Deus ex Machina leads this week’s round-up, with a Fantic Caballero scrambler that ideas its hat to the Fantic enduros of the 70s. We additionally profile Beeline’s new motorbike navigation machine, a uncommon Nineties Harley-Davidson army bike, and a surprising Triumph Trident T150 Gene Romero duplicate.
Fantic Caballero 500 by Deus ex Machina Milan With its upright driving place, scrambler styling, and punchy 449 cc single-cylinder engine, it’s a thriller why the Fantic Caballero 500 isn’t extra well-liked. The Italian firm began making bikes in 1968, together with enduros, mini-bikes, and go-karts. The unique Caballero was an enduro bike—a 50 cc two-stroke with a vibrant purple tank, yellow quantity boards, and chunky off-road wheels and tires.
When the group at Deus ex Machina Milan bought their fingers on a brand new Fantic Caballero 500, they didn’t waste any time injecting a number of the unique Cabellero’s styling into the brand new bike. Beginning with the entrance finish, they took the LED headlight off and changed it with a sturdy, vintage-style headlight and cowling, completed in vibrant yellow.
The entrance cowl barely hides the dashboard, which consists solely of a Garmin Tread navigation unit. A brand new high-mount alloy entrance fender was bolted on too, and painted gray.
Deus repainted the inventory gas tank subsequent. The purple matches the unique Caballero design, with an added streak of yellow and the Deus emblem emblazoned throughout the aspect.
The manufacturing unit seat was somewhat skinny and didn’t swimsuit the classic vibe, so the Deus group fitted a customized seat, made within the model of the unique. It’s slender, generously padded, and appears like an ideal place to deposit one’s derriere—particularly behind the tall, broad handlebars. The manufacturing unit rear fender and tail gentle have been changed with customized models, giving the bike a decidedly classic enduro vibe.
Transferring to the exhaust, Deus stored the inventory headers, however (somewhat divisively) ditched the carbon fiber warmth protect and plastic aspect cowl, choosing black warmth wrap as a substitute. An SC-Venture x Deus muffler was grafted on to assist the massive single breathe simple.
The group at Deus Milan has performed an ideal job including some 70s scrambler styling to the brand new Caballero. Given the selection between an unique Caballero and this, we all know which one we’d favor as a each day experience—though we’d preserve the little 50 round for weekend jaunts. [Source]
Beeline Moto II navigation machine When UK-based Beeline launched its first motorcycling navigation machine 5 years in the past, it was a giant deal. The small, puck-shaped instrument was unobtrusive, simple to mount on any bike, and simply downright cool. Beeline Moto was the fashionable, minimalist reply to motorbike navigation.
We had a good time utilizing the unique, and so did over 100,000 different motorcyclists. So far, Beeline customers from all over the world have navigated virtually 87,000,000 miles. All these miles have been put to nice use within the Beeline Moto smartphone app, which pairs with the Beeline Moto machine (which, once more, is without doubt one of the finest motorbike navigation apps on the market).
Whereas we beloved utilizing the unique Beeline Moto, it was not with out its shortcomings. The small display solely had sufficient house to relay an arrow indicating which course to show, and the way distant that flip was. This was superb for rides by the countryside—however for congested, inner-city streets with innumerable twists and turns, it simply couldn’t sustain.
Now Beeline has listened to their scores of customers and put that real-world knowledge to make use of, to launch a follow-up machine—the Beeline Moto II. At first look, the Moto II is simply 3 mm bigger than the previous unit. Nevertheless, the unique had a big black bezel that has now been eliminated, which means the useable display space has greater than doubled in dimension. Which means the decision has doubled and the show itself has been upgraded to an IPS TFT.
It now homes a 600mAh battery and a much-needed USB-C cost connection (but in addition retains its proprietary pogo pin experience charging system). All that’s excellent news, however one of the best information of all is that Beeline Moto II encompasses a utterly revamped navigation person interface.
Riders at the moment are handled to a familiar-looking map format with superior turn-by-turn and compass navigation modes, in order that getting misplaced within the metropolis is not an issue. The brand new mannequin additionally now contains two flashing LED lights and sound to draw consideration, and now makes use of two rocker-type, glove-friendly switches as a substitute of the unique spherical buttons.
Riders nonetheless want to attach their telephones to the Beeline Moto II and nonetheless want to make use of the Beeline Moto app, which is a downer for anybody married to Google Maps. You can say that mounting a cellphone on the handlebars is simpler, and also you’d be proper—however that’s not the true objective of the Beeline. Together with cellphone cameras changing into more and more fragile and vulnerable to motorbike vibrations, the Beeline Moto II is the answer to a world of distractions.
On the time of penning this, the Beeline II has made greater than 5 instances its crowdfunding goal on Kickstarter—a testomony to the popularity constructed by the unique unit. As nerdy early adopter varieties, we are able to’t wait to provide this one a go.
On the market: Harley-Davidson MT500 army bike Harley-Davidson’s historic war-effort bikes exhibit that, though The Motor Co. is normally identified for one factor, they will nonetheless pivot after they must (or when they’re informed to). H-D constructed the J mannequin for WWI as bikes have been a confirmed solution to get messages to and from the entrance traces rapidly. WWII noticed Harley construct the WLA, which was then adopted up with the XA (Experimental Military)—a lesser-known, low-production mannequin that used a reverse-engineered BMW airhead engine and body.
After the 2 world wars, Harley Davidson purchased 50 p.c of an Italian plane firm’s motorbike division. Enter the Harley Davidson Aermacchi—a sporty single-cylinder extra akin to a Ducati Mach 1 or MV Agusta 250 than the panhead. AMF Harley-Davidson ultimately purchased the remainder of the Aermacchi motorbike firm in 1974, which was then bought to Cagiva in 1978.
The bike you see right here is due to this fact a mix of Harley’s earlier ventures—a bike initially developed in Italy after which rebadged as a Harley-Davidson within the hope of getting a army contract. That is the Harley-Davidson MT500.
It has a 482 cc Rotax engine, which was initially developed in Italy by SWM, earlier than being caught in a army motorbike, designed by the the England-based Armstrong-CCM firm in 1984. Armstrong then bought the motorbike’s manufacturing to Harley-Davidson in 1987, only a few years later. H-D took the Rotax-powered Armstrong and simply slapped an H-D badge on the aspect.
The enduro-style bike was powerful, dependable, and (in all probability) low cost to make. There’s a complete lot of plastic concerned, which is ideal for the military who needed one thing fast to restore. The engine has a single overhead cam, 4 valves, and a five-speed transmission, and the entire package deal weighed round 350 kilos.
All of the panniers are plastic and water resistant, with the big entrance containers able to carrying all types of accouterments. There’s no guessing what the rear pannier is for—it was particularly developed to hold an assault rifle, like an M16.
Harley didn’t find yourself getting the army contract, although they produced about 500 of those bikes, making them significantly uncommon. This one, particularly, could be the unicorn of all MT500s, because it solely has eight miles on the odometer.
For those who’d prefer to take house this piece of American motorcycling historical past you possibly can bid for it now on Convey a Trailer. [Source]
On the market: 1969 Triumph Trident T150 Gene Romero Daytona duplicate For those who’ve by no means heard the purr of an previous Triumph Trident T150 triple, do your self a favor and scroll down. The unique Triumph Trident was the British agency’s reply to the Honda’s new child on the block—the CB750. However as a substitute of constructing a giant 4, they opted for an inline three-cylinder engine, mixing the high-revving of an inline-four with the character, allure, and backside finish of a giant twin.
This specific instance from 1969 has been constructed as a race duplicate in honor of Gene Romero. Gene, who handed in 2019, was an American highway racing legend who piloted a Trident T150 for Crew Triumph. On the 1970 Daytona 200 (the final time they used the complete oval course for motorbike racing), he set a qualifying lap file of 157.3 mph.
The bike began life as a inventory T150. The real racing body was equipped by former Triumph Race Crew Supervisor Danny Macias and is comprised of chromoly tubing. This provides power and takes away about 14 lbs of weight off. Being just like a Rob North or Miles Engineering body, it has racing heritage in-built.
The engine is (apparently) principally inventory, with the proprietor claiming {that a} fast peek down the bores yields a inventory Triumph piston, not a high-compression racing merchandise. The engine circumstances have by no means been cut up, and it even begins the primary or second kick because of an up to date digital ignition.
The entrance fairing, tank, and seat are all fiberglass. The fairing wears the quantity three and has a particular letterbox-style opening on the entrance, identical to Gene Romero’s bike, and oozes 70s cool. Gene signed the fairing himself, earlier than his passing, and there’s one other signature from Danny Macias on the tail.
A steering damper retains the entrance finish in verify, whereas the brakes are from Grimeca. The entrance brakes have been kitted with chrome steel braided traces, a worthwhile improve to any bike of this age. The again, nevertheless, continues to be an old-school drum setup.
The rear shocks are from Works and the rear set footpegs are from Tarozzi. Being an previous British motorbike, the gear shift is on the precise and the brake pedal is on the left.
Surprisingly (however gladly so), the bike is road-legal, full with a headlight that shines by the entrance fairing, a tail gentle, a numberplate bracket, and a horn. The bike is being supplied on the market by way of Iconic Motorbikes and, so far as race bikes for the road go, makes for a compelling case. We’ll be watching this one with curiosity.
