Written by Tim Huber.

It’s hard not to look back at your first motorcycle with a distinct admiration and nostalgia, no matter how beat-up or prone-to-error it may have been. Much like your first love, there’s something highly-sentimental about sharing a host of new emotions, sensations, and experiences with your first motorcycle. For Jonathan “Jonno” Shakesby, his introduction to the world of riding came on a 1980 Suzuki GS850G in 1989. Over a quarter-of-a-century, four-continents, and more than three-dozen bikes later, and the British expat still holds a special place in his heart for the early ‘80s UJM. 

Written by Martin Hodgson

For the past few years motorcycle manufacturers have embraced custom builders and through various competitions have had them give a new look to their latest releases. But even a good idea can start to grow stale and rather than stick to the well-worn path, Indonesia’s Royal Enfield importer turned to a fresh pair of eyes. The result is a RE Himalayan designed and executed by leading architect Julian Palapa; ready to rip up the jammed roads of Jakarta, it’s called .02View.

Today is a day that many custom bike enthusiasts around the world have been patiently waiting for. If you weren’t able to get to one of the screenings of the ‘Oil in the Blood’ movie, then today you can watch it on Amazon, iTunes, Google or even buy the DVD. If you don’t know what Oil in the Blood is, then you are in for a treat. It’s a documentary feature film on the contemporary custom motorcycle culture that has experienced a renaissance in recent years. Director Gareth Maxwell Roberts spent three years travelling the world documenting the custom bike scene and interviewing most of the key people involved in it.

To celebrate this epic release, they have given us an exclusive short film about the collaboration between TW Steel and deBolex using an Energica Eva electric bike as a donor. The short film takes us through deBolex’s design process and the challenges he faced building an electric bike. We also discover how TW Steel went about creating a unique time piece to go hand in hand with this impressive motorcycle.

Grab a coffee (or something stronger) and take 8 minutes to watch this great little short film…

Written by Martin Hodgson

There can be a simple price to pay when you choose to roll with the pack and conform to what the current culture demands; everyone else is happy but yourself! For Victor Dikanchev obeying the rules was never going to be an option, he’d build his bike the way he wanted no matter the reaction. Living in Bulgaria where there is almost no bike scene anyway, his motorcycle would become an extension of himself. So help him bring it all together he enlisted KKKBikes and together they’ve built a brilliant 1982 Honda CB900F2 that’s quite at home dividing opinion.

Written by Tim Huber.

Created by Bruce Lee in the mid-to-late 1960s, Jeet Kune Do is a philosophy and form of martial arts that places immense importance on the development of one’s spirit and skills, while the combat aspect puts a major emphasis on adaptability, fluidity, and inflicting maximum damage through minimal effort. Mert and Can Uzer, the brothers behind Istanbul’s Bunker Customs, have very much applied Lee’s teachings and philosophy to their latest Yamaha Yard Built build — entitled “Chimera” – honing their skills in order to painstakingly develop a motorcycle design that offers a hugely transformative impact through minimal modification.

Written by Martin Hodgson

It’s not hard to imagine going to the Handbuilt Motorcycle Show in Austin and coming away inspired to build a custom bike of your own. But while most would be drawn to the endless number of incredible bikes crafted by the world’s best builders, it was inside the Wall of Death that the idea for the machine before you was born! Forged together from a 2002 Harley Sportster and a vintage Harley WL it’s the brainchild of Michael Alton, roaming the roads of Texas where it’s known as Taranis.

Written by Martin Hodgson

In any rapidly changing environment that experiences enormous growth in a short period of time, it’s easy to lose sight of the fundamentals. A true cafe racer was never meant to be a rolling showcase of the industry’s most expensive components in a stationary automotive sculpture. So taking things back to basics, Germany’s Kaspeed craft clever customs that are riders bikes first and foremost. Simplifying and improving every area of the motorcycle until like this 1980 Honda CX500 it’s ready to put an enormous smile on its new owner’s dial.

Written by Martin Hodgson.

Tributes can take on many forms, the words offered at a funeral or a photo that lives on the wall. But there are others whose lives demand so much more, having lived the maxim, ‘Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.’ Having walked in his older brother’s influential shadow, often just making the tea that fuelled both stories and bike builds, Alec Birkbeck knew his ultimate eulogy had to be forged in steel. With guidance from above and a desire to live up to his brother’s natural gift, it’s a stunning Yamaha TR1 just for Kevin.

Written by Tim Huber.

Some projects are just meant to be. We can resist all we want, but fate has a funny way of dictating our ultimate outcomes in what we do. Marc from Haseth Motorcycles in Amsterdam recently experienced this first hand. When shopping around for a project donor, Marc came across a used early ‘90s BMW R80R, though it was a bit worse for the wear, so he ended up opting for an R60/2 instead. A little down the road after that build was complete, Marc came across the very same R80R, though again passed on it. But when it came time to find another suitable airhead donor, and the R80R popped up for a third time, Marc took it as a sign.

Written by Martin Hodgson

When purveyors of sophistication and style for more than half a century, GQ Magazine, were looking for someone to build them a bike to match their ethos they knew exactly where to turn. They sent a brand new Thruxton R to Adam Kay of London’s Untitled Motorcycles, a man who has built a plethora of perfectly fashioned customs over the years. It’s little wonder his skills are in such high demand but having built the GQ bike on a serious deadline, Adam is back with another Triumph Thruxton R 1200 for one very lucky client, who was seeking the perfect modern cafe classic.