American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 175 February 2014 | Page 51

Bastarda senza Gloria One of the smaller classes at the 2013 World Championship of Custom Bike Building was the Retro Modified class. However, that did not detract from the quality of bikes entered, as can be seen with the winning bike – Gloria from Inglourious Basterds Cycles, Italy The team from Inglourious Basterds Cycles were the first custom shop to win the newly introduced Retro Modified class Written by Duncan Moore: [email protected] • Photo credit: Frank Sander A T the 2013 World Championship of Custom Bike Building a new class was introduced – Retro Modified – defined as “Any modified bike, with any drivetrain on any chassis configuration manufactured prior to 1984. Must be based on a pre-1984 engine, and styled to have the appearance of a motorcycle manufactured prior to 1984. Use of some contemporary parts/design elements is permitted.” One of the small number of builders to take up the challenge of the new class was Italy’s Inglourious Basterds Cycles, with Bastarda Senza Gloria. Named after the landlady of the shop the business was originally set up in, the build was interrupted in the very beginning when she decided she no longer wanted the shop to be run from her premises, hence the title given to the bike. The first part of the project, begun in the business’ first workshop, was the engine build, which combines a ’79 FX Shovelhead bottom end and crankcases with the barrels and heads from a ’48 Panhead. The motor has then been set up to allow it to run a carb of unknown origin, but thought to have come from either a Ford or Chevvy, on the ‘wrong’ side. Back on the right side, a pair of short, custom exhaust pipes exit just in front of the cam chest. An open belt primary is then used as a connection to the stock four-speed kicker gearbox. With the drivetrain sorted, Vincenzo Ciancio, who was responsible for the build, was able to start bending the tubes to create the one-off, twin The finish on Bastarda Senza Gloria is a combination of chrome, copper and nickel plating that has been aged by hand with a pumice stone www.AMDchampionship.com AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - FEBRUARY 2014 51