What is it with these Italians and their unconventional yet oh-so-romantic naming conventions? Four wheels or two, we have names like Murcielago, Testarossa, Quattroporte, Brutale, Panigale, Huracan and Hurakàn. Did we say Huracan/Hurakàn twice? Yes, blame the Italians and their tendency to “feel” too much.
Before we go off on a tangent completely, let’s focus on FMW Motorcycle’s latest offering – a custom Harley-Davidson (HD) cafe racer called Hurakàn. What’s the story behind the name? Well, FMW’s Lorenzo Fugaroli said that it is derived from the name of the Mayan deity of wind, fire and storms. Typically dramatic, then.
To begin at the beginning, the Ancona-based firm was set that this build should “be a unique bike, completely hand-made.” Not just excelling in terms of looks, the finished article “had to be very powerful and possess excellent dynamic characteristics.”
The Hurakàn had to be usable while retaining its artistic flair. “The combination of Harley Davidson and MV Agusta components was specifically chosen to celebrate the past acquisition of the Italian brand by the giant of Milwaukee, which spurred thousands of enthusiasts to dream of building unique bikes, maybe a little like this,” Lorenzo stated.
With the donor 1968 HD shovel frame sourced, the team altered the cradle and rear frame to allow the 1,600 cc S&S V-Twin to fit within. The swingarm was also subjected to a bit of work in order to mate the custom-made monoshock by Bitubo. Elsewhere, MV Agusta F4 Showa shocks are to be found while twin six-piston Nissin calipers up front and a Performance Machine caliper at the rear make up the braking system.
The entire body was fashioned out of 3 mm-thick aluminium to negate the heavy vibrations of the engine while the custom exhaust system is made up of twin 45 mm manifolds and a 60 mm silencer finished in a Kimura style. A Motogadget Motoscope Pro instrument cluster provides all the info the rider needs.