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There are a thousand ways to approach motorcycle customization. Some custom builders are slaves to geometry, creating machines that boast architectural levels of mathematical harmony. Then there are artisans like Mike Chen. Mike runs the eponymous Mike’s Garage in Taipei, Taiwan. His builds often appear to be cobbled together from mismatched parts, but the reality is that every part, detail, and finish is carefully considered. That’s how he manages to create bikes that are both offbeat and charming—like this Yamaha SR150

Wisdom and timeless style generally evolve after decades of mistakes and missteps. The brothers Hindes of Prism Supply in North Carolina are overachievers in every sense of the word, and the depth of their work belies their age. In their mid-twenties, the duo has officially been in business for only two years, but has already completed an impressive number of custom motorcycles and handmade parts. Jake and Zach together have a skillset and accomplishments that many an older man would be proud to display, including race car fabrication, machine work, and sheet metal fabrication experience, along with Jake’s mechanical engineering degree, just to name just a few.

Modern classic café racers rule the roost this week. We kick off with a superbly nipped and tucked BMW R nineT 100 Years edition from the USA, before crossing the pond to check out a Triumph Trident 660 from France. Spain’s Tamarit Motorcycles wraps things up with another pitch-perfect Triumph Thruxton RS.

When Massimo Rinchiuso of Fuchs Workshop received a call from his good friend Niko Sorbo about a new project, it didn’t take much convincing to get him on board. Niko is a three-time French FFM flat track champion, holds gold and silver medals from the German Krowdrace series, and finished third in the Italian FMI Cup. A dirt racer at heart, his motto is “Go fast, turn left, * brakes.” “Niko represents many things: a rider to admire on the track, a pain-in-the-neck client who’s always got something new to ask, but a

Pepo Rosell, better known as XTR Pepo, is a force of nature. He originally burst onto the scene with his specialist custom workshop, Radical Ducati, before taking a break and relaunching as a solo act. Often inspired by classic endurance racers, Pepo’s bikes convey a sense of speed—with a hint of eccentricity. Pepo’s portfolio is dripping with exotic twin-cylinder Italian machines, but he’s just as adept at applying his talents to smaller bikes. He’s just buttoned up this Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450, and it’s every bit as radical as you’d expect an XTR Pepo motorcycle to

In Taiwan, small bikes rule the roost. The country is bursting with sub-200 cc commuter motorcycles, many of which are produced locally. They’re easy to handle in tight traffic, robust, and easy to maintain—and since they’re not subject to the same taxes as bigger bikes, they’re more affordable too. The utilitarian nature of these plucky single-cylinder machines means that, although they’re visually bland, they’re also very simple. And that makes them ripe for customization.

We were introduced to Angus “Mac” Macgyver in the 1980s. Every week, the secret agent portrayed by Richard Dean Anderson showed audiences that ingenuity, duct tape and a trusty Swiss Army Knife could get you out of just about any problem. While you might not have the brains MacGyver had, he was correct that a good blade can help get you out of a jam. But before you go out to purchase a Rambo-edition bowie knife, you’ll want to make a realistic assessment of what you’ll be asking of a knife you carry on your motorcycle. The first thing to do is hone in on the knife’s application. Is it going to be used for roadside repairs, cooking and camping, or just something on your h

The ‘new’ Ducati Monster is almost five years old, but we still haven’t made peace with its hawkish design, nor the loss of the Monster’s iconic trellis frame. Luckily, our good friend Winston Yeh doesn’t share our reservations. When a client requested an aggressive, performance-oriented custom, the Ducati Monster rose to the top of the list. “I’d always been a Ducati Monster fan, and had done a couple of projects with their previous 1200 and 821 platforms,” says the man behind Taiwan’s Rough Cr

In 2013, Scott Jones of NOISE Cycles showed up at Born Free 5 with a machine that captivated minds: a 1952 Harley-Davidson Panhead morphed into a race-inspired, aluminum-bodied bike with an asymmetrical face. He clutched the “Best in Show” award, netting him a brand new 120R motor from Harley-Davidson that came with the commitment of building a bike around it for the next year’s show.

Planning to tackle the Dakar Rally? The 2026 KTM 450 Rally Replica has you covered. If modern café racers are more your thing, we have a Honda CB550 from The Netherlands and a Ducati SportClassic from Australia to sate that appetite. 2026 KTM 450 Rally Replica The biggest news from KTMR