NASA’s Apollo 11 Mission in 1969 marked the most significant adventure and exploration ever attempted by mankind. The manned mission to and from the moon was made possible by the use of a bevy of cutting-edge materials, technologies, and manufacturing techniques. And it’s this spirit of innovation and ingenuity that inspired custom motorcycle builders, Carboni e Metalli’s “Lunar Project.”
The build started life as a 1980s KTM 250GS but has since been treated to carbon fiber subframe, a conventional set of Ohlins forks slotted in 3D-printed aluminum triples, and a carbon fiber and 3D-printed titanium swing-arm. The bespoke bodywork on the NASA-inspired scoot is no less involved, consisting of a single-piece with a tank feeding back into a tail section with a finned and layer rear-end, complimented by custom fork guards, a bulbous front-number plate, and side number-boards. The two-wheeled tribute to the Apollo project also features Maxxis flat-track rubber, tracker bars, a bespoke pie-cut exhaust ending in a low-slung carbon fiber MX can, and a custom gas-cap with a miniature replica footprint from Neil Armstong’s moonwalk in July of ’69. Upon completion, the Austrian oil-burner was awarded Best Scrambler at last month’s Motorbike Expo in Verona, and Best In Show at Wildays 2019.
