It takes a lot of confidence to start building customs in a place like China and Daryl Villanueva, of Bandit 9 motorcycles has his second sweet build with the Magnus. As regular readers may recall we were introduced to Daryl with his first build, a Chang Jiang 750 called Loki in another recent post. And it looks like he’s continuing his theme of original and great looking customs that really do look like you could spend on them. By the way I love your paint “technique” on this one and I REALLY like the small touches like that gascap!

Another stunner Daryl. And please keep them coming!

A lot of people have taken notice of our first project, Loki. We received very positive and constructive feedback. Now with more experience here in China, we wanted to reinvent the Chang Jiang. We’re happy to present our second bike, Magnus, the second bike to roll out of Bandit9.

One of the coolest things about Magnus is it’s colour. We couldn’t go with a regular paint job since the bike’s personality needed something special. I wanted to get an appearance no other shop could replicate, which is especially important in China. I took a blowtorch and lit the tank, frame and fork on fire. After clearing the burnt outer layer, what was left was this organic pattern on the metal. The tank has a really unusual stone-like look.

The form of the bike is very different from the usual Chang Jiang. I wanted Magnus to look and to feel much lighter than the bulky style the CJ750’s often have. By taking off the back fender the bike is more sleek and agile. The seat position flows with the lines of the bike, so you can’t even see it when you’re riding it.

I’m always looking for ways to simplify and my bikes. Most CJ750’s have so many extra pieces that really don’t need to be there. I want to keep only the essentials and throw out the rest. The smaller custom air filter gives the bike’s profile a nice void. I used the same short style exhausts from Loki, this time with a chrome finish. The exposed chrome suspension gives the bike a nice finish. I’ve never seen twin headlights on a CJ, so its definitely a new touch for the bike. I took the speedometer from the original CJ headlight and used the dial by itself. The rough edges of it add to the rawness of the bike.

I had to get creative to make every inch of Magnus special, since resources are very limited here in China. I used an old crank shaft to redesign the gas cap. It’s really unique and gives it a steampunk look. It’s probably my favorite aspect of Magnus.

We hope Magnus will bring Bandit9 beyond the motorcycle world and into the realm of art. Our new site is up – www.banditnine.com – a special thanks to Niamh Daly for taking care of the site. Loki and Magnus are now officially for sale; details on the site. Bandit #3 is on the way.