Source: MotorcyclistOnline.com
Barber Small Bore proves once again that the iconic OHV single makes an ideal canvas for customization. (Kurt Spurlock/)If you’re into motorcycles, Barber Motorsports Park is the crown jewel of the southern United States. The 17-turn road course is excellent, camping on race weekends is always a damn good time, and then you’ve got the world’s largest motorcycle museum open to the public seven days a week, rain or shine (read the Inside The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum’s Restoration Shop article).For one special weekend every summer, however, Barber opens its doors to the largest gathering of minibikes, including Honda Groms, Monkeys, and Cubs, in the country. Barber Small Bore is something every two-wheel aficionado should experience at some point in their lives, but in case you missed this year’s action, we’ve put together our 10 favorite bikes of the weekend (in no particular order) for your viewing pleasure. Miss out on this year’s event? check out our Top 5 Reasons to Attend the Barber Vintage Motorcycle Festival for more fun later in the year.Related: Mini Memories | READERS WRITE1963 Honda Trail Hardtail by Kevin Kumtong (instagram: @tegboi) (Kurt Spurlock/)Kevin Kumtong’s wee-chopper started life as a 1963 Honda Trail/Cub 55, but you could probably count the number of original parts remaining on one hand. The frame and swingarm are cut and stretched 7 inches each, the front end is borrowed from a CB125, the engine is upgraded to a 160cc Piranha crate motor, and the rear end is now fully rigid. We’ve also gotta give Kevin props for his choice of gas tank, which he borrowed from the most adorable Honda of all time, the QA50 minibike.1970 Honda Z50 “Lil’ Denny” by Greg Castillo (instagram: @greg.castillo.888) (Kurt Spurlock/)Greg Castillo’s retro-racer-inspired Z50 is a tribute to his friend Denny, who picked the bike up for a few hundred dollars at a flea market but tragically passed away before he could build it himself. The bike is designed around the hand-built racebikes of the ‘70s, which Castillo says he always preferred to the squeaky clean race machines of the modern era. The frame was stretched 5 inches to accommodate the polished C110 tank seen here, then the rest of the bike was gone through with a meticulous eye to detail from the custom pinstriping down to the tastefully selected array of colorful anodized parts.1989 “HRC Works” Honda Z50R by Spencer East (instagram: @posparts) (Kurt Spurlock/)Spencer East spent 18 months in his basement cutting, welding, and machining this obnoxiously cool Z50R into what you see here. According to East, it’s an homage to the legendary HRC Works Honda creations of the ‘70s and ‘80s, and was built with the same laser focus on cutting weight and adding performance wherever possible. The frame has been reinforced to better suit adult-sized riders, the swingarm has been extended 1 inch for stability, and East even welded together both the aluminum fuel tank and full titanium exhaust system himself. Other highlights include a bored-out CRF70 engine, modified CRF70 forks, and a 3D-printed airboot connecting the carb to a custom welded airbox.2022 CP2-Swapped Honda Grom “G7” by TJ Timmerman (instagram: @grom_swap_the_world) (Kurt Spurlock/)Got an extra Yamaha YZF-R7 engine lying around? Why not throw it into something sensible like a 2022 Honda Grom? Builder TJ Timmerman tells us he’s had his “G7″ Grom up to speeds of 130 mph, and after seeing the bike put 64 horses to the ground on Barber Small Bore’s mobile dyno, we’re inclined to believe him. The G7 is covered in trick parts from top to bottom including a nitrous bottle that’s been repurposed into a fuel cell and a hand-operated air shifter powered by a tank hidden in the rear swingarm.1987 Honda Elite 250 “Moto-ski” by Johnny McDonald (instagram: @frjohnny777) (Kurt Spurlock/)Johnny McDonald couldn’t stand to see the 1993 SeaDoo XP he grew up riding as a kid waste away in storage, so he did what any other sane person would do, grafting the 30-year-old fiberglass body onto a stock 1987 Honda Elite 250 scooter. It’s a head turner, to say the least, but it’s also impressively well thought out: McDonald managed to integrate the Elite’s clocks and controls seamlessly into the SeaDoo’s cockpit, which means everything functions as it should from the speedometer to the turn signals.The “Kaonohi” Kawasaki Z125 by Icon Motorsports. (Kurt Spurlock/)As design director for Icon Motorsports, Kurt Walter is no stranger to attention-grabbing two-wheelers. This Kawasaki Z125 is no exception, and wears Icon’s laid-back Kaonohi livery to great effect. The small-bore stunt bike is loaded with trick parts including a Nitron shock, Yoshimura exhaust, and a big-bore kit for added power, but it’s the chopped and channeled race bodywork borrowed from Yamaha’s legendary FZR750R (ram air scoops and all) that’s really got us drooling.1969 Honda CL90 Street Tracker by Terry Hunter. (Kurt Spurlock/)What better way to start a project than with a free motorcycle? Terry Hunter was given this 1969 Honda CL90 from a friend who used to ride it to high school in the 1970s and wasted no time making it his own. The monocoque frame of the old scooter has actually been chopped at the center and rewelded to sit lower to the ground, and the aftermarket tank has been cut and channeled to sit flush atop the frame. The fiberglass tracker tailsection was hand-shaped to match the lines of the tank, and Terry even did all of the absolutely bonkers paintwork on both the bike and the helmet himself.Honda XR200 Drag Bike by Gilbert Jennings. (Kurt Spurlock/)“If you want to build a fast bike, don’t start with an XR200.” That’s the advice we got from builder Gilbert Jennings, who decided to put this stretched-out drag bike together for some friendly competition here at Barber Small Bore. Jennings tackled the design of the bike, then his brother handled the fabrication to extend the XR’s chassis for drag use. Most impressively, however, is the fact that the engine was put together by Barber’s own Chuck Huneycutt, who recently retired as the museum’s lead restorer and also happens to be one of the lucky few who got to race the iconic Britten V1000 in its heyday.1970 Honda CT70 “Bling Bling” by Paul Samson (instagram: @paul_s_jr) (Kurt Spurlock/)Paul Samson’s aptly named “Bling Bling” Honda CT70 is every JDM fanboy’s dream. This bike is loaded top to bottom with Japan’s finest parts including a Daytona engine with a dual overhead cam kit, acres of G’craft brightwork, a Takegawa dry clutch, and a Yoshimura Mikuni carburetor. Samson’s sweet mini also sports a custom dual front disc brake setup that employs a pair of rear calipers borrowed from a pair of Ducati 916s, and is finished off in absolutely pristine paintwork to channel a proper West Coast custom vibe.“Woody” 2009 Honda Ruckus by Scott Hull. (Kurt Spurlock/)No small-bore get-together would be complete without at least one Honda Ruckus scooter represented, and Scott Hull’s immaculate 2009 build takes the cake as our favorite of the year. Not only is this thing clean enough to eat off of, but it’s also something of a holy grail for Ruckus fans: That’s because the “Woody” is both a tastefully executed “Met-Ruckus” build (a Honda Ruckus/Metropolitan mashup) and sports a GY6 engine swap for added giddyap. Throw in the polished wheels, Seafoam frame, and hydro-dipped wood grain bodywork and you’ve got a steezy grocery-getter anyone would be proud to call their own.
