The primary Velocity Learn of 2023 kicks off with a handful of parallel twins. Unit Storage debuts a customized package for Yamaha’s profitable Ténéré 700 journey bike, Wedge Bikes works their magic on the Royal Enfield Continental GT650, and JSL debuts a sunny yellow Kawasaki W800. Lastly, the story of the 2022 Malle Mile involves us because the model’s newest brief movie, protecting the pageant of pace in a enjoyable and thrilling manner.
Yamaha Ténéré 700 package by Unit Storage Unit Storage is thought for his or her well-engineered customized bike kits. Their kits can remodel a inventory bike into café racer, scrambler, or vintage-inspired construct, with a a lot smaller funds and shorter timeline than a full one-off customized. It’s a comparatively painless manner so as to add additional operate and elegance to a now-huge vary of bikes.
The newest customized package from Unit Storage brings traditional Ténéré model again to Yamaha’s present mid-sized journey platform. And what higher method to display this package, than to construct a maximalist Basic Ténéré?
Unit Storage’s Ténéré 700 ‘Basic’ makes use of the model’s full package, which is available in Icon Blue, Midnight Black, or unpainted. The package consists of all of the graphics seen right here, a excessive mudguard, traditional facet panels, plus an LED headlight and the traditional cowl that matches round it.
There’s additionally help for the bike’s authentic instrumentation, an aluminum radiator guard, MotoGadget entrance flip alerts, and the entire {hardware} wanted to place it collectively. Changing the inventory elements removes about 4.5 kilos [9.9 lbs] of weight.
This demonstrative mannequin sees a handful of different modifications as nicely, similar to a Unit Storage muffler, rear baggage rack, license plate relocator and extra. The package is offered now on Unit Storage’s web site, so hit them up in case you’re trying to get slightly old-school cool in your T7.
Royal Enfield Continental GT650 by Wedge Motorbike Our subsequent non-British Parallel Twin comes from Wedge Motorbike in Japan. Over the past 13 years, Takashi Nihira has been constructing bikes that look nearly completely traditional. Bikes accomplished with such cleanliness and a spotlight to element that they appear to be they might have rolled out of the producer’s manufacturing unit.
Such is the case with this newest construct from his Tokyo workshop—a traditional normal constructed round a 2020-model Royal Enfield Continental GT650.
Enfield’s GT650 begins its life as a manufacturing unit cafe racer with enticing strains and a traditional silhouette, which Nihira-san sought to increase on. Many of the customized work right here was executed in a method to spotlight the unique model, subtly enhancing the aesthetic with out alerting the design language established by Royal Enfield. To perform this, the decrease seam of the fuel tank was eliminated and new mounting factors had been fabricated, permitting the fuel tank to sit down decrease on the body with a cleaner backside line.
The lengthy tail finish of the GT650’s subframe was eliminated and changed with a smaller, extra compact loop. The inventory café-style seat was then changed with a slim solo saddle, becoming the brand new strains of the tail part. A smaller fender was hooked up to the rear, fitted with new license plate mount and smaller, tinted taillight and switch alerts.
The inventory consumption was swapped for smaller pod filters, and a customized battery field was fabricated within the heart of the chassis. A customized exhaust system was fabricated in-house, in an identical pea-shooter model to inventory, however extra compact and free flowing.
The unique wheel sizes stay—18” each entrance and rear—however now in a uncooked, brushed end that matches the bike’s engine, exhaust, and fork tubes. A set of chunky Shinko 270 Tremendous Basic Cruiser tires stability out the proportion splendidly. [Via]
Kawasaki W800 by JSL Moto Some bikes are made to climb mountains. Others are made to win races. However nonetheless, for many people, the bike we could discover most pleasant is the one merely constructed to exit for a cup of espresso. Our subsequent construct is simply that—a Kawasaki W800 from JSL Moto in Germany that was constructed for pure, easy enjoyment, traditional model, and informal day by day use.
Jochen Schmitz-Linkweiler is the founding father of LSL motorbike elements in Germany, and the builder behind the customized store bearing his initials: JSL Moto. Whereas JSL has constructed round Triumphs, Yamahas, and different twins, he nonetheless defines the W800 as “no doubt essentially the most characterful parallel twin of our time.”
Modifications to the Kawasaki platform focus on perfecting the rider’s ergonomics and enhancing rider consolation—with out altering the traditional model an excessive amount of.
A vintage-style swept-back handlebar and LSL mid-mounted foot controls put the rider in an upright and relaxed place. A common Daytona Velona W speedo tackles instrumentation duties, mixing analog model with trendy performance. Customized headlight mounts maintain a brand new 110mm LED headlight, whereas 18” spoked wheels run at each ends, with a brand new set of shocks on the rear.
Lastly, the aptly-named ‘Espresso Bob,’ was given its defining paint job in two-tone sunny yellow and café-brown, with refined crimson pin striping. As unpretentious café-hopping bikes go, this one’s robust to beat. [JSL Moto]
2022 Malle Mile brief movie The scent of burning fuel, loud music, flinging mud—the Malle Mile Pageant acquired fairly wild this summer season. Whether or not or not you had been in a position to attend, now you can expertise The Mile on this brief movie from Malle. With a rocking soundtrack from pageant headliners Public Service Broadcasting, the movie covers all of the wild actions occurring on the beautiful grounds of Grimsthorpe Fortress.
For these new to the ‘most inappropriate motorbike’ race in Nice Britain, The Malle Mile options over 1,000 bikes racing (with no actual winner, thoughts you), bands and DJ’s, model exhibitions, artwork, images, beer tents, wild swimming, trials programs, a 10km off-road scramble and a number of customized and traditional bikes kicking up the mud, on and off the observe.
We had been there to curate the best customized bikes from the UK and Europe in ‘The Artwork of Machine’ exhibition, hosted within the large tent on the coronary heart of the pageant. However, right here’s the kicker… on this unique invite-only exhibition, in case you’re invited to indicate your work, you’re additionally anticipated to race in ’The Artwork of Dash’ on the Saturday evening.
It’s a head-to-head drag race on the royal entrance of the citadel. No trailer queens right here, simply customized bikes that had been constructed to encourage and constructed to go quick!
The bikes raced are all the time a spotlight, starting from full customized race machines to pristine classics pulled from personal collections. A few of our favorites included the primary Triumph Bonneville ever made, SN:001, raced by Dimitri Coste, and Unhealthy Winners’ nitrous-powered Royal Enfield drag bike.
Tickets have not too long ago gone on sale for the pageant this summer season and on the time of writing, there are nonetheless just a few race spots left. See you within the mud or on the dance flooring! [The Malle Mile]
