PAAL began in 2013, in Malmö, Sweden, when former chef Fredrik Pål Persson hung up his apron to pursue his life-long passion of building custom motorcycles. What began in a tiny basement room as a one man operation has steadily evolved into a design studio made up of like minds and hands working together with a cohesive vision: transforming vintage motorcycles through design, function and form.
Fredrik Pål Persson has faced a few challenges in his time. First, he switched careers from chef to bike builder. Then he had to mortgage his house to keep his company PAAL Motorcycles afloat. More recently, he picked up a client with a most unusual brief: build a Honda cafe racer to reflect an interest…
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For some people, building custom bikes is a sideline—an after-hours escape from the daily grind. For others it’s purely a business, with success measured by income and Instagram likes. And then there’s the third type: the guys who are so passionate about the scene, they’d mortgage their house to keep going. Malmö-based Fredrik Pål Persson…
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Building custom motorcycles can be a tough game. And the Swedish builder Fredrik Pål Persson was ready to throw in the towel, just before the commission came in for this rather chic Honda café racer. His shop, Malmö-based PAAL Motorcycles, has been operating for five years now. But last year, the business almost closed down.…
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When it comes to iconic 1970s middleweights, the Honda CB750 steals all the limelight. But Kawasaki’s KZ650 was also hugely popular—and easily capable of keeping up with contemporary 750s. “Right out of the crate, it will out-perform any 750 in the world,” said Kawasaki’s advertising at the time, and the claim had merit. The little…
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