1981 Honda XL 500 - PROJECT
Based on a 1981 model Honda XL500, Swart Gevaar follows the trend set by Los Muertos' earlier builds, namely 'Who Dares Wins' and 'Geraamte Kop', in being "old skool" designs with hints of latino and tattoo culture inspiration.
If you're having trouble getting your head around the company's Spanish name and bikes whose names aren't, you're not alone! Despite their Hispanic influences, Los Muertos are actually based in South Africa, Cape Town's Bo-Kaap area to be precise.
In addition to custom bike builds, the company also has a coffee shop and showroom at Bo-Kaap, an additional office in Johannesburg, and is also involved in film and TV production, including South Africa's version of Top Gear.
What eventually became Swart Gevaar (the Afrikaans name translates as 'Black Threat' and refers to South Africa's apartheid past), started with a plan to build a rough, but ready racer to compete in the Kalahari Speedweek. Unfortunately, the work wasn't completed in time for that event, so the XL took a different direction, one that Los Muertos' owner Craig Wessels describes as "an angry, belligerent little bastard."
With the new brief of a bike to have fun with, both off road and on ("no kerb too high!" says Wessels), all the plastics were stripped off the bike, replaced with tinware hand-formed by Barry Ashmole, an expert metal shaper from Stellenbosch. Ashmole's bobbed front guard and combined rear guard and seat unit features copper rivet detailing and a neatly-incorporated tail light.
The Honda tank was swapped for one from a Yamaha XT250, which was then finished in gloss black, with the distinctive "Swart Gevaar" (near side) and "Danger Ingozi" (off side) script hand-painted by local artist, designer and illustrator David Brits. Keeping the dark continent theme going, 'ingozi' is a Zulu/Xhosa word meaning 'danger'.
Mechanically, the Honda's factory airbox (normally covered by plastic side plates on the stock XL500) was replaced with a Mikuni carb and pod filter, with a unique dual exhaust system also fitted. The latter was built by BSE Performance and had been completed before the aborted Kalahari campaign, but whack on some black paint and lots of exhaust wrap, and it suited Swart Gevaar down to the ground. Crackle black paint was applied to the engine cases, giving the big 500 single a 'lived-in' look. The same can be said for the custom pleated leather seat.
The factory front wheel, normally 23 inches, was replaced with an 18-inch rim to match the rear, with both painted black and shod with Maxxis off-road tyres, accentuating the XL's tiny factory drum brakes. Los Muertos' mods have probably stripped a bit of weight, but not much, so pulling up this beast from speed would be "interesting"!
The suspension, including those extra-long rear shocks, are the Honda factory items, but have been completely rebuilt. Finishing off Swart Gevaar is a smaller headlight (mounted high in the tradition of the old XLs), tiny, relocated turn signals, and ProTaper SE bars.
The end result may not win any concours trophies, but that's not what this bike is about. As Wessels said, Swart Gevaart was meant to be a belligerent little bastard, so with its blackout finish, rough metal and knockabout appearance, it certainly looks like it's take a few angry pills. It may be called "Black Threat", but we're sure a bunch of you would think "Black Beauty" is a more appropriate label!
See more from Los Muertos at www.losnuertosmc.com
