#rno cycles

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Suzuki GSX-R1100 [1992] by Rno Cycles

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If the CBX 1000 wasn’t a beast already, RNO cycles just added a turbo =)

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Gixxer Fix: A GSX-R1100 with Ducati superbike suspension

Arno Overweel builds pretty wild custom motorcycles. He’s not afraid of bolting a turbo onto a Honda CBX1000, for example. But he usually reserves those neck-turners for his customers: his own daily runner is a bone stock and somewhat anonymous Suzuki TL1000.

A few years ago, the Dutchman built an eye-catching custom for himself, but made the mistake of taking it to a show—and someone made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. So he figured it was time for another personal project.

Arno had a specific idea: decades ago, he’d successfully mated a single-sided Honda VFR800 swing arm to a Suzuki GSX-R1100. Right now, he had the wheels and swingarm from a Ducati 1098 lying around in his Culemborg shop, and an itch to pull off a similar trick.

He managed to source a mint condition GSX-R1100 donor, dragged it to the Rno Cycles workshop… and froze. “I could not put the saw to it,” he says.

“When I get a new bike, I get rid of all the unnecessary stuff. But for the first time in my life I grew a conscience. I was thinking, this one is too original for its age. It’s a classic. This will be a sin.”

Luckily, a friend came to the rescue. While browsing the classifieds he stumbled across the GSXR that Arno had built years ago—with the Honda swingarm still attached. Arno took it as a sign, snapped it up, and tore the Suzuki down for the second time.

The first job was to swap the VFR swing arm for the Ducati 1098 unit. That meant milling out some metal on the frame, doing the same to the swingarm, and then building up certain areas with aluminum for strength. Arno also fabricated a full set of spacers to match everything up.

The new setup also called for a new mounting point for the shock linkage, so Arno designed a multi-purpose subframe to link the suspension and support the tail. The shock is a Showa unit, overhauled and tuned by HK Suspension.

Up top is a custom tail section, complete with an integrated taillight, and a neat bolt-on license plate bracket that also holds the turn signals. Arno fabricated a new seat pan too, then had Miller Kustom Upholstery cover the unique three-piece saddle.

The Ducati 1098 wheels and Brembo brakes went onto the Suzuki too, along with a set of Pirelli Dragon Supercorsa tires. But the front forks (and fender) are from a Ducati Panigale, held in place by a set of custom-machined yokes.

Move up to the control area, and you’ll find a set of custom-made clip-on clamps, holding carbon fiber bars from LSL. There’s also an Acewell speedo, and an aftermarket Harley V-Rod headlight. Everything’s mounted on hand-made brackets, and they’re all integrated too; the headlight bracket bolts to the speedo support, which also holds the brake fluid reservoir.

As well as loading the Suzuki with cool details like that, Arno has installed custom bits like the rearsets and front sprocket guard. There’s also a new oil cooler adorned with beautifully machined side guards, lines from Goodridge, and nifty little line spacers.

Performance upgrades include 40 mm Mikuni carbs with K&N filters, and a custom-built stainless steel four-into-one exhaust system. There’s new wiring too, and a Lithium-ion battery hiding under the tail hump.

Final touches include minor tweaks to the fuel tank, which is now topped by a modified LSL gas cap. The stylish coat of blue paint was shot by Ben Oud’s Motorspuitwerk, and the cheeky street racer-inspired graphics come from Jeroen Overweel.

It’s something of a mashup, with hints of cafe racer, street fighter and 90s sportbike all gloriously rolled into one. And with even more than the original 143 hp on tap from the screaming inline four, this is one heck of a grocery getter.

Rno Cycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by (and thanks to) Floris Velthuis Instagram

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1992 Suzuki GSXR1100 by Rno Cycles

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1992 Suzuki GSXR1100 by Rno Cycles

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1992 Suzuki GSX R1100 by Rno Cycles.

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Suzuki GSXR1100 1992 by Rno Cycles.

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Editor’s Choice: An Alternative Top 10 for 2018

It’s that time of year when we throw the data out the window and pick our personal favorite customs of 2018. Our traditional Bike EXIF Top Ten is based on bikes that melted our servers—but these are the bikes that also melted our hearts.

There are a few ground rules: we only include bikes that we’ve written full features on (sorry, Bikes of the Week alumni). And we don’t feature more than one from a particular builder. We also exclude machines that have already popped up on our data-driven Top Ten; if we didn’t, Daniel Peter’s Yamaha SR500, Jackson Burrows’ Harley-Davidson Super 10 and K-Speed’s Honda Cub would easily have made the cut.

So here—in alphabetical order of builder—is this year’s Editor’s Choice.

Ducati 250 by Analog Motorcycles This petite racer features the most exotic pairing we’ve ever seen: a vintage Ducati 250 motor, in a prototype Moto 3 chassis. The rest of the bike’s a harmonious mix of parts bin and handcrafted bits. And as you can see, the results are absolutely glorious.

There’s one heck of a story behind the project too—from how it was conceived, to a tragedy that set it back by almost a year. (It’s worth clicking on ‘More’ to get the full story.) Analog’s Tony Prust has our utmost respect for forging ahead, and for building one of our favorite cafe racers of 2018. [More]

Ducati Scrambler by deBolex Engineering We’ve seen our share of shoddy craftsmanship masked by great photography. But when deBolex Engineering’s Calum Pryce-Tidd wheeled this stunning Ducati Scrambler onto the Bike EXIF stand at the Wildays festival, my jaw hit the floor. DeBolex well and truly are the real deal.

They masterfully transformed the Ducati Scrambler into a pure café racer, with a full complement of aluminum bodywork. Every last detail is on point; from the removable side panels, to the picture perfect paint and tasteful parts selection. It’s the cafe racer we wish Ducati had built. [More]

Yamaha XJ750 by Derek Kimes Meet ‘Turbo Maximus’—the bike that kicked us in the teeth with its 80s throwback styling and turbocharger. It’s the work of Derek Kimes, and at the time of publishing, it was the first and only bike he’d ever owned. Derek started working in Bryan Fuller’s shop part time while studying engineering, and this brutal superbike was the result.

It’s arguably the most nuts-o bike we’ve featured this year. Among the mods are a XJ900 engine swap, a conversion to fuel injection and a very trick turbo setup. The chassis is well sorted too (keen eyes will spot a mono-shock out back), and that livery is just dreamy. [More]

Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled by Earle Motors Automotive designer Alex Earle is someone worth keeping a close eye on. His Ducati Monster street tracker broke new ground three years ago, and this year he knocked it out the park again. This is ‘The Alaskan’—a Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled designed to excel off-road.

The focus here was on practicality—taller suspension, a lengthened swing arm, and a 21” front wheel with aggressive rubber. Alex also built new fuel tanks, and added luggage carrying capacity, a Kevlar skid plate and a blinding headlight. Then he took it across Alaska for two weeks… [More]

BMW R nineT by Hookie Co. Hookie Co.’s success lies in something that can’t be taught: they have a knack for building bikes that just look right. This sharp R nineT custom epitomizes that quality—it’s cohesive, perfectly proportioned and well constructed.

Hookie built the bike by designing a bolt-on kit, which they now sell. Highlights include a full-length bolt-on subframe, a fuel cell with an interchangeable carbon fiber cover, and a shortened seat, with a neat luggage strap out back. Best of all, anyone with a set of spanners (and enough headroom on their credit card) can replicate Hookie’s magic over a couple of beers on a weekend. [More]

Suzuki Bandit by Icon 1000 The Portland crew are long-time supporters of Bike EXIF—but that’s not why they’re on the list. It’s because this gear company also regularly builds off-the-wall customs. This retro-fabulous Suzuki Bandit presses all our buttons, and it finished just outside the top ten on our stats-driven list.

Dubbed ‘Colonel Butterscotch,’ Icon’s Bandit is sporting suspension and brake upgrades, a Kawasaki ZRX1200 aluminum-alloy swing arm and a sweet asymmetrical exhaust system. The bodywork hints at both 70s endurance racers and 80s superbikes, and is actually a second version— it all had to be rebuilt when the bike was binned during a shakedown test. Lucky for us, those Icon guys are stubborn. [More]

KTM LC8 by Max Hazan We only featured one bike from master builder Maxwell Hazan this year—and it was a far cry from his usual esoteric vibe. This one isn’t a museum-worthy masterpiece: it’s Max’s personal bike, a KTM 950 SM. It’s also sharp, looks like a ton of fun, and is hiding more craftsmanship than you’d think.

There’s hand-formed alloy bodywork throughout, including a new load-bearing fuel tank that also holds the electronics. Max also modified and fitted Marchesini wheels from a CBR1000, and relocated the rear shock mount to tweak the ride height. There’s even a lighting kit that can be fitted, making this the perfect track and street weapon. [More]

Seeley G50 by NYC Norton The allure of classic machinery is hard to beat, and this Seeley G50 is right up there with the best. It’s the work of NYC Norton, who built it specifically for the Custom Revolution exhibition at the Petersen Museum in LA.

NYC Norton pieced it together using a short-stroke replica Matchless Grand Prix motor from Minnovation Racing, and a Seeley MK2 chassis from Roger Titchmarsh. Look beyond the lively blue paint, and you’ll spot a long list of well-crafted details. And while this G50 is currently in race trim, it’ll be converted for road use in the future. [More]

Harley-Davidson Street 750 by Suicide Machine Co. Aaron and Shaun Guardado are two of the most down-to-earth, hard-working dudes you’ll ever meet. They’re racers too, so every bike they build has a strong performance bend. This time around, they took Harley-Davidson’s rather vanilla Street 750, and turned it into a ripping street tracker.

The brothers threw everything at this project. It’s sporting a one-off frame and bodywork, a carbon fiber swing arm, carbon fiber wheels from BST and Öhlins suspension. And it’s one of the sharpest Harley Street customs we’ve ever laid eyes on. [More]

Ducati Superbike by Walt Siegl Mr. Siegl and his ridiculously talented team never fail to impress, but this year they outdid themselves. First, they built a Leggero that very nearly made it onto this list. But then they topped it with a superbike that looks like it was built by a factory race team.

There’s so much here to love: from the custom frame that uses World SBK geometry, to the Bruce Meyers Performance-tuned hybrid motor. (Hop on over to the original article—the engine mods alone will make your head spin). This is no café racer; it’s a purebred race machine that blends classic design with modern tech. More, please.

Honorable mention: BMW R18 by Custom Works Zon Since we highlighted this bike as part of our Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show coverage, it doesn’t technically qualify for this list. But any bike that takes top honors at Mooneyes is worth consideration.

Plus, just look at it. Then consider that all the CW Zon team had to work with was a prototype drivetrain from BMW. The rest they built from scratch, resulting in the sleek—yet brutal—land speed racer you see before you. [More]

The best of the rest Narrowing our favorites down to just ten bikes is a painful (and almost impossible) task. Those that narrowly missed the cut include: Rno’s crazy Honda CBX 1000; Justin Webster’s de-scrambled Triumph Scrambler; Raccia’s classy Kawasaki ‘W1R’; Revival Cycles’ nod to the legendary Majestic; a Ducati flat tracker from Lloyd Brothers, and Smoked Garage’s off-the-wall Royal Enfield Himalayan (below).

Thanks to these builders for wowing us, and for giving us great content to share with our readers. Go ahead and dive into the comments to tell us if your favorites made it onto the list—or what you would have picked instead.

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Boosted: Rno’s wild turbocharged Honda CBX 1000

We love the big, bruising superbikes of the late 70s and early 80s. They were fast, brash and good-looking—and their riders often had more skidmarks than Lewis Hamilton’s driveway.

So we always keep an eye out for good superbike restomods, and Arno Overweel of Rno Cycles has just delivered a cracker with this turbocharged Honda CBX.

In continental Europe, Arno is a household name in the custom scene. His bikes are often extreme and impractical, but this one is different. The styling is subtle, and the pyrotechnics are focused on the mechanical side.

“The client saw my work at a show and he was very enthusiastic,” says Arno. “We started talking about a CBX that he’d owned from a very early age. It was an American model, with the odometer in miles.”

“The bike had been customized before, with a chromed frame and a turbo kit, but it’d been in storage for a while—and time had left its mark, in the form of rust.”

The client wanted his CBX back on the road, but Arno’s heart lies in custom bike building rather than restoration. “Restoration is simply not my passion,” he says. “But a technical and optical upgrade of a CBX seemed like a challenge, so my question was: where is the limit?”

Arno and his client were soon on the same page. “We both became more enthusiastic. In our heads, the bike was already built: a number plate up front, an aggressive short seat, and modern brakes. The deal was sealed and I finally got to work with a powerful CBX!”

The CBX was the flagship of the Honda range between 1978 and 1982, a superbike with a 1,047 cc 24-valve, air-cooled inline six fed by six carburetors. With 105 hp on tap, it had a top speed comfortably in excess of 130 mph, with some reports citing 140 mph (225 km/h).

This machine goes one step better. It’s got a turbo kit from American Turbo Pack, a mod that was available to speed freaks back in the day. The turbo is a compact Rajay unit, and it breathes through a simple but effective Bendix carb. (The practicalities of tuning six Keihin VB28s for forced induction do not bear thinking about.)

Everything still works well, and the sound apparently generates goose bumps. “At a certain speed, the six-cylinder really begins to howl,” says Arno.

To keep the mighty motor running sweet, Arno installed a Setrab oil cooler (hooked up with Goodridge hoses), a Procom igniter set to boost the sparks, and a new alternator from a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-7R, fitted via a custom adaptor plate.

What Arno didn’t like was the back end of the CBX. “There was a huge seat with a ridiculous big taillight, which looked out of proportion with the narrow rear wheel. The front also needed better proportions.”

Arno decided to respect the 70s styling, but also update it to modern times—taking it from classic superbike to modern muscle bike. “The CBX would get a more brutal look as well.”

He’s installed a Fireblade swingarm that is a bit longer than the standard CBX item. “I wanted a more open, modern and transparent look. So I also turned it into a monoshock set-up,” says Arno. He’s used a Showa shock in a Pro-link setup.

“The diagonal tube under the seat was removed, so all the electronic components and the battery had to move. The electrics are now under the fuel tank and the battery is in the tail.”

The tail end was shortened, which makes the swingarm look even longer, and the 190-section Aprilia RSV Mille rear wheel even bigger.

To beef up the front end, Arno has mounted Öhlins forks—again from an RSV Mille—along with triple trees from an Aprilia Tuono. The client did not want clip-ons, so Arno opted for more comfortable Motacc superbike bars on Rizoma risers.

Right ahead is the AMA Superbike racing-style number plate, which holds a pair of small LED lights. The ’57’ logo was designed by Arno’s brother Jeroen: “57 is the ‘year of construction’ of the owner!” Arno reveals.

The CBX’s character is largely determined by the fuel tank, so Arno wanted to keep it. “I didn’t like the filler cap, so I welded a Rizoma racing cap in it. Some people will think, ‘What a lot of work for a filler cap’, but this bike just needed it.”

The engine didn’t need any work—and certainly doesn’t need any more power. The exhaust system upstream from the turbo plumbing is the original American Turbo-Pack unit, but Arno crafted new plumbing downstream. It now snakes between the subframe supports and terminates in a simple muffler.

Arno also replaced many components with modern counterparts—like Pazzo levers, Motogadget m.blaze blinkers and an Acewell LCD multi-function speedo. He also removed the large round ‘pancake’ air cleaner that blocked the view of the beautiful carburetor and Turbo, replacing it with a compact sport air filter.

The striking paint is the handiwork of local specialist Ben Oud. “With Ben, you always know that it’ll works out,” says Arno. “I wanted an angular 70s style, in the Honda red, white and blue. And there had to be a black stripe on top of the fuel tank—which I’ve seen on a concept bike from Honda.”

Arno suggested flat colors and sponsor stickers, but Ben had better ideas. He also added a touch of glitter to the paint for extra impact, and figured out the best position for the logo.

“He chose the most difficult option—a wing over the tank bulge,” says Arno. “He’s a real professional.”

Ben even painted the seat base before it went to Marcel Miller for the foam and upholstery. Arno elected to mix up the tuck ‘n roll pattern with some diamond stitching.

Unlike some of Arno’s previous builds, the CBX is ‘reasonably comfortable’ and practical. “Everything works properly, and the sound is fantastic!” he reports. “You can hear that it’s a six-cylinder.”

Arno’s managed to take the already monstrous CBX into even wilder territory—without losing an ounce of its retro appeal. We’d ask for a test ride if we weren’t genuinely scared of it.

Rno Cycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by (and thanks to) Floris Velthuis