Suzuki GS550 custom

Suzuki GS550
New Zealand has a remarkably strong motorcycle culture, as befits an island blessed with wonderful country roads and a strong do-it-yourself nature. But the focus is usually on classic rather than custom motorcycles: you’ll see a lot of old British iron at moto events, but few ‘modern’ customs.

So it’s good to stumble across this 1978 Suzuki GS550E, built by Alan Pritchard of Stray Dog Moto in Nelson. The bike was a basket case when Alan bought it, and he originally intended to simply clean it up and get it running. But when he got the project underway, it snowballed into a major operation. And nine months later, this is how ‘Stray Dog’ turned out. Read more »

BSA B34 by BA Moto

BSA B34
There aren’t many bikes from the 1950s still being used as daily riders. But this BSA B34, some 62 years old, stretches its legs several times a week with owner Nate Hudson on board. “My father rode the same model back in the 50s,” he says, “and I’ve always been on the hunt for one. I found this bike in Eureka a few years ago and we did a ground up restoration on it here.”

Nate runs British American Motors in Long Beach, a custom shop right next door to Lossa Engineering. He usually works on more modern machinery, but has resisted the temptation to chop the 1951 BSA up. Instead, he’s given it a sympathetic restoration that retains the charm of the original. Read more »

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Moto Guzzi V75 by Venier Customs

Moto Guzzi V75 by Venier Customs

There are a tiny handful of builders who consistently hit the mark with every bike they create. In Italy, one of those builders is Venier Customs, which took home a trophy last month from the Biker Fest for this beautiful Moto Guzzi V75. The bike… Read more »

Honda CB450 K1 resto-mod

Honda CB450 K1 resto-mod

What, another Honda CB ‘cafe racer’? Rest assured this one is different. Apart from a nut-and-bolt mechanical overhaul, it’s sporting subtle upgrades that will drastically increase its performance. Santa Fe-based Charles Burkhardt found this CB450 K1 on Craigslist, and it looked like it hadn’t been… Read more »

BMW R80 custom by 7 Ages

BMW R80 custom by 7 Ages

Most custom BMWs are resto-mods or café racer conversions. But Ian Solley of 7 Ages in the UK likes to take the strasse less travelled. On this BMW R80 custom, virtually every part has been modified: the frame has been converted to a hardtail, and… Read more »

Honda CB750K7 by Wrenchmonkees

Honda CB750K7 by Wrenchmonkees

This brutal, slammed Honda CB750K7 is Monkee #54, the latest machine to roll out of the legendary Danish workshop. It’s got even more of an apocalyptic feel than most Wrenchmonkees builds, and was commissioned by Timothée, a rider from Paris. “Timothée wanted a custom that… Read more »

Custom Norton Commando

Custom Norton Commando

We first happened across this amazing Norton Commando eight months ago. It’s now gracing the pages of Tank Moto, a super-stylish new quarterly from the publishers of Fuel Magazine. When I first saw this 1969 Norton, I’d have bet big money that it was from… Read more »