Bike exif

We’ve always had a thing for the machines that roll out of the deBolex Engineering workshop: they’re sleek, fast and exceptionally well made. Unfortunately for most of us, perfection at this level takes a long time to create, and deep pockets to purchase. Shop founder Calum Pryce-Tidd and his right-hand man Des Francis have now switched their attention to a series of bikes with a limited production run. The series is based on the 147 hp Ducati Monster 1200 and, as the name suggests, just 25…

Most guys can't think beyond a box of chocolates or a bunch of flowers as a gift for their significant other. But Uwe Kostrewa is a true romantic. He's just built this peachy Yamaha SR500 flat tracker for his girlfriend, Steffi—and it's not the first custom bike he's built for her either. Uwe works as Hombrese Bikes out of his workshop in Cologne, Germany, and regularly races and builds custom flat track motorcycles. He has a knack for creating machines that are low-key handsome, trading…

It's almost time for Fuel Bespoke Motorcycles to kick off their eighth annual Scram Africa expedition. It's a 4,000 km dirt tour that happens in North Africa, specifically for classics and modern classics. So it's also a great excuse to build a new custom bike. The Spanish shop has just buttoned up this retro-fabulous scrambler, and it suits the Scram ethos perfectly. It's based on a 2018 Royal Enfield Himalayan, chosen for its simplicity and relatively compact proportions. The Himalayan's…

There’s a marvelous history of smaller motorcycle manufacturers in France, and the tradition shows no sign of abating. Mash Motors is probably the best known outside La République, but the most interesting company right now is DAB Motors. DAB is based in the beautiful city of Bayonne, in the Basque region of southwest France. We’ve already showcased their sharp-looking LM-S scrambler, but this new electric concept is the most significant step forward yet for founder Simon Dabadie and his…

Three-wheeled motorcycles get a bad rap, but we can think of a few good uses for them. They're especially useful for riders who love the feeling of riding a bike, but are physically unable to keep one upright. And if you must ride a trike, you might as well do it in style. This glorious contraption was built for one such customer, with a BMW R18 as a donor. It's the work of Yuri Shif's award-winning ShifCustom workshop, located in Minsk. And if ever there was a style that suited the R18's…

Yamaha’s annual ‘Yard Built’ competition was one of the first and most highly publicized custom competitions, delivering a steady stream of killer bikes. This year, the event has been a little more muted due to COVID, but the quality of builds remains high. We love this XSR700 from EXIF regulars Bad Winners, the Paris workshop that includes Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc amongst its clients. Builders Walid and Benoit worked off a 2D concept called The Disruptive, produced by the Photoshop…

Custom Bikes Of The Week: 10 September 2017

In the annals of dirt track history, one of the most famous race bikes is the BSA Trackmaster. Dirt fans will know that it was campaigned by the charismatic but crash-prone Dave Aldana, who also featured in the movie On Any Sunday. In 1970 Aldana was beaten to the Grand National title by Gene Romero, but fifty years later, there are still plenty of folks who remember the BSA he raced. The classic BSA ‘Trackmaster’ even has fans in Europe, and some of the most passionate are to be found in a…

After 50 years of production in India, Royal Enfield had worked hard to update their range, first with a unit construction engine, then fuel injection and after all that the only thing on Sideburn magazine’s mind was making the 2009 Bullet Classic look like a mid-‘60s flat track racer. Only half the frame and the engine remains from the original bike that was supplied to Sideburn by UK Royal Enfield specialists, Watsonian-Squire. Lots of parts came from friends. Or we already had them, and…

Two of the custom scene's most enigmatic personalities are Alessandro Fontanesi and Marco Filios. Known as 'Phonz' and 'San Marco,' they're the creative force behind the Italian custom outfit Anvil Motociclette and the annual Wildays festival. You'd be forgiven for thinking these two longhaired, heavily tattooed custom builders are brothers. Considering they're the same age, went to high school together, and have been friends for twenty years, they may as well be. To celebrate the two…

Kymco isn’t a big name in the West, outside of scooter circles. But it’s a different story in their home country of Taiwan, where this custom Kymco KTR 150 hails from. The KTR is one of Kymco’s more popular models there—and as you can tell, it lends itself fairly well to customization. Taiwan’s custom scene is rapidly expanding, and the shop behind this KTR 150, Twentytwo Custom, is dedicated to the cause. They’re the custom branch of Persist Motorcycle Company—a Taiwanese motorcycle culture…

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