Hi guys,
I named/designed my bike after the infamous Cuckoo Wasp, as I’ve trimmed some of the fat of a standard Hornet (so it’s smaller – as a Hornet is just a big Wasp) and painted it in a custom “Verde Chrysi” as a subtle tribute to the Cuckoo Wasp’s eye catching bright green.
I am a huge fan of all things eco-friendly, and want all my projects to incorporate some aspect of this as I can, and as such my bike has a few little features; the seat was made in collaboration with Portuguese company Corkor, who produce vegan/plant-based leather goods, and they allowed me to use their material to make a custom seat and grips, I have also calculated the carbon footprint of my bike over the course of 100,000 kilometres, and donated to a tree planting charity to plant the amount of trees required to offset this carbon, in essence making the bike carbon neutral over this distance, the tank badges and handlebar Quadlock mount are made from aluminium offcuts (as to make use of spare material available and not new) and even the vinyl decals across the bike and on the helmet (which it designed to match) are PVC free.
As for the modifications, here is a list, first being one of the most noticeable features on the bike, the custom laced wheels, they use a polished KTM hub, paired with a satin black rim with polished laces, wrapped in Michelin tyres, brought to a stop with wavy discs front and back, with braided lines. The rear section has been fabricated smaller to accommodate a smaller seat, with custom quick release cowl to allow for pillion passengers. It has Motogadget front and rear m.Blaze indicators allow for a discrete yet powerful turn signal output, paired with an equally small and bright Highsider tail light on the rear. The rear shock has been swapped out for an Ohlins shock with accompanying canister which is tucked under the seat frame. The big lumpy air box has been removed, and swapped out for individual air pods, and the space from the airbox has allowed for all of the under-seat electrics etc to be moved in its place in a custom bracket. Front brake master cylinder and clutch perch are from a CBR600RR, with a new Rizoma fluid reservoir for the front, and small Tygon tube for the rear fluid. Last but not least, custom decat link pipe leading to a small Spark 60’s Titanium exhaust can, which sounds incredible.
I have more photos by my friend Alex Jacobs (@AlexRoryJacobs on Instagram) and a video flyby if you want to see anything else, I’m not a professional bike builder, I just like to do this in my spare time with my friends, I welcome any feedback, this is a great competition, have fun and stay safe!
All the best,
Louis