Having access to a fully equipped workshop does help when you’re going to build a custom bike, as does having been in the game since God’s dog was a puppy, naturally. Pics: Simon Everett When Hank, head honcho at Trike Design/Hank’s Chop Shop in Caerphilly, ex-president of the National Chopper Club and a man who…
In terms of building motorcycles that became known for their performance, Birmingham Small Arms, or BSA as they’re more commonly known, didn’t, or perhaps haven’t, done quite as well as their great rivals Triumph or Norton. Pics: Simon Everett Yes, I’m aware that the Gold Star, both in its 350cc and 500cc variants, 1938-1963, is…
I think it was the ancient Greek tragedian Aeschylus who said ‘Wisdom comes only through suffering’. You’ve got to hand it to those old ancient Greeks – they might’ve had some very dubious ideas about the education, in every sense of the word, of young boys, but when it comes to sitting about in a…
The idea for this bike came some 30 years ago when my good mate Reitse acquired a Triumph front frame loop and engine (which had been, apparently, overhauled). I’d built several Triumphs that’d been to his liking so the plan was that I’d build it for him. We were both in our 20s then, and…
It was with a certain amount of regret that we left Encamp in Andorra and headed for the French border, but all sadness at having to leave this beautiful place was soon supplanted by the joy of riding through the stunning scenery of the Pyrenees. At one point we passed through a rare set of…
While buying an already-built custom bike has some advantages – not having to spend endless hours making/fitting parts, waiting for suppliers or trying to understand the dark art of wiring or any of the other endless headaches involved in bike building – there’s one huge disadvantage; it’ll never truly be your bike! Words and pictures:…
Pictures: Joseba Aguirre When describing the manner in which custom bikes are crafted, us eloquent wordsmiffs, like, are wont to use some fairly flowery language so as not keep repeating words like ‘built’, ‘made’, ‘welded up’ et cetera, et cetera. One of the most apt of these terms wot we use to describe the bending,…
Harley-Davidson’s dealer-led Dark Custom customisation competition returns for a fourth year. Online voting is now open. Harley-Davidson’s ‘Battle of the Kings’ 2018 customisation contest now moves up a gear with the opening of the Battle of the Kings (BOTK) online hub for motorcycle fans to vote for their favourite entry from official Harley-Davidson® dealers across…
The stunning new Z900RS retro is an up-to-date modern classic that pays homage to the legendary Z1. Providing supreme kerb appeal and the true spirit of riding satisfaction, the Z900RS is available in three different colour schemes, with three corresponding prices. The standard mean and moody Metallic Spark Black is starting at just £9,899, the…
West London Harley Riders are celebrating their 35th anniversary this year, and they’ve decided to do something a bit different. The photo shows club members at Reading H-D, picking up the 2016 883 Sportster Iron which they’ve bought to use as a raffle prize. It has 1,800 miles on the clock and comes with one…
