“Dustbin fairing” — aka slapping an aircraft-like nose shield on the front of a motorcycle — was a popular method for reducing air drag until it was banned from racing in 1958.
Fortunately, it was never banned from the roads and tracks of the common man, it still looks cool as hell, and at least one bike shop is still doing it up real nice.
Made in collaboration with denim brand Vanguard Clothing, the Vanguard Moto Guzzi V8 from Gannet Design and custom bike builder Numbnut Motorcycles is a revival of Guzzi’s ‘50s-era V8.
While it doesn’t have the same engine as the original — which weighed just 99 pounds but had an output of 78 HP at 12,000 RPM and could boost the bike to a top speed of 172 MPH — it does feature the same dustbin fairing.
The remake also features updated touches like a fitted leather seat, a heavily modified gas tank, adjustable YSS rear shock absorbers and Firestone Deluxe Champion tires, as well as a custom exhaust that should earn the old-school bike a new legion of fans.
“Even though the proportions are very different compared to the original Guzzi V8, I think we managed to designed a very cool homage with the Vanguard V8,” Roderick Seibert of Numbnut told Pipeburn. “The design and building quality opens eyes, and open pipes sure turns heads.”
Take a listen.
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