Connect with us

Published

on

1894 Hildebrand & Wolfmuller
This sounds terrifying. The 1894 Hildebrand & Wolfmuller motorcycle that recently sold at a Bonhams auction proves that old-school motorcyclists were built of something more than we are today.

We take transmissions for granted, but in 1894 this motorcycle was direct drive. The connecting rods for the Hildebrand’s pistons were connected directly to the rear wheel, and it has no clutch. The faded white bands on the frame? Those are rubber bands that helped yank the pistons back on the return stroke.

Detail of the 1894 Hilderbrand motorrad

The brakes? Well, they’re simply a “spoon” that presses a metal pad into the tire, and when you press the brake, the throttle automatically closes. Speaking of the throttle, it’s simply a thumbscrew. Since there’s no clutch, that means you had to push-start the bike and hop on it while it’s running. Yikes. But what do you expect from the world’s oldest motorcycle?

Though the Hildebrand is primitive and terrifying, at the time it was a state-of-the-art motorcycle that set competition records and today is recognized as the first series production motorcycle. This particular model sold at a Bonhams auction in Paris for €195,500, or about $209,000, last week. Interestingly, the term “motorrad,” which is German for “motorcycle,” was patented in 1894 by Hildebrand, according to Bonhams.

1924 BMW R32Read More

—————-

By: Dan Mayfield
Title: World’s Oldest Motorcycle: Would You Ride a Direct-Drive Bike?
Sourced From: www.bikeexif.com/worlds-oldest-motorcycle-is-direct-drive
Published Date: Tue, 07 Feb 2023 18:11:35 +0000

Continue Reading

Motor

Giddy up: Colt Wrangler’s prizewinning Harley Sportster

Published

on

custom harley sportster colt wrangler

Custom Harley-Davidson Sportster by Colt Wrangler
With a name like Colt Wrangler, it’s safe to assume that the man is from Texas and probably a bit of a cowboy. Hot dang if you aren’t right on both counts—Colt has been riding broncos and bulls competitively since he was a kid. But what you’re less likely to guess, is that this young cowpoke is also one of the most impressive motorcycle builders to emerge from the US custom scene in recent years.

Since Colt Wrangler Motorcycles was founded in 2015, Colt has established a distinct design language of his own. Recognizable by their high-level sheet-metal work, his builds exist in perfect proportion and hold high-performance details for those that know what they’re looking at—or even better, for those lucky enough to ride them.

Custom Harley-Davidson Sportster by Colt Wrangler

We have featured Cole’s bikes before. But with more time to work on his latest project—a 1999 Harley-Davidson Sportster—he’s taken his personal style to new heights.

Colt had just started the Harley Sportster project, working in collaboration with local Texas truck builders Vintage Vendetta Garage, when Roland Sands Design announced the Dream Build-Off. This was a competition for local shops and backyard builders, with new motorcycles from BMW, Indian, and Royal Enfield as prizes. The Sportster was originally supposed to be a street-ready scrambler, but with this added motivation, Colt went

Read More

—————-

By: Morgan Gales
Title: Giddy up: Colt Wrangler’s prizewinning Harley Sportster
Sourced From: www.bikeexif.com/custom-harley-sportster-colt-wrangler
Published Date: Fri, 19 May 2023 17:01:46 +0000

Continue Reading

Motor

Look the part: The DMD Rivale retro full face helmet

Published

on

dmd rivale retro helmet

DMD Rivale retro full face motorcycle helmet
Given the rise in popularity of modern classic motorcycles in recent years, it’s only natural that motorcycle gear and apparel would follow suit. Just like most major OEMs have at least a couple of retro-styled bikes in their catalogs, most major gear and helmet companies have at least a couple of retro-styled items to match those bikes. But the Italian company DMD does it differently.

DMD doesn’t just dabble in café racer gear… they live and breathe it. Case in point: the DMD Rivale retro full-face helmet.

DMD Rivale retro full face motorcycle helmet

Based in Bergamo, an impossibly picturesque city in Italy’s alpine Lombardy region, DMD specializes in helmets and apparel. Specifically, helmets and apparel that combine modern materials and manufacturing processes, with all the style and panache of yesteryear.

This family-owned enterprise traces its roots back to 1975 California. While traveling to the US, the patriarch of the family, Amilcare, decided to start a motorcycle gear import and distribution company.

DMD Rivale retro full face motorcycle helmetRead More

—————-

By: Wesley Reyneke
Title: Look the part: The DMD Rivale retro full face helmet
Sourced From: www.bikeexif.com/dmd-rivale-retro-helmet
Published Date: Sat, 27 May 2023 17:01:29 +0000

Continue Reading

Motor

E-Type: A minimalist electric scrambler from Crooked

Published

on

electric scrambler crooked motorcycles

Custom electric scrambler by Crooked Motorcycles
Most conversations about electric motorcycles revolve around how they stack up against their petrol-powered counterparts. But there’s really no need to pick sides. Electric and ICE bikes are going to coexist for quite some time before one takes over from the other, so we might as well enjoy them both.

“These two worlds can harmonize very well,” asserts Dominikus Braun, co-founder of Germany’s Crooked Motorcycles. Among the shop’s offerings is a made-to-order custom based on the Yamaha XS400; a minimalist scrambler with compact proportions. Now they’ve copied and pasted that design onto an electric bike, to prove that it can look just as good.

Custom electric scrambler by Crooked Motorcycles

It’s an idea that Crooked’s been milling over for a while, but finding the right donor bike was key to nailing the brief. They eventually connected with the Swedish brand RGNT, whose flagship product, the ‘No.1,’ is a stylish and compact electric retro. Its 21 kW hub motor is good for 21 kW of peak power, with a top speed of 120 km/h [75 mph] and a range of 148 km [92 miles].

“We immediately got into the same vibe, and had the same views when it came to design language,” says Dominikus. “The reduced classic style of both companies was a great thing to have in common.”

Read More

—————-

By: Wesley Reyneke
Title: E-Type: A minimalist electric scrambler from Crooked
Sourced From: www.bikeexif.com/electric-scrambler-crooked-motorcycles
Published Date: Thu, 18 May 2023 17:43:10 +0000

Continue Reading

Trending