Our once humble café racer got its moment in the limelight
I must admit, I felt like a proud dad when I spied our Sol Invictus Nemesis on display at the recent Throttle Roll Street Party event in Sydney. It wasn’t the best looking or wildest bike at the event, and it didn’t get a guernsey on the famous wall of bikes, but it still attracted plenty of attention sitting out the front of the Sol Invictus stand. Our AMCN Nemesis café racer is proof that you can achieve a cool custom look on a budget with just a few simple touches.
The original challenge was to undertake all the work single-handed in my garage, using only over-the-counter bolt-on parts. Cutting or modifying the chassis was off limits. Other than the fitment of the Shinko whitewall tyres from Bruce Collins Enterprises, I stuck to the brief, even managing to master a brake line change in the process (let’s not talk about that). I’m pretty chuffed with the results, and the approving comments and nods from passers-by confirm I’m on the right track with the look. Next on the to-do list is to just ride and enjoy the fruits of my labour, something I plan to do once the bike has finished being displayed at the Sol Invictus store on Parramatta Road in Camperdown, Sydney.
Before putting the first spanner to the bike, I also set myself the goal of making it cool enough to warrant a sunny Sunday afternoon cruise in an open-face helmet and split-lens goggles with my flannelette shirt tail blowing in the breeze. Possibly even riggers gloves. Looking at the bike now, I think it’s just about there. Let’s put it to the real test and see how it’s accepted down at the local coffee shop hangout. Make mine a deconstructed decaf soy latte please.
By Chris Dobie