Loki by Bandit9

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Loki is a customized Chang Jiang 750 and is the first bike to roll out of Bandit9. The CJ750 is a heavy-duty Chinese military bike designed to withstand extreme weather. This was a good place to start. I wanted to redesign the bike to look and ride more elegantly. Customizing this bike was no easy task.

I just relocated to Beijing because of my career in advertising. And since I'm completely obsessed with bikes, it's the first thing I went looking for…even before my apartment.

Beijing is full of sidecar bikes and scooters but you never see any true custom bikes. The builders here claim to make custom bikes but the only difference is the color. I hated that. I needed to change that. So I opened up my own shop, Bandit9. But the language barrier made it a nightmare, and since the builders here are used to the generic CJ style, I faced a lot of resistance.

With Loki, I focused on the details. I went with 19 inch rims and Firestone tires, an unusual detail for a CJ. I crafted fenders to hug the wheels, added disc brakes and upgraded the suspension. I lowered the seat bracket to streamline the profile, and added springs for a more comfortable ride. The frame sits lower than a regular CJ750, giving it an aggressive stance.

My favorite aspect of Loki is it's growl - a result of shortening and reshaping the exhaust like a bamboo shoot. It commands attention. The deep forest green tank with pearl pinstripe adds a classic element, similar to a 60's Jaguar.

Loki is what Bandit9 is about - standing out in a sea of repetition. The brand believes that it's more fun to be a pirate than a sailor. There's a lot of potential with the craftsmen here; they just need to be introduced to the possibilities. I want Bandit9 to put China on the map for custom motorcycles.

" the bike and company has picked up a lot of steam recently but i really wanted presence on your website. " thanks for your time! -d-

Visit Bandit9's working site and blog for more photos and for upcoming projects.


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