Project "Cavalleggero" - Kawasaki AR80

Exciting times lay ahead for Omega Racer!

I got this soft spot for small displacement bikes, especially if they are vintage and look like extreme racing machines. I already have a nice example in Italy, an original and unrestored Tecnomoto Special 50cc and just recently acquired a '67 Moto Morini Corsarino Scrambler, also original and unrestored, which I bought for my dad (blog post coming soon).
Those little 2 stroke rockets were truly remarkable and in my opinion will be the target for a new wave of collectors and bike enthusiasts. You heard it here first!

Tecnomoto Special 1973

Corsarino Scrambler 1967

My idea then, is to build an homage to these Italian micro racers of the 60s and 70s here in Thailand, trying to combine the features that distinguish them from other offerings of that time, with a good dose of my own particular "Omega" design. I don't like to do pure replicas or trying to mimic technical solutions at any cost. My project shall be inspired by these bikes but should be instantly recognizable as an Omega Racer bike. That's the goal at least...

Guazzoni Matta 50, with "disco rotante" inlet valve

1972 Malanca Testarossa

1970 Aprilia Colibri

1966 Mondial Record Sport

1966 Ducati 50 Sport SL1

Suzuki A100

First I had to look for a cheap donor bike. My first choice fell upon a Suzuki A100. I really like the tank and frame combination with the half-suspended motor.
Pros: easy to find in decent conditions, price range 10-15k Baht (350-500$), plenty of spares.
Contras: it has a 4 stroke engine.

While asking for advice in a FB group, an Italian gentleman pointed me towards the Kawasaki AR80. I've never heard of this bike before, but it turned out to be perfect for my project. After a bit of searching, the only suitable bike I found was some 300km away and was already modified quite heavily. But since the price was very interesting (4.5k Baht/ 150$), I decided to buy it.
Pros: small, lightweight, 2 stoke, 6(!) gears, CHEAP
Contras: no registration book

A Kawasaki dressed up as a Yamaha...AR80

I immediately felt this wave of enthusiasm rush through me that I typically feel when I know I'm on the right track. Ideas started to flow and soon I had a drawing ready. Also typical for me is the extremely low-tech approach to the design stage. Printer, pencil, pen, scissors and white correction pen are my design tools, there's no fancy CAD or design app for me.

First draft for project "Cavalleggero"

For the first time I also tried my hands on a 3D model, which I made with plasticine, the stuff that children use to play. Not ideal, but it can give an idea of the proportions and general style of my project.

The name I chose for this new project is "Cavalleggero", which is Italian for "light cavalry". It gives the idea of being lightweight and with few horse power, plus it's Italian...perfect I thought.

The next step is to take it apart and order the necessary parts that need to be replaced. I already got steering bearings, aluminium rims and an exhaust that is much lighter than the stock one.

 Anyway, all this has to wait until I come back from my holiday in 6 weeks. See ya!