Adapted from the new book The Build: How the Masters Design Custom Motorcycles by Robert Hoekman Jr., including interviews with some of the most notable builders in the USA. When we talk about how to buy a motorcycle, we really mean “how to find a donor bike.” It’s a nice term, “donor bike”—all full of…
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“Do you prefer the build or the ride?” It was a question for Brandon Mungai that I assumed might come with a shaky answer. Motorcycles have, in many ways, defined themselves as a quintessential part of the American Dream—alongside classic pickup trucks, Coca-Cola, and denim jeans.
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In the small Spanish town of Molins de Rei lives Pere Tarragó, a motorcycle builder of quite extraordinary skill. His bikes are completely unrideable—but that’s only because they’re 1:5 and 1:6 scale models. These motorcycle models are nothing like the Revell or Tamiya kits you played with back in the 70s. In photographs, Tarragó’s creations…
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BMW came out swinging when they released the R nineT. Even before the bike went on sale, it was farmed out to some of the world’s top custom builders: a clear indication of BMW’s new-found love for the custom scene. There’s a lot to love about the R nineT itself. It’s powered by the punchy…
Read more »Untitled builds interesting and usable old school motorcycles in a small workshop under the railway arches in north London. And they’re doing…
Read more »The fine art of the motorcycle movie has hit a speed hump in recent years. Raw and gritty paens to the alternative…
Read more »A few days ago, motojournalist Jason Cormier published a hard-hitting critique of the current custom motorcycle scene. At 4,000 words it’s a…
Read more »Joe Tessitore is a strange guy. Most bike builders hate working with motorcycle wiring, but not Joe. It’s his favorite part of…
Read more »Moto-journalist Paul d’Orléans writes for the magazine Classic Bike Guide, and stirred up the hornets’ nest with this recent column. It’s a…
Read more »There’s nothing quite like the smell of two-stroke oil. Or the sound of a swarm of two-strokes hurtling down the track at…
Read more »In the early 1970s, two Japanese superbikes ruled the roost: the Honda CB750 and the Kawasaki Z1. The Z1 was originally going…
Read more »Last week we showcased five modern motorcycles that hit the mark in terms of attitude and style. It was a mix of…
Read more »It’s a widely held opinion that contemporary motorcycle design isn’t quite what it used to be. The sense of nostalgia that fuels…
Read more »Car manufacturers occasionally dip a toe into the world of two wheels. It’s usually in the form of an expensive bicycle designed…
Read more »It’s one thing to talk about the ‘enduring appeal’ of a motorcycle. It’s quite another for that appeal to translate into solid…
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