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Brad’s Leggero by Walt Siegl

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The latest creation from Walt Siegl Motorcycles, Brad’s Leggero helps fill the void left behind by the departure of the Ducati Sport Classic from the Italian company’s lineup.

Speaking to those who long for simpler machines, at the core of the Leggero is an air-cooled two-valve Ducati engine, which was built and blueprinted by Bruce Meyers Performance.

Other bespoke items include the frame, which is made of tubes of 4130 chrome moly steel, weighs a paltry 15 lbs, and was built in-house at Walt Siegl Motorcycles.

Helping complete the café racer look is the bullet fairing bodywork, which takes a dash of modern by being made of Kevlar. The modern touches continue, with the use Öhlins suspension and radially mounted Brembo brakes.

The effect is a tastefully done café racer that not only shines with real craftsmanship, but also does post-heritage right: taking the best of design from the past, without snubbing the progress of technology in the future.

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Podcast

Two Enthusiasts Podcast #34 – Doohickey

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Episode 34 of the Two Enthusiasts Podcast starts off by using the two new Ducati Scrambler models, which were spotted in CARB filings earlier this month, as a jumping off point to talk about how motorcycle manufacturers are chasing the post-authentic biker movement.

We then opine a bit about the apparent decline in the number of scrambler and café racer builds we are seeing in the custom motorcycle scene right now, and how we think that superbikes from the 1980s could be the next platform of choice for bike builders.

This takes the show into a discussion about the rise of electronics, and how they not only affect the motorcycle hobbyist, but also custom motorcycle builders. We then finish up the show with a listener question that asks about for selling advice on a heavily customized Japanese motorcycle.

There might be a revolving KLR joke in there as well…all in all, it’s another classic Two Enthusiasts Podcast show.

As always, you can listen to the show via the embedded SoundCloud player, after the jump, or you can find the show on iTunes (please leave a review) or this RSS feed. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well. Enjoy the show!

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Bikes

This Yamaha FZ-09 Based ADV Bike Is Awesome

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In the spirit of a little more Yamaha news today (the 2017 Yamaha YZF-R6 will debut in less than a month, if you didn’t hear), here’s something we are sure that will stoke your moto-lust.

It’s no secret that the adventure-touring market is hot right now, with virtually every OEM scrambling (no pun intended) to bring dual-sport machines that can go long distances, no matter what the road conditions are, even if they are completely lacking.

This has lead to a wide range of designs, with different levels of on-road and off-road prowess. This has also lead to consumers creating their own ADV/dual-sport machines, based off a variety of machines.

The most intriguing build we have seen thus far though has to be this one, which is based off the Yamaha FZ-09. It’s awesome.

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Bikes

The Carbon Fiber VanderHeide Is A “Gentleman’s Racer”

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Dutch motorcycle-builder Rolf van der Heide calls his machine a “gentleman’s racer” – we’re not sure what that means exactly, so we’ll just settle on calling it beautiful.

The VanderHeide features a monocoque chassis, made completely from carbon fiber. The swingarm and front-end assembly are also made from the composite material, all of which was engineered and hand-built by Rolf van der Heide himself.

At the core of the machine is an Aprilia RSV4 engine, which makes 201hp in its stock form. VanderHeide says it can provide a 230hp superbike option, if one’s wallet so desires.

Other go-fast bits include 17″ BST carbon fiber wheels, a MoTeC dash, Brembo brakes, and a very unique setup for the bike’s Öhlins TTX36 shocks, which provide the suspension for both the rear and front wheels.

All told, the VanderHeide weighs 175kg dry (386 lbs) in street form, with the race version tipping the scales at 165kg dry (364 lbs). But, we haven’t touched the tip of the iceberg on what makes this motorcycle so breathtakingly unique.

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Bikes

More Photos of the MV Agusta F4Z by Zagato

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It seems MV Agusta really couldn’t wait until September 4th to show us its collaboration with Italian coachbuilder Zagato, because today we have a high-resolution gallery of this one-off machine.

As the name suggests, the MV Agusta F4Z started life as an MV Agusta F4 superbike. Zagato then gave the F4 a visual restyling, with the intake, fuel tank, battery, and exhaust system all having to be redesigned to accommodate the flowing bodywork.

The lines of the MV Agusta F4Z are certainly polarizing, especially for hardcore fans of the MV Agusta brand, and that is probably just fine. This is because the MV Agusta F4Z is to be a one-of-one design, with a wealthy Japanese entrepreneur said to be the bike’s final recipient.

You can continue your love/hate relationship with this motorcycle after the jump, with some very high-resolution photos.

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Bikes

XXX: MV Agusta “AgoTT” by Deus Ex Machina

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With the debut of the MV Agusta F4Z – a custom superbike designed in partnership with Italian design house Zagato – I thought we would add some contrast to that machine with another special motorcycle that started life in Varese: Deus Ex Machina’s “AgoTT” street bike.

I recently got to see the AgoTT doing laps at Laguna Seca (note the balled racing slicks), and was immediately impressed with the build – the guys at Deus in Los Angeles really did a superb job with this machine, which has a nice balance of old and new in its design.

I also love the fact that we are seeing some great pieces of work get built from the MV Agusta platform, especially the Brutale line. Adrian Morton and his team at CRC have made a lineup of truly beautiful machines, taking on the difficult task of improving upon the work of Massimo Tamburini.

But the even more difficult task is then to take those finish production bikes and rework them into something that is not only new, but also equally as beautiful.

What we have seen from Walt Siegl, and now from Deus Ex Machina hit the nail on the head, and give us a much-needed break from the Honda CB builds of the last few year. I think you’ll agree, and also enjoy the pictures, after the jump.

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Bikes

Behold, The MV Agusta F4Z

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The much hyped MV Agusta F4Z broke cover today – much to our surprise, ahead of its scheduled September 4th debut. The bike is a collaboration between MV Agusta and Milan-based design house Zagato, using the four-cylinder MV Agusta F4 superbike as its platform.

Thanks to the not one, but two teaser videos from MV Agusta, we had a good idea what the F4Z would look like, but now there is little room for speculation with what appears to be CG renders images of the machine..

We expect that this design will certainly be polarizing, especially considering the iconic form that the F4 embodied. As such, leave your thoughts in the comments section.

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Bikes

The MV Agusta F4Z Teases Us Again

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MV Agusta continues to tease its collaboration with design house Zagato, with their MV Agusta F4Z set to drop in a couple weeks’ time.

Using yet another teaser video, MV Agusta pulls the curtain back a little further, giving us a better glimpse of the F4Z’s lines, which shows off a very unique sport bike.

Zagato has given the MV Agusta F4 quite the makeover, going from superbike to something closer to a futuristic café racer. We’re not sure how that’s going to play with hardcore MV Agusta fans, but the design partnership is certainly producing some interesting results.

Tell us your thoughts, is the MV Agusta F4Z a yay or a nay? The teaser video (after the jump) is full of fast cuts, so we added some screen captures of the good bits for you.

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Bikes

Here’s a Custom Ducati XDiavel by Roland Sands Design

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In the event’s 76-year history, this year marks the first time that Ducati has ever participated at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally – the Italian company hoping to showcase its Harley-Davidson alternative, the Ducati XDiavel.

Helping fuel that fire was a collaboration between Roland Sands Design and Ducati, which has given way to the creation of a one-off XDiavel with the usual RSD touches.

This means a flowing single-piece body, the addition of a 19″ front wheel, and shotgun-style exhaust are added to the already stylish XDiavel. The RSD Ducati XDiavel is then finished off with metallic flake paint job, along with the usual bits and bobs from the RSD catalog.

There is a lot of “Southern California” transmitted through RSD’s design into the Italian-born XDiavel. It makes for an interesting mixture. We’ll be curious to see how this resonates with American cruiser riders.

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Bikes

More Teasers from MV Agusta & Zagato

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Seemingly reading our minds from yesterday, MV Agusta has released a teaser video for its soon-to-be-revealed collaboration with Zagato.

The video uses light a great deal to hide and reveal elements of the machine, thus obfuscating the details of the special motorcycle. But still, we can glean some important pieces of information, nonetheless.

For starters, the MV Agusta F4 does appear to be the basis for this new machine, confirming rumors from yesterday, with the video providing a good look at the crankcase cover and chassis configuration, which are the same as those on the the inline-four superbike.

The various other pieces we see suggest a motorcycle that is very different from the donor model though, with Zagato’s touches seemingly taking the F4 from superbike to avant-garde café racer (the above enhanced photo shows the silhouette).

To that end, the overall aesthetic might not be that different from the Ducati MH900E, with similarly chosen modern touches on a retro design. We wll let you watch the video, checkout the stills, and make up your own mind, though.

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Rumors

MV Agusta F4 Getting the Zagato Makeover?

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When MV Agusta announced that it was working with automobile design house Zagato, it left us scratching our heads. What were these two Italian brands up to? The teaser image did little to help narrow down that answer too.

We might have another piece to the puzzle though, as Swiss outfit AcidMoto has a source who is saying that the special motorcycle will be based off the MV Agusta F4 – Varese’s venerable superbike.

That news probably doesn’t give us any more clarity than we had before, but it is interesting to see the aged four-cylinder platform getting the Zagato custom treatment.

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