Here at BikeBound, we’re big fans of scramblers, desert sleds, rally bikes, and adventure machines. So are you, our readers, as several of the machines that made our list of the Top 10 Custom Motorcycles of 2022 were built as much for dirt as tarmac, running knobby tires, skid plates, and high-mount exhausts.
We decided to follow up with a list of the most popular scramblers, dirt bikes, and desert sleds we featured this year, based on traffic and social engagement — this is the most objective ranking we could achieve. Without further ado, here are the BikeBound Top 10 Scramblers and Desert Sleds of 2022, presented in alphabetical order by builder.
• Brutal Monkey Workshop: Honda CB150
• Crispy Club: Yamaha Ténéré 700
• Custommade C.A.: Honda Varadero 1000
• Good Times Racing: Hooligan Enduro Sportster
• Heiwa Motorcycle: Suzuki TU250
• Lord Drake Kustoms: Harley Sportster 883R
• Parr Motorcycles: Honda “XR680R”
• Slipstream Creations: Honda CL350
• Rodando Sur: Honda XR250
• Rusty Butcher: Harley Sportster Desert Racer
The Latest Scramblers…
Sahara Ready: BMW HP2 Enduro “Cassiopeia” - Built for La Ruta: BMW Desert Bomber from Giorgio De Angelis… In 2005, in order to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the genre-defining, Dakar-winning R80G/S, BMW launched the HP2 Enduro — in the company’s own […]
X-Rated: Custom Triumph Scrambler 400 X - Make it More Scrambler: Triumph 400 X from STG Tracker… In 2023, Triumph introduced the Scrambler 400 X to their lineup. While it uses the same 39.5-bhp single-cylinder engine as the Speed 400, the Scrambler […]
Basement-Built XL600V: Honda Transalp 600 Enduro - XL-Size Enduro: Marc Pfaffl’s Retrofitted Transalp… In the late 80s, Honda unveiled the XL600V Transalp as a “Rally Tourer” that could combine street performance, off-road capability, and long-distance touring comfort. At its heart was a […]
Triumph Originals: 7 Triumph Scrambler Customs from Around the World - Tamarit’s “MIURA” Scrambler Takes the Crown… Seven countries, seven custom workshops, and seven radically different interpretations of the Triumph Scrambler. The votes are in, and Spain’s Tamarit Motorcycles has taken top honors in the Triumph […]
Hot-Rod Mini: Honda “ST140” Scrambler - In the early 1970s, Honda introduced the ST90 (“Sport Trail” or “Trailsport”) as a machine that could split the middle between their minibikes and full-size street-legal enduro machines. Like the models of the closely-related CT […]
Urban Flame: “Dohwa” Yamaha SR400 - A Blaze-Green Scrambler from Deus Korea x Garage94… Deus Ex Machina is one of the most recognizable, revered names in the custom motorcycle world. In 2006, the brand opened their first space in Sydney, Australia […]
Breaking Away: BMW “R100STR” Scrambler - Xavi Dynamische’s BMW R 12 G/S-inspired Airhead… In recent years, we’ve seen a ton of BMW airheads customized along similar lines: retro flat or tractor seats, black-painted engines, minimalist finishes, and vintage scrambler or café […]
Back in Black: Kawasaki W650 Scrambler - 2001 Kawasaki W650 from WKND Customs… The Triumph Bonneville may get the lion’s share of the attention as the world’s most popular “neo-classic” roadster, but we have a soft spot for the Kawasaki W650. This […]
Built for the Urban Jungle: Kawasaki Super Sherpa 250 - For Sale: Super Sherpa City Scrambler from Urban Mechanics… The Kawasaki Super Sherpa (KL250) was an affordable four-stroke dual-purpose machine initially available only in Japan until its introduction to international markets in 1999. It had […]
“RAWBEARY” Royal Enfield Bear 650 Scrambler - Rip-Roaring 650 Scrambler from Gas & Oil Bespoke Motorcycles… Introduced in 2025, the Royal Enfield Bear 650 is the scrambler version of the Interceptor 650 (INT650) roadster. The name stems from the legendary 1960 Big […]
Two-Stroke to Four: 308cc Ducati Twin-Shock Trials Bike - Finno-Italian Featherweight: JL Meccanica builds a 192-lb (wet) twin-shock trials bike… We’ve said it before, but it begs restating: Some custom bikes are “built,” but only a few are truly built from the ground up. […]
750 Bonnie: 1978 Triumph T140 Desert Sled - Malle Miler: Simon Lancaster’s Triumph 750 Desert Sled… In 1973, Triumph introduced the T140 Bonneville as an upgraded, more powerful version of the oil-in-frame T120 (650cc) Bonnie. The original T140V carried the “V” designation for […]
Street Devil: Yamaha RX-King 135 Enduro - “It’d be way cooler if it had a two-stroke engine…” Some builders focus more on the art and fabrication of a build, some the performance, and some concentrate on what’s arguably the most important part […]
Twinduro: Yamaha XVS950 Scrambler - 80s ISDE Style: 1300cc V-Twin Yamaha Scrambler from Finland’s JL Meccanica… The Yamaha XVS950 — also known as the DragStar or V Star 950 — was introduced in 2009, with a 942cc fuel-injected four-valve 60° […]
The Poetry of Motion: 7 Trackers & Scramblers from ArtRide 2026 - ArtRide XI: Where Art and Motorcycles Collide… The annual Wheels & Waves Festival in Biarritz, France, hosts some of the wildest two-wheeled spectacles on the planet: Punk’s Peak, El Rollo Flat Track, The Race of […]
