It's been two years since the debut of the most insane custom sportbike ever built. By that of course we mean the twin-turbo charged, custom framed, 100 percent one-off everything Hayabusa with the $250,000 price tag that rolled out of the McCoy Motorsports Kentucky workshop.
Before the dust had even settled on that legendary machine, Shane McCoy was already planning the next mad motorcycle project.
His goal wasn't to outdo the Hayabusa, but rather build a bike less esoteric that was more digestible for the average enthusiast. Some of the concepts seemed quite outlandish during early planning though, and the task to complete the vision was nearly as daunting as the groundbreaking 'Busa.
After getting their hands on an early release of the 2007 R1 to develop parts on, the family came up with the idea to deck it out far beyond the usual paint, wheels and minor motor mods. Shane recalled how the quest to install a rear mounted turbo was set in motion: "My dad, Randy, and uncle Jerry had been telling me that they wanted to do a rear mounted turbo system, and at first I was really skeptical about it. But after we really got into it the whole concept came to life."
"The whole turbo system was engineered so it would tuck away neatly into the stretched tail section. With the turbo centered in the back of the bike in the custom subframe we were able to run a custom air filter out one side and a dump pipe out the other-giving the rear end a very balanced look."
Failing to take the easy route, the McCoys somehow managed to keep the rear-mounted turbo symmetrical enough that it doesn't look lopsided, and the tail retains the trademark R1 sleekness that makes the bike so attractive to begin with.
Rigging it all to fit is one thing, but there's a lot to be said for function you know. We figured the thing wouldn't even run, but Shane proved us wrong with a huge smoky burnout that nearly rattled our teeth loose. Guess it works after all...
There's more to the motor than a funky turbo though. We're talking a full Velocity Racing fueling setup for starters. As if the turbo and accompanying motor mods weren't enough there's also a Nitrous Express system flowing for extra oomph.
Granted, there's only a single brake rotor up front to slow it all back down, but there is a Beringer caliper grabbing it-we know from experience that those items offer some serious stopping power.
Aside from the wild motor tune the rest of the bike might seem to fall into the "been there, done that" realm, but there are more surprises still. Air rides are nothing new to the custom sportbike scene, but complete systems (that's right-front and rear) are still unique. A set of Tricky Air forks do the drop along with a rear shock from the same firm, and as you'd imagine that can make properly resting on the sidestand a serious pain in the side. McCoy Motorsports covered that issue with a clever plate bracket along the bottom that lets the beast rest on its belly when fully dropped.
Rolling onto the custom parts list are a set of Cyko Racing's appropriately named "Insane Shane" deep dish wheels. These 3D babies are indeed insane and capable of wreaking some optical havoc on retinas. There are certain to be some screwed up cones and rods after a short stare at the unique patterns and colors contrasted with the brilliant chrome finish.
They were finished off with a set of Pirelli's Diablo tires that further hammers home the notion that this R1 does more than just sparkle. After all, why spend cash on a high performance tire if the only scrubbing it's gonna get is from a cleaning brush?
No custom is complete without a unique spray job, and when the time came for the brushes Shane knew exactly how to hook it up: "The bike's design started off as a digital rendering on my computer. Because Yamaha was a big sponsor of the bike it was only appropriate to ghost Yamaha tuning fork symbols throughout the scheme. Matt at ColorZone Designs hooked it up brilliantly, while our local painting ace Danny was able to lay an incredible red over the entire engine."
Despite the impression that these seemingly "show only" items are associated with, it's Shane's personal ride and doesn't sit idle for very long. Unlike the aforementioned Super 'Busa this bike was built to ride-and Shane's firm to point that out.