Killer Suzuki Bandit 'Colonel Butterscotch' by ICON 1000
An old Suzuki Bandit gets a new, modern retro take on life
Words and photos by Icon 1000
LIFE ISN'T ABOUT THE WINS. IT'S ABOUT THE CRASHES.
Anybody can win, but real winners are defined by their ability to lose and recover enough to race again. Such was the sordid tale of Colonel Butterscotch. Built, raced, wrecked, rebuilt, and raced again.
She started life as 1997 1200 Bandit; The ultimate econo-cruiser best suited for the middle-aged office commute. Replete with weathered saddlebags and festooned in bulk packed moto decals she came to the ICON garage. Her motor lineage placed the full-sized bandit in the rare company of Cooley and Schwantz; torque for days, smiles for miles.
OVER A LONG WINTER, THE COLONEL WAS TRANSFORMED INTO A BUTTERSCOTCH'D BEAUTY FIT FOR LOCAL TRACK DAY GLORY.
And it was here that she smeared her lacquered bronze foundation across forty feet of Northwest asphalt. The late brake, inside pass seemed like a good idea at the time. In retrospect, it was asking a bit more than a 16" front tire can deliver. We all crash shit on occasion, and for the most part, like Butterscotch, we can all be rebuilt.
An even longer summer followed. Old plastics binned, new plastics sourced; Bent suspension yarded and new bouncy bits fitted. Ebay pages were scoured for mundane factory bits to replace rashed components, while other trashed necessities were treated to more performance-oriented upgrades. Such is the way of motorcycles...and life. Six months later the reborn caramel captain rolled forth - reworked, reimagined, reborn.
OLDER, WISER, BUT STILL JUST AS SEXY
The Bel Air 1200 Harley cafe racer by Deus Customs
A Harley cafe racer by Deus Customs
Words and images from Deus
Introducing the 21st build to come out of Woolie’s Workshop, the Deus Ex Machina Bel Air 1200 Framer.
This motorcycle was built by Michael Woolaway for a customer who requested a bike similar to The American, one of the first creations to roll out of Woolie’s Workshop in Venice Beach, California.
For Woolie, building a bike with a Harley motor is a significant undertaking, and taken with honor to the maker’s American racing heritage, particularly the era of KRTTs on the road racing circuit.
This time around, Woolie was also inspired by another American icon: “I thought about what I loved about American Design, and it hit me. The 1957 Chevy Bel Air!” says Woolaway, having restored a few back in the day at his auto body shop in Hood River, Oregon.
I thought about what I loved about American Design, and it hit me. The 1957 Chevy Bel Air!
The 50’s style is evident in the fins in the seat cowl, hand-shaped by Woolie from aluminum. The tank is also a one-offer formed with the help of the english wheel, power hammer, and a healthy assortment of dollies and hammers, all eager to fulfill their purpose in the hands of the well-learned shaper.
When it came to the paint, Woolie went down to Anaheim Rod and Custom with a vague idea in mind and worked side-by-side with Matt until they concocted the perfect mix.
“I’ve found it so much easier to mix colors in person as you can control it and you are never surprised with the outcome.” What he wanted and what he got turned out to be pretty darn spot on, a perfect reference to the golden era.
The chromoly frame features an internal dual oil feed system and accommodates an asymmetrical monoshock. And not only is it significantly lighter than than stock, it is also much stiffer with road-racing geometry for high-speed straight-line stability and responsive handling in the corners.
Close your eyes and you might just mistake yourself astride a small track bike, but don’t forget to open your eyes when you roll open the throttle lest you whip yourself into outer space. Yes, my friend, that would be a very powerful engine between your legs. 74 cubic inches of combustible American rocket power and generations of large family breeding.
Specs:
- 1998 Harley Davidson Evolution 1200cc motor
- Keihin FCR-39 carburetor
- K&N Air filter
- Daytona Twin Tec ignition system
- Hand made Stainless steel chrome plated exhaust system
- RaceTech rear shock built by Jimmy Wood at Moto Station
- R6 forks redone by Jimmy Wood
- Rad Engineering hubs with Sun rims and spokes
- Bridgestone tires
- Brembo brakes with a Magura master cylinder
- LSL Bars
- Carbon Fiber front fender
- Motogadget gauges
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