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Enjoy This Custom Yamaha XSR900 “Æon” by Diamond Atelier

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I am always a bit envious of designers who can look past the lines of a rather bland motorcycle, and see something new and stunning. That vision is a rare gift.

Yamaha’s three-cylinder budget platform, the Yamaha MT-09, is surely one of those bland motorcycles, and even in its XSR900 form, it can be hard to see how the bones of this machine can be something bigger and better.

The eyes at Diamond Atelier saw the potential in the MT-09 platform though, taking a Yamaha XSR900 and turning it into a creation they call “Æon”.

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Bikes

BMW R18 Dragster Custom by Roland Sands…With NOS

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One of the motorcycle launches that was swallowed by the coronavirus outbreak was the debut of the BMW R18 – the german company’s giant air-cooled cruiser model.

There is a bit of irony in that fact, considering how long the German brand teased the bike in its near final form, only to see it production debut overshadowed by a global pandemic, but that’s the tough reality.

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News

MV Agusta Launches Monaco Design Studio for the Ultra-Wealthy

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Interesting news from MV Agusta, as the Italian brand has launched a new design studio in the Principality of Monaco, which will operate in addition to the Castiglioni Research Center that is San Marino.

The Monaco Design Studio is an off-shoot of the MV Agusta dealership in Monte-Carlo, which is run by notable Italian motorcycle racer Virginio Ferrari.

The purpose of the Monaco Design Studio is to cater to the über-wealthy that call the principality home, providing them with a boutique and bespoke customizing experience in direct relationship with the Italian factory.

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Dirt

Behold the Honda CB650R Rally by Honda Wingmotor

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That the Honda CB650R and its ilk make for excellent custom motorcycles should be an established fact by this point in time. Honda Motor Europe has prove this point extensively with its bevy of customs over the years.

So, it does not surprise us to see that the Japanese brand’s operations on the Iberian peninsula are using the CB as the basis for a custom bike build competition. What does surprise us though are some of the entries, as they are truly unique.

Take for instance this example, dubbed the Honda CB650R Rally. It’s done by Honda Wingmotor in Lisbon, Portugal, and as the name implies, it is a rally raid interpretation of the venerable street bike.

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Live Chat

Come Join Us for a Live Chat on YouTube with Walt Siegl

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Continuing our live chat video series on YouTube with members of the motorcycle industry, on Monday, June 8th at 10am PDT / 7pm CEST, Asphalt & Rubber will be sitting down with Walt Siegl.

Getting a chance to talk to one of the most-regarded builders in the motorcycle industry should be a great opportunity for a discussion about the current trends in motorcycling.

Of course, we will also be talking about Walt’s work, in particular how he approaches his motorcycle builds, finds inspiration, and makes motorcycles that look good and still perform well.

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Bikes

This Russian Three-Wheeled Ice Racer from Balamutti Is Super Cool

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What you are looking at here is a Ducati Hypermotard 1100. Well…it started life as a giant Italian supermoto, but after finding itself in the workshop of Russian outfit Balamutti, this Bologna Bullet is leading a very different life as a three-wheeled ice machine.

If you look closely, you can still see the Hypermotard’s steel trellis frame, single-sided swingarm, and its air-cooled v-twin engine. But, you will also notice the extra wheel at the front of the leaning reverse-trike, as well as a supercharger, studded tires, and controls that look like they belong on a Star Wars speeder.

This is because Balamutti’s Vitaliy Selyukov intends to race the machine, which he calls “Yondu” (after the Guardians of the Galaxy character), at the Baikal Mile – an ice speed festival that takes place each year in Siberia, near the Mongolian border…and Selyukov intends on making his ice runs in style.

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Bikes

The One Moto Show: Yamaha Virago 750 by WKND

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Another bike that caught our eye at The One Motorcycle Show, this tasty morsel is a 1982 Yamaha Virago 750 (XV 750) made by the hands at WKND. 

Though not a terribly appealing motorcycle in its original form, and part of Yamaha’s first attempts at challenging Harley-Davidson in the cruiser space, the Yamaha XV750 has seen builders make some tasty customs off its old air-cooled v-twin platform – as we can see here.

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Bikes

The One Moto Show: ABC 500 by A Bike Company

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The One Motorcycle Show was in Portland this weekend, meaning we didn’t have to travel very far at all to see the largest custom bike show in the United States.

Naturally, we feel compelled to share with you some of the best bikes we saw the show, and we will start things off right with one of our favorites from the expo.

To that end, it was a shame that the ABC 500 by A Bike Company wasn’t front and center when you came into the main bike hall, as the board tracker made by Niki Smart is a stunner and dripping in black.

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Bikes

The “Gigglerl’ Is the Meanest BMW R nineT We Have Ever Seen

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This bike has been burning a hole in my to-do list for far too long, partially because I first saw it late last year, but also because of how radial the design is…especially when you consider that it started life as a subdued BMW R nineT roadster.

The work of Austrian designer Blechmann, the bike is called Giggerl and well…it is hard to say which genre of style it fits into exactly. Blechmann has obvious modern cues and ideas for how a motorcycle should look, but Giggerl also has lines from the past, due in part to its air-cooled R nineT roots.

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Bikes

Randy Mamola Will Race This IndianxWorkhorse Scout Bobber

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Here is a recipe to make something we will instantly like, and it requires only three ingredients. Take a modern motorcycle, and put a dustbin fairing on it; take that machine out racing; and put grand prix legend Randy Mamola behind the handlebars.

The result is the IndianxWorkhorse Scout Bobber, and as the name implies, it is a collaboration between Indian Motorcycle and Workhorse Speedshop, as they aim to celebrate 100 years of Indian Scout motorcycles.

The bike – named “Appaloosa” – will race at the upcoming Sultans of Sprint Series, and while we don’t need to repeat saying who will be racing the machine, it is just cool to see Randy Mamola involved with this project.

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Products

Your Life Really Needs a Honda Grom Sidecar in It

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When the Honda Grom came on the market in 2013, we weren’t quite sure what to make of it. The name came from the surf/skater community, and the bike was two-thirds the size of a normal motorcycle.

Despite its small stature though, the fun factor was there for the Grom, and the pricing was right. This made the Honda Grom an instant hit.

Now with an update under its belt, we see the Grom platform in the Honda Monkey and Honda Super Cub as well, making for a three-bike lineup in Honda’s mini-moto offering.

But, there has been something missing all this time, which we didn’t know we needed until right now. Enter, the Honda Grom sidecar.

The work of the folks at Industrial Moto, the Grom Utility Sidecar is a bolt-on kit to add a third wheel of fun to your Honda Grom lifestyle. The perfect grocery-getter, the ultimate pit bike, the coolest way to take your kid to school…we need one.

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