Post Listing Update: “Mental Illness” did not meet reserve despite 29 bids up to $9,100 on eBay. Alright, this really has nothing to do with a Suzuki GS1100, but that is how the crazy trike is titled in the state of Texas. It’s an entirely custom three-wheeler that utilizes a 5.3 liter LS1 motor with a C5 Corvette transmission…and a …
Unexpected – 1975 BMW Chopper with R69S Frame
Post Listing Update: This custom BMW did not meet reserve with 20 bids up to $3,338 on eBay. The “R69S Frame” part of the title might upset you, but this is an interesting custom built with a BMW frame/motor (the seller doesn’t identify the powerplant), a Harley-Davidson Springer front fork, and HD Bobtail rear fender.
Ginger McCabe Build – 1977 Yamaha XS400 Custom
Ginger McCabe of New Church Moto is a popular name to call when someone needs a new seat made for a motorcycle. Her work has become parts of hundreds of custom builds all over the country, so it stands to reason that she’d have plenty of inspiration for her own two-wheeled creation. Here’s what she created with a Yamaha XS400. …
180 Claimed HP – 1984 Kawasaki GPz750 Turbo
Post Sale Update: This GPz Turbo sold for $7,100 after 19 bids on eBay. According to the seller, this custom Kawi has over $20,000 invested in it – at one point it had a “stage 5” turbo that led to 235 horsepower, but that blower needs a rebuilt so the bike is currently equipped with a “stage 2” turbo that …
Yamaha XS650 Motor – 2003 Royal Enfield Bullet
Royal Enfield has just released two models powered by an all-new 650 twin motor, but the seller of this bike beat them to the punch. The title tells you what you need to know – this is a Royal Enfield that’s had a heart transplant. The seller says he “decided to change the motor to make it a reliable daily …
Unexpected Custom – Yamaha Seca 2 Dual-Sport
My first bike after undergrad was a beat up Yamaha Seca 2 that I bought for $600. I thought it was a pleasant bike, but I never thought it would make a good platform to go off-road with. Thankfully, the builder of this bike doesn’t think like I do.
Diesel Conversion – 2006 Honda Rebel
Last month, I shared a Qujos Trailmaster that had been converted to diesel power. Today, we’ve got a bike you’ve heard of. In 2015, the seller swapped out the motor of this Honda Rebel with a 740cc Kubota diesel powerplant.
Yamaha Promotional Custom – 1972 Yamaha XS650
Post Sale Update: This custom Yamaha sold for $13,556 after 14 bids on eBay. Last time I featured a custom Yamaha by Greg Hageman, it was a XSR700 inspired by the XT500. This time around, it’s a XS650 that was created as a partner to another XSR700. Yamaha’s slogan for their line of retro bikes is “Faster Sons” – the …
Unexpected Custom – 1967 Honda CB450
Forgive me. I know that you will probably hate this, but I couldn’t stop staring at it and I figured I had to share it with you because of that. “This” started as a ’67 Black Bomber and it’s been customized with the suspension (and a few other parts) from a 2012 Honda CBR. On paper, that’s a wonderful combination. …
Build By A British MX Champ – X-Axis’ Custom 1984 Honda CBX750
Billy MacKenzie first made a name for himself in the motorcycling world competing in various MX events before eventually going on to claim back-to-back MX1 British Championship titles in 2007 and 2008. The Edinburgh-born rider also represented the UK in the Motocross of Nations before MacKenzie announced he’d be hanging up his race leathers to focus on building custom motorcycles.
Sabre-Toothed Two-Wheeler – 1959 Harley-Davidson Sportster Custom
Built around a 1959 Harley-Davidson Sporster, this Saber (or Sabre) Tooth Tiger project was one of three builds created in a series (alongside a Bengal Tiger and a Dragon). Interestingly, the (in this case literal) bodywork on the Harley is all made of wood.
Apogee “Raffale” SuperBobber — 2009 Ducati 1098R Custom
Ducati places enormous importance on the aesthetics of its machines, leading to the marque delivering some of the most gorgeous production two-wheelers available. For this reason, stripping down and customizing what’s already an objectively good-looking bike can be a bit of a controversial (if not sacrilegious) move. However this hasn’t gotten in the way of Gustavo Pena of Apogee Motorworks …
Gelande Strasse Cafe – OCRC’s 2011 BMW R1200GS Custom
BMW’s R1200GS is a wonderfully competent adventure mount, though beyond bolstering its off-road and/or touring capabilities, the GS doesn’t much lend itself to customization. Still, that didn’t stop London’s Original Cafe Racer Co. from stripping down the popular dual-sport and giving it the cafe treatment.
1980 Honda CX500/CX650 Custom
Every year, retired master tech Kevin Murphy takes decent examples of Honda’s CX platform and restores them. He also takes bad examples and turns them into customs. He’s got an annual tradition of building a Honda CX custom for Daytona Bike Week, and each year a reader sends me a link when he puts up another bike for sale. This …
Pipeburn Featured in Canada – 2004 Buell XB12R Firebolt Custom
Post Listing Update: This custom Buell did not get any interest at the asking price of $12,000. Built by Sylvain Carignan, this Buell Firebolt started as a project with a broken transmission and it evolved into a cafe racer that’s dripping with carbon fiber.