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    Iron Heart Fall/Winter 2025 Collection Preview - Now Live

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    • GraemeG
      Graeme
      啓蒙家
      Joined:

      BikeEXIF have published their Top Ten Custom Bikes of 2016, and whilst there are a few things that I really like on their list (Revival's BMW Landspeeder, Auto Fabrica's gorgeous CX500, and the BMW R5 Hommage), a couple of the choices feel a bit safe and uninspired.

      Here are a couple of bikes that I think should have been on it.

      The Urban Motor Jawa racer. This competed at the Glemseck 101 sprints, and is a really radical build.

      Optimus PRAËM. Whilst it might look like a 1970s or 1980s endurance racer, it's actually a BMW S1000RR underneath. One for @louisbosco?

      The Ballistic Trident, by Rough Crafts. It looks like something from the 2050s, whereas most custom builds hark back to the 1950s. It might not be to everyones tastes, but I like the fact that they're trying something new.

      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • louisboscoL
        louisbosco
        啓蒙家
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        i have to say, i like that colour scheme. the way it's built with the front fairing and windshield looks amazing!!

        "Loyalty is a two way street. If i'm asking for it from you, then you're getting it from me."

        • Harvey Specter
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        • GraemeG
          Graeme
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          Riding a Triumph makes you cooler, because Batman and Lemmy both did it! 😉

          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • J
            Jett129
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            What about Steve McQueen?

            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • GraemeG
              Graeme
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              McQueen is oversold these days, and therefore not as cool as Lemmy. 😛

              last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • louisboscoL
                louisbosco
                啓蒙家
                Joined:

                i've been seduced..

                took it out on my off day on friday. absolutely a beauty to ride. way more comfortable than the 1299s i rode the week before and less stressful on the wrist. power output is pretty linear and smooth compared to the 1299s. i think this might be the one..  😘 😘

                "Loyalty is a two way street. If i'm asking for it from you, then you're getting it from me."

                • Harvey Specter
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                • GraemeG
                  Graeme
                  啓蒙家
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                  A friend had a Panigale.

                  He traded it in for an S1000RR HP4 after the Ducati started smoking heavily, and set on fire. :o

                  As I said, check what insurance will cost before you sign on the dotted line…

                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • louisboscoL
                    louisbosco
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                    damn. what happened? what caused the fire?!?! thanks for the heads up, i'll definitely check insurance…

                    "Loyalty is a two way street. If i'm asking for it from you, then you're getting it from me."

                    • Harvey Specter
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                    • J
                      Jett129
                      見習いボス
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                      @Graeme:

                      McQueen is oversold these days, and therefore not as cool as Lemmy. 😛

                      .  When I was a kid,seeing Steve McQueen in The Great Escape made me want to ride a motorcycle. Hence my soft spot for him. Never knew Lemmy rode before you posted. A couple of years ago Triumph had some Steve McQueen t-shirts,but I don't see much else over here.

                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • GraemeG
                        Graeme
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                        @louisbosco:

                        damn. what happened? what caused the fire?!?! thanks for the heads up, i'll definitely check insurance…

                        No idea, possibly an electrical fault. I don't think that the bike actually caught fire, but it started smoking heavily.

                        Baron von Grumble, a vlogger, does an comparison between the S1000RR HP4 and Panigale in this video. He reckons that the BMW is a better bike, but the Ducati has more of a warm glow associated with ownership, and not because it's set on fire! 😉

                        As a new rider, insurance on a top end sports bike is likely to be in a bracket generally reserved for jet fighters and space shuttles. Some of the hyper-nakeds, such as the S1000R or Super Duke, might be cheaper. In part it's because of rider attitudes, but also because they're less likely to damage expensive plastic bodywork in a crash.

                        @Jett129:

                        When I was a kid,seeing Steve McQueen in The Great Escape made me want to ride a motorcycle. Hence my soft spot for him. Never knew Lemmy rode before you posted. A couple of years ago Triumph had some Steve McQueen t-shirts,but I don't see much else over here.

                        I didn't know Lemmy rode either, or even if that photo is just him posing with the Triumph.

                        Steve McQueen became a posthumous brand ambassador for Triumph, Barbour, and TAG Heuer a few years back, and there was a time when he was portrayed as being the pinnacle of cool. When you push someone's image that hard, they become a commodity, and lose a bit of the mystique. Hence my comments about him being oversold.

                        He was fantastic in The Great Escape though.

                        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • GraemeG
                          Graeme
                          啓蒙家
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                          BikeEXIF has posted an alternative list of top bikes for 2016, which includes Optimus PRAËM and the Urban Motor Jawa racer.

                          I like Icon's Major Tom, which is a retro sci-fi GSX-R 750. With nitrous.

                          But I think that Icon did a better job with Three Martini Lunch, which is a radically reconfigured Thruxton. It's certainly got a better name.

                          Marcus Carlsson's Honda Street Tracker is weird in a very good way.

                          But it's positively conventional in comparison to Roel Scheffers's Yamaha GTS…

                          OK, it's a very conventional custom, but Fred ‘Krugger’ Bertrand built a very cool supercharged Yamaha SR400 as a part of the Yamaha Yard Built programme.

                          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • louisboscoL
                            louisbosco
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                            well, at least ducati's red matches the fire. that way, you could be ghost rider and no one could tell the bike is on fire. 😛

                            damn. uk (well, london's) roads seems stressful to ride. there's almost no gap between lanes and traffic's just everywhere!!

                            "Loyalty is a two way street. If i'm asking for it from you, then you're getting it from me."

                            • Harvey Specter
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                            • GraemeG
                              Graeme
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                              @louisbosco:

                              damn. uk (well, london's) roads seems stressful to ride. there's almost no gap between lanes and traffic's just everywhere!!

                              You're missing the "everyone is aggressive and trying to kill you" part. :o

                              I've ridden into London a few times, and never enjoyed the experience.

                              last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • louisboscoL
                                louisbosco
                                啓蒙家
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                                @Graeme:

                                You're missing the "everyone is aggressive and trying to kill you" part. :o

                                I've ridden into London a few times, and never enjoyed the experience.

                                i can imagine. the amount of times he called someone a wanker, slut or prick. it seems every car driver in london thinks cyclist and anything on two wheels are aggressive and vice versa..

                                "Loyalty is a two way street. If i'm asking for it from you, then you're getting it from me."

                                • Harvey Specter
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                                • injunjackI
                                  injunjack
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                                  Gotta post something homebuilt in to the flood of crotchrockets and fullface helmets. One more coming together in da garage…

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                                  • radiobomb1973R
                                    radiobomb1973
                                    Joined:

                                    My modest contribution

                                    Honda Super Cub 1975



                                    last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • louisboscoL
                                      louisbosco
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                                      @Graeme:

                                      As a new rider, insurance on a top end sports bike is likely to be in a bracket generally reserved for jet fighters and space shuttles. Some of the hyper-nakeds, such as the S1000R or Super Duke, might be cheaper. In part it's because of rider attitudes, but also because they're less likely to damage expensive plastic bodywork in a crash.

                                      or they simply don't insure it at all. guess it's mainly compulsory third party (CTP) for now..

                                      "Loyalty is a two way street. If i'm asking for it from you, then you're getting it from me."

                                      • Harvey Specter
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                                      • GraemeG
                                        Graeme
                                        啓蒙家
                                        Joined:

                                        Ewan MacGregor's Indian Larry Panhead is up for auction at Bonhams on 26th January.

                                        The price estimate is between $22,000 and $26,000, which doesn't seem too bad. However, the bike was built in 2010, and, as the listing points out, "Indian Larry" Desmedt was killing in a stunt riding accident in 2004.

                                        There's a bit more of a write-up at Silodrome.

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                                        • GraemeG
                                          Graeme
                                          啓蒙家
                                          Joined:

                                          @injunjack:

                                          Gotta post something homebuilt in to the flood of crotchrockets and fullface helmets. One more coming together in da garage…

                                          I'm guessing that it's the yellow and red bike on the left, unless you're turning into Harleyjack. Looks interesting, what is it?

                                          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • GraemeG
                                            Graeme
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                                            Honda's latest development. :o

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