Posts tagged 'scrambler'

The builder was told that he would never find one of these – well, he did. The final product represents two and a half years of sheer dedication and attention to detail.

Pod filters and velocity stacks greatly increase the airflow on any motorcycle, and they happen to look awesome on these vintage bikes!

If you’re chasing gains, take a second to review these tips and tricks to help choose the correct ones for your vintage speed machine!

This month's customer build belongs to Mike Mitchum (Cincinnatti, OH) and his 1977 Suzuki GS550. "This a custom, cafe racer bike that I built in my garage. The bike was purchased as a non-running disaster (for $250) and was transformed over the course of just under 3 years.

In 1980, Kawasaki introduced the in-line four KZ550, an excitable motorcycle that became a fan-favorite among Kawasaki riders, almost instantly. Engine-wise, the KZ550s were nearly identical, with minor improvements realized over their production lifespan. A shaft-driven version was produced in 1983, known as the KZ550M. The 'Spectre' version used the CV carbs and a different cylinder head for enlarged porting. The 'GPz' models used the CV carbs, as well. The most noticeable differences between the 550 models were aesthetics.

DCC customer Matt Anderson, from Lancaster, MA, put his personal touch on his '83 KZ550 and we are rolling with the changes!

For a year, we searched for the perfect donor machine. When we came across this 1980 Honda CX500 in a barn in Northeast Ohio, I fell in love. Sure, with all the yellow gaudy trim, it lived up to its “plastic maggot” namesake. But everything was there to transform it into a lean, mean brat. We trailered the bike home to Florida and I sold the Bonneville the following week—a-la Cortes burning the ships after landing in Veracruz. I was all in.

Essentially, we rebuilt this motorcycle from the ground up. Every nut and bolt was replaced with new hardware. The motor was rebuilt using 80 mm Pistons taking it to a whopping 744cc. We installed oversized titanium valves and seats, a performance cam and blueprinted the crank. Then fitted the motor with 34mm Mikuni carburetor.