Moto8ight – a new bike in kit form
A Harris Magnum for the hipster set?
THE IDEA of selling bikes in kit form isn’t a new one. A host of companies has tried it with varying levels of success. But at the moment there are few options along those lines and this new Suzuki-based kit from Moto8ight could have a corner of the market to itself.
Back in the '60s, '70s and '80s, a host of frame builders would happily sell kits to convert an ill-handling or ugly stock machine into something more individual and appealing. Think Harris Magnum. Even some early Bimotas like the HB1 were sold as kits, and it’s an area the firm is returning to with the terrifyingly expensive S1000RR-based BB3 (£19,000 to you, sir, and you’ll still need to supply a BMW S1000RR as a donor bike.)
We don’t know how much the Moto8ight is going to cost yet, or even when it will be available, but it’s definitely going to be a lot cheaper than that.
The idea is to offer a frame kit including a fuel tank, subframe and a host of other bits. You supply an oil-cooled Suzuki engine (1988-92 GSX-R750 or 1100, 1995-2004 Bandit 600 or 1200 etc). In fact, you’ll need the whole bike, since you’ll also be using the wheels, brakes, swingarm and suspension unless you’re planning to upgrade all those parts.
Moto8ight is still finalising the kits, but the idea is that builders won’t need any fabrication skills or specialist tools, just some basic spanners and a bit of time.
What do you reckon? Could you be persuaded to part with cash for a kit bike, with the hope of ending up with something unique and handmade? Or will it be like flat-packed furniture: cheap, frustrating and ultimately not as nice as something that comes ready-built?
See more at Moto8ight.com
