Because the 12 months barrels to an in depth, we’ve crunched the numbers to deliver you, our expensive readers, the a lot anticipated annual Bike EXIF Prime 10.
We’ve tweaked our method this time round. Our knowledge was pulled from the beginning of December till the top of November—leaving us extra time to course of it, with out lacking any zingers that may pop up late within the 12 months. We’ve additionally left social media out of it, focusing purely on the ten machines that made our servers work the toughest in 2024.
As soon as once more, the ultimate choice is eclectic, with nobody construct fashion dominating the charts. Seize your favourite beverage, benefit from the choice, and inform us which bikes made your 2024 hit checklist.
10. Royal Enfield Tremendous Meteor 650 by Cherry’s Firm You understand it’s been 12 months for the {custom} scene when our Prime 10 kicks off with a Cherry’s Firm machine. When grasp Japanese craftsman Kaichiroh Kurosu was approached by Royal Enfield to customise their not too long ago launched Tremendous Meteor 650, Kurosu-san pulled out all of the stops. Not solely does this mid-sized cruiser now sport a sidecar rig, however the bike itself wears sufficient mods to make it particular by itself.
The mods begin with a scratch-built Earles entrance finish, sprung with KONI shocks. The Tremendous Meteor’s body already had the type of sloped geometry that suited Kaichiroh’s fashion, however he made some refined adjustments anyway—like modifying the spine and swingarm pivot, to offset the engine and accommodate a wider rear wheel.
New bodywork was formed out of metal, aluminum, and resin, showcasing Cherry’s Firm’s hallmark fashion. The matching sidecar was created from scratch too, utilizing fiberglass formed over a home made styrofoam mildew. It contains a leaf-spring suspension system, helped by a conventional bike shock, and its personal brake.
The traces of the Royal Enfield Tremendous Meteor 650 and its sidecar complement one another completely, notably with the timeless polished, black, and gold finishes. Full with matching upholstery, this rig seems to be much less like a {custom} hack, and extra like a forgotten prototype from an alternate previous. [More]
9. Harley-Davidson Sportster by Mule Bikes Richard ‘Mule’ Pollock handled us to a gradual stream of scrumptious Sportster-based flat trackers and avenue trackers this 12 months. So it was solely inevitable that he would make it onto our checklist.
This white-hot 1997 Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 was constructed as a thoroughbred Hooligan-class flat observe racer, drawing on Mule’s intensive racing and constructing expertise. Zigging and zagging by way of the assorted Hooligan sequence rules, Mule deployed his go-to set of chassis, efficiency, and bodywork mods.
The decrease rear suspension mounting factors had been moved ahead, and linked to completely adjustable Okay-Tech shocks. Up entrance, Yamaha R6 forks had been prolonged with cap extensions from J.J. Flairty, and matched to {custom} yokes and an offset steering head bearing equipment. ODI handlebars sit up high, whereas a {custom} Mule foot peg and brake grasp cylinder bracket adorns the right-hand aspect of the bike.
Mule bumped the 883 mill as much as 1,200 cc, threw a bunch of hop-up bits at it, and added a extremely modified Cone Engineering exhaust. The remainder of the construct is conventional flat observe fare; a Storz gas tank, a First Klass Glass tailpiece, a Saddlemen seat, and 19” Roland Sands Design flat observe wheels. The straightforward white livery drives the purpose house; this Sportster means enterprise. [More]
8. Harley-Davidson Panhead by Sean Jackson Run by our associates at Biltwell Inc., the Biltwell Folks’s Champ is an annual grassroots build-off that showcases {custom} builders that may in any other case fly below the radar. By its very nature, it produces among the wildest machines on the scene.
This 1948 Harley Panhead, constructed by Sean Jackson, gained final 12 months’s Biltwell Folks’s Champ—after which melted our servers once we profiled it earlier this 12 months. It’s straightforward to see why. The engine is nearly the one unique half left on this Panhead, and even that’s been extensively rebuilt, courtesy of George Banks and Gary Ellis.
It’s now housed in a modular body, which Sean designed in SolidWorks earlier than piecing it collectively from 1/4”-thick laser-cut metal plates. The entrance crossover main hyperlink forks had been fabricated by hand, taking inspiration from the Thirties Harley-Davidson DAH hill climber. Led Sled Customs Invader wheels full the rolling chassis, with twin rear Brembo brakes—one in every of which acts as a hill maintain.
You’ll discover a pair of handmade break up tanks up high, and lifting the bike’s leather-based saddle reveals the crank deal with for the bike’s distinctive starter. Sean retained the Panhead’s unique kick starter—however he additionally put in a hand-crank starter from a V12 Rolls-Royce Merlin airplane engine, as used within the iconic Supermarine Spitfire. [More]
7. Honda Shadow by Frontwheel Motors Designed within the 80s, the Honda Shadow—generally known as the Steed in Asia—was a Japanese-made cruiser that aped the Harley-Davidson fashion of the day in a smaller, and cheaper, bundle. However within the arms of Indonesia’s Frontwheel Motors, this 1990-model Shadow (formally titled the Honda Steed VLX600 within the East) seems to be like 1,000,000 bucks.
Remarkably, all Frontwheel needed to do to prep the Honda Shadow’s body for the bobbed fashion they had been after, was trim off its fender struts. Taking visible cues from the 1949 Indian Mannequin 249 Scout, they fabricated new bodywork for it—together with a peanut tank, louvered aspect covers, and a ducktailed rear fender. A tidy solo seat was added to the combination too.
The Shadow now rolls on 16” wheels with five-inch-wide Shinko tires, whereas handmade fork shrouds add some visible bulk to the entrance finish. Frontwheel additionally rebuilt the drained previous Honda motor, and made a chic two-into-two exhaust system.
Ending touches embody 1” bars mounted on conventional ‘dogbone’ risers, minimal controls, an appropriately tiny headlight, and a {custom} spray job that suggestions its hat to the traditional Honda ‘wing’ emblem. It’s seldom that we come throughout a {custom} cruiser that’s this clear—particularly one which makes use of such a humble donor. [More]
6. Triumph Scrambler 400 X and Velocity 400 by Okay-Velocity The blokes at Okay-Velocity are masters of turning small-capacity bikes into feisty customs, and so they seldom miss. Shortly after Triumph’s new pint-sized Scrambler 400 X and Velocity 400 hit the scene, the Thai outfit took one in every of every and labored their magic.
These bikes look fairly good in inventory trim, so Okay-Velocity targeted on making considered tweaks that may have a big effect. The Triumph Scrambler 400 X [above left] bought a brand new subframe, an abbreviated seat, and a slim rear fender. The OEM gas tank wears a {custom} strap throughout the highest, an LED headlight inside a custom-built cage, and a handful of cockpit upgrades.
Each bikes put on ribbed engine covers, excessive entrance fenders, and brackets to relocate their speedos. Okay-Velocity’s Triumph Velocity 400 [above left] differs from their Scrambler 400 X in that its headlight is greater (and cageless), its seat is longer, and its coloration scheme is totally different. It additionally employs a low-slung exhaust, not like the high-mounted system on the Scrambler.
Even greater than their {custom} operation is Okay-Velocity’s ever-expanding vary of bolt-on elements. So lots of the gadgets that they added to those single-cylinder Triumph scramblers made their manner on-line very quickly—good for weekend warriors who wish to restyle their very own Triumph 400s. [More]
5. Honda Monkey by Okay-Velocity How usually does a {custom} store land in our Prime 10 twice in a single 12 months? Not usually. However given how prolific Okay-Velocity is, we’re not stunned.
This sidecar-equipped Honda Monkey narrowly beat Okay-Velocity’s {custom} Triumph 400s, breaking into our high 5 customs with oodles of appeal. The transient was an odd one; Okay-Velocity wished a {custom} Honda Monkey within the store’s signature fashion, that he would then ship to a 3rd celebration to suit a sidecar too. As soon as that was executed, the bike had to return to Okay-Velocity to deliver the sidecar consistent with the minibike, aesthetically.
Okay-Velocity was initially too busy to take the venture on, however their consumer stored calling—and the store’s founder, Eak, relented. With a earlier Okay-Velocity Monkey performing as a template, the crew started becoming elements from their burgeoning Diabolus catalog to the bike—beginning with upside-down forks and a stretched swingarm.
The Monkey additionally acquired a brand new subframe and seat, mini-ape bars, wheel covers, and knobbly tires. Transferring to the sidecar, Okay-speed handled it to matching upholstery and outfitted the wheel with the identical cowl and tire. A gloss black paint job provides a contact of timeless fashion to this irresistible runabout. [More]
4. 5-cylinder Puch by Uwe Oltmann This outrageous multi-engined moped has the doubtful distinction of being the one bike on this checklist that’s unrideable. It’s not that it doesn’t run; it does with all 5 cylinders firing enthusiastically. However when you get it going, it’s far too noisy and sizzling to be usable.
It’s the work of Uwe Oltmann—a German toolmaker whose hobbies embody constructing classic automotive engines and messing with mopeds. This venture began as a 1976 Puch Maxi S moped, to which Uwe promptly added 4 extra Puch engines. Every engine has been bored out to 70 cc, with a central shaft linking the underside three engines, and two belt drives connecting the fourth and fifth.
It’s not simply the Puch’s five-engine design that’s particular. This moped additionally contains a prototype swingarm and a set of race-spec WP Suspension, each from Ralf Waldmann’s 1993 Aprilia RS 125 R Grand Prix racer. The entrance wheel makes use of a closely modified moped rim, the rear wheel is a magnesium merchandise from PVM, and bits just like the headlight and subframe are one-offs.
Uwe’s creation is one thing to behold—particularly when he fires it up. The beginning sequence contains spinning the rear wheel to get the primary engine going, then releasing every subsequent engine’s fly clutch with a wrench. The 350 cc Puch makes 127.5 decibels at full tilt, and the one technique to cease it’s to drag all 5 spark plugs. [More]
3. BMW R nineT by Smoked Storage Indonesia’s Smoked Storage had a really particular transient for this brooding BMW R nineT; “Make one thing Batman would trip.” They delivered in spades—skyrocketing onto this 12 months’s podium within the course of.
Smoked Storage didn’t wish to compromise on the BMW’s usability, so that they left the operating gear alone and targeted on beauty adjustments—beginning with a home made carbon fiber gas tank and tail sections. Customized aluminum fairings adorn the underside half of the bike, making a silhouette that’s half racer, half brawler.
An enlarged fairing sits up entrance, masking a brand new LED headlight. Smoked additionally fitted clip-on bars, a handful of Motogadget parts, and a totally adjustable rear shock. Finer particulars embody tiny LED taillights, a side-stand extension, and a side-mounted license plate holder.
In true Darkish Knight fashion, virtually each half is completed in black—together with the {custom} twin exhaust mufflers, and the BMW tank roundels. Purposeful and imply, however nonetheless completely rideable (the slick tires are only for present), this gothic café racer ticks all of its proprietor’s containers. [More]
2. Customized mini-bike by MotoRelic Oddball engineering all the time will get our servers buzzing—and it doesn’t get way more oddball than an outsized mini-bike with a Yamaha snowmobile engine. Constructed by Sean Skinner at MotoRelic, it’s a throwback to the mini-bikes that he grew up using.
This eccentric machine is a far cry from the 5 hp machines that Sean reduce his enamel on although. He began with a 1982 Yamaha SRV 540—a two-stroke, pull-start snowmobile that makes 60 hp. As soon as the motor was yanked out of the sled, and the remainder of it offered to recoup among the finances, the venture was underway.
The engine underwent an intensive rebuild, and its CVT transmission was swapped for a wild {custom} setup, involving a Belt Drives Ltd. belt drive pulley, a {custom} adaptor, and a modified five-speed Harley transmission. It’s all housed in a scratch-built chromoly body, with a Yamaha RD350 steering neck and Honda ATC200 three-wheeler forks sitting up entrance.
16” Henry Abe wheels are fitted with Pirelli MT60RS tires, whereas a Honda CB750F Tremendous Sport brake on the again affords the one smidgen of stopping energy. Nearly all the pieces else is {custom}—together with the aluminum gas tank, the seat, and the gnarly pull-start deal with. The entire thing is, in Sean’s personal phrases, “obnoxious on so many ranges.” [More]
1. Harley-Davidson Pan America by Powerbrick Tim Somers and the staff at Powerbrick burst onto the scene simply over two years in the past, shortly making a reputation for themselves with a slew of razor-sharp BMW Okay-series customs. In order that they caught us off guard earlier this 12 months after they utilized their signature aesthetic to a very totally different bike; the Harley-Davidson Pan America.
The Pan America may be an journey bike at coronary heart, nevertheless it’s proving to be a success amongst {custom} builders. Powerbrick’s tackle it’s as radical as it’s slick—combining intelligent {custom} elements with among the Pan America’s distinguishing OEM options. Tim calls it “the streetfighter that Harley by no means launched.”
Powerbrick began by trimming the higher part of the Pan America’s distinctive ‘shark nostril’ fairing—a course of that necessitated relocating the bike’s TFT dashboard. Subsequent, the large plastic strip that runs over the inventory gas tank was ditched, and the bits of the tank that hid below it had been cleaned up. The rear finish was handled to a extra excessive makeover, with a brand new subframe and 3D printed physique panels, courtesy of Nius Moto.
The main points on this dynamic Harley might fill volumes; from the RC Racing radiator to the laced wheels, LSL handlebars, LED lighting, Noco battery, CTEK battery administration system, and Venhill brake hoses. The exhaust system makes use of {custom} headers from Nius Moto with a Powerbrick muffler, and the paint job is a play on Aston Martin’s ‘Spirit Silver.’ The entire thing seems to be so good, it has us questioning if The Motor Co. is taking notes. [More]
EDITOR’S NOTE The draw back of crunching the numbers annually is that we find yourself with a handful of worthy bikes that narrowly miss the reduce. Solace Bike’s 1994 Sportster café racer [above], Satomari’s intricate Shovelhead, Macco Motor’s Harley XR1200, and Auto Fabrica’s neo-retro Honda Africa Twin [below] deserve an honorable point out.
Our everlasting gratitude goes out to the {custom} bike builders who maintain our pages full, the photographers who seize their work in vivid element, our staff of writers, our writer, and the advertisers who maintain our lights on. Completely happy holidays, and be sure you examine again in simply earlier than the brand new 12 months, once we current our private favorites from 2024—knowledge be damned.
