Blacked-Out Venox

[Mike-the-Bike]

I got the idea to do this from the Harley-Davidson "Night-Rod" and Harley-Davidson 2014 Street 750 motorcycles; other inspiration came from the "Moto-Terminator" bikes from the "Terminator Salvation" movie.  Not sure how to classify my now custom Venox--café racer? Bobber? Streetfighter? 

Four different sheens of black paint (gloss, semi-gloss, satin, and flat) were used, "brushed" all unpainted chrome and bolts, removed the turn signals (may be replaced by smaller LED units in the near future), removed the reflectors, replaced the handlebars and mirrors, replaced the side stand with one from my GSXR, replaced and relocated the horn (the new one is very loud), chopped the rear mud guard, removed the chain guard, removed the chrome "handles" from the rear fender, brushed the engine fins after painting those parts, and will soon be replacing the factory tires with a 170/80 in the rear and a same sized front as factory (but better tire).  Also added were rear stand spools on the swingarm, and a crossed pistons emblem inspired by the 1953 movie "The Wild One"--it was on the back of their leather jackets.

You already know what a stock Venox looks like, but just for ease of comparison, the first photo was how my bike looked a few weeks ago:

















Took my wife out for a ride after a solo test ride with the new bars--very café racer like!  Handles better with the new geometry.  If the bike had been a black Venox to begin with, the job would have been much easier--painting the frame, swing arm, and body parts was a lot of work!

[bluesin]

Pretty Frickin' sharp !!

[Vivo]

Very nice job!!!

[Hairy Bob]

  Holy hot camel sh** Mike !!!  Man she sure looks a mean mother now. You did a damn good job on her. Far out, how bloody long did it take you to sand and prep everything ? Must have taken ages. Hey Mike, I don't want to sound like too much of a mongrel, but do yourself a favour and get a bit of black paint to cover that brake fluid line (see on photo no. 6). Seeing as you've gone to all that trouble, it seems a shame for such a little thing like that to take the edge of her. But top job though mate, she looks hot. And looking at your back tyre, I think it might be time for me to shout my little pony a new one.
Take care and ride safe.
Regards, Hairy Bob  . 

[Vivo]

How about red paint on that fluid line HB? that would add contrast...    Welcome back HB...

[Mike-the-Bike]

Thanks for the compliments!  I'll be replacing that brake line with a new one soon.  Maybe black, but the stainless silver adds a nice contrast.  Hang on to your hats mates, I've done even more work since I posted these photos!  I lowered the front forks 7/8" in the triple clamps, added new tires (a whopping 170/80 on the rear!), installed a classic café fairing to the front, and cut the rear section and side panels to reveal more tire.  I also cut-off the tail light bracket portion of the frame and bobbed the end of the tail, and am adding a new tail light and LED mini turn signals front and rear on custom aluminum brackets this week.

 If you like how the bike looks above, just wait until next week! I'll be test riding today on those new tires--should get some more speed from the larger circumference rear tire (5.26 inches larger circumference than the stock 150/80 Maxxis tire).  I'm estimating 5 MPH over my top 79MPH "best speed" on the bike.  Handling-wise, I'll be taking it easy on those new tires.  Lowering the front forks and raising the rear with the larger tire will give me a slightly steeper rake angle for quicker turn-ins, but since this is a cruiser frame and geometry, I will be very careful!

[Mike-the-Bike]

Got all the modifications completed; looks like a totally different bike!  Added a café fairing (with custom aluminum brackets), installed new tires, installed LED turn signals (more custom brackets), chopped rear and side sections, lowered the forks 7/8" in the triple clamps, replaced front foot pegs with GSX-R750 pegs (matches the GSX-R750 sidestand installed last month), cut the rear frame and welded a plate on back for a new LED taillight, and had to grind away some metal from the swingarm for the giant rear tire.

 


A bit like the 1978 Harley Davidson XLCR750 Café Racer (which inspired the after market fairing--in continuous production for over 30 years).



After lowering the forks in the triple clamps...

Remember the first Terminator movie?  I think it's the same fairing as used on that motorcycle.

I had to modify the fairing around the brake reservoir with a dremel.  The brackets it came with were not enough--they simply attached to the headlight bolts on either side of the headlight!  I also made a "V" bracket to attach the bottom of the fairing to the bottom triple clamp using the brake line bracket holes.

The GSX-R750 pegs came off my 2004, which now has racing pegs.

The new tires are IRC "Wild Flare" series (made in Japan).  The rear tire adds 5" more rolling distance, resulting in 4MPH more top speed (84MPH). Stock rear tire is on right.

[Mike-the-Bike]

BUMP!

[Hairy Bob]

BUMP!

    What !!!  You're bloody kidding aren't you Mike, some knob head hasn't run into you have they ??

[zombie]

If there was a "build of the month" You got it. Build of the year? You got it. Best looking Kymco ever?? You Got It!

Get a set of clamp on bars, and you have the eternal record for best Kymco infinity!

Sell it before you have to maintain it!!!

[Mike-the-Bike]

Thanks!  Now I'm thinking of putting 2" taller shocks on it to raise the rear end, and I'm trying to design a removable solo cowl that can be attached over the passenger part of the seat--I still need to be able to take my wife along every now and then.    The clip-on handlebar idea would cause the control modules on them to dent the tank; as it is, the clubman bars are adjusted to just barely clear the tank at full left-right lock.  Rear-set pegs would be too much trouble to do, and could interfere with my wife's foot pegs.  Anyway, I've already got a GSXR with that extreme geometry (look on gsxr.com for the Bike of the Month winner for sept. 2013.  Also known as ROTM- ride of the month.)

If I install taller shocks, I think the Venox will need a longer chain, no?

[zombie]

Not so sure about the longer shock deal. Stiffer maybe but the first bike I made taller in the rear changed the geometry enough to make it the first bike that high sided me.

It was an LTD 1000 that I raised 2" in the rear, and it went into a high speed wobble around 130MPH where it never did that before the shock change. I have a stuck out collar bone to remind me.

If you are doing it for two up then perhaps a set of air shocks, and damper springs.

For the chain I have added a few links w/ masters on both ends or if you prefer use a pin crimp, and make it permanent.

Too bad on the clamp on's... I LOVE them.

[Mike-the-Bike]

Good point about the geometry; I'll probably leave it like it is for now.  Considering the steering angle and the longish wheelbase, dumping too much weight on the front wheel would most likely mess up the handling (such as it is).  Jacking up the rear end could also cause the chain to rub on the plastic guard on the swingarm.  As for the 130MPH speed wobble, the Venox would never get over 80MPH, but with its geometry all topsy-turvy, bad things could happen even at 60MPH.  Thanks for your input on the shock idea.

[zombie]

No problem sir. It's such a bad ass bike I'd like to see it, and its rider hang around for awhile.
Some bikes respond better than others to changes. Who's to say how yours would...

[Dan77]

Nice work! One question; how did you go about blacking out the engine covers? The 'machine-look' chrome on the fins over the black looks awesome.
All the best!