. I saw him at my 25-yr high school reunion and he told me the bike was still in the coop. I bought it from him, and completely rebuilt it with many additional modifications, including: Modified frame to accomodate stainless steel underseat exhaust, homemade rearsets, gas tank from a Benelli Mojave, laser cut stainless tank badges, handmade seat and steel tailcone, etc. etc. I finished it right before the 2005 AMA Vintage Days at Mid-Ohio, where it won “Best of Show - European Motorcycles”. Ducati was the marque brand that year, so it was very special to win. I never planned to show it, mainly I just wanted to see if i could build a custom bike!"

The best of both worlds: The Norton Kawasaki Cafe Racer.

From (again!) The Kneeslider

"Look at the cafe racer here and you think, another nice old Norton or Triton, until you look closer and see an engine with Kawasaki on the side. Look closer still and you find a front fork from a Suzuki GSX-R400, a Suzuki GT750 front brake and a Kawasaki H2 rear hub, plus a big helping of self made pieces that look rather nice.

Phil Klawsuc, over in the U.K., had a 1968 Kawasaki W2 twin carb engine which he thought would go just right with a Norton featherbed frame, but he wanted it to run like a more modern bike while keeping the vintage look. The Kawasaki W1 and W2 were very British looking motorcycles to begin with but this is taking the look to a whole different level. Any cafe racer like this will take a bit of engineering to make the parts come together right but I think he did a superb job.

This is just another one of those motorcycles that will drive the purists crazy, cafe racers are supposed to be British and all that, but if you ask me, I think it’s very cool.

Check out Classic Motorcycle Mechanics for a complete write up"

The Featherlastic: or how to build the Norton of your dreams.

By Mark Hoyer From Cycleworld

It's pretty simple, really. You just need to collect parts for years, get a few Commando restorations under your belt and have one of your friends show up at a Norton club meeting with a for-sale Featherbed frame in the back of his truck.

Okay, so building the Norton of your dreams isn't easy, but it certainly is simple. Just use the best major ingredients the English manufacturer ever made: the Featherbed frame and the Commando engine with its Isolastic rubber-mount system. As most Norton fans will attest, Isolastics were an amazing advance that allowed the big and buzzy parallel-Twin to go about the business of making major horsepower without blurring the vision or numbing the hands of the rider. And the Featherbed frame, well, it was just one of the great advancements in motorcycle handling and served Norton in the form of countless wins at the Isle of Man TT and in roadracing around the world, as well as being the basis for thousands of streetbikes through the '50s and '60s.


Looks like a factory job, no? Featherlastic combines impeccable handling of the Featherbed frame with the livability of a Commando's rubber-isolated engine.
Texan Bob Cox isn't the first guy to marry these two elements into one special motorcycle, but his effort—featured in the current CW print edition—is perhaps one of the finest executed versions on the road. To follow along with Cox's step-by-step process of building the Featherlastic in his personal build-diary, click here. Don't forget your spanners and shop apron. And as long as all you're riding is your computer, feel free to crack open a pint.

The Hyde TX Bonneville.

From Motor Cycle Sport and Leisure (November 2004)

"The new Bonneville has given Triumph an undeniable boost since its debut in 2000, but as many owners would agree, has a rather spongy front brake, modest performance and somewhat vague handling at higher speeds. Triumph has to some extent recognised this, producing the Thruxton - a cafe racer styled Bonnie with a bit more punch to go with its classic '60s styling cues. However, the sanitised machine built to meet modern standards and legal requirements as it is, still lacks the soul of some of the original Triumphs that used to rule the roads, racetracks and transport cafes of 40 years ago. No doubt Triumph would argue that most people who buy one of its classic range bikes aren't particularly after rip-snorting performance and handling - it's nostalgia these buyers want, and Triumph has proved that it certainly helps to sell bikes. It's just that, though a modern replica is mechanically stronger, more reliable and better engineered in general, they still lack the soul the original displayed in abundance. Now, for those who have such a modern 'classic' but want a bit more in terms of performance,handling and braking, help is at hand.

The standard 790cc motor has had its barrels replaced with a 902cc set from Wiseco, who have worked in collaboration with Hyde on the project. The result is a massive increase in power and torque. To ensure that power can be fully appreciated, the carbs have received Dynojet kits, and a pair of Hyde's own Thruxton-style silencers have been added to extract that last little bit of oomph. To cope with this performance boost, the front brake has been replaced with a fully floating 320mm disc gripped by an AP Lockheed four-piston caliper, equipped with sintered metal pads, and a braided steel hose.

Enter the Thruxton-spec Hyde TX Bonneville!
A fork brace now sits above the replacement mudguard to handle the extra braking forces being exerted upon them, while a steering damper helps keep things in line. The rear shocks have been replaced with some Ikon units with progressive rate springs, their adjustable damping allowing owners to fine-tune their ride.

Similarly the tyres are now Avon Super Venoms, which Hyde says provide better grip and a better rate of wear. Just to make sure nothing drags the standard footrests have been replaced with some tasty rearsets, which in turn are complemented by a set of Ace 'bars. A top half fairing sits well alongside the replacement alloy tank, and the Thruxton seat unit finishes off the overall look nicely. There are other minor mods on the bike pictured here, like replacement tail lights and indicators, as well as a rev counter kit - all of which come from Norman's extensive catalogue. Certainly this bike's got just the right look, and from a distance could easily be mistaken for one of the original works machines. And when it came time to actually ride the thing, within five miles of Hyde's Warwickshire base the grin on my face stretched from ear to ear.

The traffic on the Warwick ring road had been almost a delight despite the revised taller gearing that had been fitted for my ride, where apparently the smaller front cog will allow the bike to reach speeds of 120mph-plus, should you desire.This was not to prove a problem at any stage during the day, even when trickling through sleepy villages in the heart of Shakespeare's country or up into the hills of Worcestershire. The carburation is so good now that it pulls cleanly from 30mph in top gear, and will continue to surge well past any legal posted limit. The motor is now far more flexible and torquey than it ever was, and the bike can now be ridden almost totally on the throttle, without anywhere near as much need to bother the 'box.

The rev counter gives an indication of how lazy that motor is, but there's little need to refer to it, unless you are trying to extract those last ounces of power from the parallel twin. Even then the optional 'bar end mirror shows that its engine balance has been maintained, as there is little in the way of vibration to spoil the view to the rear. However, although picking a gear and riding that torque wave is now an option, playing tunes on the gearbox is a must just to hear the glorious cacophony of sound that erupts behind you. Never offensive, it just makes the bike sound as great as it looks, and adds to the fun immensely. And this is a bike that can deliver fun in large doses, especially on the twisty country roads of the Cotswolds, where handling and engine torque are far more important than outright top speed. On such roads you can use those Avons to their limit, safe in the knowledge that the bike isn't going to develop a weave, or catch the Tarmac with a footrest and dig in. In Hyde form the Bonneville inspires confidence, and that front brake is a revelation - easily on a par with any similarly sized Japanese mount sporting twin discs.

Perhaps best of all, various parts of the Hyde kit can be bought and fitted over time as finances allow if you don't want to make the one single outlay - although after riding the Hyde Bonnie, I'd advise any stock Bonnie owner to at least buy the engine, carb and brake kit as a matter of course. Norman Hyde has taken a retro showpiece and given it the go it's been crying out for, without making it uncomfortable or unrideable. As a result it's much more enjoyable to ride, and indeed that much more faithful a representation of the original."

The Ledgend: Dave Degens Dresda.

Dave Degens is a survivor. He began racing and then building motorcycles over 40 years ago and is still thriving.

From racing in the early 1960s, Degens progressed to building Tritons for the cafe racer era, to short circuit racing, to winning the Barcelona 24-Hour Race (in 1965 and 1970), and then into a new era with Japanese-powered specials during the 1970s, when his success in the Barcelona marathon led to the Paris-based Japauto concern asking him to build an endurance racer around the four-cylinder 750/900 Honda engine.

In 1972 this collaboration resulted in the famous Bol d'Or win by the pairing of Debrock and Ruiz riding a 969cc Japauto housed in a Dresda chassis and weighing only 170kg (3751b).This success was repeated in 1973 against a vast array of works opposition: quite some achievement, and one which firmly established the Dresda name. Today, the continuing enthusiasm for classic machinery, together with a fresh interest in his first creation, the Triton, ensure that Dave Degens' talents remain in demand.

Mick Duckworth wrote this report entitled GOTHIC REVIVAL in Classic Bike Magazine in August 1986:

When Japanese multis left the Triumph twin behind in the seventies, Dresda Autos changed with the times. Proprietor Dave Degens moved away from his legendary Triumph Engined specials to build cycles around the engines that had made them appear obsolete. He was successful too, as many wins in endurance racing on Dresda products have proved, but the last couple of years have seen an amazing swing back to British-engined products at the company's factory near Heathrow airport.


Ironically, it was interest from Japan that prompted the return of Dresda Triumphs and Tritons. classic racer Tetsu Ikuzawa won an historic machine championship there in 1984 using a Degens-prepared Triumph. Several Dresda twin cylinder specials were subsequently built to be shipped east, and with Degens himself returning to the track -where he was a top runner in the sixties-to ride in CRMC races, word soon spread that the classic Dresda was available again.

Road and racing machines are being built to meet demand from Britain and abroad. The custom-specification specials use 500cc, 650cc and 750cc unit and pre-unit engines in either the Norton Featherbed frame or the Dresda lightweight chassis. Typical of the eye catching exotica that Degens produces for his customers is a Dresda Triumph that was undergoing final assembly when we visited the works.

Originally unit construction Bonneville, its engine is heavily modified internally. A Norton Atlas crankshaft with lightened bobweights has been machined to run in standard Triumph main bearings. Polished T140 conrods give a capacity of about 840cc and the flywheel has had its periphery skimmed to give clearance for the lobes of T140 camshafts timed for optimum mid-range torque. The 10 stud cylinder head has been converted to stub exhaust fittings instead of the troublesome push-fit system, and sweptback pipes carry BSA Gold Star pattern silencers in traditional Dresda style. Although of dubious benefit on the road, centrally-disposed spark plugs are fitted in keeping with the unashamedly cafe-racing image of the machine. Boyer Bransden electronic ignition triggers a Nippon Denso double-ended coil, and carburation is by a pair of 32mm Amal Concentric MkII's complete with spun-alloy bellmouths.


The awesome double-sided four leading-shoe front brake was developed by Degens and used by him for endurance racing. Marketed for a time under the CMA brand name. the l0¼in drum is still obtainable from Dresda Autos while stocks last. It's claimed to be no heavier than two discs and calipers. Two operating cables run to a double pull lever, which, like the clutch lever, is an Italian Cuppini type incorporating a click-stop cable adjuster and mounted on a Tommaselli clip-on handlebar.



Veglia instruments are carried on an alloy facia with switch gear and warning lights. Twelve-volt electrics run off an alternator with the rectifier and zener diode bolted to an engine plate. The battery is carried in a forward extension of the oil tank where it can be checked and topped-up whilst in place. The headlamp is a French Auteroche halogen unit secured in the half falling of the type favoured by Degens since he found through experiment that the lower part of a dolphin falling plays a minimal role in streamlining. Like the fairing, the petrol tank is in fibre-glass. The same craftsman has been laminating this material for Dresda since the sixties - lightness fanatics can order tanks made using carbon fibre in the resin, which weigh only ounces. A small but important detail that Degens points out on his petrol tanks is their generous recessing underneath to allow smooth runs for control cables and wiring. The machine's paintwork is firmly traditional, except for red coach-lining on the frame tubes - slightly over-decorative for some tastes, perhaps, but it is what the customer ordered. Typical cafe-racer gothic lettering adorns the tank.


Hidden under the hump backed seat on this model is an ingenious telescopic arrangement to allow the rear frame loop to extend, moving the seat back to give more room for two-up riding.


How much does a machine like this cost? (webmaster note these were 1986 prices ) Degens estimates a minimum of £1,000 for labour on most jobs, with total bills of around £4,000 being average. Much depends on the proportion of raw materials supplied by the customer and how much work that needs before it meets Dresda standards. Getting an old pre-unit engine into shape can cost more than a fairly sound, and much newer, T140 motor,' says Degens. 'Half the pre-unit engines we see haven't got the thrust washer behind the mainshaft pinion when we strip them so the crank hasn't been located properly in the mains' He points out an early T100 bottom-end in the workshop: 'That's cost £350 so far, and we haven't got to the top end yet.'



Hayward polyurethane toothed-belt transmission replaces chain primary drive and a T140 five-speed gear cluster is operated from the right. thanks to pre-American legislation T120 crankcase castings. The latest Triumph oil pump is installed with an oil cooling radiator stowed in the fairing. Lubricant is conducted to and from the cooler inside the frame, a neat arrangement which adds capacity to the 5 pints carried in a rubber-mounted alloy central oil tank.


Degens began making his own frames in the late sixties - initially because he thought the compact 500cc Triumph Daytona engine didn't look quite right in a Featherbed chassis. Originally inspired by the geometry of Aermacchis he raced for importer Syd Lawton, Degens' lightweight chassis are made from Accles and Pollock T45 tube, which is preferred to the traditional Reynolds 531 for its greater elasticity. 'Remember that 531 was designed for bicycles, which don't vibrate like motorcycles,' he explains. 'That's why the Manx Norton frame was meant to be annealed every couple of seasons.'


The frame on this machine weighs about 18lb, and its duplex loop has the tubes behind the engine sloping forward where other Dresda frames have vertical members This mainly cosmetic change was first made in the seventies to blend with sloping cylinder blocks on Japanese engines.

The Dresda box-section swinging-arm has helped tame many a flexing Jap monster: Degens originally devised it to accommodate wide rear tyres for racing. The rear hub is a lightweight conical type designed for off-road machines, and rear suspension is by Italian five-position spring and damper units.

The front forks are based on Norton Roadholder, but with several special Dresda features such as the yokes - both in steel, although alloy top yokes are available - and multi-rate Manx pattern springs. Where the standard nearside bottom slider has a pinch-bolt to clamp the front wheel spindle, Degens has converted it to a split clamp with two bolts. 'Nearly all the Norton forks we get have cracked at this point,' he says. The conversion costs £25.

Luckily, supplies of some Triumph and Norton parts have been maintained at Dresda over the years, and essential engine-to-frame templates that could easily have been discarded were preserved. Full order books mean there is a waiting list for complete machines, but special Dresda parts and all the propriety equipment used on the bikes are
available from the factory by mail order."

The time machine: Moto Paton's 500 cc Racer.

Another great link from the Kneeslider:

"There was once a time when motorbikes were created by the passion and genius of people who would reach their dreams with extraordinary resolution. From the passion, skill, and resolution of Giuseppe Pattoni, the "Pep", at the beginning of the sixties the Paton twin 4 stroke was born. The first displacement was 250cc, then it grew to 350cc and finally 500cc in order to obtain a huge number of important national and international results.

About ten motorbikes were built in ten years. "Pep" worked on the twin after his normal duty in the workshop of Giogio Pianta and although his financial resources were very limited compared to those of his competitors, he gained enough success to reach an important place in the history of the racing motorbikes.


There are more than a few experts who acknowledge to this motorbike an exceptional place in history and Roberto Pattoni, who inherited from his father the honor and responsibility to continue the activity, is constantly receiving requests for building more models of the most famous of the Paton bikes. So, Paton entered a new challenge in building again the 4 strokes twin with usual passion and greatest efforts, with the help of the best available technologies in order to create a new motorbike with the same characteristics of the original one, but more technically advanced. Starting from the yellowish but precious forty year-old drawings and going through the latest mathematical processes together with the most updated mechanical processing, the new 4 stroke twin is living again as "Riedizione Ufficiale".

In the motorcycle scene there are several "replicas" of historical motorbikes. But that is not the case of the Paton BIC 500 8V RU, which cannot be defined as replica as it is exactly the same model built by the same maker. It is rather a natural evolution of the same bike which raced in the sixties and seventies, built by the same factory which since then has never interrupted its activities.


The production will be limited to just a few pieces, created by hand, one by one, with the most caring attention. It is a perfect example of the highest-level craftsmanship, which has always been admired in the past, just as it is now. The twin will be available for collectors who are fond of classic bikes and who will be proud to show it in the various historical meetings. But the Paton 8V RU is most of all a racing bike and will be a fabulous companion to the drivers who will decide to compete in the historic bike races.

The Twin Paton 4 stroke participated in more than 150 official competitions from 1966 to 1975 obtaining precious results in Italian championships and World Championships. Many important riders raced with the twin Paton such as Fred Stevens, Angelo Bergamonti, Billy Nelson, Virginio Ferrari (Ferrari raced the Bimota frame model), and Roberto Gallina."

Bator International is the American Distributor for Moto Paton

"The production will be limited to just a few pieces, created by hand, one by one, with the most caring attention. It is a perfect example of the highest-level craftsmanship, which has always been admired in the past, just as it is now. The twin will be available for collectors who are fond of classic bikes and who will be proud to show it in the various historical meetings. But the Paton 8V RU is most of all a racing bike and will be a fabulous companion to the drivers who will decide to compete in the historic bike races."

The Hyde Harrier.

From Real Classic.uk

"Which bike do you choose if you want an old fashioned air-cooled triple with all mod cons? This one should be on your shortlist...

There's something about the old Beezumph triples: they just seem to beg to be updated, uprated and re-invented. The Rob North specials spring to mind, as does Craig Vetter's Hurricane, Les Williams' Legend and Trevor Gleadall's Renegade (any more, anyone?). It seems that everyone wants to fit the old three-cylinder engine into a new chassis, and maybe give it a few tweaks en route. Norman Hyde couldn't resist the challenge, and his creation was christened the 'Harrier'.

The Harrier was born nearly two decades ago, but it still attracts attention. Last month, a Hyde Harrier cafe racer triple fitted with a previously unused Triumph T160 Trident engine, went to its new home at the National Motorcycle Museum's collection near Birmingham.


Norman Hyde worked for the old Triumph company from 1965 to 1975, where he worked as development engineer and was involved with projects like the OHC Trident, the Quadrant, the 350cc Bandit, the 900cc Thunderbird 3 (T180) and the Norton Commando 8-Valve, before setting up his own specialist parts business. Norman has marketed the sleek, racer-style Harrier triple in kit form since 1988, sourcing the frame and other key cycle parts from Harris Performance Products.


Setting the engine well forward and reducing fork rake gives the Harrier more modern handling characteristics than the original Triumph Trident. Mick Duckworth was the first motorcycling journalist to ride a 1000cc big-bore Harrier back in 1998 and he 'found the torque of the big engine and the taut roadholding of the chassis [to be] a brilliant combination.'

Customers usually provide their own engines, but the Museum was supplied with a complete ready-to-go Harrier, powered by a standard 750cc three-cylinder T160 engine never previously installed in a motorcycle. The three-into-one exhaust system is by Harris. The machine has a Triumph front fork, Ikon rear shocks and Hyde's latest brakes with fully floating discs.

If you are so smitten by the Harrier that you have to own one, then (if Norman will build another one) you can select your own specification to build a triple best suited for road or track. You will occasionally see a Hyde Harrier being used in competition - with twin Cibie headlights tucked into the sleek fairing they even look like the part for endurance racing. Decent lights come in damn handy on the road, too!


The photo above shows Museum owner Roy Richards greeting Norman Hyde as the Harrier changes hands. 'This beautifully-crafted classic brings together the best of old and new in British motorcycle engineering,' said Mr Richards. 'The Hyde Harrier is a highly valued addition to our growing collection.'"

The art of Ky Michaelson.

"The Human Fly"
Rocket Powered Motorcycle
Built in 1977 for the comic book character "The Human Fly". The motorcycle has two 1500 lb thrust Hydrogen rockets. The motorcycle is capable of going 220 mph in 5 seconds. The Human Fly jumped over 26 buses with this bike in 1977 in Montreal, Canada.

"Ky Michaelson, a.k.a., “Rocketman” has been interested in rockets and speed since he was a child. At the early age of 12, Michaelson was given a Gilbert chemistry set for Christmas. That was his start in learning to experiment with various chemicals. It wasn’t long after that he learned how to make black powder, which led him to create his very first rocket motor. Although challenged with Dyslexia, Michaelson focused his academic energies into these and many other creations including a radio which he built and brought to school in a hollowed out math book. In 1969, Michaelson built a rocket-powered snowmobile that made its way into the Guinness World Book of Records. After accomplishing his first world record he decided to go after every acceleration record in the world. In twelve years, Michaelson’s rocket –powered vehicles set 72 state, national, and international speed records.

Michaelson has turned his passion into a career. As a stunt coordinator and stunt equipment creator/innovator, Michaelson has worked on over 200 films, television programs, and commercials including numerous Burt Reynolds movies and “That’s Incredible” television episodes. There have been literally hundreds of feature articles written about Michaelson and his adventures.

Throughout the years Michaelson has always held a great interest in space exploration.
Most recently he concentrated his efforts on rocketry. On May 17, 2004, Michaelson and his Civilian Space eXploration Team (CSXT) were the first civilians to get a federal license to launch a rocket above 100 kilometers, the official boundary of space. While accomplishing this lifelong dream, Michaelson reached yet another speed record of 3,420 mph.

Through all these adventures and record breaking activity Michaelson has held a high aesthetic criterion for his rocket-powered items. Each piece has been painstakingly hand crafted, and fabricated without the use of blue prints or written plans. Even when found or pre-fabricated items are used to complete a piece, Michaelson spends much time considering the complete and overall visual affect.

The Bloomington Art Center views Michaelson’s work as functional sculpture, seeing in them their crafted beauty as well as their completely functional use. We are excited to showcase this local talent, his adventurous life, and his quest for beautifully crafted rockets."

Twin Engine BSA Motorcycle
Built in 2000, this is the third BSA twin engine motorcycle built by Michaelson. In 1962 Michaelson raced and set records with a motor just like this

The Honda GB500 Clubman TT 650 Schottmeier Special.

From The German GB500-fansite

Specs:

NX 650 Dominator engine with overbored 102,04 mm ceramic coated slipper piston with 11:1 in compression.
New lighter Italian made stainless pipe with Supertrap end.
HRC racing camshaft.
40 mm. Mikuni TM flatslide carburator
ABP racing oilcooler.
Koni rear damper.
Modified EGU fairing.
320 millimeter disc, Brembo caliper.

The "Notorious" Cafe Racer by Roger Goldammer.

From Bikernet:

"Roger Goldammer is no stranger to the world of wild custom bikes. The front of his shop in Kelowna, British Columbia is crammed full with lathes, milling machines and a huge CNC machine. Roger takes his equipment and his work very seriously. He does not follow trends in custom bike building by building the expected "Chopper" nor is he drawn in to follow the pack delving into the popular "Old School" variety that has become all the rage lately.

Together with his long time friend and mentor, master machinist Bert Kuckelkorn, Roger looks for ways to improve and innovate the mechanical design and function of the motorcycle power plant. As a recent winner of the Canadian Championship of Custom Bike Building and a two-time winner of the World Championships, Rogers bikes are on the cutting edge of technology. " I like to challenge myself " says Roger. So, for his entry in this year's competition he pulled out all the stops.

Not being content to rest on his laurels as the two time World Champ nor his Biker Build Off victory against Matt Hotch at the Bonneville Salt Flats riding a bike he built utilizing a racing go-cart engine, Roger went back to the drawing board to improve on his single cylinder with turbo rear design that he made famous in his TROUBLE bike that won him top World Championship honors the last time he competed.

The NORTORIOUS, at first look, brings to mind the classic lines of the very significant Norton Manx Café Racer but that's where the similarities end. The engine is a 2006 H-D hybrid single cylinder Roger built from the ground up. The 965CC engine features a lower end consisting of Merch cases rotated back 15degrees and balanced internals. The heads are custom from Engenuity and the pistons from Ross and Jims lifters were utilized. The cam is custom designed and manufactured by Roger. The rear head is used on the front cylinder, allowing the induction system to be positioned above the head and cylinder with the angle cut back 15-degrees . The pushrod tubes are also angled to accommodate this change . In place of the rear cylinder, a Rotrex Supercharger that spins at 120,000 RPM was installed. The half a v twin produces 83 rear wheel horse power at 6400 rpm.


The fuel injection uses a 54mm Zippers utilized throttle body and a special Thunder Heart ECM in a closed loop configuration and an extreamly high volume single injector. Using the Thunder Heart ECM and a Dobec module, Roger developed a fuel pump mapping program to provide correct air / fuel ratios, while running up to 20-pounds of boost to compensate for the superchargers flow. Many days and late nights were devoted to getting this set up to work like a charm. The oil system features a modified S&S oil pump and two distinct oil tanks, both cleverly hidden from view, one for engine and the other for supercharger oil.

The bikes transmission started off as a 2006 Baker six- speed unit which Roger modified by shortening main shaft as well as the Prime/Rivera clutch pack and belt drive, all narrowed from 3 inches down to 2. It's a foot shifter with rear sets and has a 24-tooth tranny sprocket shuttling power to the bikes 49- tooth wheel sprocket.

The frame is another in house Goldammer Cycle Works creation. It's a chromolly "Featherbed" style raked 29.5-degrees and de-stretched 3 inches. The front end is a WP type cut back 1 1/2-inches for superior handling.

The wheels and brake set up are deceiving. At first glance, they appear to be stock Norton drum set ups, only larger, while in fact the drum hubs and custom milled covers hide an ingenious 4-piston disc set up both front and rear. Many days of hand milling went into this clever deception and the rear rim is put together for the 18-inch x 6-inch tire by fabricating the rim from two different Kosman rims.

The body and fenders on the Nortorious are a true work of art. Roger hand hammered the aluminum skins with such precision as to show absolutely no sign of weld work. This is pretty amazing considering that the only paintwork on the bike is the lettering and a clear coat over the raw material. You can see the masters touch in the workmanship in the fuel tank that includes the Buell internal fuel pump and regulator. The bars are clip-on style sitting atop Goldammer Cycle Works triple trees.

The Speedometer and gauges are VDO's set like those on a vintage jet fighter. The design of the headlight also acts as a wind deflector and just for fun, Roger used the lens and bezel from a vintage Volkswagen Beetle. The taillights are incorporated in the rear of the bikes frame and utilize LED lights. The brake light is also an LED set up hidden in the rear of the seat rail. There is not one visible wire or line on the bike. Roger cleverly hid all the hydraulic lines and wires inside the frame tubes giving a fine clean look to the bike.

This shy and unassuming builder is a genuine craftsman. A close first hand look of the Nortorious lets you know why Roger Goldammer is the two winner of the World Championship of Custom Bike Building and the current Canadian champ. Taking the basic lines of a classic race bike and adding his engineering genius and fabrication talent we would not be surprise to see him walk away with a third world class championship"

Fold tab A into slot B: Revolution Motorcycles RV100

"Conceived in the mind, refined in 3D CAD software, and produced by the most advanced production equipment available, the RV100 has leapt off of the computer monitor into the real world.

Starting out life as a simple design concept, the RV100 has taken on a life of its own. The design seems to have stuck a chord in the popular culture of America. In a landscape flooded by custom motorcycles, vying to distinguish themselves from each other, the RV100 is unmistakable.

The concept behind the bike is to eliminate the paradigm of the welded tubular frame. Welded tube frame are labor intensive, require expensive jigs and fixturing, and the quality of the weld is very much dependant on the quality of the welder. In contrast, the RV100 frame components are cut on a numerically controlled machine (CNC). This makes the production of parts very repeatable, and makes the production of unique parts routine."

Gallery: Motorstage Japan.

This time we have a nice selection from Motorstage Japan:

A tough looking Kawasaki Estrella, ready for a fast trip to the pub

..and another Estrella

A very English looking Kawasaki w650-complete with "bacon slicer" front plate

Stewart Ross's SR500 Cafe Racer.

From The Thumper page:

"I currently own two SR500's, an 'E' and a 'H', and have owned several other SR and XT 500's over the years. My first SR (the subject of this article) was bought in Adelaide in 1980. I bought it from Basham Yamaha, with a total of 5,000 kms on it. The previous owner, an old chap, had put a sidecar on it but had found the lack of power a little too much. He had traded it on something with a bit more zap, an XS 850.

I really loved the bike from the start. Though it was not a powerhouse. It didn't take much modification to release some stray ponies. The addition of an after-market muffler and removing the airbox cover transformed the bike, and allowed an increase of 1 tooth larger on the countershaft sprocket.

Being a diehard café racer I soon got around to modifying the looks of the bike as well. A Ducati SS fairing and seat, together with homemade rearsets and Magura clip-ons were duly attached to the bike. I also found some secondhand Mulholland shocks from an RD350 in the wreckers for the rear. These shocks are still on the bike today. I also installed an extra disc and caliper (XS250) on the front operated by a standard 'E' model rear brake hose.

The first incarnation.

The bike stayed as it was for about two and a half years and was a lot of fun to ride. I actually tried to sell it at one stage, shameful I know, but when the bloke interested in it took it for a ride he was scared off when he stalled it and couldn't get it going again. He was gone for so long I thought he'd crashed it! When I eventually found him he was fairly red faced and exasperated from kicking the engine over. After I then started it with one kick he left muttering never to return.

The never-ending 'call of the bike modifier' kept on though, and in late '82 I started on it again. This time I searched out and found what I had really wanted all along. An aluminium racing tank. I thought of using Manx tanks and others, but finally luck provided me with a slightly rough TZ 'A' tank for $25.00. Staying with the genuine Yamaha theme, I then sourced an RD350LC front mudguard and chain guard, and a TZ 'G' model seat. I modified the seat, making it longer to try and avoid having to have a rear mudguard. I also installed a Wiseco 88.5mm piston and a TZ 350 powerjet carb, with the powerjet blocked off with solder to simplify jetting on the four stroke.

I swapped the bits I'd used to make the original to Milo, a mate of mine in Adelaide, who'd recently bought a new 'H' model. From this deal I ended up with another new SS fairing to go on with.

In the interim I'd been down to Mac Park at Mt Gambier to watch the bike races, and it was here that I saw a racing SR from Eltham Yamaha in Victoria. It had some Tingate racing stuff on it, pipe, rearsets etc. They looked great. I took down Rod's contact details from the SR rider and I was away. Rod, being the helpful chap he is, listened to my request and supplied me with a black chromed pipe and alloy megga and some rearsets. These parts arrived in March of '83. (Since that time, Rod has helped me out with numerous bits and pieces for several different bikes, including parts for a Honda CYB 350 racer replica).

The bike had been coming together and by the time the pipe arrived I was ready for the finishing touches.


Mark two:

As you can see there were other little details like gold coloured wheels, and I had removed the side covers.

As time went on the modifier in me stirred again. This time ('92 I think) I was mainly satisfied with the overall look of the bike but I felt it needed something extra, so I undertook some smaller changes. I had a front wheel left over from my Honda racer project. This comprised an Akront rim laced to a 4 leading shoe Suzuki 750 drum brake. I had replaced this wheel on the Honda when I happened across a Yamaha TR/TZ drum. I then searched for a nice large drum brake for the rear (heavy), finally deciding on one from a TX 750 Yamaha. This wheel was duly polished, and after some bearing spacer modification to fit the SR's 17mm axle and backing plate modification to accept cable operation, I fitted it and the front wheel to the bike. The gearing now is 17/38 due to being able to fit a smaller rear sprocket on the TX rear wheel. I've also fitted a 525 chain after machining the sprockets narrower to suit.

I had always hated the battery. 'Any unnecessary items on the bike, that it doesn't really need, shouldn't be there!'. (Café racers creed). I fitted a large capacitor under the seat and removed the battery box and battery. The rest of the electrics attached to the battery box, went onto an alloy plate bolted to the underside of the side cover attaching points, under the seat. I knew I hadn't cut them off for a reason!

The results looked much lighter and very 'Café'.

Something pretty special: Britcycle's Matchless Cafe Racer.

Britcycle's matchless:
· Matchless G80TCS "Typhoon" engine
· Norton Slimline featherbed frame
· Triumph pre-unit gearbox
· John Tickle front brake
· Lyta fuel tank
· Custom oil talk
· Lightened Triumph "comical" hubs
· Borrani rims
· Avon Roadrunner tires
· Dunstall exhaust

West coast choppers tries to create a Cafe Racer-and fails.

From the Kneeslider:

"(The) Honda guys were tossing around ideas for something else to do with their then new (early 2002) VTX 1800 V-Twin engine. Someone came up with the notion that Jesse James might be just the right person to push the envelope a bit so they gave him an engine, some money and said, “Build us a bike.”

Jesse retired to his West Coast Choppers workshop and produced the VTX Cafe Racer, first shown at the Cycle World show in Long Beach. It has an airbag rear suspension, an inboard rear disc brake on the driveshaft, handbuilt frame and bodywork, but in the end, it’s a very interesting example of another direction for these big cruiser V-Twin engines the manufacturers already have in their back rooms.

Although there are many things about this bike that would never see production, it shows that cruisers aren’t the only place for these engines. Could Honda build something like this? Sure. Will they? Chances are slim. They should, but they probably won’t."

The Seeley Honda 750.

From Real Classic.com:

"Back in 1975 Colin Seeley transplanted Honda's 70bhp CB750 F2 engine into a British-built café-racer chassis. Seeley wanted to make a bike which was lighter, better handling and better looking than the standard CB. As a bonus, the Seeley machines were also easier to work on and offered a lower seat height than Honda's original. The kits cost £1295 in 1977, and suited the F1, F2 or K-series CB750s of the era. Despite the expense, it was an attractive proposition for sports riders of the day as Roland Brown explains;

'By 1977 Honda had reached the K7 model, and that bike's smoothness was still an asset for gentle use. But its suspension gave a hairy ride if pushed hard on bumpy roads. Compared with the like of Suzuki's twin-cam GS750 and even Kawasaki's popular Z650, the venerable CB showed its age.'

Although Honda Japan weren't too interested in tweaking their successful CB, the rash of British built specials which were based around the 750 gave Honda Britain pause for thought.

Dave Degen's Dresda workshop produced one of the first in 1972; a sleek, semi-faired café racer with twin discs which weighed 45kg less than the standard bike and which could see nearly 130mph.


Rickman too built a special chassis for the CB, using Reynolds tubing, while other firms set to work boring out the engine. Once Colin Seeley had showed how successful his CB special could be, Honda cracked and asked him to build a Phil Read replica in honour of their world champion.

However, those bikes were not significantly lighter or faster than the standard CBs… so for many purists the Seeley Honda is the One To Have.