We’ve loved watching the rise in popularity of restomod builds in recent years. Generally, restomods are considered to be vintage bikes that remain relatively true to their original aesthetics and silhouette, but have been brought into the 21st century with upgraded suspension, brakes, wheels, tires, and engine management / performance.
A few years ago, we mainly saw this kind of customization applied to vintage superbikes, such as the builds of AC Sanctuary and dB Customs, but we’re happy to see more builders giving the same treatment to vintage dirt bikes, dual sports, and roadsters.
Here is our list of the Top 10 Restomods we featured in 2022, based on traffic and engagement, listed in alphabetical order by builder.
• AC Sanctuary: Kawasaki Z1-R
• Atlanta Motorcycle Works: Kawasaki GPz1100
• Bald Anthony: Yamaha RZ350
• Bandisca: Yamaha XS650
• Kevin Borough: Honda CB750
• ForPlay Racing: Yamaha RD350
• Loko Dream Factory: Honda XR600R
• Steel Bakery: Honda CB750
• Roy Welton: Kawasaki Z1000
• Workshop43: Yamaha XT500
BikeBound’s Latest Restomods…
“Is Pepsi Okay?” Suzuki RGV250 Kevin Schwantz Tribute - Nabspeed Moto’s Kevin Schwantz Pepsi RGV Replica… The legendary Kevin Schwantz earned the title of “Wheelie King” at the 1988 Macau Grand Prix, where he shaved an incredible 7 seconds off the outright lap record […]
BOLT #100: Kawasaki ZRX1200 Restomod - BOLT Motor Company’s 100th Build… Back in 2001, Kawasaki released the ZRX1200R, a neo-retro muscle bike that carried on the style of the ZRX1100 and original KZ1000R Eddie Lawson Replica. It had a beefy double-cradle […]
Boosted Classic: Bandit-Powered Kawasaki Z1000 Turbo - Dave Solomon of Butchered Classics puts a Bandit’s Heart in his Zed Turbo… It’s always a treat to hear from old buddy Dave Solomon, founder of Butchered Classics — an online community that “pays homage […]
Maverick Spec: 140-hp Kawasaki GPz900R Restomod - Top Gun-inspired Ninja 900 built by an experienced pilot and friends… When the Kawasaki GPz900R (Ninja 900) appeared in 1984, it was nothing short of revolutionary. The first of the iconic Ninja series, the 900R […]
Resto Enduro: Honda “XXL600” Restomod - Francesco Paura resurrects a legendary thumper… In 1983, Honda released the original RFVC (Radial Four Valve Combustion) single-cylinder dirt bikes, which were destined to become icons of a generation. With a hemispherical combustion chamber, centrally […]
Long Way Back: BMW R1150GS “Backdate II” - 100 Pounds Lighter: Backdated 1150GS from Blunk’s Garage… Introduced in 1999, the BMW R1150GS quickly began to accumulate awards and recognition. Cycle World named it “Best Sport Touring Bike” of 2000, and Ewan McGregor and […]
Six-Cylinder Salute: AC Sanctuary CBX1000 Restomod - AC Sanctuary’s RCM-693 CBX, straight from the Tokyo Motorcycle Show… Today, we’re thrilled to present the new Honda CBX1000 from Japanese master Hiroyuki Nakamura of AC Sanctuary. Just last year, we featured RCM-688, the first-ever […]
421cc Two-Stroke “YamaGamma” Hybrid - Smoke Show: Vic Shield’s Dual-Livery 421cc YPVS Smoker… The Yamaha RD350 YPVS — also known as the RZ350 or RD350LC II — remains one of the last and most legendary two-stroke street bikes ever produced. […]
Dusty Lizard Runner: Suzuki DR125 Restomod - Small Displacement, Big Adventure: Suzuki DR125SE from BCK Motorcycles… Built from 1985 to 2001, the Suzuki DR125 was a simple air-cooled dual-sport popular as a learner’s machine in the UK and Continental Europe. The DR125S […]
Little Red: 250cc Honda XL125R Restomod - A 250-powered XL125 Restomod from 1008 Moto Garage… In 1982, Honda replaced the beloved XL125S with the XL125R — a similar dual-sport machine but with Pro-Link single-shock rear suspension, 12-volt electrics, and new styling. These […]
Sport-Evolution: BMW R100GS Enduro - Sport-Evolution builds a lighter, more powerful GS… In 1987, BMW unveiled the new evolution of their groundbreaking R80G/S. The original G/S (“Gelande/Strasse,” or Terrain/Street) hadn’t just proven itself in the Paris-Dakar Rally, but helped to […]
Top 10: Best Restomod Motorcycles of 2025 - Vintage Bikes, Modern Performance: BikeBound’s Top 10 Restomod Motorcycles of 2025… In recent years, we’ve watched restomod builds gain more and more traction. Generally, we consider restomods to be vintage or “youngtimer” bikes that […]
Bakker Turbo: 252-rwhp Suzuki GSX-R1100 - “It feels like the hand of God has just pushed you in the small of your back…” In the early 1970s, accomplished Dutch road racer Nico Bakker decided to construct his own motorcycle frame […]
Ténéré Runner: Yamaha XTZ750 Super Ténere - ’89 Yamaha XTZ750 “Ténéré Runner” from BCK Motorcycles… In 1989, Yamaha released their latest desert racer clone, the Yamaha XTZ750 Super Ténere. Styled after the company’s Paris Dakar race bikes, the Super Ten boasted […]
Legend of the Green: Kawasaki 750 Turbo - Functional Art: Bart Hoover’s Kawasaki ZX750E1 Turbo Restomod… In the early 80s, Kawasaki began development of what would become the 750 Turbo — widely regarded as the best production turbo bike of the era. […]
