Photo: Thunderbike
Motorcycle clubs are some of the most potent independent organizations on the planet. Although their overall rep is tarnished by the many illegal dealings of some of these groups, motorcycle clubs are all about a certain way of life, but also brotherhood.
That way of life manifests itself through various means, going from the way club members talk and behave and ending with how they dress and modify the bikes they ride. It's this latter manifestation of motorcycle club life that interests us today.
Depending on what a club is all about, the bikes ridden by their members can take various forms. Yet there are some commonalities, as most of them are fitted with risers and mini ape hangers, and are turned into all-rounders that can be used for anything from daily riding to impressing the crowds at specialized shows.
It is these commonalities that custom garages that are not necessarily affiliated with motorcycle clubs, but do respond to requests from customers to have such things made, go for.
The latest club-style motorcycle to cross our path is the Racing Performance. Originally a Low Rider S of unspecified model year (the breed has been around for decades), the bike was transformed into such a two-wheeler by the talented hands of Germany's Thunderbike.
Coming on the heels of several other Low Rider-based conversions, the Racing Performance means to blend, at least visually, cues from club motorcycles with ones belonging to more competition-oriented machines.
The club cues can be seen in the new milled aluminum triple clamps, in anodized gold, the seven-inch pullback risers fitted up front, complete with a mount for the speedometer, and the butted aluminum handlebars.
As far as the bike's racing prowess is concerned, the two-wheeler was gifted with a new set of wheels, replacing the original ones sized at 19 and 16 inches front and rear, respectively. The new pieces of hardware, from Thunderbike's own GT line, come in at 21 and 19 inches, completely changing the look and feel of the ride.
The 117ci engine is still the original one, but it too was modified through the replacement of the stock exhaust with one supplied by Dr. Jekill & Mr. Hyde. There is no mention of how it changes the bike's performance, but something must be there, as stopping power was beefed up a bit with the installation of larger, 340 mm brake discs.
Although it may not look like it, Thunderbike says the Racing Performance was redesigned from the ground up to look this way. The invoice listing the parts doesn't paint that picture though, as the extra bits of hardware used to replace or upgrade the bike, minus the exhaust system, amount to just 6,300 euros (almost $6,900).
Depending on what a club is all about, the bikes ridden by their members can take various forms. Yet there are some commonalities, as most of them are fitted with risers and mini ape hangers, and are turned into all-rounders that can be used for anything from daily riding to impressing the crowds at specialized shows.
It is these commonalities that custom garages that are not necessarily affiliated with motorcycle clubs, but do respond to requests from customers to have such things made, go for.
The latest club-style motorcycle to cross our path is the Racing Performance. Originally a Low Rider S of unspecified model year (the breed has been around for decades), the bike was transformed into such a two-wheeler by the talented hands of Germany's Thunderbike.
Coming on the heels of several other Low Rider-based conversions, the Racing Performance means to blend, at least visually, cues from club motorcycles with ones belonging to more competition-oriented machines.
The club cues can be seen in the new milled aluminum triple clamps, in anodized gold, the seven-inch pullback risers fitted up front, complete with a mount for the speedometer, and the butted aluminum handlebars.
As far as the bike's racing prowess is concerned, the two-wheeler was gifted with a new set of wheels, replacing the original ones sized at 19 and 16 inches front and rear, respectively. The new pieces of hardware, from Thunderbike's own GT line, come in at 21 and 19 inches, completely changing the look and feel of the ride.
The 117ci engine is still the original one, but it too was modified through the replacement of the stock exhaust with one supplied by Dr. Jekill & Mr. Hyde. There is no mention of how it changes the bike's performance, but something must be there, as stopping power was beefed up a bit with the installation of larger, 340 mm brake discs.
Although it may not look like it, Thunderbike says the Racing Performance was redesigned from the ground up to look this way. The invoice listing the parts doesn't paint that picture though, as the extra bits of hardware used to replace or upgrade the bike, minus the exhaust system, amount to just 6,300 euros (almost $6,900).
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