In 1965, Time Magazine sent photographer Bill Ray and writer Joe Bride to live and ride with the Hell’s Angels. It was a roller coaster of a month with the most fearsome outlaws that the American blacktop had ever seen, and the photos they produced are a fantastic documentation of these mid-century gunslingers. Though Ray and Bride risked life and limb embedding themselves with the lawless outcasts, the story was never published. However, the photos have been floating in and out of the motorcycling community’s collective consciousness since surfacing and have cast their spell on Greg Hebard o ..read more

Batman swooped onto the pages of DC Comics 85 years ago, but it would take 19 years for the Caped Crusader to debut his first Batcycle. Batman and his myriad motorcycles have captured our imaginations since; just think of how many times you’ve heard the phrase “That looks like something Batman would ride.” That exact phrase was the inspiration behind this brooding custom BMW R nineT. But this isn’t a replica of any one particular Batman motorcycle. Rather, it’s a homage to the aesthetics of The Dark Knight’s vehicles, masterfully executed by Smoked Garage in Jakarta, Indonesia. “A client wal ..read more

Motocrew leads the charge this week, with a custom Triumph Bobber inspired by their client’s hopped-up Porsche 911. We also throw the spotlight on a Suzuki DRZ400 supermoto, the new Kawasaki W230 modern classic, and a fully original Yamaha BW350 that just sold for a cheeky amount of money. Triumph Bobber by Motocrew The story of this slick-looking custom Triumph Bobber began with a call from a good friend of the German custom bike workshop, Motocrew. He had just finished customizing his Porsche 911, and it looked lonely in the garage. The hunt for a stablemate was on—and that’s where Motocre ..read more

In 1986 and 1987 Honda built the TR200, better known as the “Fat Cat” for the U.S. market. This half dirt bike, half ATV hermaphrodite wasn’t agile, had lackluster performance and was generally deemed dangerous before Honda pulled the plug in 1988. Honda Fat Cat’s are relatively collectible now and clean versions can bring upwards of $8,000 USD. Finding one, however, is a bit tricky. So Mike Lilge of Appleton, Wisconsin, decided to build his own. While he was at it, he made a few, shall we say, upgrades? The frame is borrowed from a 1984 Honda 200S ATV, modified and fitted with a custom swin ..read more

Your bike is as much an extension of your body on the open road as it is your personality when parked at the curb, and as such, the desire to set your machine apart from the herd is universal. In the hunt for more speed, harder cornering and increased curb appeal, we swap handlebars, exhausts and brake parts to make our rides uniquely ours, but the aspiring gearhead is often met with a monumental challenge: ‘How do I make my bike look like that?’ Wading through the seas of cheap universal bolt-ons, the path to your ultimate vision is difficult to plot, especially if you’re limited on the reso ..read more

It’s been over six months since Husqvarna pulled the covers off the new Svartpilen 801. Since then, we’ve been wondering when its sibling, the Husqvarna Vitpilen 801, would drop, and what it would look like. Well, it’s here now—and we are decidedly underwhelmed. The new Vitpilen 801 might have knocked our socks off if Husqvarna had released it before the Svartpilen 801. But they’ve made us wait six months for a look at what is essentially a lightly fettled version of the Svartpilen. And that’s left us very little to sink our teeth into. When Husqvarna first released their neo-reto street bik ..read more

On August 11, 1973, during the GP race at the Silverstone Circuit in England, New Zealander Kim Newcombe found himself in the lead after just six laps. Approaching turn 15, the brakes began overheating, sending his König 500 careening off the track. Fighting for control, Newcombe was determined to stay in the race as he approached Stowe Corner at uncontrollable speed… Five years earlier, Kim Newcombe, a marine engine mechanic with a penchant for boat and dirt bike racing, teamed up with renowned German outboard motor designer and specialist, Dieter König. Newcombe took over the development o ..read more

If there’s one custom shop that deserves a gold medal for tenacity, it’s ChillFab. The crew behind the Chiller motorized BMX developed their first prototype four years ago, while they were still based in Russia. Since then they’ve refined the Chiller to create production-ready electric- and petrol-powered versions, pushed the design further with a springer fork, and relocated themselves, their workshop, and their families to Serbia. It’s been a rocky road for Alex Mazan, Arseniy Chekar, and Vlad Zaki, but they’re too excited about the future to focus on the past. They’ve just wrapped up an el ..read more

The new BMW F900GS has only just hit the scene, and VTR Customs has already got their grubby paws on it. Other highlights this week include a Rotax framer from the UK, a BMW R100GS rally replica from the US, and a look at Biltwell Inc.’s new collaboration with Santa Cruz Skateboards. BMW F900GS by VTR Customs If you’ve ridden the new BMW F900GS, you’ll know it’s a marked improvement over its predecessor. Gunning for rivals like the Yamaha T7 and Triumph Tiger 900, BMW has not only given their middleweight adventure bike more power, but it now has bonafide off-road chops too—with looks to mat ..read more

As far as 80s sportbikes go, the Honda VF1000F Interceptor often gets overshadowed. Riding on the success of the VF750F, Honda introduced the VF1000F to expand their V-four lineup and offer a sport-touring option for riders craving more power and range. But the VF1000F never quite matched the popularity of the 750, and was outgunned by rivals like the Kawasaki GPz900R Ninja. Still, the VF1000F holds a special place in Honda’s history, since it served as a crucial stepping stone to the legendary VFR series. It’s also hard to look at the old Interceptor now, 40 years on, and not feel a wave of ..read more