Written by Tim Huber.

Over the last few years, it’s become abundantly clear that electric bikes will play an increasingly important role in the motorcycle industry in the coming years. The majority of major manufacturers currently have two-wheeled EV’s in various stages of development, and new electric startups are popping up on a damn-near-monthly basis. Consequently, today’s colleges and universities are preparing the next generation of engineers and designers for what will be a largely electron and proton-powered future.

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.

Written by Tim Huber.

Triumph’s torquey Street Triple offers a ridiculously fun riding experience with gobs of tractable low and mid-range power and character for days. While you’d be hard-pressed to argue the merit of its performance, the model’s appearance is markedly more decisive. So, Carlos “Xarly” Guzman’s Vintage Addiction Crew set out to revamp the mid-size three-banger under the directive of building something lightweight, compact, fast, stylish, minimalistic, and ridable on a daily basis.

Written by Martin Hodgson

Being a one-hit-wonder has plagued many an artist and turned others into a punchline or answer in a quiz show. But having come out swinging with plenty of popularity on his first major success, Spencer of Parr Motorcycles was determined his second single would be just as strong. So with his foundations set, he’s back with an all-new spin on the versatile Suzuki DR650. Taking a 2012 model and turning it into the ultimate urban scrambler, tame or terrifying, it’s just a matter of how far you turn the throttle.

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.