Bike EXIF

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

1. Road Tested: The Cardo Packtalk Pro Bluetooth helmet comms system

   
   Like our readers, we’re discerning when it comes to the motorcycles we ride and the gear we use. So, by extension, we’re also selective about the products we review. Style and quality rank high, but so does usability—especially when it comes to tech accessories.

   Adding a gadget to your arsenal should enhance your riding experience, not hinder it. That goes as much for how easy it is to set up, as for whether it blends with the rest of your get-up or sticks out like a sore thumb. All that counts for double when you’re evaluating a Bluetooth comms system like the Cardo Packtalk Pro.

   
   Relatively new to Cardo’s line-up, the Packtalk Pro sits just above the brand’s Packtalk Edge as a more feature-rich, and more expensive, version.…

2. Obsidian: A slammed and stripped Harley Softail Deuce from Warsaw

   
   Some custom motorcycle builders are drawn to the simplicity of vintage machines, while others favor the performance and reliability of modern motorcycles. The 2005-model Harley Softail Deuce sits somewhere in the middle.

   Officially named the Harley-Davidson Softail FXSTD, the mid-naughties Deuce featured Harley’s new (at the time) Twin Cam V-twin engine and disc brakes, but hadn’t yet adopted fuel injection or a pesky CAN bus system. That, combined with its relatively minimalist build, made it the perfect candidate for Wojciech Aleksiejuk’s latest custom build.

   
   Based in Warsaw, Poland, Wojciech worked at a Harley specialist shop for a few years before branching out independently, under the banner of Demiurge Cycles. Building custom bikes had been a hobby up until this point—but now that Wojciech had turned it into a full-time gig, he wanted to create something that could showcase his abilities.…

3. Last of a Kind: The X-ray Vision of Artist and Engineer David Kimble

   
   The debate about what is considered art — and what is not considered art — has filled volumes, spawned entire branches of philosophy and has been the subject of more late-night drunken arguments than anyone can recall. It gets even murkier when delving into the world of technical drawing. Is a blueprint or schematic a piece of art? Should I be in awe of the wiring diagram in the back of my Clymer manual when I am trying to diagnose why one of my spark plugs isn’t firing? Yet there have been individuals throughout history whose ability to convey technical information transcends the utilitarian into the world of fine art.

   
   David Kimble is one such modern master, perhaps the last of his kind creating highly detailed cutaway illustrations by hand with acetate, airbrush, paint, and time.…

4. Speed Read: A custom Yamaha RD400 by Roland Sands and more

   
   The smell of two-stroke oil lingers in the air, courtesy of Roland Sands Design’s razor-sharp custom Yamaha RD400. We also profile a Triumph Bonneville T100 café racer, the new Triumph Rocket 3 Evel Knievel Limited Edition, and a collection of nine Kawasaki Z1R-TC turbos.

   
   Yamaha RD400 by Roland Sands Design Yamaha’s two-stroke RD platform has been the basis of many great custom projects. This absolutely stunning Yamaha RD400 comes from none other than Roland Sands Design and was built for a friend of the shop’s founder and namesake, Roland Sands.

   The bike had previously belonged to Roland’s friend’s late brother, so it was decided that the old RD400 should be rebuilt to honor his memory. It arrived in crates at the RSD workshop in Long Beach, California, but it didn’t stay that way for long.…

5. Aurora: A Porsche-green BMW R100R café racer from Texas

   
   As the founder of Spain’s 72 Cycles Performance, and one-half of the collaborative outfit 72 HKG Performance, Antonio Rodriguez has developed an affinity for custom BMWs. So when he recently moved his operation to the US, choosing a BMW R100R café racer as his first project on fresh soil was a no-brainer.

   “After building more than 60 motorcycles in Spain, and due to the restrictions we have when making substantial modifications to our motorcycles, I had it in my head for a long time to move to the United States,” Antonio tells us.

   
   “Three years ago, I was on vacation in Houston and fell in love with the passion they have for all things motoring. Every weekend there’s an event related to classic cars, sports cars, classic motorcycles, or any other type of motor vehicle.…