Dropping an electric drivetrain into a classic motorcycle is hardly a new concept, but it’s still an endeavor largely reserved for outliers. The automotive electric ‘crate’ motor industry is huge—but in the bike world, options are few and far between, and most electric motorcycle conversions are one-offs. That’s slowly changing though. A while back, Luuc…
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It takes a lot of faith to hand your custom motorcycle project over to someone else—and then give them free rein over it. But if you find the right person to work with, the results can be spectacular. That’s the story behind this custom BMW R75/5, which turned out so great that we awarded it…
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Calling Robert Sabel a purist would be missing the point. His Los Angeles-based shop, Roughchild Motorcycles, works exclusively on BMWs, without ever straying too far from their original looks. But their builds are more than just restoration jobs; they might look vintage on the surface, but they’re loaded with stealthy modern upgrades. “We sympathetically combine…
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In the rarified world of artisan bike builders, Shiro Nakajima stands apart. His bikes are usually functional, and sometimes even practical: the kind of models a factory might conceivably build. Some are designed to win races, and others to tackle the occasional dirt road. And then there are the machines that distill the pleasure of…
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Most customers approach a bike builder with a firm idea of what they want, armed with fat binders of photos and sketches…
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We’ve found something for everyone this week in our travels around the web. We’ve got an XT600 from the Netherlands, a Honda…
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There aren’t many new ways left to customize classic R-series BMWs, and that means it’s harder to make them stand out. You…
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Any project worth doing has a few challenges along the way. This tidy BMW R75/5 started out as a true basket case,…
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Certain bikes tend to attract formulaic builds. And when it comes to customizing, BMW airheads in particular tread a well-worn path. But…
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Quality over quantity this week, with four rather than five new builds: two Beemers, and two Triumphs. All are surprisingly practical, finely…
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Yesterday it felt like the entire custom world was in Yokohama, Japan, for the famous Mooneyes show. Officially called the ‘Hot Rod…
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There are one hit wonders, and then there’s Dirk Oehlerking. The German custom builder can’t put a foot wrong, churning out hit…
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