When it comes to the modern Bobber, Triumph set the bar high. But somehow, FCR Original has managed to clear it, and then some. The French atelier’s latest creation is more than a custom build; it’s an effort to improve the original product in every single way, while enriching the classic elements that have made the new Bobber such a hit. A stripped-back, perfectly balanced machine designed not for posing, but for the true joy of solo riding. This is British engineering, reimagined through a French lens of restraint, precision, and soul.

The story starts with a client who knew exactly what he wanted: a motorcycle that embodied elegance, spirit, and a complete lack of compromise. He didn’t ask for a louder engine or a wild paint job. He asked for clarity. He wanted a return to the essence of riding: just man, machine, and the open road. And FCR Original, based in the quiet town of Chauvigny, delivered exactly that, a Triumph Bonneville 1200 Bobber reborn as a minimalist masterpiece.

On any given Sunday, motorcyclists across the globe are kicking up dirt, carving corners, and racing everything from mini bikes to monsters. But not every ride has to be full throttle. Sometimes, the perfect day on two wheels is as simple as bar-hopping and café-cruising with your mates. Sure, you could ride anything for that, but something loud, fun, and easy on the eyes makes the experience all the better, especially if it's your second bike, built purely for good times. Enter the modern Triumph Bonneville: now surprisingly affordable and begging to be customised. Japan’s legendary Heiwa Motorcycles clearly got the memo, and their latest creation, a slick black Bonneville T100 dubbed No. 007, looks ready for a stylish spin. Honestly, Bond himself wouldn’t look out of place riding it to grab a midday Martini.

Heiwa Motorcycles and its enigmatic leader, Kengo Kimura, need no introduction to anyone who has even a passing interest in custom motorcycles. He's arguably one of the best builders on the planet, but when he's not building incredible show bikes to take out all of the top trophies, he does a roaring trade in custom cool bikes, designed to be ridden every single day. His Grass Tracker and FTR range are extremely popular for those who want a small scrambler, with a unique touch. But for those who want a more tarmac-focused terror, the all-conquering Yamaha SR and the Triumph Bonneville are proving to be the fan favourites.

A decade is a long time in the motorcycle industry, but that's how long it's been since Triumph first announced the Bonneville Bobber and Brogue Motorcycles launched in a two-car garage in Tuscon, Arizona. It's fair to say that both have come a hell of a long way, with the Bob now a staple of the British manufacturer's line-up and Brogue having moved across the country and expanded into one hell of a serious operation. So, it makes perfect sense then that the company which has always supported other Triumph products, has created a catalogue of kick-ass parts to transform your Bobber from factory fresh into a proper show-stopper for the street. Meet the Brogue Motorcycles 2024 Triumph Bobber, dripping with their own parts of pure perfection, all crafted at their facility in New York state.

Having started Brogue Motorcycles in a small garage, it really was only a matter of time before Mike Schartz took the company from strength to strength. Previously employed in aviation maintenance by some of the biggest manufacturers in the world, he transferred those skills over to custom bike building. But it's in parts development and manufacturing that his skill set really shines, and it all started when he found a busted CNC machine in the desert and got it up and running. Years later, Brogue is now located in the beautiful Hudson Valley and the talented team of seven, designs and manufactures premium parts for Yamaha, Ducati, Harley, KTM, Triumph, and more.

Attending a Concours d'Elegance event like Pebble Beach is a vastly different experience than casually hanging out, beer in hand, at your favourite custom bike show. But take away the champagne, botox and boat shoes, and there is a hell of a lot to be learnt. And perhaps the greatest lesson from these masters of restoration is paying attention to the finer details, while also having a cohesive overall design. It's something that Robert Sabel absolutely nails, bringing his Porsche purist exceptionalism to each and every one of his custom BMW builds. The Dowley Commission is no exception, with this 1986 BMW R80 given the full Roughchild remake, to create a black Bimmer that would be at home at any event, no matter how discerning the judges.

As we've mentioned in the past, Robert's an expert in classic Porsches, and the eye for detail you need to work in that field has carried over brilliantly into his career as a bike builder. There is a lot to be said for focussing on one make and even model, whether that be cars or bikes, but whatever your poison, the devil really is in the detail. It's here that so many emerging and backyard builders can learn from people like Robert, who approach their motorcycle builds with the sort of attention to detail that is applied to the high-end world of classic cars. So, before we dive into this beautiful in black BMW, notice an important fact; nothing on this bike is out of place, an afterthought or left half-done.

At the close of the most recent financial year, the bean counters at Royal Enfield had one hell of an impressive number to take to management; the company had produced and sold a million motorcycles in that twelve-month period. The company is simply booming, and you'd be hard pressed to find a place on earth where you don't see an RE on the road; but nowhere do they loom as large as in their home country of India. The love for the brand is a national pastime, and workshops like Eimor Customs service a clientele who want to do something truly special with their RE. The latest build to roll out of the Hyderabad-based powerhouse is 'Shibusa', a 2012 Royal Enfield Classic 350, which is transported back to a golden age as a brass popping Bobber with all of the fruit.

Eimor stands for East India Motorcycle Revolution and was founded back in 2011 by friends MJ and Joy, who decided because they couldn't find anyone to build bikes to the quality they desired, they'd just have to go out and do it themselves. And over the years they've not only assembled an incredibly talented team, but they've built countless custom motorcycles of the highest standard. They like to use a lot of locally manufactured machines for their projects, and while it is not as evident on this build as it is on others, they have by far the best paint and graphics department on the sub-continent. Now, that's a big call, we're talking over 1.5 billion people, but if you look at their website and check out the incredible panel, paint and airbrushing work they do, I'm sure you'll agree.

If you keep a casual eye on the motorcycle industry at large, then it's hard to miss the fact that some major manufacturers are in financial trouble. But while those big brands struggle, new players emerge and a surprise success story in recent times has been that of Thunder Motorcycles. Now, straight away I can hear people asking themselves the question, how can they be successful if I've never even heard of them? And the answer is that the company has been focussing all of their attention on the Japanese domestic market, creating brand recognition and ensuring its product is rugged and reliable. But at the recent Tokyo Motorcycle Show, the big news came, Thunder Motorcycles are taking their pair of 250cc models global, and they're bringing custom cool to the showroom floor.

The Thunder Motorcycles exhibit at Asia's largest trade show for new motorcycles definitely stood out from the pack, with their unapologetically custom bike flare mixed in with traditional Japanese imagery. But the company is not solely a local effort, rather it is a joint venture between Japan and China, and takes input from some of the best custom builders from each nation. This helps to explain the fact that until now, most of the promotion for the company has taken place at shows like Mooneyes and smaller custom events. "To get the word out to the world, we need to exhibit at places with a large mass. There are so many more people here than at the custom bike shows we've been to before," explains company spokesperson Yuji Noro.

For a hell of a long time, the vast majority of elite custom motorcycles entered into the world’s biggest shows and build-offs have been powered by the iconic V-Twins from Milwaukee. The biggest shops in North America, Europe, and Japan stuck with this tried-and-true platform, and the winners' lists from events like AMD, Biker Build Offs, and Mooneyes were often dominated by the same engines. That was until recently when more and more of the best customisers on the planet turned to a new power plant; the new twin on the block. Engineered at Royal Enfield's Technology Centre in Bruntingthorpe, England, it has the elegant design language and glorious sound required for the job. So, when Royal Enfield asked Australia's Purpose Built Moto to use one of their new Super Meteor 650s as the basis for a custom build, the team seized the moment and crafted their magnum opus, a truly magnificent motorcycle they call Delta.

The Greek letter Delta signifies change, which in this instance, can represent the shift from one proven engine configuration to another. But for PBM, the Delta, which forms part of their logo, has come to symbolise their commitment to constant change and growth. “We have a sharp focus on consistent progress and have held fast to the idea that if we stop moving forward, we cease to exist,” PBM’s Tom Gilroy explains. While Tom was initially surprised that a major manufacturer sought his services, to us it was simply a wise decision. And he quickly realised that this was “our chance to showcase just what we’re capable of when given creative freedom and control over the outcome of a build in its entirety.” To come up with a concept, Tom immersed himself in everything Royal Enfield and came away with a deep appreciation for the brand’s simplicity and soul. “Taking the lead from RE’s history, we crafted a motorcycle inspired by a very simple time in motorcycling, the '40s and '50s. Looking at models like the original Super Meteor 700 and one of my personal favourites, the Flying Flea from World War II.”

It's as close to being the Academy Awards of our industry, there are many other amazing events, but there is a prestige to the Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show, that means for many builders, simply being invited to exhibit is a lifelong goal. Each year's event is awash with incredible creations and it also serves as a stark reminder that when it comes to the Japanese scene, the rest of the world is really only getting a small glimpse behind the curtain. So, what better way to lift the lid on one of the nations best builders, who is largely unknown outside of Japan, than to show off his most recent trophy winning creation. Kenta Onishi is the boss at Eccentric Motorcycles, and this wild in white 1997 Kawasaki Estrella took out 'Best Domestic Bike' at the recent 2024 Yokohama show.

Onishi-san is a custom bike builder known for never following a trend, to the point that when a certain style is in vogue, he will avoid it like the plague. His small shop in the city of Kawaguchi has always been a place for those looking for something truly different, as a shared creative process between client and creator is truly encouraged. Onishi-san takes his job very seriously, and before putting pen to paper to create a design, he will often spend months studying the style and its history. For this build, his client wanted a custom that drew heavily on pre-war automobiles, while also incorporating plenty of Art Deco touches.

There has always been something special about a big torquey V-Twin, and for a long time, one company ruled the roost. But the rise and rise of Indian Motorcycle has been nothing short of remarkable, and as we power into 2025, the first American Motorcycle Company is back on top in a big way. A host of new machines have been brilliant bikes, and the Sport Chief released two years ago with its excellent twin down-tube frame and that torque monster Thunderstroke 116 engine, air-cooled for pure packaging, is one of the best! But the all-new 2025 Indian Sport Chief RT might just be the greatest performance cruiser ever released. And what better way to celebrate than with a European custom bike build-off, with the continent's top Indian dealers delivering the 'First 6’ collection of club-style hot rods, unveiled over the weekend at the Moto Bike Expo in Verona.

Building on the success of the Sport Chief, the RT takes things to all-new levels and helping the rider make the most of all that V-Twin power is a key part of the upgrades. At the front, you get a set of plush 43mm KYB inverted forks, and the rear sports a set of trick Fox piggyback-style shocks, with 23 clicks of adjustment. Braking is now bang on too, with big Brembo four-piston calipers clamping a large twin-disc setup, finally giving a cruiser the mega stopping power to literally ride the brakes off the thing. There is a host of modern tech and plenty of storage space, but for Ola Stenegärd, a renowned customiser and Director of Design for Indian Motorcycle, the ‘First 6’ is a passion project that links directly to a key principle of the factory design team – customising is key.

He's built custom motorcycles for Oscar winners and Formula One World Champions, and half a dozen of the biggest manufacturers in the world have called on his talents. And just a few years ago, he also celebrated his 1000th custom build. There are too many superlatives to use when describing the work of Marcus Walz, and now his company, WalzWerk, is celebrating an extraordinary milestone: its 35th anniversary. Very few will ever reach this mark, and while most of us celebrate major occasions with a cake and a few drinks, Marcus saw it as the perfect excuse to build more bikes. Meet the 35th Anniversary WalzWerk SCHIZZO® Bobber, of which 35 will be built, and to prove just how popular and in demand Walz customs are, there are only two left.

Originally, many came to know Walz as the man behind the Hockenheim-based Hardcore Cycles, where he produced one show-stopping Harley-Davidson custom after another. But in his spare time, he raced in the BMW Boxer Cup, tracked bikes from Triumph and Ducati, and restored some classic Porsches. All of which served as further R&D that Marcus poured into the builds of an endless run of bikes under the WalzWerk brand. While they might specialise in Bavarian bikes, motorcycles from most manufacturers have gone under the knife and come out looking a million dollars. And they don’t just look stunning, Walz has always prioritised the performance of his bikes, making them ride better than just about anything money can buy.