Deus Sacred Cow

Hardtails typically aren't our thing, especially when they're converted from a bike with rear suspension. Sacrificing functionality for questionable style usually doesn't work, but somehow, Deus Ex Machina has pulled it off with the incredibly clean Sacred Cow. Like a lot of the Australian company's bikes, this one started life as a humble Kawasaki W650, but thank to the hardtail frame kit, 21" front wheel, spring-mounted saddle, handmade tank and cleaned up looks it's become an understated cruiser.

This example is bought by Billy Joel. In addition to the visual enhancements, he's spec'd a 720cc big bore kit to give the parallel-twin some much-needed oomph.

We asked Billy Joel. a few questions about it, here's his answers.

Us: Why a W650-based custom?
Billy Joel: I had purchased a Kawasaki W650 as soon as my local dealership here in Long Island had it in stock. I recognized it as a beautifully engineered tribute to the iconic British air-cooled twins of the sixties. I already owned a number of Harley-Davidsons and other well-known makes and I wanted something different, something lighter and more European than an American V-Twin. To my eye, the W650 looked more like the old classic Triumphs than the new Triumphs did. I thought it was such a great machine that I purchased another one while on tour in Japan a few years later. I know that Kawasaki was disappointed in the U.S. sales numbers and therefore discontinued their sale in America, but it's now appreciated as a unique, one-of-a kind motorcycle by knowledgeable riders and collectors alike.

Why hardtail?
Since I wanted to build a classic '60s-era style 'Bobber', I needed to find a hardtail frame that would be light and have a good amount of flex to absorb shock. I'm not particularly a hardtail fan myself, but Deus had just such a frame that they had incorporated into their other Bobber models.

How'd you hear about Deus?
While on tour in Sydney, Australia I saw a Deus Café racer parked near where I was staying and I looked up their address online. I went over to their shop and I loved what I saw. Since I have a motorcycle design company of my own in New York (20th Century Cycles) I immediately appreciated the work they were doing there. It was almost like visiting a shrine to Steve McQueen. I commissioned them to build a bike for me the same day. I own 35 motorcycles - most of them new bikes that I have designed and had built to look like vintage machines. "A Modern Ride With Classic Pride" is our motto.

Is it going to be a rider?
Hell yes, it's going to be a rider. But I won't be riding it in Manhattan or Brooklyn as some of your readers have wondered about. This bike will be used out on the east end of Long Island where there's plenty of twisty back roads, beautiful natural scenery and picturesque fishing villages. I also intend to transport it by ferry up to places like Newport, Cape Cod and the Atlantic coast of New England. It will be more of a town bike than a highway cruiser. It's still a hardtail.

What were you hoping to achieve with the build?
I was hoping to build a true classic Bobber like the tough but elegant, streamlined machines I remember seeing back in the 1950's and 60's - before the whole "look how bad I am" 'chopper' craze took over. I think this bike is unique because of the mix of old design and new technology which makes it faster, more responsive, lighter, more reliable, and safer than the Bobbers they used to build back in the day. I don't believe that too many of the original performance aspects of the stock bike were compromised by giving it a custom look like this. I  once had an Indian Bobber built for me by the crew at Orange County Choppers and let me tell you, it was a pain in the ass trying to get them to build the simple bike I wanted instead of the heavy, stretched-out, melted-tank, ape-hanger, flame and skull-covered, neon-colored, pointy-spiked, over-chromed bike THEY wanted to build. I give very specific directions about what I want and the guys at Deus got it right away.

Why "Sacred Cow?"
Since a Moto Guzzi is a 'Goose', a Ducati is a 'Duck' and a Harley is a 'Hog', a Kawasaki is a 'Cow'. And since it was built by a company called Deus - well, that makes it a 'Sacred Cow' doesn't it?
Wes Siler. January 21, 2010 — Permalink