Page 16 - LHR November 2025
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Its stance screams speed even at a standstill.
warfare.
A hand-formed aluminium fuel
tank, sculpted using traditional
shaping tools like the English wheel
and power hammer, tops off the
look. It's raw, exposed, and beautiful
— a nod to the craftsmanship that
defines true custom building.
At just 155 kg, the SB-11 is nearly
100 lbs lighter than the GSX-R1100
donor bike it evolved from. Pair that
with 180 bhp, and you get a power-
to-weight ratio that puts many
modern superbikes to shame.
Design with Intent
Describing the SB-11 visually is
tricky — it doesn't fit neatly into a
In the heart of Lincolnshire, unit. It's the kind of engine that category. It's part muscle bike, part
England, a machine has emerged snarls when it idles and roars when Moto2 prototype, part super
that's turning the custom motorcycle you twist the throttle — a hooligan. Every angle reveals a
world on its head. It's called the mechanical symphony of old- piece of purpose-built aggression.
EMESCO SB-11 Prototype — a school grunt and new-age precision. There's nothing ornamental here;
ferocious fusion of retro power and The builders at EMESCO sum it up everything serves the ride.
modern precision, hand-built from best: the engine is “all that's left of
billet, sweat, and sheer mechanical the GSX-R.” Everything else, from Its stance screams speed even at a
obsession. standstill. The raw aluminium
frame to swingarm, is entirely surfaces and exposed mechanics
In a time when many custom builds bespoke. give it a stripped-down, industrial
lean on looks over performance, the Built from Billet and Madness beauty — a design language that
SB-11 is something different. It's says: if it doesn't make it faster, it
not a café racer for Sunday posing or The SB-11 is the kind of bike that doesn't belong on the bike.
a garage queen destined for makes engineers weak at the knees.
Instagram glory — it's a purpose- It's been designed, machined, and The lack of fairings or decorative
built beast, engineered to perform welded entirely in-house by panels isn't laziness — it's intention.
and born from a deep respect for EMESCO's duo, Matthew and Sam The SB-11 wears its engineering
— craftsmen who live and breathe proudly, every billet edge and weld
raw, old-school power. bead visible like battle scars on a
performance fabrication.
The Beating Heart — A warrior. It's a bike built not to hide
Reborn Legend The chassis is an engineering its power but to celebrate it.
masterpiece, machined from a solid
At its core, the SB-11 runs the heart billet block on a 5-axis CNC centre
of a legend — the engine from before being TIG-welded to Built to Ride — Not to Pose
Suzuki's iconic GSX-R1100, one of perfection. The swingarm, Make no mistake — this is not a
the most respected powerplants in subframe, yokes, linkage, and even showpiece for display stands or
motorcycle history. But EMESCO the rear-sets are all custom-built photo shoots. EMESCO's builders
didn't just drop in an old lump and from scratch. Every millimetre has have been clear: the SB-11 was built
call it done. They stripped it down, been obsessed over — not just for to be ridden hard. With its Nitron
built it back up, and made it better — strength and precision, but for visual suspension, racing geometry, and
a lot better. appeal. power-dense frame, this bike's
The original 1100 cc engine has And the attention to adjustability is natural habitat isn't the city street —
been bored out to 1340 cc and fitted remarkable. The frame geometry, it's the track.
with Carrillo rods, dual valve s t e e r i n g h e a d a n g l e , a n d They've even hinted at taking it to
springs, and Yoshimura TMR swingarm pivot can all be fine- Cadwell Park, one of the UK's
carbs. The result? Around 180 bhp tuned, meaning riders can set the most technical circuits, to test its
of feral, oil-cooled power, delivered bike up for anything from café-style limits. And when they do, it won't be
through a custom-made dry clutch weekend rides to full-on track
16 NOVEMBER EDITION 2025
