Written by Ian Lee. Nothing ever really goes to plan. The multitude of options available to us at any one
Every year, 120,000 motorcycles roll off the production line in BMW's giant Berlin factory. But some of the most interesting Beemers come from a tiny workshop just 15 kilometers to the east, on the banks of the River Spree. That's where you'll find Urban Motor's Peter Dannenberg, a man who tweaks the lines and details of BMWs and turns them into something extra speziell. His latest bike is this incredibly honed '87 BMW R80 monolever, appropriately dubbed 'Clean Beem(er)'. It was built for a fellow Berliner Johannes—an architect who commissioned it as a 40th birthday present to himself. “Johannes wanted
Yamaha’s incredibly successful Yard Built program consists of renown customisers from around the world providing inspirational ideas on how to transform modern Yamaha models. Customers can then buy the kits and build their own custom bike. Custom b
There’s a freewheeling spirit about the Southern California motorcycle scene that I find strangely compelling. And these shots of a classic Honda CB360 capture that vibe perfectly. They were taken by Scott Toepfer, who you may know for the lovely project It’s Better In The Wind. “Just to point out,” says Scott by way of explanation, “this Honda CB360 isn’t a shop creation. It’s from my friend Curtis, who wields an angle grinder with ease, but doesn't bother covering his ears, or anything else in the garage while he is working. This CB360 was bought for $500 on the back
Poor pink. Once a favourite choice amongst custom bike builders of yore, when it was applied to pretty much all
From a pure engineering standpoint, Walt Siegl is one of the top bike builders in the world today. Anyone who would argue against that
Behold the mowercycle! Is this an awesome DIY design or what? This ingenious bicycle-lawnmower fashioned by an unknown suburban lawn owner out of an old bicycle and a broken lawnmower, is a testament to the creativity of the human spirit. Spotted in dot dream's
Two years ago, Dave Mucci scored a king hit with his Honda CX500 custom—one of our most popular bikes of all time. And now he’s back with another build, a lithe Yamaha SR250 with clean lines, thoughtful details and a natural palette. It’s Dave’s first frame-up design, where every detail, control and finish was paid its due attention. The lucky client was Dave’s girlfriend Kara, who was ready for her own wheels after a year on the back of the CX500. “Within two days of her saying she wanted a bike I‘d tracked down the Yamaha, took it for a
Another MonoCycle very interesting
If the name Sylvain Berneron isn't familiar to you, then Holographic Hammer should be. It's the alias under which Sylvain's designed some of the neatest custom motorcycle concepts we've seen. As an experienced automotive designer, Sylvain ensures that his designs are always executable in the metal. But not everything he pens ends up getting built. So he's partnered with his brother, Florent, to open a full service workshop. The new Holographic Hammer shop's located in a forest, less than twenty miles from Paris. This slick Ducati Scrambler is their first official build. It was commissioned by Ducati themselves, in partnership
It’s hard to believe that Icon Motosports has only been around since 2002; in a few short years, they’ve created a stable of oddball, off-the-wall customs that perfectly evoke the company’s rebellious spirit. The TiFighter is the latest bike to join that stable, and it’s the personal bike of Icon’s design director Kurt Walter. “She's my ‘beater’ track bike,” says Kurt. “She’s not fast but she brakes and turns like toy.” At the heart of the TiFighter is an aircooled Ducati 1000 DS motor—as found in the Multistrada, the SportClassic and some Monsters. It’s suspended from a very trick titanium
Despite what the movies or books may have you believe about tortured artists, the one real killer of great creative
La Corona Motorcycles is our latest custom motorcycle workshop discovery, they are based in Barcelona - Spain. Their portfolio is small but impressive, and most conversions are simple but sweet. Our pick from their work is this beautiful Kawasaki KZ4
This Ducati Paul Smart LE was a limited edition bike inspired by the Ducati race bikes of the 1970s – one of which was piloted by Paul Smart to a win at the Imola 200 in 1972. Limited to only…
Ever since Yamaha threw the wraps off the XSR700, we've been dying to see it customized. We’ve ridden it and love it—but admit that its design can be polarizing. The real test is to see how well it responds to wrenching. Now Yamaha have answered the call. They've slotted the XSR700 into their Yard Built program and turned their focus to Turkey, home of Bunker Custom Cycles. The Istanbul-based Uzer brothers have a keen eye, and a knack for crisp styling. Their backgrounds could have something to do with it: Can is a top skater with the Vans Turkey skateboarding
Keine Einführung erforderlich. Es ist wieder Zeit für eine Top-10-Liste, und diesmal haben wir uns entschieden, sie in 2 Teile aufzuteilen. Meine Damen und Herren, wir möchten Ihnen die völlig willkürliche, BikeBrewers Top 10 Cafe Racer Hall of Fame: Teil 1! 1. BMW R nineT […]
Demonic Datsun 240z
Custom Ducati Scramblers (amongst others) in France at Wheels and Waves, and in England at the Cholmondeley Pageant of Power this week
We make no apologies: we’re featuring the latest two customs from Walt Siegl because we can’t tear our eyes away from them. And we’re not alone—a few days ago, Wall Street Journal reporter Jonathan Welsh fell for the charms of these Ducatis too. We’ve already covered the story behind the Leggero bikes in depth here and here. But Walt’s new builds show how the concept can be stretched without losing its appeal. The commissions came from clients with very different requirements, so we have a ‘naked’ bike with a classic look, and a faired machine with a more modern vibe.
This week we've got a Gold Wing from Sweden, a Cagiva from Portugal, a KTM from the USA, a Triumph from Japan, and a Ducati from Spain. How did we manage before Google Translate? Cagiva Alazzurra by Capêlos Garage Impeccable is a word that gets tossed around quite a bit here: We’re constantly bombarded with bikes that up the stakes and redefine the term. This week, impeccability comes in the form of a 1987 Cagiva Alazzurra from Capêlos Garage in Porto, Portugal. Because there isn’t a bolt on this bike that architect/designer Nuno Capêlo hasn’t pored over. The 350cc Ducati
Triumph's current range of ‘modern classics’ was only launched a year ago, but it’s already eight models strong. And right now we’re in London for the launch of another new variant tomorrow night. This should mean even more 'old' Triumph Bonnevilles on the second hand market—at prices leaving plenty of spare change for customization. And if you need inspiration, look no further than this scrambler from Stockholm's 6/5/4 Motors. “This bike is one of three that we decided to build for ourselves last winter,” says 6/5/4 co-founder Daniel Jakobsson. “Without having any clients breathing down our necks!” “We wanted a
When it comes to motorcycles, old is the new black. Or something. Moving along, the Lossa 1978 Yamaha SR 500 Motorcycle ($TBA) is another modern adaptation of a two-wheeled classic, featuring a complete overhaul that includes all new wiring, a...
sid - 人.工.美 -
BMW 1000 Cafe Brat | Tracker | Scrambler | Diamond Atelier
Whether it's a classic resto-mod or a R nineT café-tracker, Urban Motor's Peter Dannenberg sure knows how to tweak a BMW to perfection. Every build that rolls out of his Berlin workshop is über-clean and cohesive—even when he's been asked to inject a little Brat style into it. Such was the case with this particular project. Based on a 1987 R80 Monolever, it was commissioned by a 'young dude from Cologne' who, according to Dannenberg, 'wanted Urban Motor's interpretation of a 'city-cruising-bobber brat style Beemer'.' In true bobber style the R80's been stripped of all superfluous bits and pieces. The
You may not know the name Cam Elkins, but there’s a good chance you’re familiar with his work. He’s the man behind the brilliant short films called Stories of Bike, which explore the relationships between custom motorcycles and their owners. After several years filming other people’s bikes, Cam decided it was time to get a custom of his own. He selected a 1986 BMW R65. “I've always loved boxer engines,” he tells us. “I think they're reminiscent of old WW2 airplanes, which had such a sleek but utilitarian look to them.” “And when I first got into the cafe racer
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Rocketgarage Magazine, Engine Fuel & Passion since 2007. cafe racer, scrambler, bobber, flat track, motorcycle, lifestyle, endurance, restomod
