Tuners

If the Fast & Furious franchisee ever made a movie with a scooter trying to run away from the cops or the bad guys, this ANX Sprint Racer could just be their best hope to get away with. Oh! It can also slide under truck trailers for that.

Started life as a puny scooter from the mid-2000s—a Piaggio NRG, now it runs nitrous ( or what we love to call as NOS ), makes five times its original power, and weighs less than the skinnies girlfriend you’ve ever had.

Take a moment and look around you. You would be surprised to learn that 70% of the stuff in your room or office comes all the way from the People’s Republic of China, a country having over a billion people and thousands of years of invention and innovation. Although people vouch for their poor quality of products, let me remind you that Apple makes all of theirs’ right there.

Amongst such giants lies a bunch of motorcycle enthusiasts who have vowed to create machines that exuberate caliber on par with the best custom builders in the business. One such is the Beijing’s Mandrill Garage and Café that has been a hotspot for motorcycle enthusiast for well over six years.

Run by a chap called Luo Hao, Mandrill has been custom building motorcycle that expresses highest level of visual elation and euphoria, and his latest creation is the “Dark Fighter”, aptly named to give an anti-retro take on the dark nemesis of the BMW R nineT.

That is exactly what happened to Spanish custom builders Café Racer Dreams (CRD) last week. Located in Paracuellos de Jarama, Madrid, Spain, CRD is one of the reputed BMW custom specialists located in the area who have been turning out some stunningly beautiful creations over the last couple of years.

Unfortunately, some miscreants, supposedly qualified, broke open their lock and made away with 8 newly customized bikes that were ready for dispatch to their owners inside and outside of Spain. In addition to these stolen CRD, the thieves stole a classic Porsche 356 even.

The love for V8 Supercars is synonymous even with the folks from down under. We love them, and so do they. But that is the thing about these V8s’; they’ve always tether onto four wheels and more.

Now though, the next time I have a chat with an Aussie chap, I can talk to him in motorcycle terms. Thanks to the PGM 2.0 liter V8. Yes, a V8 powered motorcycles built by an Australian chap and his team of engineers who are at the top of their game right now.

You would think that the Yamaha YZF-R1 is already powerful enough on its own that it doesn’t need any kind of hand-wringing from aftermarket companies anymore. You’d be wrong, though, because noted exhaust specialist Akrapovic has come out with a new product specifically for the YZF-R1 that’s designed to turn it into a hummingbird with all of its performance credentials still intact.

Akrapovic’s new Slip-On exhaust silencer accomplishes that, enabling riders to enjoy the full benefits of the component without compromising the bike’s power. It’s straight out of MotoGP, too, because the silencer is inspired by the same ones used by Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo on their own YZR-M1 racers. It’s short, compact, and has the physical characteristics of a tried-and-true silencer, right down to the carbon fiber heat shield that looks eerily similar to the ones used in MotoGP.

More importantly, you don’t need an actual pit crew to install the silencer. As its name suggests, the piece can be slipped on to the exhaust using only a few tools you can find in your own shed. Every bolt and mounting tool needed to put it in place is supplied by Akrapovic and it doesn’t even need an ECU remap for riders to enjoy the full breadth of its capabilities.

As if there’s more reason to enjoy the YZF-R1 and squeeze out more power and performance out of it, Akrapovic has the answer for anybody looking to get a piece of this ride and enjoy more out of it.

Click past the jump to read more about Akrapovic’s new exhaust silencer the Yamaha YZF-R1.

It’s often a theme among cars, especially those small enough to fit small engines, that some motorcycle engines find their way under the hood of certain types of vehicles. But rare is the day when the opposite holds true, especially when said car engine belongs to a Lamborghini. Granted, putting an engine on a motorbike isn’t inexactly unheard of. But a Lamborghini V-12? Yeah, that doesn’t happen a lot, if it does it all.

But anything is possible, which probably explains the monstrosity we saw at a recent Caffeine and Octane meet in Alpharetta, Georgia. At first glance, the customized bike looks like any other cruiser, albeit an alarmingly long one. But when you take a closer look, you begin to realize that this bike isn’t just your typical steel-toe prowler sporting a normal engine. It’s actually carrying a massive 6.5-liter V-12 engine. And not just any V-12 engine. It’s a Lamborghini V-12 engine.

We’re not quite sure how that engine found its way inside that cruiser, but quite frankly, who cares! It’s a Lamborghini V-12-powered bike that certainly has all the qualifications of a prowler on two wheels.

The unmistakable roar of the engine when the bike comes to life is absolutely a thrill to the senses. It’s just like hearing the pop when you turn on the engine of an actual Lamborghini, except that when you turn around, you’re not greeted by a Murcielago or a Gallardo, but a two-wheeled powerhouse that can probably put all other bikes to shame.

This is how you catch people’s attention, folks.

Yoshimura is considered by many riders a leader when it comes to motorcycle tuning. This is the reason why, Suzuki choose to work with them and announced a range of limited editions of its black GSX-R750 equipped with Yoshimura and genuine Suzuki accessories.

The Limited Edition GSX-R features a fairly distinctive style and is sure to turn heads every time it passes down the street. Each Yoshimura Limited Edition GSX-R is available with a high quality, custom painted Black/Grey color scheme.

The bikes are available in only 25 units and are fitted with performance exhausts, bronze alloys, Yoshimura oil filter plug, case saver kit, steering stem nut and timing inspection cap. You also get black Yoshimura bar end weights and rear paddock stand bobbins.

As far as genuine Suzuki accessories are concerned, the bikes are fitted with rear seat cover, a double bubble screen, tank protector and fuel cap trim.

The Limited Editions cost just £800 more than the standard models and their custom parts worth over £1200, so it sounds like a pretty good deal to us. Moreover, thanks to a special offer from Suzuki, you can have to bike to the same price as the stock model as Paul de Lusignan, Suzuki General Manager said“Add in our current £800 cash back offer, and the faster responders will ride a very special GSX-R750 away for the same price as a standard model.”

When it comes about updating bikes, Triumph’s models are maybe the best ones to be tuned. One of the main reasons you have seen tons of them lately, and reason why we bring you another one today: a 2007 Triumph Bonneville built by the Spanish shop Café Racer Dreams.

Their package is called "Night Track" and includes a A K&N air filter, Keihin carbs, a handmade two-into-one exhaust system terminated with a Supertrapp muffler. The package continues with a mini headlight that sits in front of Renthal Ultra Low bars fitted with enduro-style switchgear. The footpegs are custom, and the shocks from Hagon.

You may think that the bike’s look might feature a minimalist style, but if you add that very cool matte black paint then you definitely the coolest Bonneville ever. Too bad the tuner decided not to improve the bike’s performance numbers in any way, but we still like their work very much.

Very often are we floored by a custom bike that takes the original model and turns it into something that’s better than what we expected. Yet that’s what 27-year-old Benjamin Blanchard was able to accomplish.

The French graphic designer took a Triumph Speed Triple bike and injected some straight up attitude into it. Already sporting a powerful 1,050cc DOHC three-cylinder, fuel injected engine, Blanchard went out of his way to re-model the bike to his liking. Carbon fiber was used on the bodywork of the bike, with incredible detail put on a lot of its parts.

The prevalent use of carbon fiber on the bike drastically reduced its weight, making it lighter and faster than any of the standard Speed Triple’s out there. The light weight of the bike, combined with its powerful engine, has turned an already impressive Speed Triple into the Impoz Speed Racer.

It takes a really impressive presence to catch our attention. Benjamin Blanchard managed to achieve that - and more.

Japanese denim brand, Evisu, may not be a familiar name to a lot of people in this side of the world, but over in Japan and Asia, the fashion house is quite a big name. So now that the company is celebrating its 20th anniversary, it only seems fitting to have something special done to commemorate the occasion. By taking a Harley Davidson bike and dressing it up in spectacular fashion, Evisu did exactly that.

Together with the Harley-Davidson dealership in London-Warr, the oldest Harley dealer in Europe, Evisu created a customized, hand-made, limited edition Kamone Sprinter, a bike that combines vintage styling with modern bad-assery, thanks to the the extensive use of black, chrome, and gold that serve as its primary colors.

The meticulous styling details crafted into the bike also underscore Evisu’s goal of making this bike a true one-off jewel. In addition to the fancy three-piece scheme, Evisu also made sure to give plenty of design inspirations from their brand, one that emphasizes pure functionality with timeless elegance.

“Synonymous with luxurious craftsmanship and one-off design, The Evisu Warr’s Harley-Davidson Motorbike, aptly named the Kamome Sprinter, showcases the creativity and hand-made practices for which both brands are famous,” the Japanese denim brand said in a statement.

“Welding, carving, bending metal; stitching, riveting denim, and embossing and treating leather – the Evisu heritage is celebrated throughout the entire motorcycle, and the same technical exactness that Evisu rule by was taken into account,” it added.

The bike has been tagged as a limited edition – rightfully so – that costs £35,000, which is about $58,000 based on current exchange rates. Anybody interested in owning this rare Harley can avail of it at the Evisu store in London.

The guys from Radical Ducati have developed one of the most impressive bikes ever. It’s called the RAD 02 Corsa Evo and is a higher performance, track going version of the RAD 02 Corsa. The "02" moniker refers to the fact that the bike can be used both as a race or trackday bike.

The RAD 02 Corsa Evo eliminates the seat and the rear body found in the original motorcycle, and gets a unique composite part in their place. Radical has also changed the "old" rear subframe for one that is lighter and smaller. The bike also gets a custom 4.2 kg aluminum frame, subframe, and swingarm, as well as a lighter rear subframe and a redesigned front fairing.

The only thing the model has in common with the previous Corsa is the fuel tank which Radical Ducati says was too perfect to change. The RAD 02 is powered by an ST3 engine - the same three-valve desmo found in the sport touring model, but specifications have yet to be revealed.

Mugen is famous for their tuning packages for Honda models, but this time the Japanese tuner turned their attention to a Honda motorcycle, the CBR250R to be exact. With the new additions, the Honda is able to give off a more aggressive and sportier ride. This may sound all fine and dandy, but most of us won’t ever be able to take advantage of this package; it’s only available in Thailand.

The first thing to notice about this motorcycle is the red and black color scheme, but there is a lot more to it than that. The rider’s seat and the pillion are also colored in red with Mugen emblems, and the windshield has also been replaced.

The tuner has also added a new set of light alloy wheels, an upgraded chromed muffler, and ABS - a first-class system that includes a Combined Brake System (CBS) and an Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS). However, they did let the 249 cc four-stroke, four-valve single cylinder DOHC engine untouched.

The poison used by Brazilian Indians on their arrow tips was the inspiration behind Wunderlich’s new "Poisoned Arrow", the S 1000 RR in its legendary racing colours, which comes equipped with a whole array of special components.

An absolute visual treat, boasting technical and ergonomic improvements, with significant weight reductions and well suited to long distance riding. The “Power Sportego” handlebar conversion offers a relaxed riding posture and greater ease of handling. The top yoke, weighing in at a mere 1800 g, machined out of high-tensile aluminium, TÜV certified and ideally suited for use with our strong, tapered aluminium handlebars, has a built-in connection for the brake line, thus ruling out any need for elaborate and costly conversion measures.

The easy-to-fit fairing extension and matching “DoubleBubble” sports screen give rise to optimised air flow deflection over a wider area and improved aerodynamic properties.

The 2011 Iron & Lace Custom Motorcycle and Centerfold Model Calendar features the world’s top custom bikes together with sexy centerfold models in revealing lingerie. It doesn’t get much better than this!

Photographed by Jim Gianatsis, Iron & Lace offers a 16-month revealing look at the world’s top award-winning bikes from the LA Calendar Motorcycle Show Calendar Bike Building Championship and the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building. Included is the Best of Show winning bike "One Eyed Jacks" from Kenjo Nagai / Ken’s Factory, Japan, and "Rambler" from Dave Cook Custom Choppers. In addition, you’ll find the Metric V-Twin winner "LoLA" built by Jim Giuffra and the AFT Metric Customs Model Agency girls.

Other class winning bikes include Chris Flechtner’s Speed Shop Design Pro Class winner, Ron Simms’ "Rooster" Bar Hopper Class winner. The other show stoppers include two cool customs by Todd Silcato / Todd’s Cycle, the Roehr Supercharged 1250cc V-Rod Superbike, a Jesse Rooke street tracker, and a retro Ducati V-twin cafe racer built by Shinya Kimura / Chabott Enginering for actor and motorcycle enthusiast Brad Pitt.

Hit the jump for more pics and details on how to get yours.