When it comes to city-dwelling bikes, a lot of customizers lean toward building understated, inconspicuous motorcycles. And there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, it can be quite brilliant when done properly. Sometimes, however, (and especially when it comes to performance-focused bikes ) you may like a bit of flair to go along with the power. That’s just one of the many reasons to love NCT Motorcycles‘ ‘Predator’ Ducati 750SS. Done up in a bold black and yellow color scheme that could make Pittsburgh’s sports teams blush, this beastly bumblebee has been transformed into a beautiful cafe racer. But that transformation wasn’t completed by happenstance; it took a lot of work – including chopping down the frame, giving it a new powder coat finish, swapping out the swing arm for one from a vintage Ducati 748, putting on new USD forks, and replacing the brake system with new drilled disc brakes for extra stopping power. All told, we think NCT managed to capture the spirit of the original bike while still making it a new and interesting build that stands out against the crowd. Also you should check 10 world’s fastest motorcycles.

Formerly known as Confederate Motorcycles, Curtiss has a long history of creating some of the most beautifully aggressive custom motorcycles in the world. And now they’ve taken a step into the future with their latest release, the all-electric Zeus concept. While the renderings you see here clearly illustrate that Zeus features the customizers’ legendary iconic styling, there’s not a ton of other information out there on this gorgeous bike. What we do know is that this version is a prototype that is said to run on a 14.4kWh lithium-ion battery pack that sends power to the rear wheel via the world’s first E-Twin power unit. That unit, by the way, is comprised of dual high-output electric motors driving a common output shaft – making it a kind of fusion of the mechanics of traditional fuel-engines, but operated via more sustainable electric power. No other specs or price information has been released, but we look forward to hearing more about this bike in the very near future. And be sure to check TOP 10 fastest motorcycles in the world.

Customizing a bike is no easy feat. But they’re all the more impressive when they go through a comprehensive transformation – making the end result nearly unrecognizable when compared to the stock motorcycle. That’s exactly the case with the urbanized desert sled you see before you, as the ‘Moto 12’ from Droog Moto actually started its life as a Kawasaki Ninja 650. For those unfamiliar, the Ninja is a fabled street performance bike that perhaps looks most at home on a groomed racetrack. And that’s a far cry from the monster-mobile that is the ‘Moto 12.’ Its alterations are extensive and range from a front end and handlebar conversion to a new custom subframe, exhaust, and radiator upgrade. This brutal bike also got new solid wheel inserts, an electronic speedometer, new LED lighting, and a custom distressed paint job. And while we can appreciate this bike as a piece of functional art, we’re also floored by the fact that it’s up for sale – meaning you can stash it in your garage for the impending apocalypse. And don’t forget to check 10 fastest motorcycles in the world.

American-base bike company Curtiss Motorcycle has released a limited edition bike called Warhawk that could easily take your breath away. Produced in a limited run of just 36 units, this naked machine is powered by a “good old” air-cooled triple-camshaft 2,163 cc engine that develops 150 bhp. The top speed of the Warhawk stands at around 165 mph (265 km/h) and since its the last of its kind, we were expecting it to be pretty expensive, but not exactly $105,000-expensive. Once you reserve one and pre-order it with a $5,000 deposit. The Warhawk Limited Edition will take two or three months to be completed. Also we’re sure you’ll be interested in 10 world’s fastest motorcycles.

While to the non-native speaker, “Blechmann” might sound like some kind of ancient Alemanian boogie-man, it’s actually more of an honorific. The nickname, given to one of Germany’s most legendary motorcycle customizers Bernard Nauman, translates to “tin man,” and Bernhard Naumann wears it like a badge of honor. The Tin Man’s latest creation is a great and powerful Custom BMW R NineT that shows that he is worthy of his metallurgical moniker. While he is known as a tinkerer, the works Naumann creates are no tinker toys. It is a masterwork of metalwork and imagination. With a bit of a Postapocalyptic piquancy, he has wrapped the bike in sheet metal (something that would probably be anathema to most lovers of the brand). Naumann describes his bike-customization as an art form used to bring fantasies to life. The proof is in the pudding, and that pudding is a fantastically futuristic motorcycle built out from a 2016 BMW R nineT. Blechmann the Great created a homemade body shape and installed a handmade exhaust system, a new seat bench and modified wheel rims. He finished the R Nine T off with a fresh paintjob: the classic BMW livery. When the smoke had cleared, what he found was a forward-heavy, robustly muscular super-bike from the future. Naumann saw something else, however, and decided to call the bike “Giggerl” – the Bavarian word for chicken. And don’t forget to check Old-Styled Extraordinary BMW R50/3 By Titan and Unique 1985 BMW K100 Motorcycles by Impuls.

Based in Graz, Austria, Vagabund have been designing and building custom motorcycles for just over two years – but their work defies their experience. Starting with a 1992 BMW R80RT, Vagabund pulled out all the stops to create a modern cafe racer. Wiring and cables have been minimized, with 3D-printed switch housings, and a handmade rear frame carries a 3D printed seat. Lowered front forks set a low, aggressive stance, and the black paint and solid rear rim recall vintage speed racers. All-in-all, another great effort from the Austrian design duo. And we will recommend you to check a few more interesting custom bikes: BMW “R nineT” and BMW T63.

Even if you’ve never heard of Richmond, Virigina-based custom bike shop Classified Moto, you’ve probably seen their work. They designed and build Daryl’s post-apocalyptic motorcycle that he rode for the first few seasons of The Walking Dead . Their latest project is a bit smaller but has all the trademarks Classified Moto is known for. This Honda CT70 started life as a wheelie-stunting shop bike before getting a total makeover. The weathered patina and yellow headlight with protective grille are pure Classified Moto, along with custom gold USD forks, knobby tires, and reverse megaphone exhaust. Despite its size, this CT70 would be right at home hunting zombies next to Daryl and his crossbow. And also we recommend you to check Honda Super Cub Retro Bike.

Swiss heritage brand Bucherer has teamed up with Bündnerbike to create a one-of-a-kind motorcycle, to celebrate Bucherer’s Blue Edition collection. Based on a Harley-Davidson Softail Slim S, the bike features a stunning blue paint job, 360 diamonds, gold-plated screws, two safes that are integrated into the tank and contain a one-of-a-kind watch from Carl F. Bucherer as well as rings from Bucherer Fine Jewellery. “It was a long road,” Samir Merdanovic, Head of Manufacture Movements at Carl F. Bucherer said of the development process. “The holder, for example, also serves as a watch winder. The watch is therefore wound regularly and continues to run, even if the motorcycle is not ridden for an extended period.” It took the two companies around 2,500 hours to create this beauty. Priced at 1.8 million CHF ($1.79 million USD) only a single example was produced. And don’t forget to check the list of Top 10 Most Expensive Cars in the World.

Bandit9 makes some of the most unique motorcycles in existence, something that’s only demonstrated further by the L-Concept. Billed as a “sci-fi masterpiece,” the L-Concept sports a unibody tank, suspended engine, and maneuver controls that make you feel like you’re piloting a speeder bike on Endor. As you can see, Bandit9 continues to push the envelope, as this bike seems rooted in history but very much from the future, and if Lando rolled up in this thing in Solo: A Star Wars Story, it wouldn’t seem that insane. There will only be nine L-Concepts produced and five of those have already been claimed, so if you want a bike worthy of the Star Wars universe you better act fast. And don’t forget to check other bike from Bandit9 Eve Motorcycle.

K-Speed turns an old Honda cafe racer ‘BROS400’ it into a full-aluminum cloaked futuristic motorcycle dubbed ‘Future Storm’. Produced between 1988 and 1992, the Honda ‘BROS400’ was viewed as a heavy, underpowered commuter bike for fledgling enthusiasts. It was a smaller varaint of the ‘NT650’, that was perhaps better known throughout Europe. K-Speed has completely reworked the Honda model and produced this futuristic café racer with street fighter aesthetics, with a revised fuel tank flowing sinuously into the bespoke tail unit. Some heavy new suspension fork guards at the front add further protection when in motion, and creates a look that lends itself to a science fiction movie. Some added negative space above the rear wheel comes courtesy of the garage’s bespoke subframe. The headlight is discretely hidden behind the louvered section toward the base, with a pair of Motogadget turning signals at the top, and on either side of the belly pan towards the back. If you like this custom cafe racer you should definitely check XC1 Café Racer and Honda CX500 Café Racer featured earlier on our website.

The balance between power and weight is a delicate dance for vehicle designers, with the general effect of boosting grunt is the inevitable addition of mass. For the designers at Cake, they looked toward emerging electronic technologies to create a lightweight version of a fully capable dirtbike, known as Kalk. Setting out to build a bike that is more snappy and nimble than traditional internal cumbustion motos, Cake’s Kalk starts with aircraft grade aluminum for the frame and swing arm that is wrapped in carbon fiber body panels, materials that provide high strength-to-weight ratios for a stiff yet airy ride. Power is supplied by a gargantuan 15 kW mid mounted motor that is fed energy from a 2.6 kW/h li-ion battery pack, generating a stated 50 mph top speed for a range of 50 miles. With the Öhlins suspension providing 8-inches of wheel travel and the bike weighing in at 155-pounds, the power-to-weight-to-suspension ratios make the Kalk a mutant moto monstrosity.

Taken inspiration from Giovanni Ravelli, a WWI fighter pilot, aviator and motorcycle racer, the Airforce Motorbike from Death Machines of London is a real sight to behold and you’ll be blown away by its performance capabilities as well. This stunning steed has hand formed body work and an aviation inspired chassis which is quite unlike any other bike you’ll see out there so if you want to turn heads aplenty with your choice of ride in 2018, this would be a great place to start. Built atop an already impressive, albeit in a state of disrepair, 1982 Moto Guzzi LeMans Mk2 machine, the Death Machines of London Airforce Motorbike has certainly got off on the right foot. With an engine which was discovered to be in a surprisingly decent condition and after a full forensic inspection, vapour cleaning & reassembly, joined by replacement bearings, seals gaskets the main engine work was completed. The cylinder heads were treated to a total refresh, along with the workshop’s signature gas flowing and things were finished off with Death Machines of London’s in-house velocity stacks and open slash cut headers.

Building unbelievable works of art that also happen to be motorcycles is the everyday mission for Max Hazan and his team at Hazan Motorworks. Their latest release, a completely custom Supercharged KTM, is no exception. As the name implies, this hot rod is centered around a KTM 520 single cylinder power plant with a monsterous supercharger strapped to the head, a hefty unit that turns 85 hp at the crank. Mind bending hand-made wheels utilize very uncommon radial spokes laced through flangeless hubs, a look found more often on top level racing bicycles than motorcycles. An innovative braking system was created by Hazan specifically for this machine, which complements the tank shifter and foot clutch in a way that is anything but ordinary. Internal cable routing keep the lines clean and classful touches adorne the bike from tip to tail, like the wooden saddle, tire hugging chrome fenders, and a bitchin springer fork. Also we recommend you to check other retro bikes: Avionics V1 and 2.0 eBike

These days, we associate Ducati with tire-shredding 200 horsepower superbikes. But in the years after WW2, Ducati was best known for producing a tiny 98-pound motorcycle called the Cucciolo. Cucciolo is Italian for “puppy,” and the bike was named after the high-pitched bark of its tiny exhaust. By 1952, an incredible 200,000 Cucciolos had left the factory, but few survive today. And outside Europe, they’re very rare. So it’s great to see some love for the humble 49 cc single, with this immaculate restomod from Tony Prust of Analog Motorcycles. The owner is Michigan man Del Thomas, who’s been Tony’s customer since 2013.

Everyone who sees the Gonzo Motorcycles Nimbus Type C ‘Odin’s Fury’ concept at first time will think that it was designed and purpose built to crush straight line drags. Even though the bike doesn’t bear much resemblance to the donor Nimbus Type C it’s based on, that historic Danish bike (which was originally built by vacuum manufacturers) had a remarkable engine cast into a single block paired to a shaft drive. When Danish motorcycle builder, tinkerer and all around madman Lars Nielsen set out to build ‘Odin’s Fury’ to compete in the ‘750cc, home built frame, partially streamlined, vintage, blown category’ at the Bonneville Salt Flats during AMA Speed Week, he kept that motor and rebuilt the rest of the bike around it. An entirely new frame was built with a hard tailed configuration in the rear and Sportster forks up front. The wheels were swapped for ones from a Honda Goldwing. The fuel tank and bodywork both come from unknown donor vehicles. Great bike, don’t you think? And don’t forget to check our list of the fastest bikes of the world.

Julian von Oheimb is the ower of the shop One Way Machine. He pulled out all the stops with this industrial-looking Softail, which he’s nicknamed Iron Riot. He bought a 2001-model carbureted Harley Softail Standard, in perfect condition, with just 1,400 miles on the clock. Straight away, Julian took the rigid mount, 1450cc Twin Cam motor out of the FXST frame, and dismantled the bike for a thorough inspection. The next step was to clean up the engine, transmission and oil tank. He’s kept the Softail’s original CV carburetor, but it looks even shinier than when it left the factory. The engine internals were in immaculate condition, so the powerplant has just been treated to a new air cleaner and rocker boxes, plus a new points cover. The breathing is revolutionized though, with a simple and elegant exhaust system.

Moped 1982 Piaggio “Ciao PX” or simply “Ciao” was highly popular in Italy and brothers Marco and Mario from Italy’s from OMT Garage decided to take it as a base for their small cafe racer. And they’ve won the “Deus Bike Build Off 2016” with their new Piaggio Ciao “Silhouette” in the category 50/125 sm3. The brothers completely modified the tiny two-stroke engine, boosting its capacity to 75 cc, from the factory’s 49 cc. They also added an electronic ignition, a 19 mm carburetor, a hand-made exhaust, plus a lightened flywheel. With the front brake now removed from the original “Ciao”, only the rear brake stops the rider after crossing the finish line. It’s activated with the left-hand lever, while the lever on the right-hand-side manages the moped’s throttle.

Local Motors, an Arizona-based design and engineering company, specialized in delivering unique solutions to world transport problems, has received an interesting request a few months ago: a retro-styled, gas-powered ‘board track racer’ bike, that could redefine the way we move around, in style. They’ve held a small contest for this design, and picked a ravishing bike concept from Romanian designer Ianis Vasilatos as the winner. Then, the company’s brilliant team of engineers managed to transform the designer’s initial sketches and renders into a fully functional prototype that could easily take your breath away. Called the Ariel Cruiser , this stunning bike was inspired by a 1920’s board track racer, but it also comes with various modern-day elements on display. The retro-styled, motorized bicycle can be eventually purchased in either an electric version or a gas version, with the first offering about 20 miles worth of fun and speeds of up to 27 mph. On the other hand, its gas-powered sibling puts a 50CC Honda engine to work to enable this bike to reach 34 mph and cover as many as 70 miles. To design a motorized bicycle that reminiscent of the early 1900s is not easy, and collectors will surely agree with that. Every component on this superb bike was specially imagined to honor the history of board track racing and early motor bicycles and the exquisite leather details look like the cherry on top of the sundae. Unfortunately there’s no word on pricing yet.

A stock 1989 BMW R80 RT is a touring bike with a giant front end that’s been used in quite a few places as a police cruiser. Angry Motors out of Switzerland managed to take that boxy and robust base bike and turn it into a minimalist work of art with their T63. Over the course of almost fifteen straight days (350 hours total spread across a year) of “passion, work, beer, sweat and music,” the 1989 BMW R80 RT was stripped to the bone, powder-coated, painted and rebuilt from the ground up using only the absolute essentials or bespoke parts (custom rear end, leather seat, handgrips, etc.). The finished T63 bike, so named for the beefy Michelin T63 tires, is a murdered out beast that’s almost military in its build precision and spartan detailing.

For Munich locals Tom Konecny and Pablo Steigleder of Diamond Ateliers, talk is cheap. As a custom workshop, they’ve heard the tall tale a million times from prospective clients inquiring simply for the sake of inquiry. It’ss only when a customer steps up to the plate and commits does the magic truly begin to unfold in their workshop. Such is the case with this newly completed BMW R nineT DA#9, blacked out and ready to hit the streets in true stealth fashion. Because one of the client’s few requests was for a BMW boxer engine and aggressive shell, they decided to follow suit and then some. That lead to various engine upgrades resulting in a powerful 1400cc engine complete with an output of 145HP. They also threw in a K&N filter and a Spark muffler for good measure as well. In addition, the bike now features a full Wilbers ZF fork setup and a Wilbers Backline rear shock. The gas tank was also hand built, a custom-made tail rounds everything out and a hand-sewn Nubuk leather seat makes for a comfortable ride. Finally, pepper in a pair of BST full carbon fiber wheels wrapped in Pirelli Supercorsa SP2 tires for reduced weight and this thing screams intensity.