Harley-Davidson is an icon of American culture and the most popular marque for custom builders. Shortly after the company was founded in 1903 in Milwaukee, customizers started bobbing, chopping and dirt tracking the famous V-twins.
After WW2 Harley motorcycles were at the center of the bobber craze, and kept their lead as Californian bikers turned to choppers in the late 1950s. The 45-degree engines have their own nicknames and folklore: from flatheads, knuckleheads, panheads and shovelheads to today’s Evolution and Milwaukee-Eight motors.
The Sportster is the basis for more Harley-Davidson customs than any other model. Originally fitted with an ‘Ironhead’ motor, it turned 60 years old in 2017. It’s probably the single most customized motorcycle on the planet, and certainly has the largest supply of aftermarket parts.
Marc Holstein might be German, but he’s a massive fan of Japanese culture—and an even bigger fan of Japan’s spellbinding motorcycle scene. The ace photographer splits his time between Frankfurt and Tokyo, is a regular face at the uber-popular Mooneyes show, and has been behind the workshop doors of some of Japan’s most enigmatic custom…
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Motorcycle enthusiasts are probably not as familiar with NEIGHBORHOOD as fashionistas are, but the powerhouse Japanese streetwear brand does have a strong connection to motorcycling. NEIGHBORHOOD’s creative director, Shinsuke Takizawa, is a huge fan of motorcycles and the culture surrounding them. Now he’s celebrating the brand’s 30th birthday with a limited edition custom Harley-Davidson Street…
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Ben Schmitt’s name first appeared on these pages three years ago, when the legendary NYC Norton built him a Norton Commando race bike out of a ratty donor that had been bought from a Tina Turner impersonator (true story). But Ben’s love affair with motorcycles goes way further back than that. “I started with minibikes…
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Takuya Aikawa is on a roll. There hasn’t been a running of the Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show in the last few years that he hasn’t brought at least one medal home from. His accolades include two ‘Best of Show’ awards, a ‘Best Detail Work’ award, and a whole bunch more. And in case you’re…
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The traditional definition of a street tracker is a motorcycle that has all the trappings of a flat tracker, with the addition…
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There must be something in the water, because this is the second Harley XR1200 street tracker that’s popped up on our radar…
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Deus ex Machina leads this week’s round-up, with a Fantic Caballero scrambler that tips its hat to the Fantic enduros of the…
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An invitation to build a custom bike for the annual Born Free show in the US is a massive accolade. But the…
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The short-lived Harley XR1200 was a special bike. If you’ve ever thrown a leg over one yourself, you know what we mean;…
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While it’s no secret that we’re fans of Harley-Davidson’s Milwaukee-Eight Softail range, there’s not a single one in the bunch that we…
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The Triumph Bobber is one of our favorite modern classics—but it could do with having some of its fat trimmed. Sam Wheeler…
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An army of motorcycles has descended on Las Vegas, certainly, the most impressive array of bikes we’ve laid eyes on in a…
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