V-REX - Tim Cameron's next big design

BMW Concept

“The twin headlights are from old endurance racers of the 70’s. The outrageously high swingarm pivot I’ll admit is impractical as is the adjustable backrest for the ‘pilot’ - only those with triple-jointed legs need apply! I have faired in the trademark boxer engine which is a pretty ugly lump at best and colour-matched the heads to the bodywork in attempt to further smooth the shape out. The overall look is meant to be mean and stocky.”

The V-REX

Harley-Davidson’s big twin V-twin powerplants along with their many close aftermarket ‘derivatives’ have been a mainstay in the custom bike scene for decades. There have been untold thousands of custom or owner-built machines built in various forms of raked-out choppers, chrome encrusted, low slung cruisers or accesorised baggers.

Curiously though, there doesn’t appear to be very many streetbike/sportbike styled machines powered by an Evo or Twin Cam powerplant. Of course Buell flies the Motor Company’s performance machine flag these days, but all its machines use engines derived from the Sportster engine and appear as narrow-focused (read ‘uncomfortable’) as many Japanese hypersport bikes.

V-Rex was designed as a sort of ‘crossover’ streetbike with some sporting pretensions, in a conservative style that I thought might appeal to the more mature rider. I was interested in a simple, stylish bike capable of cruisin’ around town, but with a more modern chassis design as well as wide rims for radial tyres and decent suspension for when the road got twisty.

The powerplant was envisioned as any decent spec S&S motor in a dark chrome finish. EFI is hidden behind twin air ‘intakes’ keeping things symmetrical. A six-speed unit box switches drive to the righthand side. Electricals take up the space under the ‘tank’ with the real thing located under the seat and behind the engine.

The bike has old-fashioned twin rear shock units although cantilever linkages leading off the rather beefy swingarm allow them to be laid down beyond the horizontal, similar to Yamaha’s MT-03 showbike. The frame is a complex tube-section trellis affair from which the engine ‘hangs’ via a rubber-mounted subframe . The two large sideplates at the rear provide support for the now unit gearbox as well as holding the swing arm and rear subframe.

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