Written by Martin Hodgson

Few, if any, foreigners will travel to the magical nation of India and leave without experiencing a life-altering change. However, it’s also a daunting place for the virgin traveler and one of the first things you’re confronted by is the traffic. So in a sea of two-wheels, four, diesel smoke and animals it can be hard to stand out. Picking a Royal Enfield doesn’t make the task any easier, they’re everywhere! But Cycle City Customs in the Northern city of Ludhiana were up to the challenge and have gone above and beyond a mere cosmetic makeover in transforming their one-off 2012 Classic 500 into a genuine Hot Rod for the Indian streets.

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.

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.

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’.

Written by Martin Hodgson

From the moment the first concept was spied at the 2014 EICMA show in Italy, the Husqvarna Vitpilen had the motorcycle world talking. It was obvious the bones of the bike were from parent company KTM’s 690, but it was the radical styling from design house Kiska causing the buzz. Despite most believing it would never come to market, when it finally hit dealer floors it retained the wild look that most concepts sadly shed. But for Outsiders Motorcycles from the Netherlands they saw the chance for an even crazier custom design and transformed this brand new 2019 Husqvarna Vitpilen 701 in just ten weeks flat.

Written by Martin Hodgson

When you embark on the journey of building a custom motorcycle half the battle can be in simply picking the base you choose. Like a good pizza it sets the foundation and with the availability of all the right ingredients, it can be almost impossible to go wrong. But choosing to start with an ’80s sportbike immediately sets the builder a challenge; they’re usually ugly, rarely modified by others and almost always in terrible condition. Totally undaunted Markus Klett of Motopola chose a 1985 Yamaha XJ600 and custom-crafted all the right toppings for this tasty treat.

Words and photos by Jeremy Hammer 

“I didn’t know if it was going to be fantastic or a frankenstein,” are the words that rolled out of Jason Ralls mouth as he reflected on his first-ever custom motorcycle – a 1979 BMW R80 that’s strikingly different, yet beautifully elegant at the same time. A dabbler in building boats and Australian muscle cars, a custom motorcycle had so far eluded Jason until his interest was peaked by a mate’s R80 project. Not one to mess around, Rallsy picked up his very own rusted out, wasp-infested, BMW R80 just three weeks later, serving as the donor for his elaborate ideas.

Written by Martin Hodgson

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb joins the Isle of Man TT as the two most prestigious and legendary time trials in all of motorsport. The ‘Race to the Clouds’ pits man and machine against 156 unique turns on the way to climbing nearly 5000ft in altitude before reaching the summit, high in the Rocky Mountains, some 14000ft above sea level. The demands on the motorcycle are only exceeded by those on the body and tragically some won’t make it home. But for Thomas Kendall the call of the mountain was strong and he re-built his 2008 Yamaha YZ450F in preparation for his first attack on the lightweight class.