Heute
präsentiert sich Deus Japan mit einem VTR 250 Umbau der
außergewöhnlich und faszinierend ist. Inspiriert durch die
„flat-tracker“ aus den 70`Jahren zeigt die Mutter der New Custom
das auch Motorräder mit wenig ccm und Leistung extrem cool sein können.
Aber
lest selbst:
via
Deus:
There
is something undeniably magnetic about the image of a flat track
rider exiting a turn, bike slew sideways as the rear fights for
traction, inside foot extended, skimming the track and stopping rider
and machine losing their battle with the laws of physics and being
pitched unceremoniously to the earth or into the fence.Though Honda’s
VTR250 would not normally be linked with this imagery.
In
the late nineties, Honda’s VTRs, a 249cc V Twin screamer, were
raced, scratched and toured across Japan and thrashed merciless at
the hands of a legion of Tokyo couriers (invaluable combat testing).
The pint sized V Twin pulls harder than it has any right too, is a
fiend for high RPM and handles better than many bikes with twice its
specification.
While
the rev happy Honda’s pair of pistons willingly spin upwards of
12000 rpm, with the soundtrack and poke to match, the trellis frame
and stonking great airbox where the gas tank usually sits, has
thwarted serious interest in the bike in the custom world. Till now.
“Once you’ve had the vision, it’d be unfair not to build it so
others can enjoy it too” offers Matthew Roberts, Deus Japan’s man
behind the custom motorcycles. Sagely advice from one never known to
shy away from a design challenge, and the creator of The South Paw
Street Tracker.
Unlike
the hidden frame backbone or spine of more commonly customised
machines that happily allow dozens of tank configurations to be
achieved, a trellis frame stakes its claim on the design and requires
gallant effort on the part of the customizer to have it yield to
serious customisation or re-imagining.
Working
from a series of 1:1 sketches, the body form was shaped by hand
before being formed in a carbon fiber, woven glass and epoxy
composite. The curves and purposeful air were inspired by the
bodywork of modern day flat track machines, though Roberts highlights
his thinking was infused with a nod to the past “borrowing lines
from 1970’s Champion style tracker fuel tanks and seat units”.
The
hefty standard air-box and CV carbs were originally planned to be
dropped for a set of flat slide carbs and create the fuel cell in the
space afforded. But the little twin had other plans. The flat slides
were a dream at full noise, but try as the team might, they couldn’t
get them set up for any useful gains without upsetting the VTR’s
bottom and mid range, and it is that seamless midrange that makes the
VTR fun in the first place. So it was hats-off to Honda’s 1990’s
R&D department as the air box and factory carbs were returned and
the build sent back to the drawing board.
The
solution – junk the back half of the bike, a cantilevered fuel cell
that does double duty as the rear sub-frame in its place. Access to
the fuel filler is under the seat, with a one-off quick release
fastener being machined up and visible at the rear of the seat. The
seat itself has a hand formed alloy pan and graphite alcantara
upholstery with a neat burnt orange accent stitch making it feel at
home with the paint scheme.
Foot
control position has been moved 130mm forward and 40mm down from the
original machine to give the control needed in cornering when the
rear of the machine tries to overtake the front. “So often
overlooked, when people make trackers or scramblers. You start
sliding round with standard rearset pegs and things tend to get outta
hand real fast” notes Roberts.
A
set of 17 inch Excel alloy racing rims, 4.5 inch rear and 3 up front,
were laced to Honda hubs and are wrapped with the sticky black
goodness of Metzeler Sportec M7 RR tyres. Braking duties are taken
care of with an uprated 320mm front disc and a mix of Nissin and a
Brembo components, a 2 piston caliper at the front helps provide
stopping power while still clearing the spokes.
Up
front the number board-come-fairing was sculpted from aluminum and a
rugged LED spotlight encased in this hand formed surround, giving the
South Paw the obligatory race face.
Exhaust
gases exit via stainless tuned length headers from Mugen and a one
off stainless end can (we hesitate to use the word silencer) which is
“delightful” or “raucous” depending on if you’re asking the
rider or the neighbours.
Scrambler
sind weiterhin angesagt und erweitern positiv die Custom- Umbauscene.
Ob neu oder alt, irgendwie sind viele von uns den frühen Enduros
sehr angetan. Officine Rossopuro haben als Basis eine Moto Guzzi
1000 SP Baujahr 1980 genommen und zu einem wunderschönen Scrambler
umgebaut. Der Auftraggeber, ein bekennender Guzzi Fahrer hatte den
Wunsch, einen wahren urbanen Scrambler zu fahren, der sich im Verkehr
als auch die typischen engen Gassen von Neapel wohlfühlt und auch
auf den umliegenden Schotterstraßen eine gute Figur macht. Die
Grundidee bestand darin, so viel wie möglich Ballast zu verlieren
und einen leichten Umnau zu realisieren.
Filippo
verbaute 17 Zoll Speichenräder hinten und vorne 18 Zoll. Das
Bremssystem wurde vorne auf fetten 320 mm Brembo Gold Front mit
Doppelkolben Brembo Bremssätteln getauscht und hinten auf 240 Brembo
Bremssattel verändert. Natürlich wurde auch das das Fahrwerk
verändert, Vorne dämpft jetzt eine Marzocchi 45mm upside- down
Gabel, und hinten Stoßdämpfer von Bitubo. Der Tank wurde in zwei
separaten Stücken hergestellt und passt gut zur Scrambler-Linie.
Perfekt klingt die selbst hergestellte Zwei-in-2 Auspuffanlage und
rundet diesen Umbau mit der gewählten Lackierung grandios ab.
