Okay, so I’ve been seeing these “Titan Gecko” motorcycle builds pop up all over my social media feeds, and I gotta say, I was intrigued. They look mean, low-slung, and just plain cool. I’ve always been a hands-on kind of guy, so I figured, why not try building one myself? This is gonna be my journey, bumps and all, of putting together one of these beasts.
Finding the Base
First things first, I needed a bike. The Titan Gecko kits are usually built on older, smaller displacement motorcycles. I started scouring online marketplaces, looking for something cheap and, well, a little beat up. I didn’t want to chop up a perfectly good bike, you know?
After a few weeks of searching, I finally found it – a rusty old Honda CB125. It was rough, but the engine turned over, which was the main thing. I haggled the price down, loaded it into my buddy’s truck, and brought it home. Game on!
Stripping it Down
The next step was to tear the Honda down to its bare bones. This was messy. I mean, really messy. Years of grime, oil, and who-knows-what-else were caked onto everything. I spent a whole weekend with wrenches, degreaser, and a wire brush, just getting it stripped down to the frame and engine. It was surprisingly satisfying, though, seeing the bike slowly transform from a junker to something… well, still a junker, but a clean junker.
- Unbolted everything – seat, tank, fenders, lights, you name it.
- Labeled all the wires (thank god for masking tape and a Sharpie!).
- Drained all the fluids – old gas, oil, brake fluid… all of it went into proper disposal containers.
The Gecko Kit Arrives!
While I was wrestling with the Honda, the Titan Gecko kit arrived. It was like Christmas morning! I unpacked everything, laying it out in my garage. The kit came with a new frame section, a low-profile fuel tank, a solo seat, some clip-on handlebars, and a bunch of other bits and pieces. Seeing all the parts laid out made it feel real – I was actually going to build this thing!
Welding and Grinding (and a Little Swearing)
This is where things got… interesting. I’m no professional welder, but I’ve done a bit of it before. The Gecko kit requires cutting the original frame and welding on the new rear section. I measured, and measured again, and then measured one more time before making the cut. There’s no going back once you start chopping up the frame!
The welding itself was a challenge. I had some good welds, some bad welds, and some… let’s just call them “ugly” welds. I spent a lot of time grinding and re-welding to make sure everything was strong and (mostly) straight. There were definitely a few moments of frustration, and a few choice words may have been uttered.
Mock-Up and Assembly
With the frame modifications done, it was time to start mocking up the bike. I loosely bolted on the new tank, seat, and handlebars to get a feel for how it would look. This was the first time I really started to see the Gecko taking shape, and it was awesome! It looked low, aggressive, and just plain badass.
Of course, there were adjustments to be made. The handlebars needed to be tweaked, the seat needed some extra padding (my butt thanked me later), and I had to figure out where to mount all the electrical components.
Wiring and Finishing Touches
Wiring is always a pain, but remembering how I took the old bike apart I tried to take my time and do it right. I used a simplified wiring harness to get rid of all the unnecessary stuff. I ended up hiding most of the wires inside the frame for a cleaner look.
Finally, it was time for the finishing touches: new tires, a fresh coat of paint (matte black, naturally), and some custom-made brackets for the headlight and taillight. I even fabricated a small license plate holder out of some scrap metal.
The First Ride
After weeks of work, the Titan Gecko was finally finished. I rolled it out of the garage, put on my helmet, and fired it up. The engine roared to life, and a huge grin spread across my face. The first ride was… exhilarating. The bike felt low and nimble, and the sound of the engine was pure music. It wasn’t perfect, of course. There were still a few tweaks to be made, but it was mine. I built it, from a rusty old Honda to a custom Titan Gecko. And that feeling? That’s priceless.
It is raw, custom and loud, I am thinking about a custom exhaust next. I am happy with how this turned out.
