A mechanical engineer builds one of the cleanest XS650 trackers we’ve seen… The Yamaha XS650 arrived in 1969, a Japanese equivalent to the British twins featuring advancements like unit construction and a horizontally split crankcase. […]
Custom Motorcycles
Backroad Warbird: Honda V30 Magna “WeeVee30” by MotoRelic
One of America’s most talented builders creates a bike just for himself… In 1984, Honda unveiled the VF500C, better known as the V30 Magna — a potent 500cc cruiser whose sophisticated V4 powerplant boasted technology […]
“Silverhawk” Yamaha Scorpio Z Street Tracker
Introducing “Shirubahoku” (Silverhawk) by Joyride… The Yamaha SX225 — sometimes known as the Scorpio Z — is a four-stroke, air-cooled single popular in Indonesia and Bali. While it’s mainly marketed as a commuter, the bike […]
Perfect Middleweight: “The Standard” Honda CB500 Four
“Almost every part of the bike has been touched, but looks like it could be a factory bike…” Introduced in 1971, the Honda CB500 Four was in many ways a streamlined, smaller and lighter version […]
Heavy-Duty CB: Honda CB750 by Monnom Customs
The Honda CB750 is one of the most beloved vintage motorcycles in existence, and possibly the most popular platform for custom builds. Introduced in 1969, the 68-hp CB’s tranverse inline four engine would become the […]
Lightweight Monster: Yamaha RD400 Café Racer
“Like riding a lightweight monster…” –Derek Molinski, Bikeshop DM In late 1975, Yamaha introduced the RD400 — a stroked and updated evolution of the 350, featuring a rubber-dampened engine, disc brakes, longer reach spark plug, […]
Iron of the Year 2020: Honda CBX750F by Garage14
Winner of the Ferro dell’Anno 2020 at MBE! The MBE Motor Bike Expo held each year in Verona, Italy, is the world’s largest custom motorcycle show, a four-day event with over 700 exhibitors and more […]
Built in 22 Days: Honda CB750K “Virus” by Brian Cox
“What can you build with just the spare parts you have on hand during this quarantine?” That was the question Brian Cox (@classicbikebuilding) asked himself after bringing home a 1978 Honda CB750K just before the […]
Bandit Power: Honda “CB1157F” by Butchered Classics
Dave Solomon of Butchered Classics is our favorite mad Englishman, a shed-builder who’s earned an “evil reputation” for building high-powered Frankenbikes that send purists drooling and raving to the madhouse. In 2019 alone, we featured […]
Retro-Tracker: Honda XR650R by Parr Motorcycles
An XRR street tracker inspired by the legendary Honda RS750… Since the inception of the AMA Grand National Championship in 1954, Harley-Davidson has been the most dominant manufacturer in flat track racing. However, in the […]
