Keep in mind the Suzuki DR Massive? Born from Suzuki’s late-80s manufacturing unit Dakar rally bike, it featured daring styling and the most important single-cylinder engine in the marketplace. It will go on to change into iconic—so iconic, that Suzuki even introduced again its styling lately, with their V-Strom 1050 XT journey bike.
Regardless of how distinct the DR Massive’s aesthetic is, there’s not a shred of it left on this tradition road tracker from Bolt Motor Co. In truth, the one recognizable elements left on this DR Massive are its body and its stonking 727 cc motor.
Bolt store boss, Adrián Campos, additionally occurs to be the group precept of the Campos Racing group (Bolt even makes use of the Campos Racing workshop). So it’s often a on condition that their {custom} builds are imbued with a way of efficiency. On this construct, that meant turning the DR Massive right into a squat road tracker with an assortment of upgrades.
Beginning with a 1989-model Suzuki DR750 S Massive, the crew stripped it down and tossed all of its plastics within the bin. The engine was rebuilt with a lightened flywheel, and two 42 mm Keihin carbs that inhale by way of a pair of Uni filters. Bolt fabricated a brand new exhaust header too, operating it by the body and terminating it in a Supertrapp muffler.
Sitting simply in entrance of the engine, off to the left, is a custom-made radiator, plumbed with Goodridge traces. The location is purposeful—Bolt put it there to create extra clearance for the entrance wheel, as a result of the entire bike’s been lowered.
Up entrance are the upside-down forks and twin Brembo disc brakes from a Suzuki GSX-R. Bolt CNC-machined {custom} yokes to put in the brand new entrance finish, and added a tidy little fender. Tucked between the yokes is a 3D-printed quantity board with an LED headlight poking by it.
Simply above that you simply’ll discover a set of tracker-style handlebars, fitted with the unique Suzuki switches, new grips and Brembo levers. A tiny digital Motogadget speedo sits neatly between the risers, together with the bike’s LED warning lights.
Not content material with simply sprucing up the entrance of the bike, Bolt had formidable plans for the rear too. That they had the concept to suit an identical Suzuki GSX-R swingarm, however it turned out to be the most important headache of the entire construct. The principle difficulty was that the swingarm was narrower at its pivot level than the body—however Bolt managed to make it work in the long run.
Subsequent, a pair of 19F/18R wheels had been tailored to suit the Suzuki, and shod with Dunlop rubber. They’re a welcome departure from the inventory 21F/17R combo, which might have look comically unbalanced with the bike’s revised suspension.
Bolt was simply as discerning when selecting out the DR Massive’s new bodywork. After bouncing just a few concepts round for a brand new gas tank, they settled on the reservoir from a Honda CB750 K2. The thought of placing a 70s Honda tank on a late-80s Suzuki sounds nuts, however it works remarkably effectively.
Paired with the brand new tank is a flat track-style tail unit, full with detachable facet boards and an built-in LED taillight. Bolt designed and produced it in-house, utilizing 3D design and printing tech. The Suzuki’s subframe was modified to go well with it.
Due to a even handed rewire job, the world beneath the seat is obvious to indicate off the exhaust and shock. Different {custom} elements embrace a license plate bracket [not pictured] and new foot pegs.
Basic bike race followers ought to acknowledge the Suzuki’s new livery. Bolt designed the DR Massive as a tribute to Kevin Schwantz, and his Fortunate Strike-sponsored Suzuki RGV500. They even added the quantity 43, as a homage to Schwantz’s race quantity, 34.
Bolt put their very own spin on this basic paint job with a recurring lightning bolt theme. It’s even repeated on the seat stitching, courtesy of the automotive upholstery skilled, Llop.
We by no means would have imagined {that a} Suzuki DR Massive would make for a great road tracker with basic GP racing underpinnings. However Bolt did—and so they’ve introduced it to life with all of the panache that we’ve come to anticipate from them.
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