From Slipstream Creations: “All of the Little, Huge Particulars…Twice”
The Suzuki VanVan 200 must be one of many funkiest manufacturing bikes available on the market, a fat-tired air-cooled dual-sport that looks like a runaway from less complicated occasions. We’ve seen these street-legal thumpers sort out every part from MSF Primary Rider Programs to morning espresso runs to classic scrambles (fashionable class) with shocking aplomb. It’s the trendy equal of the outdated Yamaha BW200 “Huge Wheel” and Honda Fats Cat of yore.
We aren’t the one ones who’ve warmed to the VanVan — it’s a favourite throughout the Pond as properly:
“Right here at MCN we have now a secret –all of us love the VanVan. It’s our responsible pleasure and to be trustworthy no-one can actually put a finger on what it’s about this bike that makes it so interesting. On paper the Suzuki is an outdated bike with ridiculous tyres, retro styling and a weedy motor that…would nonetheless lose a tug of struggle contest with an eight-year-old. But when any bike is assured to make you smile, it’s the VanVan.” –MCN
Grime Bike even did a full off-road take a look at with a VanVan 200 in Utah with shocking outcomes:
“For single-track desert trails…the VanVan is totally at house… We needed to be cautious how arduous we hit rock ledges to maintain the suspension bottoming to a minimal, however the tires labored extremely properly. We couldn’t hold with 450 off-road bikes, however they stayed considerably in sight.” –Grime Bike
Lately, we heard from certainly one of our very favourite builders, James Fawcett of St. Louis-based Slipsteam Creations, who’s greatest identified for his beautiful classic Honda builds. On this case, nonetheless, the shopper had one thing completely different in thoughts — pair of customized dual-sport scramblers…with a twist:
“This needed to be carried out as a wholly bolt-on undertaking. The plan was for us to construct a very completed customized VanVan in our store right here in St. Louis, however make duplicates of each single half, so the shopper may construct an equivalent (apart from tank shade) bike for his daughter, at house in Florida.”
That meant every part needed to be bolt-on — no chopping, welding on the body, or invasive rewiring. But when anybody was as much as such a problem, it was James — a person identified for his concentrate on “all of the little, large particulars.”
James offers us the total rundown on the construct under, however highlights embrace fats entrance wheel conversions (à la Fats Cat), shaved CB360 tanks with customized (bolt-on) mounts, subframes that bolt on to the inventory rear tank mounts, metal seat pans, twin LED headlights with customized bolt-on brackets, shortened rear fenders, and all these little, large particulars, twice!
The result’s one distinctive pair of father-daughter scramblers certain to carry smiles and reminiscences for a few years to come back.
VanVan Scramblers: Within the Builder’s Phrases…
When a buyer from Florida reached out to us with a obscure concept for not one, however two customized twin sport bikes, we had been keen to leap on the problem. After exploring choices for a enjoyable, straightforward to experience, and straightforward to keep up bike, we settled on a 2018 Suzuki VanVan. Our objective was to maintain the fun-loving traits of the 200cc twin sport, however give it a little bit of an angle adjustment. We wished to take the lovable and quirky look of the VanVan and remodel it into one thing a bit extra aggressive, and with cleaner and classier traces.
However there was a twist: this needed to be carried out as a wholly bolt-on undertaking. The plan was for us to construct a very completed customized VanVan in our store right here in St. Louis, however make duplicates of each single half, so the shopper may construct an equivalent (apart from tank shade) bike for his daughter, at house in Florida. That meant no slicing and welding on the body, and minimally-invasive wiring updates. All the pieces that we fabricated needed to be connected to the bike utilizing present mounting places — subframe, headlight, flip alerts, and so on.
One of many first belongings you discover on the completed construct is the entrance tire. To attain the look we had been after, we carried out a fats entrance wheel conversion on the VanVan. From the manufacturing facility, the VanVan comes with an extra-wide 14″ rear rim and fats tire, however a narrower 18″ rim in entrance. We had been in a position to lace up one other 14″ rear rim to the entrance hub, utilizing customized stainless-steel spokes and nipples from Buchanan’s Spoke & Rim. We powder-coated the hubs and rims in black and mounted fats Bridgestone tires on the back and front to provide the bike its actual excessive look.
A serious resolution we needed to make that might actually impression the general look of the construct, was what tank to make use of. We construct numerous customized classic Hondas right here at Slipstream, so we occurred to have a few Honda CB360 tanks available. These tanks had been simply the best dimension and form.
We had been in a position to fabricate some bolt-on entrance tank mounts that transfer the tank a pair inches ahead, simply barely increased than the inventory mounting location. We additionally built-in a rear tank mount into the customized bolt-on subframe we constructed.
The tanks had been shaved and painted in strong colours with no graphics — one in purple and one in black. The clear look of the tanks assist give the customized VanVan a little bit of an understated look in distinction with the outsized tires and twin headlights.
All the lighting on the bike was up to date. We constructed a customized headlight mount with perimeter guard that might wrap round twin headlight beams with LEDs. The bracket mounts to the inventory headlight mounts on the decrease triple clamp, and has built-in LED flip alerts from Motogadget.
Within the rear, we made some customized flip sign stalks for the Motogadget flip alerts, that additionally double as fender bolts. A low-profile LED tail gentle unit was added atop the fender.
To provide the rear fender a extra streamlined look, we had been in a position to get OEM black rear fenders for the VanVan, and shorten them by about 4-inches to provide the bike a bit extra streamlined look, however nonetheless present at the very least some safety from the weather.
One of many tougher components of the construct was determining the best way to create a pleasant beltline to the bike, contemplating the odd manufacturing facility form of the VanVan. And naturally, we needed to accomplish that with none welding on the body. We managed to manufacture a customized subframe that bolts onto the inventory rear tank mounts. This supplies good horizontal tubes that move with the underside fringe of the tank, and supply a seamless line from entrance to again. We included tabs to mount customized metal aspect covers.
The seat pan was fabricated out of metal to suit the brand new subframe, and wrapped neatly over the hump of the rear fender. We upholstered it in a easy pleated black vinyl to provide the bike a clear and easy look. We rounded out the construct with a brand new black handlebar, and a Trailtech Vapor digital instrument panel and indicator lights.
Ultimately, this construct turned out simply as we’d hoped. We saved the enjoyable and approachable demeanor of the Suzuki VanVan 200, however gave it extra of an aggressive feel and look. We had been in a position to accomplish this with totally bolt-on updates that move seamlessly with the bike and don’t seem like bolt-ons in any respect. All the work to finish this twin sport undertaking was carried out in-house — from customized steel fabrication, paint, powder coat, electronics, and fabric.
Construct Sheet
- Customized fabricated bolt-on subframe
- Customized metal aspect covers
- Customized seat pan and seat upholstery
- Customized headlight mount with twin LED beams and Motogadget flip alerts
- Custom-made rear fender with low profile LED tail gentle
- 14″ extra-wide entrance rim and fats entrance tire
- Customized gas tanks
- High-end engine rebuild with ported and polished head
- Trailtech Vapor digital instrument panel with indicator lights
- All of the little, large particulars, however twice
Observe the Builder
Extra Slipstream Creations
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