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.

“It took about two years from the moment I started unscrewing parts until the finished product was ready.” This is How Panache’s Charles Murillon kicked things off when explaining exactly how he sunk two years of his life into this rather beautiful little Yamaha XS360…

The French seem to have an artisan approach to almost everything they do. It’s this exact philosophy that Sur Les Chapeaux De Roues take to building bikes; more watchmaker meets sculptor than simply mechanic. Here’s their latest…

Ostentatious oil coolers have been a stock-in-trade item for Japanese car customisers for decades. Lifted from racing car stylings of the 70s and 80s, the more ridiculous its placement and the route the oil lines take, the more street cred the cars seem to have. But has it ever been attempted on a custom bike?

Little could Honda imagine that their entry-level commuter machine would be used as the basis for one of the most technologically advanced bikes we’ve ever featured on Pipeburn. French design house VIBA is back, with a sweet little lady they call Jane and she’s taking 3D printing to the next level…

There’s is a new man in town, tucked away in a small workshop, Matthieu Volpi builds motorcycles to the most exacting of standards. His latest Volpi Motorcycle creation is this stunning 1972 Honda CB350 flat tracker, designed for the learner who wants it all…

Last night we had a bike builder that had reverted to a classic, or standard, look for his build. A little tired of all the cafes, scramblers and trackers, he’d wiped the slate clean and started from scratch. Well, Lionel from France’s Duke Motorcycles found himself with a similar challenge, but his solution was quite different…

Our favourite race series in the whole entire world – the Sultans of Sprint Challenge – is done and dusted for another année. Who won the Grand Prixes? Who lost? Who went just for the booze and amazing French beaches? Read on, dear sprint fans. Read on…

For all their marketing bucks, there’s one thing the motorcycle manufacturers’ money will never be able to buy. It’s the same stuff that Burt Monroe, Giacomo Agostini and Rollie Free have in spades. Authenticity. And for Triumph, their authenticity mostly revolves around Steve McQueen’s star…

There’s something refreshing about Atelier Medusa. Based in France, the shop doesn’t make any pretensions about being the most experienced team out there. They have mentors, they ask questions and they learn. A lot. Each of their builds has been getting better and better….