All The RAGE: Suzuki GS750 “Elemento”

GT Super-inspired 750 GS from RAGE / Cus’Tom Motorcycles…  

In 1977, Cycle World declared the Suzuki GS750 “the best handling big production bike on the road.” At the time, the boys in Hamamatsu had been feeling the pressure: regulations were slowly strangling the market for two-strokes, their rotary engine design hadn’t been a hit, and all of the other Japanese manufacturers were producing four-cylinder superbikes. So the Suzuki bods decided to build a 750 superbike to outperform all others.

Period testers loved the GS750, especially how bike’s aggressive acceleration and road-race handling were complemented by good manners and comfort around town. 

“The Suzuki GS750 has a great engine and a chassis to match. It’ll outrun damn near anything, it will pass even a gas station or two and all the while it’s so smooth and quiet and mild-mannered that nobody will suspect. Until you drop down two and roll it on. Dead? Hell, the Superbike is better than ever.” –Cycle World

This ’79 750 GS comes from our friend Tom Boissel of France’s Cus’Tom Motorcycle, whose highest-spec builds fall beneath the RAGE series. 

“The RAGE badge is only used on specific custom builds from the workshop, whether they are my own or customer orders. It’s my decision whether or not to add this signature, which is reserved for motorcycles with very meticulous workmanship.”

The last RAGE build we showcased was Tom’s Moto Guzzi “Dolce Riva,” inspired by the iconic Riva Aquarama wooden powerboat — aka the “Ferrari of the boating world.” The level of detail and design was simply stunning.

Moto Guzzi “Dolce Riva” Café Racer

Once he’d completed the Guzzi, Tom hold his wife he’d be taking a break from such time-intensive personal projects…until he found a nice cheap ’79 GS750 for sale just 45 minutes away — a bike screaming for customization. A day later, Tom had the bike in his workshop. After just 100 kilometers of riding, he was ready to begin the transformation. His vision for the build was clear: 

“Restomod neo-retro vintage gentleman racing.”

One of the clear inspirations would be the Alpha Romeo “GT Super” restomod from Totem Automobili — aka the “Italian Gran Turismo that never was.” 

Core upgrades for the GS include inverted forks with radial monobloc brakes, wide spoke wheels, monoshock conversion with reinforced swingarm, hand-made solo tail section (1mm steel sheet), rear-set foot controls, one-off 4-into-4 stainless steel exhaust system, and a blend of carbon and titanium elements. The rear suspension design was no walk in the park.

“I drew up a diagram of the new rear suspension ‘kinematics’ following the advice of Shock Factory, a French suspension company run by Mike Capon, a former motorcycle racer of British origin. Then they made me the shock absorber adapted to this new geometry… In all modesty, the suspension performs wonderfully, like a modern motorcycle (nothing like the original).”

The bike is literally dripping with smaller details, which Tom highlights below. The paint was laid down by Bastos Art Design in a color that echoes that of the GT Super, as do the white-walled Pirelli Supercorsa tires. The photos were taken in Tom’s village church by @outlaw__rrr — not a religious decision, per se, but a possible nod to Burt Munro of “World’s Fastest Indian” fame and his shelf of “Offerings to the God of Speed.”

The “Elemento” garnered lots of well-deserved attention at the recent Lyon Kustom Factory exhibition. More importantly, Tom wonders if this might be the element that attracts the next generation of the Boissel clan into the two-wheeled universe:

“Will this be the motorcycle my son will say, ‘That’s my father’s motorcycle?’ Because I knew a little redhead a few years ago who said that about an old Yamaha RD350. His father had told him, ‘When you manage to start it, you can try it out. The kickstarter is there; figure it out.'”

What a gorgeous machine by a builder operating at the height of his powers. Below you’ll find the full story of the build in Tom’s own words, and we look forward to seeing more of “Elemento” at the upcoming Hangar Zero 1 show.

In the Builder’s Words… 

For the record, I had just finished the previous RAGE build, “Guzzi Dolce Riva,” and I told my wife, “Honey, I’m going to take a break from personal projects for a while.” Since I usually browse used motorcycles pre-1990 around my area in my spare time, three weeks later I stumbled upon a 1979 Suzuki inline four-cylinder, air-cooled engine with a magnificent and generous design, fed by four slide-type carburetors, and, as an added bonus, electric or kick start.

The motorcycle had undergone some minor modifications that gave it a more appealing look than the original, complemented by the Harley orange paint. The asking price was low, and the bike was only 45 minutes from my house, so needless to say, it was already in the workshop the next day. I rode it for about a hundred kilometers to get used to it before starting its transformation.

Time for Modifications…

For some time now, I’ve been trying to steer my personal projects towards a style that blends craftsmanship and technology (many people think these are opposing forces, but I believe they complement each other). Furthermore, I want to build motorcycles that will still appeal to the public in 20, 30, or 40 years. To achieve this, I emphasize the mechanics with subtle, understated details, all crafted in the workshop using premium materials (aluminum, bronze, stainless steel, titanium, carbon fiber, etc.).

With this base motorcycle, the style to achieve was obvious (though a long way to go): “restomod neo-retro vintage gentleman racing.”

For this, the modifications were defined as thus:

• Inverted forks
• Wide, modern spoked wheels with dual front discs
• Radial monobloc brakes
• Solo seat
• Carbon fiber accents
• Stainless steel exhaust system
• Central tachometer
• Vintage racing exhaust pipe
• Replacing the twin shocks with a central monoshock system and a reinforced swingarm
• Rear-set foot controls

Then, after receiving the first main parts, I got to work adapting everything. I really enjoyed changing the rear shock absorber system. I drew up a diagram of the new rear suspension “kinematics” following the advice of Shock Factory, a French suspension company run by Mike Capon, a former motorcycle racer of British origin. Then they made me the shock absorber adapted to this new geometry.

Then I started modifying the original swingarm and frame to adapt it according to the diagram. In all modesty, the suspension performs wonderfully, like a modern motorcycle (nothing like the original).

Once the motorcycle was fitted with its new front/rear suspension and wheels, I decided to keep the original tank; I liked its shape. I removed the entire rear section of the frame to rebuild it and fabricate the rear cowl (as usual, from 1mm thick steel sheet).

I have an Aprilia RSV4 converted into a race bike for having fun on the track, and I still had the original rearset footpegs, which luckily fit perfectly on the bike, blending in with the desired style.

All that was missing was the exhaust. I didn’t want a side-extending muffler, so I fabricated four stainless steel pipes with four mufflers mounted under the bike, all stainless steel, without really knowing how loud it would be (there isn’t much soundproofing and the pipes aren’t blocked, although they are long).

A pleasant surprise for our French police officers, because the bike makes 88 dB at 4500 rpm. It’s not a “nuisance” and has a nice, deep, throaty sound, typical of an air-cooled, carbureted, four-cylinder, four-stroke engine — a real treat for the ears.

Everything else came later: the electric starter was replaced by a whisky bottle placed on a silicone mold, held in place by two leather straps and a carbon fiber trim plate.

The motorcycle key was replaced by a guitar jack and its quirky keychain. The headlight assemblies feature a cut-out Rage logo using electro-erosion/machining and anodizing (designed by the workshop and then subcontracted).

The headlight control button, a blend of stainless steel and bronze, is positioned on the headlight to lighten the handlebars. Fuel cap, taillight at the end of the bodywork, rearview mirror, rear brake system, etc., etc., all with the idea of ​​making as many as possible.

Then the colors of the motorcycle had to be decided. It was created by the painter of the studio’s large projects, who, incidentally, has just opened his own studio, “Bastos Art Design,” in the south of France.

There is a strong inspiration from the “Totem GT Super” Alfa Romeo restomod car for the color and the white sidewalls (which, by the way, look great on Pirelli Supercorsa track tires; they completely cover the lettering and fall perfectly below the tire tread).

The white Alcantara (not off-white, which is much less common and comes specially from Canada) was chosen once the motorcycle was almost finished. It was a small personal whim; the painter, “Bastos,” has worked restoring private jets and brought me back a small piece. I loved the upholstery, however, it gets extremely dirty. The seat will be changed to leather later, for practical reasons.

The engine’s aesthetic is quite “raw” and intentional; I wanted to preserve its vintage character. To achieve this, I gave it a sort of “gentle sandblasting” with a little water, which could be considered a failed or incomplete vapor blasting attempt. The side panels are slightly shinier to add a touch of brightness. (I could have polished everything, but I wanted to maintain that “bad boy” look.)

The tachometer assembly took me some time; everything is machined from solid aluminum and bronze (10 pieces in total). I initially wanted to leave it raw to showcase the craftsmanship, but I ended up painting it black, which was more understated.

The motorcycle features several small titanium parts (for the beauty of this exceptional material): disc brake bolts, cap nuts throughout the motorcycle, a cable grommet, a wheel nut, etc.

And finally, I don’t know why I called it “Elemento.” Sometimes it’s just like that; I had the name in mind (Element in Italian). Lamborghini uses it for its “Sesto Elemento.” Maybe I had that car in a video game customized in green, but I liked the name.

The build took a year. This motorcycle has a kick-start capability that amazes any mechanic when I start it. It’s the only one I know like that.

The photos were taken in my village church; there’s nothing “religious” about it. I just found the aesthetic and the light interesting. Perhaps it’s a nod to the Burt Monroe film with Anthony Hopkins. In a scene in his “workshop house,” there’s a shelf full of pistons with “Offering of the God of Speed” written on it, or perhaps simply “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Piston.”

Will this be the motorcycle my son will say, “That’s my father’s motorcycle”? Because I knew a little redhead a few years ago who said that about an old Yamaha RD 350. His father had told him, “When you manage to start it, you can try it out. The kickstarter is there; figure it out.

More Photos

Build Photos

Build Videos

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Follow the Builder

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

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