Bike exif

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…

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…

Moto Guzzi doesn't make too much noise these days, but they do have some gems in their collection. One of these is the Moto Guzzi V85 TT. Sure, it's not the most exhilarating adventure bike on the market—but it has oodles of character, and charming looks that set it apart. Filippo Barbacane of the Italian workshop Officine Rossopuro is a fan, citing the V85 TT's no frills design as its biggest drawcard. “It's a motorcycle dedicated to touring, but without the pursuit of extreme technology…

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…

Back in the 90s, the Japanese manufacturers went through a phase of building Italian-style sportbikes. Honda had the SuperHawk, and Suzuki the TL1000S—both 90° V-twins. Yamaha, however, took the 10-valve DOHC parallel twin used in its sport tourers and came up with the Yamaha TRX850. The critical reception was mixed, to say the least, but these days the TRX850 is appreciated a little more. It’s a good value secondhand buy, and with upgrades to the suspension and brakes, it’s a torquey and…

Ducati and Yamaha share equal billing this week. We start with a Yamaha XSR900 fairing kit from Taiwan and a Ducati Multistrada café racer from Argentina. K-Speed wows again with a gnarly custom Yamaha XSR155, while Ducati releases a slew of special edition Panigale race replicas. Yamaha XSR900 fairing kit by Hóo-Bué Even Yamaha knows it; the XSR900 looks better with a fairing. But if you've already got a Yamaha XSR900 in the garage and don't want to shell out for the new XSR900 GP—or if…

The sheer diversity of Freeride Motos Racing's stable makes it difficult to lump them into one silo. You’re just as likely to find a svelte supermoto in their workshop, as you are a 90-year-old Moto Guzzi. Shop boss Pierre Dhers is clearly onto a good thing—so it's no wonder that he gets return customers. One such customer is Dakar Rally driver and flat track racer Pierre Lachaume. The two Pierres met some time ago when M. Lachaume wanted a custom bike. He wanted his 1989 Yamaha XT 600…

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…

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…

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…