The best streetfighter motorcycles are usually older sportbikes that have been stripped back and customized for a more aggressive, ‘naked’ look. The trend picked up steam in the 1980s and today, it usually involves Japanese bikes with the fairings removed, custom lighting, conventional bars and short but loud aftermarket exhaust.
Lionel Duke builds a little bit of everything. His Nice, France-based custom shop, Duke Motorcycles, has transformed Honda Goldwings, Kawasaki ER6s, and Ducati Scramblers into unique one-off creations in recent years. But the most interesting thing to come from his garage actually isn’t a bike at all—it’s a box full of parts. More specifically, a…
Read more »
Many lofty dreams start with “one day, when I retire,” but very few of them are actually realized. Luckily, Rob Chappell of Origin8or Cycles is in the business of making dreams come true. So when a client wanted to spoil himself with a special retirement gift, Rob whipped up this brutal custom street fighter. The…
Read more »
We’re always curious about where custom motorcycle builders find their inspiration. But the creator of this aggressive Yamaha R1 cites an unlikely source: the beloved 80s arcade game, Pac-Man. More specifically, Inky—the blue ghost that chases the game’s eponymous hero. This is the personal ride of Ted Lee, who runs Pit Works Design in Taipei,…
Read more »
We’re all for elegant, understated customs—but sometimes nothing beats the sheer visual impact of a heavily modified sportbike. And this 80s Gixxer is as subtle as a brick through a window. The builder is Michel Szozda of Cool Kid Customs, who caught our eye with a slick Kawasaki ZZR600 a few months ago. He’s based…
Read more »
If the next wave of custom motorcycling is focused on retro sportbikes, we’d be okay with that. The 90s are stacked with…
Read more »
The streetfighter scene is marked by outrageous performance and unapologetic aesthetics. In the battle of function and form, fast wins pretty much…
Read more »
Some folks feel the urge to ride a different bike every few months. Others stay true to their trusty steeds for decades.…
Read more »
Motus is one of the most interesting stories in the motorcycle industry right now. In a factory at the old Barber museum…
Read more »
With 154 horses on tap and impeccable handling, the Honda CBR954RR Fireblade is a prime candidate for customization—if you’re building an off-the-wall…
Read more »
Blistering performance is not usually at the top of the wishlist for a custom build. But this Suzuki from Classified Moto is…
Read more »
For most of the bikes we feature here, performance is relative. (There’s even the odd replica Grimeca drum brake.) There’s no true…
Read more »
A few weeks ago, I read about this custom streetfighter on the Ducati Monster list. And then yesterday, a friend sent me…
Read more »