Photo: Carlotta Martini
Is it just me, or does this Italian builder have a strong affinity for offset headlights?
Italy’s Mr. Martini never fails to amaze petrolheads with his flawless pieces of two-wheeled artwork, some of which we’ve featured on our pages. These include a custom Triumph Street Triple R-based entity dubbed “Jerolamo SR” and Nicola Martini’s Legend TT “Bob,” a nitrous-fed monstrosity that appears to be eating drag strip tarmac for breakfast.
Sure enough, these beasts were subjected to an abundance of tasteful adjustments, but the same can’t be said about the bike we’re looking at today. Although the moto artist chose a less-is-more approach that keeps things simple, the result is still a fascinating display of Italian craftmanship.
The donor for this undertaking was a 2001 Kawasaki ZRX1100. Within its tubular steel double-cradle frame, the Japanese gem houses a ruthless DOHC inline-four powerplant, with sixteen valves and a colossal displacement of 1,052cc. This nasty piece of liquid-cooled machinery is good for up to 106 hp at approximately 8,700 rpm and 72 pound-feet (98 Nm) of twist at 7,000 spins.
A chain final drive receives the force from a five-speed transmission, resulting in a top speed of 145 mph (233 kph). This whole ordeal enables the ZRX to cover the quarter-mile distance in as little as 11.6 seconds. Martini kicked things off by cleaning up the frame and powertrain components to remove any signs of aging, while the original tires have been discarded in favor of Roadtec 01 rubber from Metzeler’s inventory.
As to the bike’s bodywork, the vast majority of its factory items were retained, although the front fairing had to go. In its stead, you will find a retro racing-style unit developed by the experts over at Japan’s Moriwaki Engineering. It features an eccentric LED headlight module and a pair of repurposed turn signals hailing from a vintage Kawasaki. The finishing touch comes in the form of a handsome color scheme adorning Mr. Martini’s one-off ZRX1100 from head to toe.
Sure enough, these beasts were subjected to an abundance of tasteful adjustments, but the same can’t be said about the bike we’re looking at today. Although the moto artist chose a less-is-more approach that keeps things simple, the result is still a fascinating display of Italian craftmanship.
The donor for this undertaking was a 2001 Kawasaki ZRX1100. Within its tubular steel double-cradle frame, the Japanese gem houses a ruthless DOHC inline-four powerplant, with sixteen valves and a colossal displacement of 1,052cc. This nasty piece of liquid-cooled machinery is good for up to 106 hp at approximately 8,700 rpm and 72 pound-feet (98 Nm) of twist at 7,000 spins.
A chain final drive receives the force from a five-speed transmission, resulting in a top speed of 145 mph (233 kph). This whole ordeal enables the ZRX to cover the quarter-mile distance in as little as 11.6 seconds. Martini kicked things off by cleaning up the frame and powertrain components to remove any signs of aging, while the original tires have been discarded in favor of Roadtec 01 rubber from Metzeler’s inventory.
As to the bike’s bodywork, the vast majority of its factory items were retained, although the front fairing had to go. In its stead, you will find a retro racing-style unit developed by the experts over at Japan’s Moriwaki Engineering. It features an eccentric LED headlight module and a pair of repurposed turn signals hailing from a vintage Kawasaki. The finishing touch comes in the form of a handsome color scheme adorning Mr. Martini’s one-off ZRX1100 from head to toe.
Google News