In this edition of Flashback Friday, we’re revisiting ten machines that broke the mold. We saw a Honda Shadow that channeled the spirit of a 1940s Indian, a Suzuki GSX-R1100 that redefined the slabside aesthetic. Strap in, this is a high-octane trip down memory lane. Here are The Top 8 Custom Motorcycles of July 2024
1.Honda Shadow Bobber by Frontwheel Motors
Back in the late 80s, Japanese manufacturers dabbled with cruiser-style motorcycles to corner the US market. The result was bikes like the Honda Shadow, which combined Japanese reliability with American Softail aesthetics. While the Shadow is often seen as a ‘cute’ entry-level cruiser, this Indonesian build from Frontwheel Motors proves the platform has tremendous untapped potential.
Inspired by the iconic 1949 Indian Model 249 Scout, Frontwheel stripped the 1990-model Steed (as the Shadow is known in Asia) to its bones. They fabricated classic fork covers to mimic the Harley look and swapped the stock wheels for 16-inch hoops shod with five-inch-wide Shinko treads. A handmade 8-liter fuel tank sits up top, designed specifically to expose as much of the liquid-cooled V-twin as possible.
The ‘Black Steed’ features a custom two-into-two exhaust system terminating in bold reverse cone mufflers. The livery is an exercise in heritage; a traditional black paint job adorned with white-feathered wings over a matte-black tank. It’s a clean, vintage-looking bobber that makes the humble Shadow look like a million bucks. [MORE]
2. Honda Grom by Steady Garage
Honda updated the beloved Grom for 2025 with slicker plastics, but the fine folks at California’s Steady Garage aren't known for leaving well enough alone. They saw a belligerent little streetfighter hiding inside the 124 cc mini-moto and kitted it out with an eye-watering list of hop-up bits. The technical spec is staggering, featuring a Sex Machine Racing front cartridge kit and a G-Craft aluminum swingarm.
Steady Garage collaborated with carbon fiber specialist Detailed by Panem to create a 3D-modeled bodywork, including sporty fenders and side body panels. The tail end was completely redesigned, featuring a machined aluminum support from Chimera Engineering and walnut leather upholstery. The powertrain gets a boost from a DHM camshaft and a Chimera ram air intake.
The build is finished in a vibrant teal blue with yellow graphics, rolling on three-piece modular rims. A bespoke Vance and Hines exhaust system pushes the project over the finish line, featuring custom muffler shields that blend seamlessly with the bodywork. It’s a riotous reminder that the mini-moto custom scene is currently thriving. [MORE]
3. Suzuki GSX-R1100 ‘Slabside’ by HAXCH Moto
Customizing a sportbike once meant simply ripping off fairings, but builders like Marc Bell of HAXCH Moto are now amplifying retro radness with high-end metal fabrication. This 1988 Suzuki GSX-R1100 J was built for a Swiss client who wanted a racy, standout machine. Marc started by upgrading the suspension with GSX-R750 SRAD forks and a Maxton rear shock.
The most radical change is the aluminum tail section. Marc lopped off the stock subframe and fabricated a new aluminum unit to raise the ride height, giving it a much more aggressive, track-ready posture. He hand-shaped the new tail unit on an English wheel, losing the bulky side panels while keeping the bike period-correct.
The engine breathes through Mikuni RS38 flatslide carbs and a Yoshimura can, while the rolling gear consists of lightweight Dymag wheels and Brembo M4 calipers. The livery pays tribute to the original Suzuki palette but utilizes a contemporary design with thick twin pinstripes over the tank. It hits all the right notes for a modern-classic Gixxer. [MORE]
4. Norton Commando by FCR Original
French workshop FCR Original usually sticks to modern classics, but they couldn't resist the allure of a 1975 Norton Commando Mk3. They set out to build the sleekest café racer possible, focusing on visual lightness. The project began with a total restoration, renovating every mechanical component from the crankshaft to the cylinder head, which now features a single carburetor on a Y-shaped intake.
The bodywork is a tour de force; the fuel tank and seat unit were designed with digital software but shaped by hand from aluminum. Instead of paint, FCR polished the metal to a mirror shine, making the bodywork look like flowing mercury over the vintage frame. This is contrasted beautifully by a black finish on the frame and swingarm.
Up front, you'll find Ceriani forks and 18-inch Borrani rims laced to hubs that FCR fabricated specifically for this bike. The hand-bent stainless steel headers exit parallel to each other before terminating in stacked mufflers on the right-hand side. It’s an authentic, metal-and-leather masterpiece that proves FCR can handle vintage iron just as well as modern twins. [MORE]
5. Indian Sport Scout by Roland Sands Design
When Indian Motorcycle commissioned Roland Sands Design (RSD) to customize a brand new Sport Scout, Roland aimed to capture the spirit of racing legend Ed ‘Iron Man’ Kretz. The goal was to build a "Dyna killer", a rowdy race bike with street-legal manners. RSD hybridized the Scout with an Indian FTR, scalping the forks, yokes, and Brembo brakes from the latter.
The rear end is equally high-spec, featuring a sporty aluminum swingarm from Track Dynamics, the same type used on RSD’s Super Hooligan race bikes. The stock 19F/16R wheels were swapped for forged aluminum RSD x Dymag race wheels shod with sticky Dunlop Sportmax Q5 tires. For the bodywork, Aaron Boss fabricated a new tail section inspired by RSD’s flat-track designs, integrating an LED taillight beneath the lip.
Relocated foot controls and ProTaper handlebars on stretched risers create a much more aggressive riding triangle. The 105-hp motor exhales through a custom two-into-one titanium exhaust system. Finished in matte and gloss black with yellow highlights, the bike was eventually delivered to its new owner: Josh Dun of Twenty One Pilots. [MORE]
6. Ducati MHR Mille by Benjie’s Café Racers
The Ducati 900 MHR (Mike Hailwood Replica) is an icon, but with only 1,100 ‘Mille’ units ever produced, it takes guts to customize one. Benjie’s Café Racers (BCR) took on the challenge for a client who wanted something unique. The donor was a neglected 1985 model that had suffered a poor 90s restoration, giving BCR a clear conscience to strip it down and start over.
Benjie envisioned a contemporary, streamlined look influenced by the Ducati MH900e. The team created carbon-fiber bodywork, including an outer shell for the tank that conceals a bespoke aluminum fuel reservoir. The original twin shocks were ditched in favor of a mono-shock conversion, involving a widened and braced OEM swingarm.
The running gear was modernized with Showa upside-down forks and lightweight carbon fiber wheels from BST. The once-neglected bevel-twin motor was treated to a pair of burly FCR carbs and a pie-cut stainless steel exhaust system. It’s a bold, inspired reimagining of one of Ducati's rarest bevel-driven twins. [MORE]
7. Suzuki GSX-R1100 ‘Street King’ by Seb Kustom Motorcycle
Sébastien Vernaison’s ‘Street King’ is an unapologetic tribute to the golden age of superbike design. Based on a 1992 Suzuki GSX-R1100N, the bike was transformed with aftermarket bodywork modeled after 80s replicas. The front fairing is a 1989 replica, while the tail throws it back to 1987, both modified to fit the ’92 frame.
The technical upgrades are a collection of high-performance parts: front forks, wheels, and Brembo brakes from an Aprilia RSV Factory, and a stretched swingarm from a 2005 GSX-R1000. Séb even filled in one headlight hole to pair a traditional round unit with a small LED projector, giving the bike a distinct endurance-racer face.
The exhaust is a four-into-two system from Devil Exhaust, with silencers exiting both low alongside the swingarm and high out of the tail section. Finished in a glossy dark grey with carbon fiber accents and a satin black frame, it is about as subtle as a backhand to the cheek. [MORE]
8. Honda NX650 Dominator by STG Tracker
Based in Buenos Aires, STG Tracker has a penchant for building impossibly slick street trackers. This 1989 Honda NX650 Dominator is proof of that. While the classic blue, white, and red palette can be a ‘cheat,’ STG executed it so well, complete with a bright red frame, that it transcends criticism.
The bike underwent a massive weight-loss program while gaining performance parts. STG grafted inverted forks and Brembo brakes from a Ducati Multistrada 1200 to the front, lacing a bespoke hub to a 17-inch rim. The rear was converted from a drum to a disc setup, and the stock shock was rebuilt from the ground up.
The tattered plastics were replaced with a recycled 70s dirt bike tank and a handmade aluminum rear fender. Tucked underneath the tail is a custom electronics box housing a Motogadget brain. It’s a super-skinny, full-power thumper that Marcelo Obarrio describes as "riding a bicycle with full power." [MORE]
Whether these machines were built to conquer the high-stakes show floors of Bangkok or to dodge traffic on the sun-scorched streets of West Java, July 2024 proved that the custom scene’s current obsession with backdating and high-spec hybridization is paying off. These ten builds are a reminder that a truly great custom motorcycle isn't just about the parts you add; it’s about the vision required to see what’s hidden beneath the factory plastics. Which of these July '24 icons would you choose for a Sunday morning blast?
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