Anvil is run by San Marco Filios and Alessandro Phonz Fontanesi, both in their early 30s and living in Milan. They’ve both been passionate riders since childhood, starting on motocross bikes. Today they focus on road bikes, and as you’d expect from a workshop based in Italy’s design capital, their creations have a strong dash of style.

On this Honda CB500, the forks have been lowered to drastically alter the stance of the bike, with firmer springs fitted to compensate for the shortened suspension travel. Low-slung Tommaselli bars add to the racy look, sitting ahead of a Laverda tank painted with the name of the bike—“Nk-a”. The aluminum seat unit is custom-fabricated, and upholstered with leather.

The fine Honda CB500 motor has been left alone, but painted black for a factory-fresh look. It’s now hooked up to free-flow filters and a striking white exhaust system from Marving. The tires are Avon Safety Mileage Mk II, a classic pattern recast using modern rubber compounds.

Anvil’s approach is unlikely to find favor with purists. But on the other hand, they’re a big part of the new wave custom scene in Italy and Europe. Head over to the Anvil Motociclette website to see more customized Honda CBs—and a very tasty Moto Guzzi SP 1000 and Suzuki GSX750E.

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Robrock started to look for a ‘nice’ bike but soon switched direction. “Why take a nice bike and rebuild it? Why not take an ugly one? So I chose the ugliest bike I know: The BMW K100.”

Marc found a 1984 model and stripped it down, removing everything that was not necessary and cleaning what was left. But not too much—he was keen to retain the patina of three decades.

After weeks of grinding, cutting and welding, the BMW K100 took shape. Everything was done with an eye to TÜV approval: no sharp or open-ended parts, small aluminum fenders were added, and the original exhaust pipe retained.

Marc added a new aluminum subframe to support a custom-made seat unit, and mounted the Bosch ignition and tiny gel battery underneath. The rims, forks and a multitude of smaller pieces were sandblasted and powdercoated black. Then the bars were replaced with an aftermarket item, again resized to fit.

Marc calls the machine the BMW K-fé, and it took him five weeks to complete. TÜV certification took longer—six weeks. But the BMW is road-legal.

Now that Marc has all the paperwork sorted, he has just one job left to do—replace the exhaust system.

Images courtesy of Thomas Riese. Marc is at Robrock.de [German language only].

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Black Douglas makes vintage-style motorcycles with a distinctly English appearance, like the Sterling shown here. It doesn’t have electronically controlled suspension or switchable riding modes, but it’s not short of charm.

It’s the brainchild of Fabio Cardoni, who started Black Douglas two years ago. “I’ve been riding motorcycles since I was 11,” he says, “but for the past five or six years, I simply didn’t enjoy riding any of my bikes. I came to the conclusion that I don’t like production motorcycles any more.”

The styling is certainly captivating, with angular lines straight out of the early twentieth century. “We wanted motorcycles that are beautiful to look at, and able to draw attention. Yes, at the age of 42 I still like it when people look at what I’m riding!” Fabio laughs. “But most of all, the bike had to be fun to ride—without the hassles of vintage motors.”

The Sterling is powered by a four-stroke 230cc single. It’s a replica of a Honda CG engine, built in China by Zongshen under Honda license. “Even though I was very skeptical at the beginning, after testing it thoroughly, I was absolutely astonished by the quality of this unit,” says Fabio. “It is built to Japanese production quality levels: sturdy, low maintenance, reliable, and offers over 85 mpg.” The bike weighs 100 kilos, so there isn’t too much weight to push around. Top speed is around 70 mph (110 kph).

After over a year of testing frames, hubs and engines, Black Douglas got it right with the fourth Sterling prototype—which Fabio still rides to work every day. The bike shown here is the first full production model, which was sold a few days ago. The customer chose all the extras from the Black Douglas catalog right now, so it’s a ‘Deluxe’ version. That means an uprated 230cc engine, a Bosch replica light, a replica klaxon horn, a rack holder, two different types of handlebar, a wood basket, and more.

Black Douglas will have four more machines ready for sale in a month: three base models and a ‘racer’ which will be called the Sterling Brooklands. The price starts at €7,900 (US$10,200) plus taxes. There may even be a race series for the bikes in Italy soon: the Federazione Motociclista Italiana is toying with the idea of organizing a Sterling mini-championship of three events.

And if you fancy building your own vintage-style motorcycle, Black Douglas will soon be launching a DIY kit. It’ll be available with or without an engine, and the first 20 kits will sell for €4,900—around US$6,300. After that will come a sidecar version, with part of the design made of traditional wicker wood.

Tempted? Yearning for the simpler style of a bygone age? Contact the Black Douglas Motorcycle Co. via their website or Facebook page.

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Over the past five years, the USA has really caught on to the Ruckus—especially in California, New York and Florida. One of the leading lights is a company called Rucksters; based in Arcadia, CA, it supplies a dizzying array of custom parts.

This machine, nicknamed “The LV Project” after the luxury goods maker Louis Vuitton, is a collaboration between Rucksters and the tuner BTX Industries. The stock engine was the first thing to go: it’s been replaced by a 150cc GY6, an engine commonly used in larger scooters.

Breathing is helped by a Mikuni TM28 carburetor, a custom header pipe and a Yoshimura exhaust. With a curb weight of less than 200 lbs, you’re looking at a useful turn of speed. Certainly more than the 40 mph top speed of a stock Ruckus.

The frame and body have been stripped back and refinished in a mix of Du Pont ‘Champagne’ paint and brown anodizing. The rear wheel, in case you’re wondering, is from a golf cart. (And no, I don’t know how it goes around corners.)

As for the rest of the bike … there are too many changes to list here. Head over to Honda Tuning Magazine for the full story and a spec sheet.

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El Solitario is the antithesis of that mindset. The Galician workshop marches to the beat of its own drum, building and riding motorcycles for the sheer fun of it. It’s an approach that has made this collective of mechanics and artists one of the most controversial custom builders in the world. It’s also attracted attention from the big hitters in the moto media—from Cycle World in the USA to the Japanese magazine Moto-Navi.

This Moto Guzzi V65, nicknamed Trimotoro, is the closest thing El Solitario has to a ‘shop bike.’ It’s been a long time in the making—around 800 hours, they calculate. But much of that time has involved riding, fettling, and just plain enjoying the bike.

The name Trimotoro comes from a vehicle in an obscure children’s book. Mechanically, this V65 is in excellent shape: El Solitario gave the Guzzi a complete mechanical overhaul and rewire, and blueprinted the 650cc air-cooled motor. New Dell’Orto PHBH 30mm carbs were fitted, and now breathe through velocity stacks. The exhaust is a modified vintage BMW system, and the electrics were given a solid jolt with an AntiGravity li-ion battery, Ducati Corse coils and a Silent Hektik regulator.

The V65’s forks have been lowered a little (in V50 Monza triples) and Marzocchi shocks are fitted at the back—which now boasts a Monza swing arm too. Dunlop K81 tires ride on aluminum Akront 3.5 x 18” rims.

It’s the appearance that immediately grabs the onlooker, though. The headlights are from Lumax, a commercial lighting fixture specialist. The bodywork is hand-made, beaten from raw metal. The seat—yes, it’s strapped on with leather belts—is made from Nappa leather. The clip-ons are solid aluminum items from Magura, with the levers and throttle coming from Kustom Tech. The grips are hand-made from shellac.

Trimotoro won’t out-drag a GSX-R. But I’ve followed it while riding a Ducati Monster, and it maintained a more-than-respectable pace. Best of all, it put a smile on the face of all those who saw it or rode it. And isn’t that what it’s all about?

Head over to the brand new El Solitario website for updates and a fine online shop, or follow their exploits via the ESMC Facebook page. Images courtesy of Kristina Fender.

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There’s a good reason this CB took so long. Six months after Ryland got laid off from his advertising job and set up his workshop, a former co-worker asked him to build a bike. “I offered Ricky the ‘friends and family’ treatment,” says Ryland, “on condition he let me do what I wanted—and helped me with the build.”

After hours, Ricky joined Ryland and mechanic Greg Ownby in marathon garage sessions to tear down the donor bike, a 1980 Honda CB750F Super Sport. ‘SuperStrada’ slowly took shape.

The whole front end is from a Yamaha YZF-R6 sportbike, including the forks, front wheel and hand controls. The forks are locked into place with Classified Moto’s signature triple tree conversion, using a custom billet upper clamp.

The single-sided swing arm is from a Ducati Multistrada, complete with factory Showa shock, and the rear wheel is from a Ducati 1098. Rubber is Metzeler ME880 at the front, Dunlop D616 at the back.

Other mods include a customized Vance & Hines 4-into-1 exhaust system, a lightweight li-ion battery and a digital gauge. Classified also installed a custom front sprocket, a Superlite 525 rear sprocket and a gold D.I.D X-Ring chain.

The frame modifications were handled by Alex Heath, along with the custom tail section and nickel-plated side panels. The tank, surprisingly, is basically stock Honda CB. “It ended up looking just right,” says Ryland. “The side panels finish the irregular lines off and everything just flows into the new tail section.” The seat was built and shaped in-house, and then upholstered by Richmond, VA neighbor Roy Baird.

“The CB came together with relatively little drama,” says Ryland. “Ricky trusted that it would be cool. The swing arm conversion was a lot simpler than the one we did on Katee Sackhoff’s Honda XL600. I love them both, but simpler is always better.”

Ricky lives just round the corner, so this build will probably be endlessly tweaked. “I want to quiet the exhaust down a bit, although Ricky doesn’t mind,” says Ryland. “Might try some different carbs too.”

One thing is for sure: Ryland has nailed the stance of SuperStrada—low and sleek, with a drag muscle vibe.

Would you find a place for it in your garage?

Images by Adam Ewing. Visit the Classified Moto website to see more of Ryland’s builds.

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Untitled built the machine for Antonius from Essen. And it was no easy task: the R90 would have to pass the strict German TÜV test to make it road-legal.

After years of riding modern Triumphs, Moto Guzzis and BMWs, Antonius, 51, hankered after an old two-valve boxer BMW. “While searching the internet I discovered Untitled Motorcycles by chance,” he says. “I was inspired by the look of the UM bikes: clearly classic BMWs, but with a modern soul.”

Within two weeks Antonius had found the right donor bike. “He trailered over an R90/6, along with an R75 tank,” recalls Untitled’s Adam Kay. Co-builders Rex Martin and Anita Chatelan started work straight away, with an engine overhaul and a thorough vapor blasting of the heads, barrels and engine cases.

Untitled also installed new stainless steel pushrods, big end shells and valves. The carbs were stripped and overhauled too, and the battery relocated closer to the engine. The bike was completely rewired and new cables were hand-cut and routed to the brakes, clutch and throttle.

The subframe is now 15cm shorter than stock, and houses the ignition switch and starter button. It also has a subtle kick-up in the rear loop, to clear the custom rear fender. The R75 tank—smaller than the original R90/6 item—was butted up to a newly-fabricated seat. A custom headlight now sits ahead of the new bars, and includes extra warning lights to accommodate the TÜV requirements. The blinkers and the rear number plate were also installed according to TÜV specifications.

The silver paint is a color from the current BMW catalog, and the frame and many ancillary parts were powdercoated. The rims have been fitted with new stainless spokes and nipples, and are shod with Dunlop K70 tires.

“I think I now have the bike I will never sell,” says Antonius. “It was a lot of fun to develop the R90/6 with Untitled, even if they were a little obstinate sometimes. A silver headlight! I am still thinking of painting it black.”

The next build from Untitled will debut at The Bike Shed Event on 18-19 May at Shoreditch Studios in London. If you’re lucky enough to make it to the show, keep an eye out for it. If not, stay tuned—we’ll reveal it online here at the same time.

Check out the Untitled Motorcycles website here and follow their news via the Untitled Facebook page. Images courtesy of Damian McFadden.

© Bike EXIF 2013. The world authority on custom motorcycles, brought to you by Icon 1000.