1969 TRIUMPH TR6
Meet The Firefly – the Residence of Impermanence’s first and latest build by Deus Japan’s Director of Motorcycle Operations, Matthew Roberts – a venerable 1961 Honda Super Cub that pushes the engineering and styling envelope like none before. A modern interpretation of the raw functional beauty of small capacity GP and TT steeds of the 1950’s and ’60’s Its long, low lines, run uninterrupted from headlight to tail but for the riders perch – a spartan tuck-roll offering in Oxblood red, stitched by local moto upholstery master Miauchi-san -. and the original C105 speedometer, a nod to the machine’s heritage Its execution so harmonious as to have historians running to the archives in search of reference to a long lost racing prototype. A modified frame and epoxy composite monocoque body of Roberts’ own design and construction, afford the Firefly its striking silhouette while saving precious kilograms. The inspiration drawn from the Cubs unique front suspension. The exceptionally slim top bridge and frame allowed the creation of a body . 105mm at its widest point, while entry in local pre 1964 race series provided the performance motivation As a neat twist, racing mandatories quick release to reveal the machine’s road going necessities – headlight and discrete illumination elsewhere – meaning the Firefly can compete on the track at the foothills of Mount Fuji on a Sunday and hit the streets of Tokyo on a Monday. Removing the body reveals fuel cell, battery, coil and electrics laid out with surgical precision along a slender modified back bone. Polished and trued original C105 hubs now sport made in Japan DID alloy rims, custom spokes and 2.75 x 17 rubber shoe-horned to fit inside the narrow forks and rear fender. Bespoke and hand-made accoutrements pepper the Firefly’s form, such as alloy top bridge, stop light, rear set foot controls, fully adjustable alloy race shocks and externally mounted front fork rebound unit. “With Japan the birth place of the Super Cub, stepping up to customize one here means delivering a design that punches well above its weight in every aspect” admits Roberts, referring to his striking yet reverent re-imagining. “A concept that stops people in their tracks is one thing, but its the deep connection and respect to the original machine’s DNA that gives the Firefly endearing timeless character ” The Honda Cub may be the best selling vehicle in internal combustion history, 60 million plus worldwide, but performance components are scarce for the first series overhead valve single. Every nut, bolt, bearing and bush, from engine components to front suspension internals, have been re engineered, redesigned or improved from decades old factory blue prints. “Mill and lathe have kissed enough of this lithe steed to leave a HRC factory team envious” smiles Roberts. Half century old engines require as much art as science to coax reliable power increases, so friend and local engine guru Ted’s Special, who’s work graces Honda’s own race collection hall, handled over-sizing and tuning the petite donk to race series regulation maximum 20% capacity increase. Open carb mouth gleefully gulped in cool mountain air for the run-in and secret shakedown session. Test pilot Yamamoto-san confirmed planted, confidence inspiring handling that holds a line unlike any Cub he’s ever ridden and ergonomics that beg for speed and welcome cornering velocity . Gearing set and Jetting sorted, the Firefly Went on to Break cover and début at the Battle of Bottom Link RACE Series. We doubt Soichiro Honda’s original team would have ever imagined their humble first series Super Cub transformed into a pole-position-ready racer over half a century later … though we do know they would be proud.
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In a time where there are fences around
everything, and we are denied the instinct of self-preservation, it is difficult to find a place free from rules and restrictions, but not yet impossible. Surf movies come and go, a million waves in exotic locations and surfers flown in for three-day shoots on perfect swells, but the spirit of adventure never dies.What began as a three-month trip to a collection of surf breaks off the beaten track turned into a two-year odyssey of exploration, injury, companionship and 4,000km of two-wheeled, single-finned escape from the the real-world burdens of modern life.Harrison Roach and Zye Norris pack their bags, a diverse quiver of boards, two bikes and a 50-dollar tent into a 1970s Land Rover and embark on an epic quest from the southern reaches of Bali, through the Indonesian archipelago to Northern Sumatra’s isolated Lagundri Bay. On boards, on bikes, by boat and four-wheel drive, the pair’s journey is to discover if, in these days of GPS and WiFi, the dream of a true pioneering surf adventure is still alive.
WHEN INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHER AND HOBBYIST FIL BROUGHT A HAIR-BRAINED SCHEME AND BIKE ENTHUSIASTS HARRISON RO WERE T WO THINGS THAT THEY COU THE GOOD FORTUNE THAT HAD GRAC CHANGING OPPORTUNITY AND SECO O F T H E M O D E R N - DAY O DYS S E Y T H E Y
BUT WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A SECO THEIR RESOUNDING ASSENT. THE IDE AND SEA , BIKE, BOAT AND BOARD UP A THE INDONESIAN ARCHIPELAGO AND A PAIR OF BIKES AND OTHER BARE E DECREPIT L AND ROVER, THEIR QUEST
DEUS SURF, AWARD WINNING MMAKER DUSTIN HUMPHREY TO C HILDHOOD MATES, SURF OAC H AND ZYE NORRIS, THERE ULDN’T COMPREHEND: FIRST, CED THEM WITH SUCH A LIFEOND, THE SHEER MAGNITUDE WERE ABOUT TO UNDERTAKE.
ND THOUGHT, THEY OFFERED EA WAS TO JOURNEY BY L AND ALMOST THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF D, WITH A STABLE OF BOARDS, SSENTIALS LOADED INTO A T SOUTH TO SIAN BEGAN…
THE EAU ROUGE A thoroughly modern interpretation of those iconic retro racers. Encapsulating the lean and single purpose looks of an endurance bike, Deus have given a modern twist to the semi-faired 1970s style through the incorporation of straight line and angular aesthetics.
bike – and the tail.
Every details of the bike is perfectly given by the past, but the motorbike is a modern, aggressive and power-full racer moved by the 4 cylinder Yamaha engine that si the only things that we kept stock. The bike style is defined by the ‘Cyclops’ fairing, all made by aluminium, like the big tank – low and wide like the old racing
Finished in a special paint that replicates bare metal and finally completed with the iconic Yamaha ‘speed block’ design, this stunning twenty-first century machine not only looks amazing, it utilizes some of the finest components available to ensure it can truly live up to its racing heritage.
All the parts are a mix of line and corner, all been designed to give the over-all impression of an endurance bike while still appearing fresh and modern in their style.
BEL AIR 1200 Built by Michael Woolaway for a customer who requested a bike similar to The American, one of the first creations to roll out of Woolie’s Workshop in Venice Beach California. For Woolie, building a bike with a Harley motor is a significant undertaking, and taken with honor to the maker’s American racing heritage, particularly the era of KRTTs on the road racing circuit. This time around, Woolie was also inspired by another American icon: “I thought about what I loved about American Design, and it hit me. The 1957 Chevy Bel Air!” Says Woolaway, having restored a few back in the day at his auto body shop in Hood River,Oregon. The 50’s style is evident in the fins in the seat cowl, handshaped by Woolie from aluminum. The tank is also a one-offer formed with the help of the english wheel, power hammer, and a healthy assortment of dollies and hammers, all eager to fulfill their purpose in the hands of the well-learned shaper. When it came to the paint, Woolie went down to Anaheim Rod and Custom with a vague idea in mind and worked side-by-side with Matt until they concocted the perfect mix. “I’ve found it so much easier to mix colors in person as you can control it and you are never surprised with the outcome.” What he wanted and what he got turned out to be pretty darn spot on, a perfect reference to the golden era. The chromoly frame features an internal dual oil feed system and accommodates an asymmetrical monoshock. And not only is it significantly lighter than than stock, it is also much stiffer with road-racing geometry for high-speed straight-line stability and responsive handling in the corners. Close your eyes and you might just mistake yourself astride a small track bike, but don’t forget to open your eyes when you roll open the throttle lest you whip yourself into outer space. Yes, my friend, that would be a very powerful engine between your legs. 74 cubic inches of combustible American rocketpower and generations of large family breeding. Specs: 1998 Harley Davidson Evolution 1200cc motor Keihin FCR-39 carburetor K&N Air filter Daytona Twin Tec ignition system Hand made Stainless steel chrome plated exhaust system RaceTech rear shock built by Jimmy Wood at Moto Station R6 forks redone by Jimmy Wood Rad Engineering hubs with Sun rims and spokes Bridgestone tires Brembo brakes with a Magura master cylinder LSL Bars Carbon Fiber front fend
What is ‘Slidetober’? Well what started as an event to help us here at the Temple blow off some steam has evolved with time and manifested into what it is today, an internationally renown 3 day long grass roots festival that encompasses moto, surfing, art, film and music, which attracts both motorcycle riders and surfers from all over the globe.
THE HEINRICH MANEUVER
The W-uhini ( The Grasshoper ) Built by Woolie at the Deus Emporium, 2016
“Harrison and I had been on a ongoing rant to get to Morocco, for its diversity of waves, desolate landscapes and cultural benefits that we hadn’t experienced yet. As each day came across as being the same, rising with the sun, jamming the car full of boards, camera gear and tagines on our minds before we had even gotten to the surf, 16 days of that had created something quite special to all of the other trips we had done together.� - Woody G.
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Deus X Sketch Collab, 2015 Seasoned japanese signwriter Sketch has createdhis own distinct visual language through years of applying his round-tip bristles to motorbikes,shopfronts, enamel and wood scattered amongst the fringe of Japanese motorbike culture. His artwork boasts a subliminal charm that stems from a steady hand and untethered mind. Sharing a mutual love of both craft and wit, teaming up with out favourite Japanese zoner-loner was destined to be an infallible union
We like to think of it as a shindig for the masses that squeezes together art with music and tops the whole kit and caboodle off with lashings of old school log sliding lubricated by about a squillion beers, rambunctious cheers and undoubtedly a few tears. We’ll not let you yearn for drop knee turns, bottom turns nor some great big burns.
The Mlachi Crunch, XLR500 Built at the Residence Of Impermanence, 2016
Get Right was brought to life at the Deus Residence Of Impermanence. Tokyo’s residence hosted a showcase of their collaboration with Japanese helmet marque, Shoei, as well as an offering of their latest customised dead stock garments and over-dyed hand printed fabrics. It had been Shoei’s participation in the Deus Japan Bike Build Off 2016 that inspired the collaboration, with the centrepiece being a selection of customised helmets.
IV League Flat Track invited us to build a themed flattracker for their Junkyard Buildoff. The rules were to find a 500cc or less bike for $500 or less and put $500 or less into it, and then race it at Del Mar on March 19th. So we did it. With grandiose ideas and radical intentions we opted for the “or less” option on all rulebook categories. We found a de-raked ’82 Yamaha 400 SECA that had been crashed on a farm in Wisconsin for $350 and went to town. Normally deraking involves chopping up the frame, but our donor bike had been in a front-end crash and the forks were bent just perfect. After putting most of our allotted $500 budget into a huge 500-tooth rear sprocket and 18″ dirttrack tires to mate with the radical stock rims, we spent the rest on Scuba gear off eBay. Thats where the theme of the build comes into play. Life Aquatic. Zissou. Jaques Couseau. Frontiersman of the deep sea. It all seemed like fun and ridiculous but we took this part very seriously, blue shirts, beanies, scuba gear, the whole 5 yards.
The bike looked pretty rad with no tank, so our initial plan was to use a diving oxygen tank for race fuel worn on the rider’s back during racing. Logistics of the one-way fuel line quick-disconnect turned out to be a bit more complicated than we imagined so we opted for a tin water bottle to hold just enough fuel for an 8-lap main event. And we didn’t want to catch on fire. Josh Mills, one of the Deus Family riders who is pretty deadly on his TT500 was out of a bike for the weekend so we invited him to race The Zissou. Millsy raced like the dickens, and made the whole team proud: in a field of 6 bikes, he brought home the bacon with a solid 2nd place finish behind Southland Fabrication’s Alex Wood (builder of high-end frames that Woolie has used for Deus builds) on a Honda XL350 that was substantially less junkyard-ish than our lopsided vessel. Josh held off Aaron Colton, close on his heals on an XR200 the entire race. Good fun, really.
Julian Heppekausen, our Commander-In-Chief here the Emporium Of Postmodern Activities and an up-and-comer in the Southern California vintage racing community (in fact he already has a fan-base of six who know him as “JH517”) completed a fairly significant endeavor on “Terry Triumph”, a 1966 Triumph T120 by successfully finishing The Happiest Race On Earth, the Norra Mexican 1000!
Here’s what he had to say… “I did this in honor of Terry Pratt and in his spirit of going for a ride and having a fun time. This Triumph was the most recent bike which Pratt built into a desert sled and rode before a bout with pancreatic and liver cancer took his life in 2012. He managed to complete a small section of the LA Barstow to Las Vegas ride on the bike in 2011. I purchased the motorcycle in 2012 from the Pratt family with the promise of keeping the bike on the road but mainly on the trails. Pratt, the legendary motorcycle industry icon, worked at as a European MX correspondent covering the World Championship Motocross Grand Prix series for a number of publications, including Cycle News. In the late 70s, he worked for Hester Communications on their Bicycle Dealer Showcase trade magazine. Terry returned to Cycle News as an advertising manager starting in 1979, providing a vital role generating revenue and developing relationships for America’s Weekly Motorcycle Newspaper for over 32 years.” Terry the T120 has had some of the motorcycle industries most skilled and talented tuners and mechanics work on him. The original build, as purchased in 2012: Terry Pratt Eddie Crowell Mike Haney Bill Getty The entire BSA Owners Club of Southern California (many more)
After learning that Terry Pratt would have encouraged the bike be made as good as possible, Julian continued what Terry had started and the following people have worked on the bike to make it the Mexican-1000-Winning bike it is today: John Hateley – (race prep and tuner) John French (engine builder) Mike Libby (machine work – head, cams, go fast stuff) James Baneke – (fabricaor ex and super nice guy) Pierre Vaillancourt – (Suspension tuner) Richard Adams – (Fork Supplier) Frank Chatokhine – (The Number 1 in Europe)
DAKDAAK
60HP CRF450X MOTOR
F U L LY A D J U S T A B L E L E N G T H P E N S K E S H O C K W I T H H I G H A N D L O W S P E E D C O M P R E S S I O N A N D R E B O U N D , V A LV E D A N D S P R U N G FOR RIDER WEIGHT
H A N D - F O R M E D, H A N D - S T I TC H E D, WAT E R P R O O F K U S H I TA N I L E AT H E R S E AT
CYLINDER HEAD OV E R S I Z E S TA I N L E S S K
ALL BODY COMPONENTS ARE HAND -ROLLED ALUMINUM, SMALL A N D S L I M P R O F I L E H A N D TA I LO R E D F O R R I D E R S TAT U R E
C U S TO M K I C K S TA R T E R HAMMERHEAD DESIGNS CHAIN GUARD
S TA I N L E S S S T E E L MEGAPHONE EXHAUST
H A N D - B U I LT SHIFT SHAFT
OVERSIZED BREMBO REAR ROTOR AND BREMBO 2-PISTON CALIPER AND MASTER CYLINDER H A N D B U I L T, F U L LY B R A C E D C H R O M O LY S W I N G A R M
H A N D - F I T T E D S P E E D O / TAC H, S U S P E N D E D TO R E D U C E V I B R AT I O N
H A N D B U I L T, B I C Y C L E W E I G H T, R E Y N O L D S C H R O M O LY F R A M E
U S - B U I L T, F U L LY A D J U S T A B L E OFFSET TRIPLE CLAMPS
ASV CLUTCH LEVER
D PORTED 2MM K I B B L E W H I T E V A LV E S
M O T I O N P R O R E V O LV E R T H R O T T L E
47MM INVERTED SHOWA CARTRIDGE FORK WITH 16-POSITION REBOUND AND 16-POSITION COMPRESSION DAMPING A D J U S T A B I L I T Y, S H O R T E N E D , R E -V A LV E D A N D R E - S P R U N G F O R R I D E R W E I G H T, R E D H A R D ANODIZED CARTRIDGE AND BLACK ANODIZED FORK LEGS
C U S TO M H A N D - B U I LT R A D I ATO R A N D H A N D - M A D E RAM AIR SHROUDS
FRONT BRAKE 320 MM BREMBO CUSTOM ROTOR CENTER, 6-PISTON BERINGER CALIPER WITH BREMBO MASTER CYLINDER
SILICON HOSES
WEB -CAM RACING CAMS & SPRINGS
CP HIGH COMPRESSION PISTON & CARILLO ROD
U S H A N D - B U I LT H U B S, U S - M A D E S TA I N L E S S S T E E L SPOKES AND RIMS HAND-FITTED RIZOMA REARSETS
IN
2 010
DEUS
ANNOUNCED RAL
EX
M AC H I N A
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ENTHUSIASM
BIKE BUILD OFF - A CHALLENGE TO
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ARMY
B A C K YA R D
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M O T O R C Y C L I N G C O M M U N I T Y TO CREATE THE MOST, WITH THE LEAST. THE ENTRIES PRESENTED ON THE D AY THE
AMAZED
PA R T I C I PA N T S
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AND
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INSPIRED.
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COMPETITION AND C R E AT E D I N CREDIBLE MAC HINES OF EVERY F L AVO R , W H E T T I N G T H E A P P E TITE TO DO IT AGAIN IN ALL OUR GLOBAL LOC ATIONS.
“A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma” — Winston Churchill, 1939
standard wheels were abandoned in favour of custom hubs laced to alloy rims; 19 inch front, 18 rear.
Fast forward to 2012. ’The Moscow Accord’, formed from the blue collar roots of the Deus hammer.
Breathing is through a K&N air filter while spent gasses are eased through a full Vance & Hines 2-into-1 performance exhaust. A Power Commander with Auto Tune keeps the fuelling in check.
First step: strip the Sportster of the useless bits. Second step: fabricate what we can, including the rear fender, shaved SR500 tank, tank strap, triple clamp, sub frame, seat, and some other stuff.
A skin of satin and gloss black help the cause while gloss dirty blue provides contrast.
Then a world-wide search for the remaining components: Sato If you happen upon a local in Moscow wearing a space helmet and riding the Deus two wheeled Sputnik — it’s not a Racing rear-sets, custom Tingate clip-on bars, Power Comsecret weapon, nor mechanised suppression of the masses; mander chip, Auto Tune sensors. it’s form and function as one, east and west united. Galfer brake rotors with 6 pistons up front and 4 pistons at the rear bring the somewhat lighter Sporty to a stop. The
O n t h e 28 t h o f O c t o b e r 20 0 5 i n a s u b u r b o f i n n e r we s t e r n Syd n ey a s ke l e t o n c r ew o f f u n f u e l e d r e p ro b a t e s a r m e d o n l y w i t h t h e c o u r a g e o f t h e i r c o nv i c t i o n s , a b a g f u l l o f s c r i b b l e s a n d a d o g e a r e d S R 5 0 0 wo r k s h o p m a n u a l t h r ew o p e n t h e g a t e s t o t h e o r i g i n a l Te m p l e o f E n t h u s i a s m . T h e r e a c t i o n wa s s e i s m i c a n d t h e e n s u i n g ex p l o s i o n s o f exc i t e m e n t eve r y d a y i n t h e H o u s e o f S i m p l e P l e a s u r e s p rove d t h a t t h i s wa s b i g g e r t h a n a b r a n d, i t wa s o u r wa y o f l i f e a n d p l e n t y we r e w i l l i n g t o g e t t h e t a t t o o t o p rove t h e i r p ro c l i v i t y f o r f u n - D e u s s t y l e. W h a t h a s g row n g l o b a l l y f ro m t h e s e e d s we s c a t t e r e d t e n ye a r s a g o i n t h e d u s t y s u b u r b o f C a m p e r d ow n m a ke s u s ve r y p ro u d . T h e f a r f l u n g D e u s d i a s p o r a a ro u n d t h e p l a n e t c o n t i n u e s t o p ro d u c e a n eve r evo l v i n g a n d m u l t i f a r i o u s c o r n u c o p i a o f s t u n n i n g c u s t o m c yc l e s a n d b o a r d s , i n c r e d i b l e a p p a r e l, i n s p i r i n g a r t, d e l i c i o u s f o o d a n d u n f o r g e t t a b l e ex p e r i e n c e s . T h i s ove r f l ow i n g p o t o f c r e a t i v i t y e m p h a t i c a l l y p rove s t h a t t h e m o s t v i b r a n t a n d e n g a g i n g b r a n d i n t h e wo r l d h a s m a ny m o r e d e c a d e s l e f t in the tank. To a l l t h e r i d e r s , d r e a m e r s , g i ve r s a n d g r i f t e r s , a r t i s t s , f r i e n d s a n d f a m i l y w h o h a ve m a d e t h i s j o u r n ey t h e b e s t a d ve n t u r e o f o u r l i ve s .
Deus Creator, Dare Jennings & Co-founder Carby Tuckwell at the Residence Of Impermance, Tokyo. 2015