Daily Slideshow: An Ode to Senna: Warr's Cross Bones
When a former F1 champion wants a custom Harley-Davidson, this is what they get.
Warr's Customs
This build comes to us from Warr's Customs, a London-based bike shop owned by Charlie Stockwell. One of the most interesting things about this build isn't the bike itself, but its owner. Although the name of the owner is unknown, we do know that they were a former F1 champion. This explains the red-and-white livery color scheme on the tank - a color scheme synonymous with the McLaren F1 team during the era when Ayrton Senna reigned supreme.
Special Features
Some features on custom motorcycles shine brighter than others, and this bike has a number of features which deserve special attention, starting with the brake system. Akebono, the sponsor, and supplier of the McLaren F1 team, worked closely with Charlie throughout the build. The company supplied Charlie with three titanium monobloc calipers, brake discs, and brake master cylinders, which were made especially for this bike. According to Charlie, "It's not all about the visual of the bike. The performance and handling characteristics are just as important." This brings us on to the F1-inspired exhaust system, which no doubt improves performance but is a stand out visual feature of the bike also.
F1 Power
Come on, you couldn't make a custom motorcycle for a former F1 champion, paint it with the McLaren F1 team colors, and have it be let down by its engine. So, Charlie turned to Warr's Racing Team to tune an engine fit for someone who's used to the performance of an F1 machine. Luckily, Warr's Racing Team know a thing or two about tuning engines and work closely with the official Racing Team in Milwaukee. The end result of their tuning is a Screamin' Eagle 120ci Twin Cam engine which produces 156 bhp and a whopping 140 ft/lb of torque. The team also tuned the engine to ensure it was 'rideable' low in the rev range.
It Handles
We know this bike has brakes capable of stopping anything bar a train, but it also needs a serious suspension setup to handle all that power. For Charlie, there was only one choice, Öhlins USA. But not just any Öhlins setup would do, the forks on this bike are World Superbike (WSB) specification and Charlie worked closely with Öhlins Racing throughout their development. Probably a good decision, as bikes competing in the WSB usually weigh around 175kg - a Harley-Davidson usually weighs considerably more. The forks were fitted to a pair of Honor Moto triple trees, before fitting Öhlins springs in the rear shock absorbers.
Relinquishing Control
Charlie usually has the final say on how his creations look but, for this build, he relinquished some control to the customer. To be fair, the end result looks amazing. Charlie and his friend, Russell Brown, fabricated the bodywork while Pete Pearson took care of the gas tank. The leather covering the seat was sourced from McLaren itself and is the exact same leather used on their MP4 road car - nice touch. Performance wise, this is one of the best custom Harleys we've seen in a while and, to top it off, it looks like a beast too.
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