Blindspot is a secret agent escape vehicle. Inspired by James Bond getaway vehicles where agility, speed and versatility are essential. A Rekluse racing auto clutch eliminates the clutch lever, enabling one-handed riding to shoot at pursuers or distract them with an onboard magnetic throwing star. Custom-valved racing suspension and dual sport tires make Blindspot capable on any terrain and any number of shortcuts fair game.
At 7 years old I discovered I had the motorcycle gene. My dad put me on a Honda XR70 and I learned to ride in the woods in Northern California. I became hooked and when I turned 12 I had outgrown the 70 and my donor bike for this build, the CRF150RB was released by Honda. It was absolutely captivating and has since been my dream bike. It is 50 pounds lighter than the full size bikes with an all important low seat height for technical riding, long travel, modern racing suspension and double the power of Honda’s 150 trail bike. To my knowledge this is still the only motocross bike that can be had today with a steel frame, lending the bike a timeless look unlike an aluminum one. No other manufacturer has produced a bike like this, smaller in all dimensions than a full-size dirt bike and a 150cc four-stroke motor. It has been a popular platform for supermoto and dirt track conversions with the supermoto builds proving to be the fastest platform on go kart tracks.
Since I was small, vehicles from Bond movies and other spy films excited me from the elegant looks to their wild hidden features. This inspired me to craft my own unique vehicle packing hidden features to dispatch and evade baddies. The 150 is a suitable platform for its supreme agility from its small size and rowdy power plant.
One goal of the build is to remove plastic and replace it with vapor blasted and raw metal finishes.
Details such as the bullet casing fork protector bolts, using the same round used by military pistols and James Bond handguns abd 3D printed aluminum badge and fork covers feature the Blindspot logo on the top triple. The top triple badge replaces the factory Honda one. The hand fabricated headlight bracket and cover utilize the factory front fender mounting points.
The choke lever cover is turned aluminum with a spalted California Oak inlay harvested from trees cut down on the property where the bike has been built in a garage in California. 10 cords of wood were sorted through to find the right burl and spalting pattern. The piece was then laser cut and secured with epoxy before clear coating the part.
The gas tank cover is an exception. Sculpted from foam to determine the rough shape, it was then measured and 3D modeled before it is sliced into 75 pieces, machined from White Birch plywood, laminated together then faired with epoxy. The cover is finished with a custom metallic brown varnish.
Beneath the tank cover lies the electronics, gas tank and clutch/compression release levers. The right side houses the fuel tank. It has a spring loaded gas cap to maximize tank size beneath the cover. The steel bracket holding the electronics is custom fabricated holding the rectifier/regulator and the OE ignition module. A rectifier has been added to run the LED lighting. This assembly sits next to the clutch and compression release lever which is a modified OE piece. It is mounted to a curved steel pipe welded to the frame the same diameter as the bars to allow the use of the OE handlebar mount and still fit underneath the tank cover.
The clutch and compression release are accessible by the rider when reaching under the gas tank. This helps get the bike in neutral and provide access to the compression release. This is possible with the Rekluse racing auto clutch allowing clutch-less take off, upshifts and downshifts. It also prevents stalling and is used by racers in multiple disciplines.
The headlight switch is the only visible switch on the handlebars and are the only things on the handlebar aside from the front brake lever, master cylinder and grips. The kill switch is hidden inside the left side of the handlebar and can be actuated by pushing on the left end of the bar.
The seat pan is fabricated from steel it mounts at the back via the rearmost factory holes in the subframe with OE hardware. The rear brake caliper guard has a laser cut Blindspot logo with round stock welded to connect to factory mounting points.
I have learned many new skills embarking on this journey including, 3D printing, working with fiberglass, epoxy resin, metal fabrication, CNC machining, plasma cutting, laser cutting, foam sculping, wiring, mechanical work including replacing major drivetrain components, wiring and welding. I had heard from many builders that building custom motorcycles always takes longer than expected and is more expensive that anticipated but I am truly awed by the degree to which this is true. Blood sweat and tears have been poured into this project and I have grown a great deal from tackling this build. It is the longest, most expensive and difficult single project I have embarked upon. It is special to me not only because I am chasing my dream of designing motorcycles as a career but because it has also played a large role in my college career. I graduated from Southern Oregon University last June and over the last two years I have worked on the bike in my own studio on campus and integrated it with every class project designing, 3D modeling and prototyping parts. When it came to tearing the drivetrain apart, I did not have the tools at school and drove three and a half hours home every weekend to my parents house to work on it. I majored in marketing and the capstone project, my final class, had a single project all term. Create a business from scratch down to the smallest detail and present to the Business faculty as if they were investors. My business plan was running a motorcycle design studio and I proudly had my bike adorned in foam bodywork with me on stage while I presented.