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Happy New Year To All My Readers

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BikeExif Custom Motorcycles Other Motorcycle Blogs Ten Best Motorcycles

Editor’s Choice: An Alternative Top 10 for 2017

Editor's Choice: An Alternative Top 10 Customs of 2017
As each year winds down we sharpen our pencils, trawl through our data and whip up our annual Bike EXIF Top Ten. But because that list is based purely on page views and social media activity, some of our personal favorites don’t always make the cut.

So, as has become tradition, we’ve compiled a follow up list—an Editor’s Choice that ignores the numbers and favors the heart. It’s a nod to those builders that we feel deserve recognition, to trends that we’d like to see take off in 2018, and to the bikes that stopped us dead in our tracks.

There’s no ranking, so we’ve listed our picks alphabetically, by builder’s name. And for obvious reasons we’ve excluded bikes that made it into the first list.

Design masterpiece: Yamaha SR scrambler by Auto Fabrica
Yamaha SR500 by Auto Fabrica Brothers Gaz and Bujar Muharremi—the men behind Auto Fabrica—have some of the best eyes in the business, hands down. This Yamaha SR500 is testament to their skill at stringing together perfect lines, unique details and tasteful finishes.

Art and engineering collide on the right hand side, where an air channel in the fuel tank flows into a molded aluminum heat shield for the exhaust. Subtle, yet captivating.

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The BOTT XR1R Pikes Peak motorcycle—winner win of the Exhibition Powersport class
Bottpower BOTT XR1R When the mad engineers at Bottpower decided to take on the notorious Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, they cranked the tech up to eleven. The BOTT XR1R is powered by a 150 hp Buell XBRR motor, hanging off Bottpower’s proprietary backbone-style frame.

The full package is extensive, but highlights include top-shelf suspension, carbon wheels, a custom air intake system and sophisticated, custom-designed electronics. It looks mental and runs just the same—XR1R pilot Travis Newbold took a class win and finished with the fourth overall fastest time for a motorcycle.

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Buell XB9 City X cafe racer by deBolex Engineering
Buell XB9SX by deBolex According to shop owner Calum Pryce-Tidd, deBolex’s ethos is to “celebrate the efforts of the manufacturer by retaining the core of the bike, dressing it in a new set of clothes and upgrading components.” And there’s no finer way to describe what the London shop did to this Buell XB9SX City X.

DeBolex transformed the Buell with svelte bodywork, fine fabrication and killer upgrades like Panigale 899 forks and carbon wheels. They also cleverly repacked some components—like moving the oil cooler to between the yokes, behind a custom-made headlight shroud.

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Ducati MH900e cafe racer by Stadafab and Red Max Speed Shop
Gareth Roberts’ Ducati MH900E A stock Ducati MH900e is desirable enough, but this one’s just plain ridiculous. It belongs to Gareth Roberts—a London-based film director responsible for the upcoming custom scene documentary, Oil in the Blood. It’s also technically a replica, but built at a level rarely seen on factory machines.

You’re looking at a 900ss motor in a titanium frame, covered in replica carbon fiber bodywork. The parts list is lengthy, with Panigale 899 forks, an Öhlins shock, an S2R swing arm and Kineo wheels all in the mix. Best of all it was a group effort, with some of the best hands and minds in the business leaving their mark on this exotic machine.

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Triumph TR6 custom motorcycle by Heiwa
Triumph TR6 by Heiwa MC We almost put two of Kengo Kimura’s builds on this list, but in the interest of fairness we let this Triumph TR6 hog the limelight (here’s the other one). It’s the bike that bagged Kimura-san the coveted ‘Best Motorcycle’ award at Mooneyes this year, but we’d be smitten with it even if it didn’t win.

The three-piece bolt-together frame, lithe bodywork and unique handlebar setup present of the best craftsmanship we’ve seen this year. And everything hangs together beautifully…like it just ‘belongs.’ It’s a reminder why Heiwa MC is—and will remain—a powerhouse in the custom scene.

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Custom BMW R nineT Scrambler by JvB Moto
BMW R nineT Scrambler by JvB-Moto Spend five minutes with Jens vom Brauck, and you’ll discover a humility that belies just how talented the man is. His bikes are as sharp as his sense of humor, plus they’re a blast to ride too—I had the opportunity to put a few miles on this trim BMW R nineT Scrambler, and didn’t want to get off.

It’s a lot more compact than the OEM bike—thanks to a smaller fuel tank that places the seat further forward, and narrower and higher handlebars. It’s also loaded with signature JvB-Moto touches, like the bulldog-ish headlight and that neat little ducktail at the back. The small sliver of color on the tank is another killer feature—especially when you consider that Jens whipped up that gradient with rattle cans in record time.

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BMW C evolution custom motorcycle
BMW C evolution by Krautmotors We’ll admit that this isn’t the most practical motorcycle we’ve featured this year, but we don’t care. With the world of electric vehicles expanding rapidly, we need custom builders to do batsh*t-crazy things with electric motorcycles. And a 72 Nm electric dragster, with a hand-shaped composite fairing and its guts exposed, is about as nuts-o as it gets.

So thanks to BMW Motorrad for handing Rolf Reik at Krautmotors a C Evolution to tear into—and thanks to Rolf for throwing the rule book out the window.

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Moto Mucci's Husqvarna TE 570
Husqvarna TE570 by Moto Mucci This sensational little dual-sport is what happens when an industrial designer with a head full of ideas builds himself a new ride. Dave Mucci’s Husky TE570 is laden with quirky touches—and devoid of all the plastic it shipped from the factory with.

There’s a vintage Husqvarna tank—complete with original patina—up top, along with a new bolt-on subframe and custom-made saddle. The front-mounted radiator and grill give the Husky almost cartoon-like proportions, but the real kicker is how this thumper looks like nothing else out there.

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Custom BMW R nineT Scrambler by NCT Motorcycles
BMW R nineT Scrambler by NCT Motorcycles We first became aware of NCT Motorcycles two years ago, and we’ve kept a close eye on them ever since. The Austrian shop has produced hit after hit, but it’s this fresh take on the R nineT that secured them a spot on this list.

The use of a classic boxer fuel tank (taken from an R100 RS) on the modern nineT is a stroke of genius, and the yellow and blue palette is inspired. Then there are smaller details like those side panels—perfectly shaped to fill space and complement the Beemer’s new lines. It’s the sort of consideration that we’ve come to expect from NCT, and will probably see for years to come.

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Kawasaki H2 by the Wrenchmonkees
Kawasaki Ninja H2 by Wrenchmonkees We’re itching to see more 80s and 90s sport-style customs, and this stunner from the formidable Wrenchmonkees is the perfect blueprint. The project was commissioned by Dutch moto gear manufacturer REV’IT!, and is based on Kawasaki’s maniacal Ninja H2.

It’s a smorgasbord of adapted and hand-made parts, finished in a typically Monkee monochrome livery. It’s also one of the wildest customs we’ve seen from the Danish crew, and a kick-in-the-face reminder that you should never, ever count them out.

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Editor's Choice: An Alternative Top 10 Customs of 2017
Honourable mentions Above, we have six more builds that made the shortlist, but narrowly missed the final cut. Clockwise from top left, we have Revival’s sidecarcross Ducati ST4, Craig Rodsmith’s turbocharged Moto Guzzi, the Krugger Ducati Diavel, Schlachtwerk’s Kawasaki W650, Titan’s BMW bobber and Thrive’s Harley XL 1200 Sportster.

It’s been a tremendous year for the custom scene. Thank you for joining us, and for engaging in lively debate. If we’ve missed any of your favorites here (or in our data-driven main Top 10), put us right in the comments.

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Builders Custom Motorcycles Events Other Motorcycle Blogs

Morgan First All-Electric 3-Wheeler To Be Produced in 2018

Two and a half years ago I published the Morgan all-electric EV3 concept. and now it’s almost here with a production scheduled for second quarter 2018 in partnership with Frazer-Nash Energy Systems.The all-electric Morgan features a very low center of gravity (lower…

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Cruising Other Motorcycle Blogs

2018 Harley-Davidson Softail Street Bob Dyno

street bob dyno
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The new Street Bob’s power output

We put the new 2018 Harley-Davidson Softail Street Bob to the test on our dyno to get its horsepower and torque numbers.
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BikeExif Custom Motorcycles Honda CB650 Honda motorcycles Other Motorcycle Blogs scrambler

Scandinavian noir: A blacked-out CB650 from Sweden

Custom Honda CB650 by Black Lanes
Honda probably felt like it was onto a sure-fire winner when it launched the CB650 at the end of the 1970s. The 650 class was the sweet spot for many riders, and Yamaha and Kawasaki had strong contenders in the XS650 and Z 650.

Those two bikes are still popular today, in both the classic and custom markets. But the CB650 failed to fire, despite illustrious brethren such as the CB750 and CB350.

Custom Honda CB650 by Black Lanes
Sometimes it just takes one killer build to reignite interest in a forgotten model, and hopefully this sleek scrambler-tinged build from Black Lanes Motor will do the trick for the CB650.

Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Black Lanes is run by Andreas Jönsson and Håkan Boqvist. Both grew up in small towns, and both were avid skateboarders before getting into motorcycles.

Custom Honda CB650 by Black Lanes
“We realized that motorcycles share many of the freedom aspects of skateboarding,” the guys tell us. “Håkan is a sucker for the old and knackered, and Andreas for the ‘shine’ and wood details.”

“We love the purity of mechanical solutions, and removing everything but the essentials necessary for a bike to run.”

Custom Honda CB650 by Black Lanes
‘Black Lane No.2’ is a 1980 Honda CB650, but it arrived in a sorry state. “Last summer, my neighbor had a CB650 in a pile of bits,” says Andreas. “He was tired of it, so I asked to buy it for 400 euros (US$480).”

“I was not ready for a positive answer, but he agreed! The bike was on the floor, with parts in boxes, and the engine looked like shit. I needed to make sure the engine would run perfectly, so I gave it a total renovation.”

Custom Honda CB650 by Black Lanes
After restoring the inline four engine, Andreas and Håkan refinished it in a high gloss powder coat — including the carbs. They’re now fed by pod filters, and the stock headers have been hooked up to aftermarket cone-type mufflers. The whole exhaust system now has a black thermal barrier coating.

Right above is a Yamaha XS400 tank, which radically transforms the look of the bike—so much so, we couldn’t identify it as a CB until we got the specs.

Custom Honda CB650 by Black Lanes
“We wanted to give the bike a clean and sophisticated look,” says Andreas. “I bought the tank on eBay: I loved the squareness of it, and the lines you see when looking at it from above.”

The new seat follows the shape of tank, with leather from Sandqvist and longitudinal stitching to accentuate the straight lines. It helps give the CB650 a stretched-out look.

Custom Honda CB650 by Black Lanes
Underneath is a beautifully crafted wood base, made from walnut and a nod to Andreas and Håkan’s skateboardåkare roots. It sits flush with the new rear frame loop, which hides a discreet LED light strip to handle brake and indicator duties.

Walnut is also the material of choice for the headlight surround, and smaller touches such as the bar ends. It’s discreet and luxurious, rather than flashy.

Custom Honda CB650 by Black Lanes
The stock bars, instruments and switchgear—a carryover from the CB550—are gone, replaced by custom bars handmade from one-inch steel, outfitted with Motogadget’s finest accessories. There’s an m.unit control box hidden under the seat, but the most eye-catching element is the tiny metal bird perched on the bars, made from tin.

“It’s the ‘lucky bird’ and it sits on all our builds, to bring you luck when you ride,” says Andreas.

Custom Honda CB650 by Black Lanes

Talking of luck, this ice-cool, super-clean CB650 will be up for sale in the new year. And if we were within shouting distance of Scandinavia, we’d be sorely tempted.

Anyone else fancy parking one of the lesser-known CBs in their garage?

Black Lanes Motor Facebook | Instagram | Photos by Johan Rydberg

Custom Honda CB650 by Black Lanes

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S&S Cycle Adds To Massive Flat Track Contingency Program

American Flat Track, the American’s original extreme sport, has never been so popular with spectators. The 2017 racing season was pretty amazing with the renewed rivalry between Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycle and the financial and technical support of teams by…

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“Frozen In Time” By Artist David Uhl

It is David Uhl’s 2018 Holiday Collection new piece. His mastery of light is on full display here. All orders must be in by January 1st (Monday) to receive the special pricing below. Frozen In Time – edition specifics: – Image size 20×26.5, $895…

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2018 Harley-Davidson Softail Street Bob First Mods

Customizing Harley’s new cruiser

The new Softail Street Bob is one well-rounded bike. If you feel like changing it up a bit, here are some rad parts for you to consider.
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Motorcycle Documentaries to Inspire Your Riding Fantasies

High-Res JPG - 120313-195955_4690Okay, it’s actually cold outside. Your bike is all buttoned up for winter; your gear is cleaned and stored. It’s time to fire up the DVR, huddle up in your Harley-Davidson onesie and watch other people riding to places you’ve only dreamed about. Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor have made a couple of series about…

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Eureka CA to San Diego

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Length: 365.14km / 228.21mi

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