Mutt has delivered another thump on the nose to bland motorcycling by releasing the snarling Razorback onto the city streets. A brand new ground-up development housed in a new monoshock frame, the bike has been totally designed and developed in-house at Mutt HQ, Birmingham. The Razorback casts a different shadow to Mutt’s self-proclaimed previous ‘fat’ bikes and – as with all Mutt Motorcycles – this new machine has true custom and classic roots. Naturally.

Look directly underneath that rear loop and you will see a whole lot of…nothing. Benny Thomas, Mutt co-founder and creator of the bike, explains how: “By locating all the electrics and battery in a neat little package underneath the seat and a narrow aluminium swing arm. This leaves that beautiful wide-open space above the back wheel. Oh, and the wheels are of course aluminium rims with stainless spokes, another nod to our custom bike-building history.”

Benny adds: “As with all Mutt 125s, the Razorback is powered by our super solid four-stroke little black number and fed by a Delphi fuel injection system which in turn is fed by that narrow little tank. Oh, the tank! That’s another new item developed specifically for the Razorback. Have you ever tried mounting an old ‘70s tank to your one-off custom build? You have? Then you’ll be familiar with welding on new tabs, removing dents, blowing holes through the tank with your trusty TIG welder and all the other aggro that comes with fitting vintage parts to bikes. With that in mind for a production bike, we designed our own tank taking influences from the many vintage tanks we have fitted to over the last 20 years.”

The Razorback is a tall bike. With a seat height of 88cm, it gives the rider a great upright riding position and the ability to have a clear view above traffic. Chucking this fella into corners will induce a bug-faced grin to any fizzog, and those new shocks are tried and tested on off-road machines so this really is a go-anywhere bike with a smooth ride that’s also perfect for urban cruising.

Moving up front on the bike, there are low-rise Mutt Handlebars ahead of a black contoured slimline seat. Inverted forks held by wide yokes help soak up the bumps both on the pot-holed city streets and country tracks. Another 18” aluminium rim with stainless spokes sits up front, shod with fat rubber – which of course is the Mutt way. The Razorback is finished off with a full stainless steel exhaust system with a fat stubby silencer and an aluminium Bash plate.

Everything else is what you would expect on any Mutt: A smooth 5-speed transmission, rider-friendly controls, mini custom speedometer, stainless steel fasteners throughout, combined braking with braided hoses and bags of attitude. The Razorback is a simple yet enthralling bike to ride.

Available in high gloss red and silver or black the Razorback is a one in a million. To order one or request further details, visit the Irish dealer  www.franklinmotorcycles.ie‎