The Honda Shadow The Honda Shadow isn’t a motorcycle you would usually associate with a top tier custom rebuild. Honda introduced the Shadow in 1983 targeting the lucrative American market – specifically Harley-Davidson buyers. The styling borrowed heavily from the cruiser market, with a V-twin, sweeping fenders, a relaxed riding position, and a generous helping…
The Honda CR500 The Honda CR500 first appeared in 1984, it was the most powerful model in the legendary CR series of two-stroke motocross bikes, and its 55 hp engine only had to move a (dry) weight of 102 kilograms (225 lbs). Honda’s first CR-badged bikes were the CR125 and CR250 released in 1973, both…
The Kawasaki KZ 1000 was released in late 1976, and both the motoring public and the motorcycle media quickly realised that it was the new fastest production bike in the world. Kawasaki built the K1000 as an evolution of the KZ 900, which itself was an evolution of the original big inline-4 Kawasaki – the…
There’s something immediately approachable about mini bikes. In fact they might be the only motorcycle genre that almost all motorcyclists like. The mini racing bike you see here started life as a bare 1969 Z50A Magnum frame, it was sourced from a local legend in Denton, Texas nicknamed “Minibike George”. The build is the work…
The BMW R100R was released in 1991 as a retro-styled model that harked back to the golden age of the BMW boxer twin, commonly known as the “Airheads” because the engine’s heads are out in the air for optimal cooling. In some respects the R100R represented all of the development time that BMW had invested…
The BMW K100 was the German answer to the surge in popularity surrounding inline-4 motorcycles pouring out of Japan in the ’70s and ’80s. They knew they needed a large displacement 4-cylinder to supplement their ageing boxer twins – and potentially replace them altogether. They settled on a twin cam inline-4 with fuel injection, a 5-speed…
The Honda CB750 was released in 1969 to fulfil a demand by Honda dealers in the USA for a bigger, more powerful motorcycle that would allow them to compete directly with the large-engined bikes from the US and Europe. Honda was skeptical about the potential for the new 750cc inline-4, so they didn’t fully set up a…
The Motul 800 Onirika 2853 is a bespoke custom built by Luca Pozzato’s Officine GPDesign workshop in Turin, Italy for the charitable organisation Motul Corazón Foundation. It’s a one-off design based on the popular MV Agusta Brutale 800 – a 798cc triple cylinder, DOHC naked bike capable of 109hp and a top speed of 237…
Ton-Up Garage is a Portuguese garage that has produced some of the most aesthetically well-designed customs you’ll find anywhere. Proprietors Daniel and Pedro are a friendly pair with a taste for adventure, and a deep love of classic Californian hot rod culture. This Triumph was built by the pair as a hat tip to the…
There are few (if any) chopper builders of the modern era held in higher esteem than the late Indian Larry, he strictly built bikes that were meant to be ridden rather than trailered around to shows, and his favourite engine (despite his name) was the Harley-Davidson Panhead. Indian Larry’s early life was difficult, he suffered…
The BMW R100R is a motorcycle that looks older than it really is, BMW released it as a retro-modern bike in 1991 and sold them until 1996. BMW rolled in a combination of classic airhead looks with then-modern sport cruiser styling. It was designed to appeal to people who like the look of the classic…
The Royal Enfield Continental GT isn’t a motorcycle that you’d immediately associate with potential for a flat tracker custom build. The factory-built cafe racer was released in 2014 with styling that caused a sensation and lead to a flurry of interest from people from Memphis to Mumbai. Royal Enfield started out in 1901 as the…
