1982 HONDA CB750K "DO THE TON" CAFE RACER 

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#88 Dual Racer Yamaha XV by Magnum Opus The original intent behind the cafe racer movement was to add speed by shedding weight. When the build team at Magnum Opus completed their surgery on this Virago, some fifty to sixty pounds of OEM excess had been lopped off.

Hand built parts like the rear subframe, the new headlight and those exquisite down-shooting pipes help with the lightness as well as the looks. Other subtle touches involved swapping the tank for a CB750 unit, and fitting a tucked-and-rolled Motolanna seat to the modified frame—creating a stance and aesthetic that can’t be ignored. The dual sport rubber is a nice touch, too.

1982 Yamaha XV750 #88 Dual Racer

The Bike Shed Custom Classifieds is suddenly filling up daily with stunning pre-loved/pre-fettled builds, like this XV from Magnum Opus

1978 Kawasaki KZ830 Turbocharged

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Big bore kit AND a turbo, this Kawasaki KZ by Magnum Opus Custom Bikes packs a serious punch

Check out the huge spec over on the Custom Classifieds

This Kawasaki KZ650 by Magnum Opus Based in Wilmington, North Carolina, Magnum Opus Custom Bikes is helmed by Ezio Covelli a man with a growing resumé of impressive builds. His latest custom work is this turbocharged Kawasaki KZ650, which made its debut at the Handbuilt Show in Austin, Texas last week. Its period-correct alterations have me all kinds of impressed.

Starting with a standard 1978 son-of-Z1, Ezio wanted build a bike that would slot somewhere between the Z1 and the bonkers Z1r-TC Turbo in performance terms. So the factory mill was overbored to fit a 70s-vintage MTC 803cc kit. Then a period-correct American Turbo Pak kit, the same brand used on the Z1r-TC, was fitted on top. Currently the bike is running at around five to six pounds of boost during the break-in period, but Ezio figures she’ll handle ten pounds of spool once all is said and done. That’ll deliver about around 110 horsepower in a bike with the handling characteristics of a sprightly 500.

We discovered this blown KZ650 by Magnum Opus Custom Bikes at this year’s Handbuilt Show, only to realize that this custom shop, run by Ezio Covelli, is located in the same town as our headquarters:  Wilmington, NC! Now Magnum Opus is back with this oh-so-wicked, bloodred CB750 “Brat Cafe.” We love a cafe racer capable of two-up riding, which was part of the concept of this machine, and we also loved the contrast of the worn, un-repainted engine with the rest of the build.

We are huge fans of the KLR. The bike has been ridden all across the world, and the big single is nearly bulletproof. Hayes Diversified Technologies modifies KLR650s to run diesel fuel for the US military, and riders like Dr. Gregory Frazier have circumnavigated the globe on KLRs. It’s one of those go-anywhere, do-anything bikes that’s achieved near legendary status. It’s always fun to see what a builder can do with a dual-sport platform, and Magnum Opus blew this one out of the water.

Though the TL-R was intended to be “the best potential Superbike winner,” it ended up overweight and overcomplicated. It weighed 434 lb dry — 40+ pounds more than the R1 of the time — and made less power. Besides that, high-speed instability in early models gave the bike a “widow-maker” reputation, and much of the bike was over-complicated, hiding the motor’s true potential.

Enter one of our favorite builders, Ezio Covelli of Magnum Opus Custom Bikes, who set out to rectify these issues. Ezio is one of those builders who leaves no stone unturned, and he approaches each build with a holistic mindset. Unlike many bikes, which are more like design exercises, he never neglects brake, suspension, and maintenance-related upgrades. The result here is “Alphamille,” a TL1000 cafe racer boasting a 23% improvement in power-to-weight ratio, along with a staggering wealth of other upgrades. Below, we get the full story from Ezio on the build.

If ever there was a reason to build a special, it's for a 50 percent power hike. North Carolina USA based Magnum Opus custom bikes have achieved exactly that with this tasteful yet unhinged breathed-on KZ650.

The Crankcase mouths have been machined to accept an 830cc MTC big-bore, which in turn breathes through an ATP (american turbo pak) intake manifold and a Rayjay F40 Turbo and pipe.

With 10psi boost it makes 100bhp, even on half that boost it produces 90bhp at the wheel - a stock Z650 makes a claimed 64bhp. On stock brakes it must be terrifying.