Bike EXIF

Bike EXIF is a showcase for the world's most exciting custom motorcycles, from cafe racers to bobbers to street trackers

1. Boxed Burgundy: A custom BMW R12 nineT from Poland

   
   Motorcycle dealer build-offs are a great way for brands to showcase their bikes, and for bike dealers to flex their customization muscles. But there’s a catch. Once the competition is over, those dealers often need to sell the bikes they built to recoup costs—so it pays to balance style and usability.

   This BMW R12 nineT street tracker rides that line deftly. It was built by Unikat Motorworks for their local BMW dealership in Wrocław, as part of BMW Poland’s custom build contest. Even though the workshop had free rein on the project, practicality was always front of mind.

   
   “This is a pure custom build—one that’s visually striking, but also remains highly functional,” says Unikat co-owner, Michał Pamuła. “And we think that’s an often overlooked advantage in the world of competition customs, where bikes need to find new homes after the contest—and continue to bring joy, not just from their looks.”…

2. Perseus: CW Zon reimagines the Yamaha XV1000

   
   Michelangelo famously said, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” I’ve long suspected that Yuichi Yoshizawa applies a similar philosophy to building custom motorcycles. The frontman of the Japanese workshop CW Zon has the ability to take even the most mundane motorcycle, stare into its soul, and turn it into something magical.

   This time, he’s done it to the venerable 1981 Yamaha XV1000. Known as the TR1 in some markets and the Virago in others, the XV1000 featured an oddball combination of Japanese engineering and American sensibilities. It now enjoys regular attention from custom builders—but there are only so many ways you can spin it.

   
   Unsurprisingly, Yoshizawa-san’s Yamaha XV1000 looks like no other custom Virago out there.…

3. Triple Shovel: The World’s First Three-Cylinder Harley-Davidson

   
   Nick Keating is the man behind the lens of one of the most popular images we’ve ever shared on Facebook. It was a photo of a 1926 Indian Prince on a dirt road, surrounded by luscious, summer greenery. It’s a beautiful shot, but we couldn’t have predicted the viral response to the image that caused Nick to reach out and thank us. When he did, we realized he and the bike were only an hour north of us. Not only was he was living in our backyard, but his father, Brian Keating of the Keating Wheel Co., just happened to be a steward for some of the rarest and most interesting motorcycles in the country.

   It was through this chain of events that we came to find a long lost treasure: the Harley-Davidson Shovelhead triple.…

4. Speed Read: A handsome BMW R12 roadster from England and more

   
   England’s Pier City Cycles leads the charge this week, with a custom BMW R12 in a timeless roadster style. We also profile a Moto Guzzi V7 scrambler from Unikat Motorworks, a Suzuki DR-Z400 built to take on the Sahara, and a Harley-Davidson Sportster S from a Lithuanian parts manufacturer.

   
   BMW R12 by Pier City Cycles The English workshop Pier City Cycles made their bones customizing the BMW R nineT in myriad ways. So it was only a matter of time before they worked their magic on the updated BMW R12.

   Commissioned by the BMW Motorrad mothership themselves, this handsome boxer was designed to showcase the R12’s malleability. Pier City played it smart, eschewing the typical café racer and scrambler styles to build a classic roadster.…

5. Road Tested: LED lights and turn signals from Purpose Built Moto

   
   It’s easy to get stuck on the big ticket items when you’re personalizing your motorcycle, but it’s the little things that make the biggest difference. Most bikes ship from the factory with unsightly lights and turn signals, and swapping those out is a quick way to tighten up your bike’s overall look.

   My 2012-model Triumph Bonneville SE is by no means a full-blown custom build. Instead, I’ve modified it bit by bit whenever the opportunity arises. The latest round of tweaks involved installing a new LED headlight and teeny tiny turn signals, supplied by Australia’s Purpose Built Moto.

   
   Purpose Built Moto 7” Flashpoint Classic LED headlight Available in myriad sizes, styles, and finishes, the Purpose Built Moto Flashpoint LED headlight has graced countless PBM custom builds.…