RideFast Feb 2020

All the NEWS proudly brought
to you by HJC HELMETS
BRUTAL BARE-METAL NIKEN CUSTOM
WINS “CRAZIEST BIKE” AWARD.
If the whole point of building a
custom motorcycle is to make people
point and stare, then this custom
Yamaha Niken from Game Over
Cycles in Poland knocks it out of the
park. A skeletal, bare-metal insect of a
thing, it just needs a Terminator riding
on its back to look like the ultimate
post-apocalyptic bike of doom.
Everything plastic has been replaced
with hard-angled aluminum, which
the head of Game Over, Stanislaw
Myszkowski, says makes it “cut
through the air almost like a samurai
sword.” Indeed, with its many spiky
protrusions, it may well cut through
pedestrians in the same way if ridden
with vigor and elan down a crowded
sidewalk.
The Niken itself, of course, is special
because of its elaborate tilting trike
suspension. Yamaha chose to bury
the most interesting bit of its bike
behind plastic, but it’s exposed here in
all its glory as a mechanical sculpture,
so those of a curious nature are no
longer forced to kneel before the bike
to figure out how the heck it all works.
What’s more, Game Over has
expanded on this fascinating piece
of engineering with a split headlight
system that allows each side’s
lights to move with the suspension.
Functionally, it’s probably no better
than the standard Yammy fairing, but
this is more like a fancy Swiss watch
where the mechanics of movement
are a pleasure all in themselves.
Machining all that metal took a
colossal 1,400 man-hours, making
this thing an absolute labor of love.
Look at the way the handlebar’s
been covered with a metal sheath,
including functional fluid reservoirs
and integrated metallic barkbusters.
Not to mention the work on the levers
themselves, which loosely recall sets
of elaborate knuckledusters.
The entire design is cohesive,
technical and intimidating. In between
the forks, printed in Japanese on
small plaques on the radiator cover,
is a thought Game Over borrowed
from Yamaha’s design philosophy:
“courage to set higher goals without
fear of failure.” That’s a very respectful
nod to the original design team’s
work, the kind we rarely see in the
custom world, and it gives us a warm
fuzzy feeling we might not normally
get from bikes with skulls hidden all
over them.
It’s already bringing Game Over some
recognition, in the form of a “Craziest
Bike” award at the Custom Bike Show
2019 in Bad Salzuflen, Germany,
where some 32,000 people had a
chance to see it in person.
#GO
ADVENTURE
KTM 390 ADVENTURE
ADVENTURE MORE
Fuel your restless spirit with a new adventure
every day. Discover KTM’s sporty attitude and
proven performance credentials aboard this new,
compact single-cylinder travel-enduro machine –
the KTM 390 ADVENTURE. Versatile ergonomics,
smooth power delivery, and innovative technology
all come together in a comfortable, lightweight
package – created for those who want to fit more
adventure into their daily lives.
Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations!
The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost.
Photo: R. Schedl
4 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2020