Nothing cures boredom fairly like bikes—and that goes not only for using them, however wrenching on them too. This is the reason the father-and-son workforce behind AMP Bikes, Michael and Allen Posenauer, are by no means bored.
Primarily based in Offenbach, Germany, the Posenauers began AMP Bikes as a technique to spend time collectively after hours. They by no means supposed for it to be something past a passion, however their work resonated with others and orders quickly trickled in. That hasn’t stopped them from sneaking in private initiatives each time they will although—like this lighthearted Honda XL 500 scrambler.
“My father purchased the 1983 Honda XL 500 R virtually three years in the past,” says Allen. “He wished to construct it for himself.”
“We had plenty of buyer work to do, so we labored on the bike simply when there was time and we felt prefer it. We had no deadline. It was nearly having enjoyable, whereas constructing the bike to our personal expectations as father and son.”
The overly abbreviated tail, small gas tank, and lack of entrance fender may appear foolish to some, however AMP didn’t customise this Honda scrambler for severe souls. All they wished was a light-footed seashore runner—stripped down and prepared for shenanigans.
“Our purpose was to solely have the necessities on the bike,” Allen provides. “We minimize off every little thing we didn’t want, shortened the rear, and eliminated the passenger foot pegs. The bike is kickstart-only, with a tiny battery beneath the tank.”
The XL 500’s large entrance wheel and tall suspension had been nice for pinning it throughout the desert within the 80s, however they had been complete overkill for AMP’s wants. So the fellows took the OEM drum brake hubs, and laced them to shiny new aluminum rims with chrome steel spokes. The brand new wheels measure 18” back and front, with Heidenau tires providing all-terrain grip and an appropriately chunky aesthetic.
The forks had been lowered to fine-tune the scrambler’s stance earlier than being fitted with recent gaiters. The Honda Professional-Hyperlink rear suspension system is all commonplace concern.
AMP tossed the entire XL 500’s bodywork, then redressed it with a mixture of salvaged and custom-made elements. The gas tank got here from a good friend; it’s an previous Honda unit of an undetermined mannequin. Michael and Allen cleaned it up, tailored it to the bike, painted it, and re-fitted its authentic badges.
A 3-quarter size seat sits atop the cut-and-shut subframe, upholstered in two-tone leather-based. Handmade aluminum quantity boards flank the bike, with an aftermarket alloy fender ending off the tail.
There’s an aluminum quantity board up entrance too, with an LED headlight poking out of it. A set of chromed scrambler bars sit simply behind it, together with a Motogadget speedo, Motone switches, and a brand new throttle. The flip alerts come from Highsider, with the rear items doubling up as taillights.
The XL’s single-cylinder engine was handled to a full service after which painted black with all-new chrome steel {hardware}. The carb was ultrasonically cleaned and fitted with a foam air filter.
The Honda wears a black and white paint job that performs with stars and jagged stripes. AMP went for a glittery shiny silver end on the body (similar to the end on the Kawasaki Z400 that they constructed some time in the past). There’s not an inch on this bike that hasn’t been refurbished and refinished.
A {custom} exhaust system provides a of completion, snaking its manner by means of the body and terminating in an aftermarket muffler beneath the seat. Oh, and there’s a surfboard on the right-hand aspect of the bike.
“The bike is precisely what we wished,” Allen concludes. “It’s the right scrambler-slash-tracker for the town—tremendous gentle, tremendous agile, tremendous good trying. It’s an actual head-turner and everybody on the road needs to take photos of it.”
“It could even be nice to experience it to the seashore and go online—however, sadly, we don’t have any waves close to us.”
AMP Bikes | Instagram | Pictures by (and with because of) Marc Holstein and Christine Gabler
