After pinching myself to make sure it wasn’t a dream, I sized up the latest iteration of Moto Guzzi’s iconic cruiser, the California, which is available for sale in India. A spin on the highway and in the hills will help see what it’s made of.
Old Empire Motorcycles builds custom Ducati 900SS
A custom motorcycle is one that invokes nostalgia in the rider, one that commands weeks, and weeks of hard work and fine craftsmanship. [Read more…]
Limited Edition Hesketh 24
After a three decade exile from the world of active motorcycle manufacturers, it’s Hesketh’s time in the limelight with their new limited edition bike, ’24’.
2015 Yamaha Bolt R-Spec Strikes
The new 2015 Star Bolt R-Spec has finally been revealed, and the new bobber doesn’t sway from the popular previous model it was based on.
Lauge Jensen Viking
Yes, that’s the name, and the bike is equally exceptional. [Read more…]
Sport Bobber: Yamaha XV950
We rode the Yamaha XV950 – a production bobber, a simple and relatively sporty cruiser, designed to be easily customised using a variety of factory-made accessories – in California recently
Story: Roland Brown [Read more…]
Indian showcases Custom ‘Big Chief’
The International Motorcycle Show in New York City saw American two-wheeler veterans Indian unveil a completely customised version of their Chief Classic motorbike called the ‘Big Chief Custom’. [Read more…]
Ultimate Harley-Davidson Custom Bike Builders
The International Motorcycle Show’s Ultimate Bike Builder stopped in Long Beach, California under sunny skies this past weekend. The Long Beach International Motorcycle Show Ultimate Bike Builder was quite an attraction. Check out some of the epic mean machines that the builders created.
Shannon Venturo’s motorcycle – the Dazln – is a 2011 Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe. It took third place in the Ultimate Builder MOD Harley Class.
Chris Richardson came in first place in the Ultimate Builder MOD Harley Class. His 1959 Harley-Davidson FL takes elements from his bobber style combined with a fairing and hard bag to deliver an exceptional low-slung and skinny Bagger. The bike also features a 3” stretch in the rear, hand-made custom saddle bags, fairing, oil tank, gas tank, exhaust and a narrowed rear fender.
Gary Savill took second place in the Ultimate Builder FreeStyle Class with his Wraith Heimdall Slammer, based on a more modern 2013 edition bike.
Sam Baldi took top honours with first place in the Ultimate Builder FreeStyle Class with his bike, Lost Angel, winning the big money. Lost Angel is a custom 2013 Harley-Davidson Softail which features a trans brake and centrifugal clutch.
Story: Jim Gorde
Images: Harley-Davidson
Honda’s Factory Custom: VT1300CX Fury
We’ve watched several custom choppers being built on TV, but rarely has a manufacturer offered a vehicle which looks like a custom the instant it rolls out of the showroom.
Yes, Harley-Davidson and, now, Triumph have a selection of cruisers to choose from and loads of accessories and customisation options to go with them. However, not everyone spends time and money customising them. Every cruiser with a V-twin engine is, more often than not, mistaken by many as a Harley-Davidson. So, would you want to go out and buy a bike which looks like a tailored custom chopper? Honda certainly think so.
Kicked out rake, long front suspension, loads of chrome, skinny 90/90 front rubber on a 21” wheel and inversely proportional 200/50 rear rubber on an 18” wheel, long, drooping fuel tank and an engine and exhaust system which look to be chiselled out of single lumps of metal. Quite the offering, then, but is it a typical custom?
Thankfully, no. Honda’s refinement and reliability are legendary and the same is brought forward here in the Fury, or VT1300CX you see here. The 1,312cc V-twin engine makes 57.7 PS and a healthy 107 Nm at just 2,250 rpm, and is paired to a 5-speed transmission. The company’s PGM-FI system is responsible for fuel delivery and it doesn’t compromise in any application. The riding position is relaxed, and even with a weight of 309 kg dry, the acceleration is brisk and overtaking is a breeze. The large brakes with ABS make stopping drama-free and give optimum control.
Honda have had the Fury on sale for over a year now, but its numbers have not been encouraging. The bike was a part of the India Bike Week in February 2013, but there still aren’t too many around. It is an exclusive ride indeed, and when you consider the price – Rs 15.25 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai) – you realise that’s only competition comes in the form of The Harley-Davidson Softail line: the Fat Boy and the Heritage Classic, and the Triumph Thunderbird. Owning a big cruiser will always lead to exclusivity, but being unique is another story altogether, isn’t it?
