Poland
HERD MENTALITY. Two Yamaha XV Cafe Fighters from Moose Motodesign
It seems pretty clear to us that there’s something weird going on with the Polish water. Forget fluoride or vapour trails; this conspiracy seems to make entire countries fall in love with certain bikes. Poland’s fate is undying love of Yamaha’s XV…
SERIAL THRILLER. Eastern Spirit Garage’s Honda Dominator Motocrosser
It’s always the quiet and unassuming ones you have to keep an eye on, for years folks thought Ted Bundy was an average Joe. Not quite so lethal, although still the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing is the Honda Dominator, that enjoyed a 15 year production run…
EAT MY DUST. Cardsharper’s Honda CX500 Off-Road Racer
It’s easy to forget that the scrambler’s origins are steeped in racing. Sure, the modern-day interpretation seems to be more about enjoying nature than about silverware, but the ‘scramble’ the genre’s name refers to wasn’t a scramble across rough terrain, but a mad scramble to the finish line…
BITING THE DUST. T.Jasin Motorcycles’ ‘Barrel of Death’ Honda CB400 Tracker
‘Maximum retro’. That was Tomek’s brief to himself. And as the one and only member of Warsaw’s T.Jasin Motorcycles, he sure wasn’t about to be overruled. Having skirted around the style for many of his recent builds, he clearly decided to go all in to see what he could accomplish…
STREET FIGHTING MAN. Custom Operational Group’s ‘Hooligan’ Yamaha XTZ660 Cafe Scrambler
The military vibe of Poland’s Custom Operational Group’s name is not some mere affectation designed to be cool or edgy. On the contrary, shop owner ‘Piotr’ is an army man who builds bikes when not on duty and answers our interview questions from a remote Polish forest during a break in training exercises…
IMPERIAL TRANSPORT. The ‘Rogue Shadow’ Yamaha XV750 from Cardsharper Customs
Their latest client turned up with a barely rolling bike and an obsession with all things Star Wars. Just months later, Cardsharper sent him on his way with a stunning 1983 Yamaha Virago XV750 Cafe Fighter, the perfect for of Imperial transport, known as ‘Rogue Shadow’…
FASTER & SON. A Honda CB750 Cafe Racer from MT Customs
Most of the planet got their introduction into what a Father and Son custom bike shop looks like from the hugely popular series American Chopper. But if the motorcycles themselves were terrible, the damage to the relationship was even worse, sending a cautionary tale around the world. But for the family Brewus of Poland, no such problems exist…
URBANE WARFARE. Cardsharper Customs’ Camouflage K100 Cafe Racer
Consider the work of Poland’s Jacek Mulak. As Europe descended into one of its harshest winters in years, Jacek began to realise that his custom crowdfunding project was, as he put it, ‘A disaster.’ His solution? He put everything aside and did what he loves best; he built this…
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER FLY. A ‘Great Escape’ Honda CM400 Tracker from Poland’s T. Jasin Motorcycles
The Iron Curtain. The Cold War. The USA v the USSR. The 60s and 70s were tough years for Eastern Europe. With hardline communism ruling the roost and the Nazi occupation still fresh in most people’s minds, it’s little wonder that a movie like Steve McQueen’s The Great Escape with its Polish locations and flying moto finale, might have struck a chord with the locals…
INNER ZOOMER. Ugly Motors’ Lightning Fast Suzuki GSX1200 Racer
‘Inazuma’. It means ‘Lightning’ in Japanese. But it’s a little more complex than that. It’s also the first name of a legendary Sumo Wrestler from the 19th Century, A Japanese battleship and a famous 1950s Japanese film about the search for personal happiness. No coincidence, then, that Suzuki also attached the name to a bike like this. Being a fast, powerful fighter that’s put a smile on more than a few dials, the name seems perfectly suited to both the factory bike and this little reworking of a ‘00 Suzuki GSX1200 Inazuma by Poland’s Ugly Motors.