Photos provided by JR Cuartas. Additional media via Instagram @recycled.customs,@buckyinthecity
JR Cuartas of Recycled Customs doesn’t chase easy projects. For his first full build, he chose a 1986 Kawasaki ZG1000 — a sport-touring machine few would ever imagine as a café racer.
“I picked it because it’s something that’s not usually used for such a build. I wanted something different for my first build even though many kept telling me it would not work.”
JR
The Build
Working out of a shed with nothing more than hand tools, JR fabricated much of the bike himself. With no aftermarket catalog to lean on, he cut, shaped, and polished his own brackets, made a heat-formed PVC seat pan, and engineered countless details from scratch. Every part was born from necessity and vision, not high-end parts or fancy equipment.
“I consider this a budget build. I didn’t use hi-end parts and built it in my shed with just hand tools. No fancy equipment.”
JR
He also designed a custom fork brace, which was machined by Taylor @TaylorSpecialties — a craftsman JR has relied on many times to bring his designs to life, well known in the Victory community for precision work. All of the powder coating was handled by Josh @House_of_9s, respected in the M109 community, whose finishes gave Concours II its sharp presence. (And yes, JR’s officially banned from using the kitchen oven for powder coating experiments… apparently family appliances and bike parts don’t mix. 😉)
Two years later, the Concours had been reborn as Concours II (C2) — a stripped-down Nuvo Café/Naked bike that carried JR’s fingerprints in every detail.
The Wiring
Wiring was one of the biggest hurdles. With NWT’s X21 unit and support from David, JR turned this daunting task into a simple, clean, and reliable system.
“David was instrumental in helping me wire up this bike, using the X21 unit. I promote and tell everyone that needs to wire up a bike to use your units.”
JR
The Recognition
The finished bike wasn’t just a personal victory — it earned national recognition. JR entered Concours II into the Cafe Racer Magazine 2025 show and walked away with the Wildest Engineering Award. For a shed-built, budget-conscious project, the accolade was proof that vision and persistence matter more than resources.
And it was JR’s friend @BuckyInTheCity who encouraged him to enter the bike in the first place — a reminder that even the boldest builds often need a nudge from someone who believes in them.
The Ride
Concours II isn’t just a showpiece. It’s a statement: that even an unlikely platform, built with hand tools in a cramped shed, can inspire others to take the leap.
“Honored to have been asked to be part of the family and will try my best to represent.”
JR
This is #NWTAlongForTheRide.
A spotlight on builders like JR, who trust their instincts, take risks, and prove that heart and ingenuity can turn the improbable into the unforgettable.
But AFTR is more than just a showcase. These posts are stories — reminders that every builder starts somewhere, often with doubt, limited tools, and a bike that others say “won’t work.” JR’s Concours II shows what happens when you ignore the noise, lean into the challenge, and keep going until vision becomes reality.
For anyone hesitant to start their own project, these spotlights are proof: you don’t need a perfect shop, a big budget, or a catalog of parts. You need persistence, creativity, and the willingness to try, fail, and try again. Each AFTR story is an invitation to begin — to pick up the tools you have, trust your ideas, and make something that’s truly yours.
