The new generation of Ducati Scramblers was introduced in 2015 to near universal acclaim. Ducati developed the model as a modern version of their much loved scramblers from the 1960s and ’70s, with familiar styling and a similar purpose. When it comes to modern scramblers we typically think of the 865cc Triumph Scrambler, a model…
It isn’t widely known that BSA/Triumph were experimenting with overhead cam engines back in the early 1970s as a way of trying to compete with the surge of high-performance, reliable, and non-leaking Japanese motorcycles pouring into the country. We do know that at least two OHC BSA/Triumph triple cylinder engines were built, they used the…
This 1985 Norton Rotary racer is a fascinating project bike, fitted with one of the most unusual engines ever fitted to a motorcycle. Wankel rotary engines have a troubled history in the world of motorcycles – a number of manufacturers tried developing them, including Hercules, Suzuki, Norton, and Yamaha, but they were never much of…
Incredibly, all three of these motorcycles are coming up for sale with Bonhams on the 19th of October with an estimated hammer price of £12,000 to £16,000 – a temptingly affordable entry point into the world of vintage motorcycle sprint racing. The Yellow Peril, Scarlet Peril, and Blue Peril were developed by self-taught engineer and…
This is one of just 6 or 7 factory-built Triumph Strongbow flat trackers made in the late 1970s to compete in a series sponsored by Bulmers to promote their Strongbow cider brand. The competition was inspired by the Trans-Atlantic Match Race road racing series and featured six British riders – Chippy Moore, Malcolm Carradine, Barry…
This electric scrambler by Droog Moto started life as a Brammo Empulse R, one of the most important electric production motorcycles of the modern age. Electric motorcycles make a lot of sense for off-road use, electric motors produce 100% of their torque from 0 rpm onwards and they produce very little sound – ideal for…
This BMW R100RT is a family heirloom of sorts, it belongs to Sam, a Texan with a lifelong relationship with this BMW and a deep love for daily-rideable custom motorcycles. Ever since he was a child, Sam has had this BMW in his life – it previously belonged to his father who would sometimes take…
The BMW R80ST is one of the rarer and more unusual motorcycles from the German marque’s 1980s catalogue. It’s essentially a more street-oriented version of the legendary BMW R80G/S, the motorcycle that largely invented the modern dual sport adventure motorcycle genre. Only a few thousand examples of the BMW R80ST were built between 1982 and…
This is the official trailer for Oil In The Blood, a film about the people who make up modern custom motorcycle culture. Production for the film was underway for years, Gareth Maxwell Roberts travelled the globe to interview many of the leading lights of the custom motorcycle world and the resulting film is fantastic. Roberts…
Walt Siegl is a globally renowned custom motorcycle builder who has a unique knack for creating motorcycles that are both masterpieces of engineering, and aesthetically stunning. From his base in New Hampshire Walt has built some of the most memorable Ducati customs in modern history. Rather than building the far more common “bolt on specials”…
This BMW K100 cafe racer is unlike any you’ve ever seen, it’s fitted with a bespoke CVT automatic transmission to allow its partially disabled owner to ride it. Many people with disabilities are restricted to either not riding motorcycles at all, or to riding three-wheeled bikes like Can Ams, Ural sidecar motorcycles, and the Piaggio…
The BMW Volkswagen Fikobike is a one-off custom motorcycle built by Dallas oilman Lee Fikes in the autumn of 1967. He had a BMW R60 but its 600cc horizontally opposed twin wasn’t producing as much power as he wanted, so he embarked on a project to install a modified 1500cc Volkswagen flat-4. Fikes had bought…
