Saigon-based Bandit9 first caught our attention with the small studio’s future-forward, highly stylized interpretations of small motorcycles using brand new Honda Supersport 125cc engines.
At that time, the Bandit9 Dark Side, a creation based on the Harley-Davidson Street HD V-Twin 750cc liquid-cooled engine was a concept only. Now the company has announced Bandit 9 Dark Side availability and is accepting orders for the limited edition of nine units.
According to Daryl Villanueva, Bandit9’s founder and artistic force, “The Dark Side is our moonshot — a result of choosing the difficult path and overcoming it. A dark blend of finesse, class, and performance. A road opera — a harmony of the dark, dramatic, and beautiful.”
The Dark Side’s 60-degree Harley Davidson 750cc V-Twin has a Vance & Hines Competition Series exhaust. Bandit9 cut the end of the exhaust to accentuate its deep, aggressive tone. The sculpted nacelle encases a white LED headlight. The rear end of the fuselage has a custom LED for the brake light and turn signals.
Other Dark Side custom features include a smoked windshield, radiator chin guard, drag bars, inverted forks, a hand-stitched calf leather seat, stainless steel chopped front and rear fenders, and 16-inch spoked wheels.
The Dark Side price is $32,000 including door-to-door shipping worldwide. Committed to constructing only nine units of each of its motorcycle art creations, Bandit 9 requires a 50 percent deposit to reserves one of the nine bikes. While the bike is being built, the company sends images and videos of the work in progress.
Villanueva states that the company will try to accommodate the needs of buyers who wish to register and license their bikes and inform Bandit9 of any special requirements.
Once the motorcycle is finished, Bandit9 ships the bike on receipt of the final payment. Bandit9 partners with Apex Maritime Shipping to transport its bikes and to handle and import and customs clearance issues. Bandit9 motorcycles are delivered directly to the buyer’s address.
Bandit9’s smaller bikes have actually been displayed in galleries and museums. In the U.S., according to Villanueva, also known as “The Bandit Chief,” Bandit9 motorcycle art can be seen at the Haas Motorcycle Gallery at Dragon, Dallas, Texas. Two Bandit9 bikes are currently en route to the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Birmingham, Alabama.
