Licks Cycles: Suzuki GS1000 Café Racer BikeBound

“Café racer on steroids” from Simon Kemper…

In 1978, Suzuki launched their first-ever literbike, the GS1000, right into a world of fearsome liter-size competitors, together with the brand new Yamaha XS11 and six-cylinder Honda CBX1000. Whereas these bikes tended to edge out the Suzuki barely on the drag strip, the tables turned when the roads bought twisty.

“The Suzuki had a secret weapon – dealing with. Whereas the Yamaha and Honda wallowed round like drunken hippos when ridden at velocity, the GS1000 was rock regular.” –Traditional Mechanics

The GS1000 would quickly show itself on racetracks internationally, the place riders like Wes Cooley wrestled the brute to victory in opposition to fields of thundering air-cooled inline fours:

“The manufacturing unit’s GS1000R XR69 observe model efficiently challenged Honda, particularly within the contentious TT Formulation races of 1980 and 1981, whereas in America Wes Cooley gained the nationwide Superbike sequence in 1979 and 1980 for Yoshimura Suzuki. Cooley additionally gained the 1980 Suzuka 8-Hour race, partnered by Graeme Crosby…” –MCN

The GS additionally confirmed itself as an amazing platform for personalization over time, able to dealing with heavy-duty modifications. That’s the place our new buddy Simon Kemper (@roid_rage_cafe) is available in, a London-based music producer who’s truly been constructing and rebuilding this similar ’78 GS1000 for years:

“About three of this bike’s incarnations had been carried out in a storage with a gap within the roof and a rusty little bit of metallic poking down within the doorway, which I hit my head on each single time I used to be working in there. My workbench was an previous ironing board.”

At the moment, Simon works out of a purpose-built storage, and he began this newest construct iteration throughout the depths of the pandemic, summer time 2020. His imaginative and prescient for the previous muscle bike was clear:

“I consider this bike as a café racer on steroids. The entire main customized components are designed to be huge, chunky, and barely over-engineered trying. A bit like me.”

The engine is a 1216cc Mk1 Bandit unit that Simon rebuilt himself, full with a flowed head, Wiseco 12:1 pistons, Kent cams, Mikuni RS38 flat-slide carbs, and extra. The result’s 150 rwhp at 9700 rpm — greater than a 70% enhance from the inventory engine’s 87 whp!

In the meantime, Simon labored along with his long-time buddy Lee Mitchell of Steelheart Engineering, who made the one-off box-section swingarm and subframe, an arsenal of CNC components, and dealt with the in depth body mods. Within the rear, adjustable linkage lengths supply variable suspension charges from 1.9 to 2.1/1, dampened by a re-valved CBR600RR shock, whereas K9 GSX-R1000 forks with Öhlins cartridges dealt with suspension duties up entrance.

Nostalgia Bike Upholstery dealt with the customized seat, whereas John at Boyz Toyz did the paint. We might go on and on with the modifications, however Simon affords a full construct sheet within the interview under.

Simon appropriately nicknamed this incarnation of his overbuilt 150-whp café racer “Roid Rage.” It was certainly one of our favourite builds from the latest Bike Shed Present in London, the place our photographer Roberto Garagarza (@roga______/) bought the present photographs you see right here. Under, we discuss to Simon for the total story on the construct.

Suzuki “GS1216” Café Racer: Builder Interview

Please inform us a bit about your self, your historical past with bikes, and your workshop.

I cut up my working time between web site tech and producing music for TV and on-line advertisements. I used to make music full time and had a take care of Ministry Of Sound and some others.

As a child I customised all my pushbikes and in my early teenagers i used to be constructing my very own race bikes, together with the wheel lacing, for observe and time trials.

My first motorcycle was a yellow Suzuki DR125 which was on its final legs, however I liked it. My second bike was a Suzuki GS1000; additionally on its final legs, however extra about that later. I labored on the GS1000 in a spare bed room together with the respray. About three of this bike’s incarnations had been carried out in a storage with a gap within the roof and a rusty little bit of metallic poking down within the doorway, which I hit my head on each single time I used to be working in there. My workbench was an previous ironing board.

Suzuki GS1000 Cafe Racer — The GS in 1994!

Now, I’m nonetheless engaged on the identical bike however in a purpose-built storage.

What’s the make, mannequin, and yr of the donor bike?

Suzuki GS1000 1978.

Why was this bike constructed?

This newest construct was began in August 2020 so was most likely one thing to do with the lockdown.

What was the design idea and what influenced the construct?

I consider this bike as a café racer on steroids. The entire main customized components are designed to be huge, chunky, and barely over-engineered trying. A bit like me. The engine places out good energy too. I met Lee of Steelheart Engineering about 15 years in the past when he made me a subframe for certainly one of its earlier incarnations.

On this new construct, Lee made the swingarm, subframe, and the CNC components together with the in depth body mods. It was very pleasant as a result of Lee could be very open to radical concepts, in addition to having radical concepts of his personal.

What customized work was carried out to the bike?

Engine:
Mk1 Bandit 1200 simply rebuilt by me.
Head flowed and barrels bored to 1216cc by Stan Stephens.
Wiseco 12:1 solid pistons balanced with pins.
Kent quick highway cams with APE slotted sprockets timed to 104i/106e.
Mikuni RS38 flatslide carbs.
Mk2 sprocket/velocity sensor, triggered by modified Kawasaki sprocket nut performing as set off.
Heavy obligation clutch springs.
Instances completed in Cerakote.
Mocal 19 row additional large oil cooler.
Do-it-yourself pipework. Hindle 4.2.1 exhaust headers with customized hyperlink pipe and Austin Racing eccentric can to convey pipework nearer to bike centre.

Chassis:
Intensive body modifications.
Metal CNC heel plates to convey swingarm pivot into appropriate place for entrance sprocket and to supply mounting factors for the 2 rear crossmembers.
One-off field part aluminium subframe.
One-off field part braced swingarm completed in clear Cerakote with linkages based mostly on GSXR750 K6.
Adjustable linkage lengths and high shock mounting level to provide variable suspension price from 1.9 to 2.1/1.
CNC sprocket service to area chain in the direction of 190 part tyre.
Too many one-off CNC components to checklist, all hand completed satin and brilliant anodised.
GSXR 1000 K9 forks with Ohlins NIX 30 cartridges.
One-off yokes by Billet Bike Bits with inset clocks with additional breakout.
GSXR 1000 L1 wheels with Cerakote end.
High mounted adjustable steering damper.
Adjustable eccentric lock stops.
Adjustable clip-ons.
Ohlins rear shock from CBR600RR re-valved to my spec.
Brembo M4 radial entrance calipers.
Brembo P2 rear caliper.
Brembo RCS radial grasp cylinders.
Brembo Serie Oro discs.

Electrics:
Handmade loom utilizing a Motogadget M-unit blue and varied different Motogadget components. Motogadget switchgear.
Ignitech ignition module.
Function Constructed Moto headlight.
Motogadget Motoscope professional devices.
Oil temperature sender in oil gallery.

Bodywork:
Commonplace tank with Pingel faucet.
Zedbutt seat unit.
Customized seat by Nostalgia Bike Upholstery.
Paint by John at Boyz Toyz.
Executed in just a few phases whereas I took the bits away and put the pinstripes on.

Does the bike have a nickname?

I referred to as it “Roid Rage” for the Bike Shed present!

Any thought of horsepower, weight, and/or efficiency numbers?

150rwhp @ 9700rpm
Weight: 175kg dry

Are you able to inform us what it’s prefer to journey this bike?

It’s an expertise each time I journey it. The flat-slide carbs actually make you’re employed. It’s an effort to maintain the throttle open, even on the lightest return spring setting. It’s fairly frantic, particularly above 6k, and the dealing with is nice since having the shock re-valved. I believe I’ll most likely do the identical with the forks sooner or later.

Was there something carried out throughout this construct that you’re significantly pleased with?

That is the primary time I’ve rebuilt this bike the place I’m completely proud of every part. Having stated that, I believe the metal heel plates got here out extremely nicely and kind a tremendous useful and visually distinctive focus of the bike. I wished them to face out in opposition to the sunshine gray body, so had them Cerakoted in clear.

I’m additionally happy with the wiring loom. I realized the best way to use Adobe Illustrator to design it and went from there. I’ve wired just a few music studios, so had a good primary understanding. And the sprocket service, designed to re-mount a part of a butchered Supersprox sprocket in the direction of the centre of the bike, for chain alignment. And the highest yoke with the recessed clocks… The swingarm is nice too.