Moto Guzzi “Dolce Riva” Café Racer

Guzzi Café Racer inspired by the Riva Aquarama Powerboat…  

The year 1962 saw the introduction of the original Riva Aquarama, a luxury wooden runabout destined to become “the Ferrari of the boating world.” The mahogany-sheathed Aquarama was 27-28 feet long, depending on the variant, with a pair of Riva-tuned Cadillac or Chrysler V8’s putting out 185 to 400 horsepower each. The Aquarama name derived from the widescreen Cinerama movie format of the 1960s, echoed in the broad wraparound windscreen of the boat, so that boaters felt like they were in “a cinema of the sea.”

Today, the Aquarama remains one of the most iconic boats ever designed. Recently, we heard from our friend Tom Boissel of France’s Cus’Tom Motorcycle, whose highest-spec builds fall beneath the RAGE series. Last year we featured his V-Max 1200 custom, which took inspiration from the Porsche 911 Turbo S Exclusive.

During the process, he received a call from a prospective client, Patrick, who would become the owner of this build:

“The idea of taking inspiration from luxury and super cars is great, but why not go beyond that? Why not take inspiration from the most timeless and elegant vehicle in the world, the Riva Aquarama!”

Building a motorcycle inspired by a modern supercar is one thing, but basing one on a wooden powerboat from the 1960s…and wood-hulled one to boot? That would be an even greater challenge.

Tom quickly decided a Moto Guzzi would be the most appropriate base for the build. Not only are the two Italian factories less than 100 kilometers away from one another, but the longitudinal V-twin of the Guzzi echoes the V8 powerplants of the Aquarama. The exact donor would be a Mille GT with the legendary Tonti frame.

“The Aquarama is a fusion of traditional craftsmanship, elegance, and raw power. We had to pay tribute to this spirit.”

Tom details all of the work below, and it’s staggering.  The bodywork is clad in 0.8mm-thick wooden sheathing that had to be cut and assembled to match the various shapes and contours of the tank, tail section, and side covers — 21 pieces for the tank alone! Bastien Soula of Bastos Art Design handled this part of the project, which took more than 150 hours in total.  His inspiration?  Work he’d seen carried out on the interiors of private jets.

Another signature element of this “Dolce Riva” Guzzi? A wealth of sand-cast aluminum components that Tom created with the help of a friend from RadiKal Kustom. Melting down old aluminum parts like a Harley Shovelhead piston and pouring the molten metal into sand molds, they created items like the carb caps, alternator cover, and more. We have photos of the process later in the article.

The engine was completely rebuilt with larger valves, a hotter cam, 40mm Keihin carbs, and a custom exhaust. They’ve yet to get the bike on the dyno, but Tom estimates 75-80 horsepower.

The details march on and on: Speed Triple forks, spoke wheels, radial brakes, modified swingarm for larger rear tire, instrumentation integrated into the top triple, cable guides of stainless steel tube, stainless and titanium hardware, and more.

The seat is upholstered with genuine Aquarama material, and bike even operates with an authentic Riva key! This “Dolce Riva” is a slice of the sweet life on two wheels:

“Voila, I wanted to translate the spirit of the Aquarama into an exceptional motorcycle, adding my love for highlighting the mechanics, so that it represents the Dolce Vita on two wheels, this golden era of the 1960s, where we savored the luxury, the pleasure and the beauty of the present moment, but with a touch of RAGE by Cus’Tom Motorcycle.”

What an incredible build that captures the spirit of the Riva Aquarama while showcasing some very interesting artisanal workmanship. Bravo, Tom!

Below you’ll find an extensive rundown of the project from Tom himself, a well as a 7-video series detailing the build process.

“Dolce Riva” Moto Guzzi: In the Builder’s Words…

History of the Project

I could have taken this idea as a joke, but in the same month I already had the donor in the workshop. For me, it was obvious, we had to make a cafe racer with a Moto Guzzi and for several reasons:

• The Italian craftsmanship and know-how of these two factories
• The lines of a café racer synonymous with speed and maneuverability
• A V-shaped engine in the longitudinal direction (like the two Aquarama V8s) with a 90° opening
• My penchant for the love of raw mechanics
• And to complete the story, these two factories are less than 100 km from each other

 

So the base was a Mille GT with a Tonti frame — one of around 4500 produced.

The Idea:

Carry out a preparation that does not simply incorporate aesthetic elements, but produces artisanal work, where each component has been designed to bring a touch of luxury, where each curve and each line tells a story of elegance.

The Aquarama is a fusion of traditional craftsmanship, elegance, and raw power. We had to pay tribute to this spirit.

Aesthetics:

To start, we needed the colors of the Aquarama, and that of its main material, mahogany. The entire bodywork is covered with a wooden veneer of 0.8mm thick sheet, assembled in several pieces (21 pieces for the tank for example). This was a 150-hour job (preparation, wood veneer, and painting) carried out by Bastien Soula of Bastos Art Design.

Bastien has worked in luxury furnishings alongside cabinetmakers. When I spoke to him about the project, he said to me: “I’ve seen people do this on private jets, I’ve always wanted to try, can I try on your project?” Meticulous and talented as he is, I entrusted him with this task without a shadow of a doubt that he would do a fantastic job.

To add elegance, spoked rims were essential. I went with a Triumph Speed Triple fork (to have radial braking and the right fork length), to which I adapted a Thruxton 1200 hub and a polished aluminum rim with stainless steel spokes.

For the rear, a beautiful original Guzzi hub fitted easily, as well as an aluminum rim with the same profile as the front and stainless steel spokes.

It was necessary to adapt a new rear brake system via a mass-cut plate and modification of the swingarm.

The upholstery had to match the boat, but we had to go further than a resemblance of colors, and take the real covering of the Riva seats, purchased directly from a Riva restoration workshop in Italy.

I also bought a real secondhand headlight, fitted with few micro switches in the chrome, and now it sits proudly at the front of the bike with its legendary handle.

Engine:

It has been reworked to offer a distinctive character and maximize riding comfort, while offering a feeling of controlled and progressive power, reminiscent of the spirit of the Aquarama.

The cylinder heads are replaced by those of a Le Mans IV. The valves have gained 3mm in diameter and the intake duct goes from 30mm to 40mm!

To power this, the 30mm Dell’Orto guillotine carburetors gave way to 40mm Keihin CV40s, adapted via mass-cut (CNC) intake pipes made by the workshop. These carbs offer smoother riding pleasure than guillotine carbs.

The camshaft has been resized to offer a more aggressive cam profile (in the style of the AAC P3).

An electronic ignition replaces the breaker system, as well as a modern charging system compatible with the Alliant Lithium battery.

The bike before preparation put out 59 hp at the rear wheel. Unfortunately the bike is still being broken in, so I have not measured the new power. However, the gain is estimated at 20 hp…to be continued

An exhaust system (manifold + silencer) entirely made in the workshop finishes the aesthetics of the very “raw, elegant and sporty” mechanics.

Details:

• Custom adjustable rear control system mixes stainless steel, aluminum and bronze
• Speedometer/tachometer integrated into the triple clamp
• Headlight and speedometer control button integrated at the end of the handlebar bracelet.
• Passage of certain cables in small “stainless steel tubes”
• Titanium screws (RAGE detail) for tightening the brake banjo, front disc mountings, rear wheel nut
• Stainless steel screws for a large part of the motorcycle
• X-stitched handles (Rage details)
• Solid cut steering column nuts with bronze insert
• Stainless steel rear master cylinder support
• The cap of the front brake master cylinder made in stainless steel
• And the icing on the cake, the ignition key and a real Riva key.

What’s New:

This project inaugurates a new part manufacturing experience in the workshop: aluminum sand-casting. In a very artisanal way, with a friend who is passionate about choppers and craftsmen (Radikal Kustom), a propane melting oven, mold, and sand, we made pieces by molding.

Carb caps, igniter caps, and alternator covers are parts made from casting old aluminum parts (such as a Harley Shovelhead engine piston). A unique but totally authentic experience, adding a touch of craftsmanship and passion for manufacturing.

In Conclusion

Voila, I wanted to translate the spirit of the Aquarama into an exceptional motorcycle, adding my love for highlighting the mechanics, so that it represents the Dolce Vita on two wheels, this golden era of the 1960s, where we savored the luxury, the pleasure and the beauty of the present moment, but with a touch of RAGE by Cus’Tom Motorcycle.

Build Videos

More Photos

Follow the Builder

Website: www.custommotorcycle.fr
Facebook: Cus’Tom Motorcycle
Instagram: @custom_motorcycle_tom_boissel
Youtube: @custommotorcycle8364

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