[ad_1]
Simone Conti has what many customized bikes builders attempt for—an immediately recognizable fashion. Working beneath the banner of Simone Conti Bikes, the Italian craftsman creates machines that look quick, aggressive and futuristic, like two-wheeled mechanical aliens. His fashion is so distinctive, that when he advised his pals he was about to customise a Yamaha XS650, they scoffed.
“I had this 1971 Yamaha XS650 engine,” Simone tells us, “and I assumed I might make a motorbike with an previous engine and a contemporary aesthetic. All my pals advised me that it could by no means be stunning, as a result of the engine has completely totally different traces.”
Decided to show his pals mistaken, Simone got down to construct considered one of his wildest bikes but. Calling this a customized XS650 is definitely a little bit of a stretch, as a result of the one unique elements left are the engine, transmission, wheels and rear brake. The whole lot else was both upgraded—or scrapped and remade from scratch.
Sure, that features the chassis, too. The XS650’s twin cylinder mill now not sits cradled in its unique metal body. As a substitute, it’s suspended from a full aluminum setup, designed and fabricated by Simone.
It’s a modular design; the entrance half and the subframe are tubular items, with a set of CNC-cut mounting plates tying every thing collectively. As soon as Simone had constructed the person items, he set every thing right into a jig and put all of it collectively, like a life-sized Meccano set.
The boxy swingarm seems to be prefer it got here off a sportbike, however it’s additionally a customized piece. It’s hooked as much as an Öhlins shock, and makes allowance for the XS650’s OEM drum brake hub.
Simone stored the Yamaha’s unique 19F/18R wheels, however upgraded the entrance suspension and brakes. The forks are from a Honda CBR600RR, and the dual brake calipers are Brembo items. For the tires, Simone paired an Avon Speedmaster (entrance) with a Dunlop K825 (rear), to combine a basic contact into the bike’s in any other case futuristic vibe.
Metallic shaping is Simone’s forte—so this XS650 is swathed in handmade aluminum elements. The vibe is lithe and muscular, and if we needed to guess, we’d say that Simone’s temper board is roofed in footage of futuristic jet fighters and anime robots.
From the nostril cone, via to the sculpted gasoline tank, waspish tail part and beneficiant facet fairings, every bit is closely sculpted and loaded with tiny particulars. We love the juxtaposition of sharp edges and visual welds, and the way in which Simone has labored a plethora of vents into the design. Quarter-turn fasteners on the fairing show that he’s thought-about the sensible facet of proudly owning a servicing a motorbike like this, too.
This Yamaha sports activities much more customized goodness, within the type of a lot of customized carbon fiber elements. However since that’s outdoors of Simone’s wheelhouse, he first prototyped every thing out of aluminum—after which referred to as in reinforcements.
The aluminum templates had been handed over to a pal, Ivan Motta (who additionally dealt with the bike’s placing paint job). Ivan collaborated with a kiteboarding firm, Devils Kiteboarding, to construct molds and reproduce every bit in carbon fiber. The brand new carbon elements embrace the vented entrance brake scoops, rear wheel covers, rear hugger, exhaust warmth shields, and shields for the engine’s pod filters.
Simone would have been proud of ‘common’ woven carbon, however Ivan had a greater concept. All of the elements had been formed utilizing unidirectional carbon—a non-woven sort of carbon with a singular look to it. The carbon contrasts the uncooked aluminum and sweet aquamarine sections completely.
The Yamaha is completed off with a smorgasbord of smaller one-off elements. Simone made the foot controls and heel plates himself, in addition to the dual chrome steel exhaust system. The slash-cut silencers use a mixture of carbon fiber and aluminum tubing.
Not too many customized builders would attempt to flip a Yamaha XS650 right into a neo-futuristic café racer, however Simone has pulled it off spectacularly. However do his detractors agree?
“My pals mentioned that I used to be proper,” he says with a smile.
Simone Conti Bikes Fb | Instagram | Photos by Mattia Negrini
[ad_2]