This weekend’s number of bikes ranges from very trendy to very classic. The boutique-built 2026 Langen Lightspeed leads the cost, adopted by a traditional Ducati 750 GT and an immaculately restored classic AJS.
The 2026 Langen Lightspeed
The British boutique bike producer Langen has simply revealed the production-ready model of the bike they first teased two years in the past, and it is a stunner. Producing 185 horsepower and restricted to 185 items, the Langen Lightspeed is a small-batch neo-retro roadster with the form of components spec and finishes that you just’d count on from a top-shelf customized bike.
On the coronary heart of the Lightspeed lies a 1,190 cc liquid-cooled, 72-degree V-twin engine, good for 185 hp at 10,600 rpm and 138 Nm of torque at 8,200 rpm. It is packaged in a handcrafted metal trellis body with an identical swingarm. It is pure mechanical artwork—from the way in which the principle body and swingarm’s trellises comply with the identical sample, to how the dual Öhlins shocks run completely in keeping with each.
Equally scrumptious are the Lightspeed’s solid and CNC-machined aluminum wheels. They make the most of HEL Efficiency brake calipers developed particularly for Langen, whereas the discs are from EBC. The entrance forks are additionally from Öhlins, and the suspension is adjustable at each ends.
The Langen Lightspeed additionally contains a full complement of carbon fiber physique components, together with a 19-liter [5-gallon] gasoline tank. The manufacturing prototype is completed in a timeless black, silver, and gold mixture, however every consumer may have their decide of paint and trim choices. In addition they have the chance to journey to the Langen facility within the city of Wigan, England, the place every Lightspeed is assembled.
The true magic is within the Lightspeed’s finer particulars. The continual interaction between gloss carbon fiber and painted surfaces is intelligent, and machined components like the dual taillight housing and the exhaust finish caps are beautiful. Trendy issues embody a TFT sprint in a CNC-machined housing, with facilities like ABS, traction management, wheelie management, and launch management baked in.
All this can set you again the tidy quantity of £44,400 [about $58,763]. A £1,000 deposit will get you a spot within the queue, with deliveries anticipated from halfway by subsequent yr. [Source]
Public sale: 1974 Ducati 750 GT
Bonhams’ winter sale kicks off in a few weeks, with the same old cavalcade of classic and uncommon machines. Amongst them is that this splendidly restored 1974 Ducati 750 GT, with a paltry 2,032 miles on the clock.
Initially launched in 1971 and designed by the legendary Fabio Taglioni, the 750 GT was the Italian agency’s first-ever road-going L-twin. Its now-iconic 748 cc ‘spherical case’ bevel-drive engine went on to change into a Ducati hallmark, proving itself on the race monitor and the road.
This explicit 750 GT has solely had three homeowners since new—together with the present proprietor’s father, who had a behavior of regularly tweaking it, however by no means driving it. His ongoing renovation culminated in a full engine rebuild by a specialist in Wakefield, England, earlier than he sadly handed away.
The present proprietor offered most of his father’s machines after his loss of life, however stored the Ducati to finish the restoration in his honor. After 40-or-so years of being parked, native corporations East Restorations and Made in Italy Bikes introduced the 750 GT again to life with a full factory-spec restoration. Full with a brand new seat, paint, and Conti silencers, the bike was then drained of fluids and saved—professionally, this time.
Sadly, the household can now not maintain onto the 750 GT, so it is on the block with Bonhams, who count on it to fetch between £13,000 and £15,000 [about $17,206 to $19,852].
1956 AJS 16MS 350 by Sabotage Bikes
Any workshop will let you know: restoring a classic bike is way tougher than customizing one. The older the bike, the rarer authentic components are for it—and the tougher it’s to seek out appropriate reference materials.
These had been the challenges dealing with Australia’s Sabotage Bikes when a consumer rolled in his grandfather’s previous 1956 AJS 16MS 350. Armed with a stack of light pictures, he wished the drained AJS restored to concours-level situation, and he wished it to be rideable and dependable. Store boss Andy Dorr was desperate to oblige—nonetheless daunting the duty might have been.
Sabotage started by stripping the AJS all the way down to its nuts and bolts, and documenting each final half utilizing their in-house archiving system. The work was meticulous—any little bit of {hardware} that could possibly be restored was, whereas something that wanted to get replaced was sourced from Traditional Bike Spares. Nonetheless, Sabotage ended up fabricating many of the bike’s substitute components itself.
The work encompassed all the things from machining Whitworth-thread fasteners in-house, to painstakingly refurbishing the unique Smiths speedo. The body was painted, somewhat than powder-coated, with a view to match the unique gloss end, whereas new English-made rims and spokes had been matched to period-correct Avon tires.
Sabotage restored the wiring loom somewhat than constructing a brand new one from scratch, however did make one key modification to the bike by dropping a big-bore package in in the course of the engine rebuild. One ludicrous spotlight included an eight-month quest to supply a substitute pinion gear.
With all these struggles overcome, Sabotage completed the classic AJS off with gold-leaf art work that completely mimics the unique design. In addition they added the consumer’s grandfather’s title as a homage to each man and machine.
The restoration is outstanding, however so is the bike’s provenance. It is the bike with which the proprietor’s grandad took him on rides by the English countryside—together with journeys to the Goodwood Competition of Pace and different occasions. It left him stranded on his first solo experience, and it survived being shipped throughout the ocean and dissected by Australian customs.
Now, because of Sabotage, it is able to make an entire new set of recollections with the subsequent technology. [Source]
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