"Dirtbag" Based on a '95 R80 Mono.
Dirtbag was conceived not from a customer commission, but from my own indulgence.
I wanted to build a Street Scrambler that had some off road potential, to complement my BM Cafe Racer and to show how well two completely different styles can work on a common platform.
The teardown was swift and once the frame was de-tabbed of all unwanted brackets, it was sent off for blasting and then painted in one of my favourite colours, Cobalt Pearl Blue.
The wheels, although predominantly satin black, were also treated to a dash of the cobalt and some of the edges polished back to alloy. They were then adorned with some chunky K60 Heidenau's, so if a bit of occasional dirt riding was required, they could cope.
The engine was treated to some upgrades, with a twin plug head conversion, new valve guides and porting, high comp pistons, new bigger 34mm Mikuni carbs with Ram Air filters, new clutch and timing chain kit.
The transmission was also given some attention with a Siebenrock higher ratio 5th gear, seals and springs.
To get the proper offroad look, a set of high level headers with shotgun mufflers were fabricated and then Ceramic coated black, which gives excellent heat insulation and a long lasting finish.
The suspension and brakes department didn't escape an overhaul with a new fully adjustable YSS rear shock, new EBC floating stainless discs and pads, stainless braided hoses and a new front brake master cylinder.
One of our SRC lightweight mono subframes and seat combo was fitted and topped off with sumptuous black leather and a diamond stitch pattern.
Lightweight, brushed alloy mudguards were fitted for that old school off road look.
All the original instruments, wiring loom and switches were junked in favour of all new including an Acewell speedo/tacho combo, Motogadget switches, M unit, M button, LED tail light and micro LED indicators, a large 7 1/2" headlamp with integral grille and a lightweight custom wiring loom and small Lithium Iron battery.
The focal point of the bike, the tank, I thought needed special attention, so a combination of satin black sides and gloss black top with a subtle airbrushed 'fish scale' pattern along with Cobalt blue pinstripes to match the frame was decided upon. An alloy Monza cap conversion topped it off.
The overall result had to be visually appealing, great fun to ride and have a bit of an 'edge' to it.
I think we nailed it!
Side Rock Cycles