It occurred to me that if I end up making a custom steering stem to fit the Benelli frame, I can use any ol’ triple trees I want—including the spare 1986 ZX1000 Ninja forks that are already in my shop, for which I have already have a set of Yamaha Venture XVZ1200 front wheels, tires, and front brakes. At the back, the other wheel would fit the swingarm with a similar lack of drama, but the sprocket would lack a cush drive short of some creative custom fabrication. A 20–24 HP two-stroke single really doesn’t need a cush drive, but air-cooled ATC250R transmission parts aren’t growing on trees nowadays.
I’m frankly not sure I’m really feelin’ the slightly cartoonish vibe these big balloon-y wheels give this bike. Given the size of the engine and chassis, the overall look is a bit too artsy-bobber-Hipster-Glide for my tastes. But I’ll withhold judgement. Perhaps I’ll warm up to the concept over time, because all these parts are on their way back to the parts shelves, while I redirect my attention back to The Bride and Bultakenstein.
