Few bikes can declare the notoriety of the ill-fated Buell Blast. Propelled by half a Sportster engine and aimed toward newbie riders, the Blast was such a disappointment that its creator, Erik Buell, signaled the tip of its manufacturing by publicly tossing one right into a crusher. Then, to drive the purpose residence, he provided a restricted run of crushed and autographed Buell Blast ‘cubes’ on the market.
The Buell Blast’s infamy—and rarity—are exactly what tempted Toshiyuki ‘Cheetah’ Osawa to customise it. Primarily based in Tokyo, Japan, Osawa-san is the brains behind the ‘Have Enjoyable’ flat observe racing occasion. He additionally builds among the most imaginative flat trackers round.
The Blast is difficult to search out in Japan, so Cheetah imported one from the USA earlier this yr. “Single-cylinder fashions are sometimes utilized in flat track racing, so I believed it could be attention-grabbing to make a racer primarily based on this,” he tells us. “I wished to construct a racer that no person had ever made earlier than; a flat observe racer that encapsulates the thought of a chopper.”
Cheetah stripped the Buell Blast right down to its engine and commenced designing a bespoke chassis. First, he fabricated a petite gasoline tank and stylish tubular body spine. Then he mixed the 2 utilizing conventional chopper molding strategies.
The ultimate monocoque went off to a buddy, S Paint, for a coat of black paint. Subsequent, Cheetah laid down a set of flames by hand—referencing 70s and 80s choppers and drag racers. “I wished to strive the mixture of molding and flames on a racer with a good experience top,” he explains.
Additional again, Cheetah fabricated a subframe and swingarm out of chromoly tubing. All the welds use a conventional bronze brazing approach—one thing that he taught himself a couple of years in the past. The dual-tube swingarm design was impressed by a traditional Arlen Ness design, with X-shaped gussets paying homage to the A-shaped gadgets on the unique Ness model.
The juxtaposition of the slick molded entrance finish, towards the chromoly brazed rear part, is impressed—a harmonious mix of various kinds from totally different eras. Cheetah drives the purpose residence by including a 3rd type, showcasing his metalworking abilities with a customized tail cowl, oil tank, and foot management brackets that every one bear a swirled end. A perforated seat, upholstered by Atelier Tee, runs throughout the highest of the bodywork.
There’s nothing left of the Buell Blast’s operating gear both. It now rolls on 19” Solar Rims hoops, shod with Hoosier flat observe tires. The forks and rear shock are WP Suspension parts, the rear suspension mounts are customized, and the rear brake makes use of a Brembo caliper.
A set of Cheetah flat observe handlebars sit up prime, held in place by aftermarket risers. They’re fitted with a Domino throttle, contemporary grips, and a brief clutch lever. Decrease down, Cheetah modified the shift lever to create clearance for boot-out driving, and added Bates foot pegs.
A Dell’Orto carb feeds the motor, with a customized exhaust header and an Ixil muffler expelling gasses. The exhaust’s flawless routing and the asymmetrical foot peg placement show that this machine’s been constructed to experience in anger—however its myriad finishes and engineering methods communicate to Cheetah’s creativity.
Black, silver, gold, and pink seems like an over-stuffed palette, but it surely works spectacularly properly. The gold flame graphics are matched by the gold rims, which, in flip, put on delicate graphics on the within. Crimson is used sparingly; on the entrance forks, rear shock spring, rear brake caliper, throttle cable, and spark plug lead.
Stacked with considerate particulars (like the best way the oil tank is tucked in behind the cylinder head), and flawlessly mixing a number of genres into one machine, Cheetah’s Buell flat tracker is a blast of contemporary air.
Toshiyuki ‘Cheetah’ Osawa Instagram | Photographs by, and with honest because of, Kazuo Matsumoto
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