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Less is more
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Exile Cycles RX-Streetfighter
Bill Fabian
02/01/2007
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Photography by Cordero Studios/corderostudios.com
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With motorcycle sales steadily growing over the last several
years and one-off customs accounting for an ever increasing segment of the
market, originality and individuality are becoming more and more elusive. With
mainstream attention from both the Discovery and Speed Channels, the custom motorcycle industry has attracted more players than the Los Angeles
Philharmonic. This, in turn, has significantly diminished the wow-factor of the
custom-built V-twin.
In earlier times, the owner of a truly custom
motorcycle could step from the local coffeehouse frequented by two-wheeled
enthusiasts and have no problem identifying his bike from a stable of more
traditional offerings. But no more. What turned heads just a few years ago, has
now become run of the mill. Some custom builders have responded with
over-the-top bikes, some of which are more akin to Santa’s sleigh than a
motorcycle you would actually take pleasure in riding or being seen on. However,
Russell Mitchell, president and founder of Exile Cycles, has created a line of
decidedly different custom bikes that generate the positive visceral response
both builders and riders crave.
Mitchell, who started in his home garage in
1995, now operates out of a 20,000-square-foot facility in North Hollywood,
Calif., and continues to build hard-edged motorcycles that, while aesthetically
appealing, serve function more than fashion. Exile motorcycles tend to sport
subdued paint tones, brushed metal surfaces and heavy gauge exhaust pipes that
are more howitzer than peashooter. Most of Mitchell’s bikes eschew the
traditional high-neck chopper style, and instead carry the Exile signature look
of shortened front forks and a fat front tire. The combined result exudes an
attitude of brute force and undeniable machismo.
The Exile RX-Streetfighter,
whose genesis can be traced to Discovery Channel’s Biker Build-Off competition,
is a motorcycle that finds its styling origins on Great Britain’s city streets,
where naked hooligan-style bikes have spawned an entire social subculture. Much
of the RX-Streetfighter, including wheels, front fender, gas tank, air filter
cover, muffler, side panels and tail section, is featherweight, high-quality
carbon fiber finished with high-gloss clearcoat. A healthy 120 cu in JIMS Twin
Cam motor, with an accompanying silky-smooth shifting JIMS 6-speed gearbox,
provides and transmits power. This enables the relatively lightweight motorcycle
to produce solid acceleration through every gear. Add an inverted fork,
adjustable rear shocks, dual front rotors with four piston calipers and Exile’s
trademark sprocket brake kit (the rear sprocket and brake rotor are one and the
same) and you have a motorcycle that spins up the rear tire in a straight line
and handles like a sportbike in the corners. Unlike most customs, there’s not a
single part that does not contribute to the function and performance of this
truly unique motorcycle.
 A turn of the key and the RX-Streetfighter comes to
life with a roar. The muffler, strategically placed under the bike, provides a
pleasant rumble at idle, that can be described as distant thunder. A quick twist
of the wrist puts you in the cat-bird seat for the rest of the story. From
a slow cruise to a flat-out trophy run, whether in a straight line or
negotiating a long sweeper, the bike remains dead-on stable with no hint of
losing composure. Thanks to the upright seating position and short reach to
upper and lower controls, the distance traveled in a single outing is limited
only by the amount of fuel in the tank and the flexibility of the right wrist
when cracking open the throttle. (Click image to enlarge)
Each stop on a ride will turn drivers’
heads, stop pedestrians in their tracks, and cause untold numbers of smudged
windows from sticky-fingered kids pressing their hands and faces against the
side windows of mom’s SUV. The Exile Cycles RX-Streetfighter is a motorcycle
that remains true to Mitchell’s philosophy of keeping it simple, and stunning to
the eye.
www.exilecycles.com |
818.255.3330
ENGINE
JIMS 120 cu in Twin Cam 120 hp; 121 ft lbs torque
TRANSMISSION
JIMS 6-speed
DRIVELINE
Exile open primary, chain final
EXHAUST
Exile hand-fabricated headers and carbon fiber muffler
FRAME
Daytec
WHEELS
Revolution Wheels
SUSPENSION
Front: Storz Performance
Rear: Works Performance
BRAKES
Front: Exile calipers with dual 11.5 in stainless steel
rotors
Rear: Exile sprocket/brake kit
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