Written by Martin Hodgson

It’s the most powerful production motorcycle ever produced, nothing else even comes close, but this missile on two-wheels is more than just the sum of its parts. The brainchild of Australian race engineer Paul Maloney, who spent two decades in the paddocks of the world’s premier racing categories, the PGMV8 is the ultimate street bike he came back to the Victorian bush to build. The carbon bodied, road-legal machine is a mechanical masterpiece, packing 334hp from its signature 2.0l V8. So to get the inside word, Pipeburn spent considerable time over the last six months getting to know the man and his machine.

Written by Tim Huber.

Over the last half-decade-or-so, Honda’s ‘90s big ADV thumper, the NX650 Dominator, has become an increasingly popular platform for customization, and for good reason. The 644cc SOHC single boasts 45 lively horses, is damn-near bullet-proof, and, as a donor, simply oozes potential. So, after the UK’s Hoxton Moto was bitten by the dual-sport bug following a Summer of ripping around on a Yamaha XT500, the shop knew it wanted to churn out a big single-powered on/off-road build, and the Dommie fit the bill perfectly.

Purpose Built Moto is based on the sunny Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia, and is owned and run by Tom Gilroy. Tom is handy with a wrench – and most things mechanical and electrical – but we also discovered he’s quite handy with a pen (or keyboard). We thought we’d let him take you through his latest build. Over to you, Tom:

The GT1000 was released before its time, had it been a few years later the market would have lapped up these beefy 1000cc modern classics. But they didn’t, and Ducati stopped making them which means some models getting to be in high demand. I’ve worked on a few of these bikes before, doing minor upgrades and re-styling work. However, this Ducati that was rolled into the shop on its 50,000 km (31,000 miles) birthday needed a little more than just a touch-up. So as we always end up doing at Purpose Built Moto, I went deep. Chopping, changing and streamlining this ducat GT1000 café racer into a sleek, well-proportioned street bike that is still quintessentially a Ducati sport classic.

Words by Tim Huber.

Dirk Oehlerking and his shop, Kingston Custom have a heap of stellar BMW-based builds to their name, but when one does something over and over again, you run the risk of things getting a bit stale. So, when a new order for another boxer-twin project came across Kingston’s desk, the German customs outfit knew it wanted to buck the status quo and create something different.

Written by Martin Hodgson

For those who are ahead of their time there must be a desperate frustration, often a deep depression, as the world around them fails to see the brilliance of their creation. In the late ’70s Honda moved one such man, engineer Shoichiro Irimajiri, from the head of F1 engine development to the motorcycle division and two of his creations were the CX500 and the CBX1000. The ugly commuter bike sold like hotcakes, while the revolutionary six ended up being given away to trade schools. But oh how times have changed; so when a man with an enviable collection of cars and bikes approached China’s Mandrill Garage wanting only the most desirable of builds, they quickly selected the singing six-cylinder Honda CBX.

Written by Tim Huber.

Since its release in the mid-2000s, Kawasaki’s ER-6N or Ninja 650, has been a go-to choice for riders seeking a practical, no-frills, mid-sized commuter bike. Its popularity, however, has a lot more to do with its reliable and economical nature than it does its relatively unremarkable appearance. So, with a stellar twin at its core, a well-designed chassis, and generally capable running gear, France’s Taverne Motorcycle Garage set out to give the ER-6N a visual redesign with as much character as its lively mid-sized twin.

Written by Martin Hodgson

As the big corporates gain a larger foothold in the custom scene it can be easy for the vital grassroots to be left behind. But each year Bear of Old Bike Barn throws the Greasy Dozen Run and selects 13 backyard and small shop builders to create machines for the event. While for some it kick starts a stalled project, for Phil of 6th City Cycles it was the final piece of the puzzle in bringing a dream build to life. From their small garage in Cleveland, Phil and his team packed a Honda CX650 motor into a CX500 frame and finished it with all the fruit, christening the steed Recoil.

Words by Steve Wong.

You know how the story goes… a guy’s father-in-law has an old bike in the shed. The guy wants to do it up, calls a mate and they hack at the seat, chop the frame and pop on some mirrors – bish bosh job done! Well, that’s not how this story goes. Stephen didn’t have much of a bike history but had always admired his father-in-law’s motorcycle laying dormant in the garage. The motorcycle in question was a completely stock 1983 BMW R80RT. Burgundy in colour with full fairings, panniers and the obligatory sheepskin seat cover. It was covered in dust and hadn’t been ridden in over 10 years, so Stephen plucked up the courage to ask his father-in-law if he could have the bike promising to “fix” it up for him.

Written by Tim Huber.

By far one of the most significant decades in American automotive history, the 1950s gave rise to some of the most iconic vehicle designs ever created. With stylistic elements reflecting the public’s fascination for the emerging Space Age, streamlined forms, pronounced fins, and other rocket-inspired visual themes on cars became symbols of quintessential midcentury Americana. 1959 Cadillacs like the Eldorado and De Ville are archetypal examples of designs from this era, sporting curved glasswork, chromed accents, fins even more dramatic than their predecessor’s, and distinctive “jet pod” tail lights.

And it’s those tail lights that became the entire basis for this one-off Moto Guzzi, dubbed “La Monica”, from France’s Dirty Seven Garage. Starting with a 1981 Le Mans III, the Toulouse-based shop fully rebuilt the 844cc longitudinally-mounted V-Twin with a 1,000cc kit. The electronics were then overhauled via an Electrosport regulator/rectifier, Dynatek Dyna 3 electronic ignition, and new custom wiring throughout.

Written by Martin Hodgson

For a university student who just wants to build motorcycles, all that time stuck in front of a computer can suck the life out of you! Unless of course you’re Marc Vertesi and you cleverly convince your professors that building a race bike would absolutely make sense as your Masters of Architecture thesis project. Joined by his brother Philip, a Physiotherapy student, they run 2VMotos in Lausanne, building and repairing classic customs when their heads aren’t in the books. So, inspired by European designers of the early 20th century comes this peer-reviewed racer from the bones of a 1976 Honda CB400, aptly named ‘Schienenzeppelin’.