Deus Milano Bike Build-Off 1

Sorry for the delay in following up last week's Deus Milan Bike Build-Off post. We're flat-out here. Anyway, here are some of the bikes. Above, trackerised air-cooled Duke. Rough and ready for action. White fork legs though? No, grazie.

CZ lowrider with fantastic paint. Killswitch was a guitar style jack plug.

Another Ducati tracker, this one on 17in wets. Inspiration seems to be equal parts Lego, Lloyd Brothers and Petardo.

Loved this little Yam. It was really in the spirit of the competition: doing the most with the least. Tractor front tyre on the rear isn't going to win him a GP, but I bet it could do burn-outs till the tank ran dry. Owner had fabbed up a little underslung monoschock. Seat subframe was a single, central tube, with the tail light mounted in it. Loved the fishtail pipe mounted parallel to the road.
It ended up winning the competition.

 Latecomer on a V50.

 Styling. Do your own thing.

 Dagger Cycles neat Yamaha SRX.

 Monkey dripping in Japanese bolt-ons.

 

Federico from 2 Right Hands paint/ Dildo Society (don't ask) in Parma. Such a neat bike. Airbrushed painted, no stickers. If you're looking for a painter in Italy, look no further. 

2 Right Hands also painted this late model Yam XS. Neat Bandit behind it. Didn't get a better photo of the Suzuki though. Dumbo.

 Neat Honda 650 scrambler. Owner is pointing at tank.

This beast turned up. The Africa Twin Dakar rep wasn't what the organisers were looking for in terms of a Deus Build-Off bike, but it was still an eye-catcher.

More to follow when I get another half-an-hour. Don't hold your breath. G

About A Buoy

Mick Phillips is the Sideburn Sub Editor. Check the small print at the front of each issue (except the first ones where we were just making it up as we went along). That's not like being a sub in football where you sit on a wobbly bench rubbing your legs all day waiting for someone to get injured. Mick is our third wheel. Without Mick, Sideburn would run off kilter into the nearest dyke. And we'd keep forgetting what semicolons were for. He does more than dot our 'i's and cross our 't's. Mick has been a motorcycling journalist in his own right for many years.
I once bought a copy of Bike magazine in Luton airport on my way back to Amsterdam after a commercial shoot. I read Mick's report on the dreary annual NEC bike show and spat my in-flight G&T over the back of the seat in front of me. I texted Gary that I wanted this twisted man on our team. Gary responded that he happened to be one of his best friends. Our office at the time was already a long open plan between Holland and England, so triangulating it to Italy was no deal breaker.
Some of my personal favourite Sideburn stories have been tapped out on his Roman keyboard e.g. Iron Maiden from SB#5, and Ann-Margret for SB#17. If you ever get to meet the man, ask him to tell you the story about the safari park monkeys who were nearly blinded by windscreen wash. You are guaranteed to spit you drink over the nearest innocent bystander. It's probably a good thing we don't actually share the same desk. BP
Oh, and Mick is 50 today. Sideburn ♥ Mick Phillips

"Where's The Money George?"

Frozen Monkeys

Thanks to Ralph of the excellent 1/4 pint Chalopy blog for this.
Portuguese Jose Esteves racing his shrunken Honda XL500 on a frozen lake in Canada. It has 10" wheels from Honda CT70 Dax [like the red thing blog posted a couple of days ago] and a Z50 Monkey tank.

This one in front is a Kawasaki 65 chassis with a Honda XL125 engine stroked to 154cc.

Dirty Dax

Odd-ball Honda CT70 tracker found on the Vital MX website. BP

One For the Kids

Mini Ducati 750SS based on a Honda Monkey Bike. Via Spanish John. BP

Evil French Attack Monkey

From Hadrien in Paris...

I am a reader of your magazine and would to present you my lasest creation. A full prepared monkey bike, in the dirt track style. I let you see few pictures of the bike. 
It has an aluminium Kitaco frame, Brembo brake calipers, wheels are Cnc and were anodized in black. Swingarm is a Gcraft, fork is an Nsr takegawa with an Over stem kit. Disc brake are 220mm front and 160mm back. Engine is a 124cc, takegawa, with a 5-speed gearbox and a dry clutch (same as a Ducati). Headlight is from a monkey baja, tank seat and number plate are from a Z50R from 1985 very rare parts. 
The exhaust is a Japanese custom made line, entirely made in titanium (only 650gr!) 
I think that's it if you want more informations please ask. 
Hadrien 
PS: I am 20 and The bike was entirely made in my 5th floor Parisian apartment.

Kempton Park Bike Jumble

This Saturday 24th March, at Kempton Park racecourse, Staines TW16 5AH‎ only 30 minutes west of central London.I can't make it but am looking for some monkey Mini-Trail bars if anybody spots some - preferably the later model with the separate bar clamp - not those shown which are a single casting with the top yoke. BP

The One

Shaggy Dog/Monkey Story

So this is my (most recent) object of desire. Unearthed on the Japanese Daikoube blog with no decipherable info. So I sent out questionnaires to those in the know...
Ben Wilson revealed "Looks like Suzuki RV90/125 wheels, tyres, forks, swingarm & maybe frame with unknown Honda lump [me now thinks is an 1990s XR100] & Yamaha tank. You could use a TW125 as a donor instead."
Adrian Apart in Buenos-Aires was foxed and added this Yamaha BW200 bog bike to the debate:But then trumped with: "I just bought a new version of an RV yesterday. It's made by Mondial under license from Suzuki - its an exact replica of the 90 but with a 125 engine - they're bringing out a 250 version next summer. it's an Italian company based in Argentina, manufactured in China and assembled in Buenos Aires and probably going to be sent by me to the UK as i think it'd sell well there - do you ?
Small world here - Jezza and i have been hanging out a lot with Alejo Pichot - he's the Triumph guy you were in touch with.Jezza choppin' me bars down (without adult supervision) for easier traffic work. xA"BP

Minibikes

Beautiful photo story from Life magazine. Anybody know which year? Anybody got a complete scan of the text? Anybody know the photographer? BP

UP DATE: THANKS RUI FOR DIGGING UP THE VERITABLE GOLDMINE!classic Ralph Crane. Love the paper dinner plate number board

Long-legged Dachshund - UPDATED

Someone from Germany left a comment on the blog and I traced it to his blog or flickr or something where I found this wonderful creature. Then I forgot the website. If it's yours, leave a comment and I'll update this post with it.

It's a Honda CB50 with Dax/CT70 wheels by T. Beeskow. Here are the details. Thanks Ralph

Read more about it at http://www.bonsai-news.de/technik/bikes/custom-cb50-monkey-style/" and burritobros.blogspot.com

Stop Monkeying about

They weren't on track at Scunthorpe, but I reckon they could still beat me on a good day.
Gary

See more of amazing shots from Nigeria at www.pieterhugo.com/nigeria
It'll make you want hyena.