RestoMod - Suzuki SV 1000 s – Uncle Jack is Back in Town

Little did the 1846 master distiller, Uncle Jack Daniels know that more than 150 years later he would be part of a Street Fighter culture. Precision engineering combined into a powerful muscle and called the “Jack Bike” a Suzuki SV 1000 s

The article is taken from Edition 16 also called the Jack Daniels Edition

Words: Jacques Mostert. Pics: Jacques Mostert

In the back streets, gangs raved about the super sexy style that was born during the early 1970s known as Street Fighters. A Street Fighter is a bike that is customized by removing the fairing and making other changes that result in an overall more aggressive look.

Beyond simply removing fairings, specific changes that exemplify the Street Fighter look are a pair of large, round headlights, tall upright handlebars such as those on a Motocross bike and short, loud lightweight mufflers.

Though it has its styling roots in the café racer culture of the 1950s and 1960s, the Street Fighter is very much inspired by Japanese bikes of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Possibly from young riders in the UK who could not afford to replace damaged fairings after repeated crashes. Later, more appropriate headlights were added, then high handlebars to aid wheelie and other stunts.

Once covered in plastic parts, superbikes are now stripped of all “Tupperware” to become a unique creation. Naked is the style – the bike, not the rider. This project started off as a 2003 Suzuki SV 1000s as stock standard as when it rolled off the factory floor. The appearance of the bike never actually caught my attention except for noticing the ever so sexy baselines of what could be a real stunner.

After drinking a couple of beers and garnering a lot of British inspiration, I retrieved a grinder and hacksaw from the cupboard. A truly ugly massacre was to follow in the coming months as the Suzuki got a facelift. With some close friends in the workshop, the bike was transformed into a beauty.

Displaying Uncle Jack Daniels and all his detail over the machine, frame and body panels. Parts from all over the world made their way to Mossel Bay. Lots of detail was added and handmade custom parts were also added to create the masterpiece that you see in the pics.

Being a 12-time Concours winner at different rallies throughout my life, I knew that finishing touches make any bike a much bigger success. Even though I had added everything mentioned above, I still felt that there was something missing. I then had an idea to do something that had never been done before – I put a dispenser in the back that shoots out a single shot of Jack. This bike is truly something to remember.