Bike exif

Twenty years ago, street-legal supermotos weren’t really ‘a thing.’ But in Europe, change was in the air—and the KTM Duke II was one of the catalysts. The rough-and-ready 625 cc single was huge fun on short trips, and helped set the template for future supermotos. Over the past couple of years, custom supermotos have become more common, delivered by builders who value performance as much as aesthetics. And one of those builders is Garett Wilson of Dubstyle Designs in Colorado, USA. “These…

The alt-moto scene is full of enthusiasts that have a measure of good taste, but don't have the means to build or commission a full-bore custom. So for every top-shelf bike you see here, there's dozens on the street running a smattering of similar mods—often purchased and installed incrementally. Because of this, some custom builders have had the good business sense to develop bolt-on kits for particular makes and models. And those kits are even better when they're made of parts that can be…

Walt Siegl's work has graced the pages of Bike EXIF since the publication's early days. Based in New Hampshire, USA, the Austrian-born designer and custom motorcycle builder specializes in high-end Ducati customs that exemplify good taste and expert craftsmanship. With over a decade of Walt Siegl Motorcycles content to sift through, narrowing his portfolio down to just five motorcycles is no easy task. We could fill a book with our favorite WSM bikes—and we could wax lyrical for hours about…

Thailand's K-Speed is a house of many talents. But there's one particular trick that they excel at, and that's turning small-capacity motorcycles into custom machines with big attitudes. So we're not the least bit surprised to see them apply their signature style to the freshly minted Triumph Scrambler 400 X and Speed 400. Created in collaboration with the massive Indian marque Bajaj, Triumph's new 398 cc singles exist to offer potential customers a lower point of entry into the brand…

Murdered-out customs used to be all the rage. But lately, builders have been favoring more diverse color palettes. Which is a real pity: done right, black-on-black can be downright beautiful. Clockwork Motorcycles' Samuel Guertin proves it with his latest offering: a 1978 Honda CB750 with a brawny stance and subdued finishes. “It needs to be all-black” was his client's primary request—and the helicopter-mechanic-turned-bike-builder was more than happy to comply. But first, he had to get the…

Ironwood says goodbye to older bikes with their last carb'd custom. We've also rounded up another fresh Triumph from Tamarit, a Zero with handcrafted bodywork, KTM's new 450 Rally Replica, and a modern homage to the Ducati 750 Sport. Honda GL500 by Ironwood Custom Motorcycles Arjan van den Boom is no stranger to these pages. He’s been making custom bikes since 2012 and has been rather prolific, to say the least. What might come as a surprise, is that you're looking at the last carbureted…

When Honda released the CX500 in 1978, they had no idea how significant it would become in the custom world roughly four decades later. Initially released to scores of adoring fans, it eventually fell out of favor—and its design hasn't aged well. But the revival of the café racer scene has meant a resurgence in CX500 popularity, led by builders that have figured out how to navigate its awkward layout. Austria’s NCT Motorcycles clearly know their way around the Honda CX500. They've just…

As Taiwan's relatively young custom scene continues to flourish, we have the privilege of watching plucky startups become established players. Take Twentytwo Custom; this custom Suzuki TU250 Grasstracker is only their seventh build, but it perfectly showcases their skill at turning lightweight commuters into spicy little scramblers. Twentytwo is the custom arm of the Taiwanese moto culture and apparel brand, Persist Motorcycle Company. Working in collaboration with the custom workshop Tough…

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…

Yamaha's beloved SR has come in an array of sizes over the years, all closely resembling each other. Of all of them, the SR150 is an outlier. The now-defunct single was manufactured in Taiwan exclusively for the Taiwanese market, with a few visual differences from its Japanese cousins. Even though the SR150 didn't quite have the same timeless vibe as the rest of the range, it still sold like hot cakes. Since it was built locally, it incurred less sales tax—so it was cheap and readily…