AC Sanctuary Archives

Long Live the Zed: AC Sanctuary’s ‘new’ Kawasaki Z1

The new Kawasaki Z900RS had barely broken cover when custom examples started popping up. First Kawasaki Japan commissioned three builds from local…

Kawasaki cafe racer by AC Sanctuary

The economics of the custom business in Japan are very different to what we usually see in the west. Most of the…

Kawasaki GPz900R by AC Sanctuary

There’s a small list of landmark motorcycles: those that moved the game forward, upsetting expectations and changing the market for ever. In…

Retro superbike: Kawasaki Z1 by AC Sanctuary

Many of the most successful motorcycle builders—the ones running a solid, profitable business—hit on a formula. It’s usually a combination of looks,…

Suzuki Katana by AC Sanctuary

I remember being dumbstruck when the Suzuki Katana was launched back in 1980. And after a period of distaste, I now find…

Kawasaki KZ1000 by AC Sanctuary

Late 70s Japanese superbikes have character by the bucketload—unlike the plasticized contemporary offerings. There’s ample performance too: a stock Kawasaki KZ1000 puts…

Kawasaki Zephyr 750 by Sanctuary

Some 15 years ago, Kawasaki’s Zephyr range kickstarted the trend for retro naked motorcycles in Europe. The styling was loosely based on…

Honda CB1100R by AC Sanctuary

Fans of retro Japanese superbikes will know the Sanctuary name: these guys are the kings of the resto-mod scene. This is their…

Sanctuary Kawasaki Zephyr 1100

Motorcycle manufacturing is built around the concept of contrived obsolescence. Tweak the engine every few years, change the plastic that hides half…

AC Sanctuary will build you a Kawasaki Z1 for $37,700

Japan probably has the most diverse custom motorcycle culture in the world. They like monkey bikes and mopeds and 110-cubic-inch Harleys and…

Sanctuary Kawasaki Z2

The legendary Kawasaki Z1 had a little brother, the Z2. (A better behaved little brother, no doubt.) You’d be hard pressed to…

AC Sanctuary motorcycles

Here’s a real find: a major Japanese custom motorcycle shop that’s somehow slipped under the radar of most westerners. It’s called AC…