BUILD YOUR OWN BOLT-ON BEAUTY
You’ve just seen an awesome bike at a show. You’ve never seen anything like it before. You can picture yourself riding it – and now you’ve decided you’ve got to build it. But how do you transform a standard machine into a head-turning two-wheeled icon, pa
Most bikers have a slightly distorted view of custom motorcycles. As a rule, we tend to think of outrageous choppers and turbocharged streetfighters, but that’s not really the case. Technically, a custom motorcycle is one that has been changed from its standard factory form. It’s that simple. You don’t have to be a mechanical whizz with an engineering degree to create something special, as there are an abundance of parts and accessories out there to make your bike unique. Even if you’ve never changed a single part on your bike, with the right attitude and a bit of elbow grease you can turn your pride and joy into something spectacular.
The Honda Cub is a tour de force in the two-wheeled world. With over 100 million units sold since its introduction in 1958, you can buy a Cub for reasonable money almost anywhere in the world, which is exactly the reason Shanghai Customs has chosen it as the base bike for its new electric conversion kit. Best of all, all you need to crack on with the conversion is a solid frame and some forks, because Shanghai Customs kit provides everything else as part of its kit. That’s because it wants to re-use and re-purpose old Cubs rather than crank out another Chinese electric scooter.
The Shanghai Customs eCUB Kit is an all-inclusive package, which allows Honda Cub owners with basic mechanical skills and hand tools to convert their pride and joy from petrol to electric. And SH reckons you’ll be able to do it in less than a day. The Honda eCUB kit will fit all Honda C70 and C90 models from 1967 to 2003, and it’ll also fit the Honda C50 with some minor tweaks. If you’re interested, the kit will set you back $2999 (which works out just shy of £2300), and includes shipping to your door.
GG Retrofitz of California produces a conversion kit which turns a standard Yamaha YZF-R3 into a retrostyled café racer.
Called the Rocket Street, the super-cool kit is compatible with Yamaha’s YZF-R3 models from 2015 to 2018. The kit consists of a windshield, individual trim parts and a tank cover, in addition to all the tools you’ll need to fit it.
Sadly the headlight isn’t included, so you’ll have to purchase that separately.
In addition to the standard white version of the kit, there are also three unique graphics sets. We’re particularly taken with the white, blue and red version, but just imagine what you could do using the standard kit as a base, and creating your own personalised wrap.
The standard version will set you back $1198, which works out just shy of £1000 (the graphics cost a further £250).
Czech-based KTM and Husqvarna aftermarket accessories specialist Rade/Garage has created a brilliant kit for KTM’s 450 EXC, allowing customers to convert their bike into a ready-to-race Rally Raid machine.
Priced at just shy of €1,100 (which works out at less than £1000), the new Rally Kit is compatible with all of KTM’s four-stroke EXCs from 2017 onwards. For your money, you’ll get a large, transparent panel to help improve wind and weather protection (for both rider and instruments); two round LED lights to improve vision at night; a carbon GPS holder; lightweight mounts; a complete set of cables for connection to the on-board electrical system; and a preassembly for a Scott steering damper.