Super-slammed sprint machine with Moto Guzzi power, a BMW R 1100 GS given the scrambler treatment, and a stunning Yamaha XS650 tracker. Check out the custom bikes that caught our eye this week.
Ferdinand the Sparrow by Young Guns Speed Shop As all riders know, swinging a leg over someone else’s steed is usually asking for trouble. And that goes double in the world of custom builds. There’s always the fear of potential damage—and then envy strikes, with the desire to create something faster and more beautiful of your own.
And that’s what happened when Fabian from Young Guns Speed Shop settled into the saddle of Lucky Cat’s BMW Sprintbeemer. Like the famous Sprintbeemer, ‘Ferdinand the Sparrow’ is a stretched and spartan 1/8-mile sprinter.
Speed is its main mission, but there is infinite appeal in its gut-punch aesthetic. The 1200cc engine, transplanted from a 2007 Moto Guzzi Norge, is perched in a ’76 Le Mans 1 frame. The frame and forks have been modified to help Ferdinand fly as low as possible—with the oil pan constantly flirting with a cracked pavement disaster.
Nik and Fabian also handcrafted the tank and steering head, and rigid-mounted a Guzzi California swingarm stretched by 12 centimeters. That they did all of this in just five weeks is a testament to their abilities and the power of inspiration. [Photos by ninetynineco]
Custom Bikes of the Week | Bike EXIF: