Today’s motorcycle ‘Loki’ is a fully customized Chang Jiang 750 and is the first bike from Bandit9, Beijing China. We are excited to feature this bike because it is this first time we have seen a custom Chinese manufactured motorcycle on Moto Rivista.
We want to say a special thanks to Daryl the man behind Bandit9 for giving us all the information for this article. Daryl has only recently relocated to Beijing for his career in advertising. Daryl tells us that since he is completely obsessed with bikes, it’s the first thing he went looking for, even before his apartment. I’m sure we can all relate to that!
About the bike, the Chang Jiang 750 is a heavy-duty Chinese military bike designed to withstand extreme weather. Although customizing this bike was going to be no easy task, it was a great place for Daryl to start. He wanted to redesign the bike to look and ride more elegantly.
According to Daryl “Beijing is full of sidecar bikes and scooters but you never see any true custom bikes. The builders here claim to make custom bikes but the only difference is the color. I hated that. I needed to change that. So I opened up my own shop, Bandit9. But the language barrier made it a nightmare, and since the builders here are used to the generic Chang Jiang style, I faced a lot of resistance”.
“With Loki, I focused on the details. I went with 19 inch rims and Firestone tires, an unusual detail for a Chang Jiang. I crafted fenders to hug the wheels, added disc brakes and upgraded the suspension. I lowered the seat bracket to streamline the profile, and added springs for a more comfortable ride. The frame sits lower than a regular CJ750, giving it an aggressive stance”
“My favorite aspect of this custom Chang Jiang 750 Loki is it’s growl – a result of shortening and reshaping the exhaust like a bamboo shoot. It commands attention. The deep forest green tank with pearl pinstripe adds a classic element, similar to a 60’s Jaguar”
“Chang Jiang 750 Loki is what Bandit9 is about – standing out in a sea of repetition. The brand believes that it’s more fun to be a pirate than a sailor. There’s a lot of potential with the craftsmen here; they just need to be introduced to the possibilities. I want Bandit9 to put China on the map for custom motorcycles”.
We don’t think that will be a problem if this is the beginning of what is possible from Bandit9. We will be keeping an eye out to see any future builds that roll out of this garage!
Visit Bandit9‘s working site and blog for more photos and news on upcoming projects.
