London Custom Builders Unveil Moto Guzzi Le Mans Mk II Airforce

London-based motorcycle custom house Death Machines of London has unveiled a unique, one-off custom build on a 1983 Moto Guzzi Le Mans Mk II discovered in a yard in Italy. The bike is called 'Airforce' and is a homage to Giovanni Ravelli, who was not only a motorcycle racer and founder of Moto Guzzi, but also an aviation pioneer. The Airforce was built by DMOL to mark the anniversary of Ravelli's death 130 years ago, on January 14, 1887. And the result is this stunning, one-off custom bike, built on the flowing lines of a cafe racer.

(A pair of 36 mm Dell'Orto carburettors was fitted to feed the transverse v-twin engine)

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The donor bike's engine was said to be in fairly good condition, and DMOL replaced the bearings, seals and gaskets, and completely refurbishing the cylinder heads. A pair of 36 mm Dell'Orto carburettors was fitted to feed the transverse v-twin engine and the brushed aluminium bodywork has been painstakingly hand-shaped to give the sharp lines of the Airforce.

(The original swing arm was swapped for a heavily modified Moto Guzzi California swinging arm)

A custom in-house headstock was manufactured, increasing the rake from 3 degrees to 30. The original swing arm was swapped for a heavily modified Moto Guzzi California swinging arm, which was braced and coupled to a mono shock cantilevered system. The frame and front wheel were then coated in a custom airforce grey, mixed specifically for this project. The speedometer has been redesigned with dimmable radial illumination.

(The frame and front wheel are coated in a custom airforce grey)

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The rims are aluminium too, and the wheels have modified Moto Guzzi California hubs. All the controls on the Airforce are custom-made, including grips, clips, tubes, internal throttle, and an inverse lever. The Airforce uses Brembo four-piston callipers at the front wheel, coupled with an RCS master cylinder, clamping custom 300 mm diameter steel discs made by DMOL to resemble a drum brake.