When Craig showed up at Handbuilt in 2016, he was broke — as in, no-money, shop-shut-down, sleeping-in-the-van, everything-he-owned-on-his-back broke. He recalls that weekend in Austin and talks about it like he came across a burning bush. He sold his dustbin, lined his pockets, and got a lot of attention from major brands in motorcycling, including Moto Guzzi, which immediately commissioned him to build the V9 Roamer you see here.
Rodsmith’s V9 is tidy and doesn’t appear dramatically altered, but it’s far from mild in terms of a custom. For one, it’s got a turbo: a small T15 from Garret. Engine tuning came courtesy of Joe Walano at The Guzzi Doctor. The tank is a testament to Craig’s fabrication skills, featuring dramatic scallops that reflect the protruding heads of the opposed-twin engine-like mirrors on the ceiling of the Playboy Mansion. The switchgear housings and brackets are all handmade out of metal; no fiberglass or out-of-the-box parts here. All of the electronics have been hidden away, and most of the Guzzi’s components have been upgraded with aftermarket parts, from Panigale forks and Kineo wheels to a one-off intake and exhaust system.