IT'S so easy for custom bike builders to fall into the trap of building endless variations on the traditional chopper/cruiser/cafe race theme that when one does something really different it's worth sitting up and taking note.
And this work-in-progress, from deepest Wales, shows just that sort of lateral thinking. It's a Bonneville, destined to be a cafe racer when completed, but the entire chassis is handmade from carbon fibre.
Taimoshan Cycle Works in Cardiff is responsible for the project, and from the look of their completed bikes the finished article should be impressive. Designed to be used with any T120 or T140 Bonneville engine – not the modern Hinckley-made machines – the chassis weighs just 3.5kg, saving 12.5kg compared to the steel original. Add in a single shock swingarm at just 1.5kg and, with aluminium used for the tank and seat, the finished bike is expected to come in at under 150kg.
The firm is also working on a hardtail bobber frame from the same material, weighing only 3kg, and once development is finished both versions are set to be offered as made-to-order parts for other people's Bonnie projects.
