The world of motorcycles is a robust one. There’s a motorcycle designed for pretty much every use out there. The companies selling bikes are trying to appeal to every area of the market from the folks who love to cruise to the racers to the adventurers.
Then there’s the custom bike scene. Geniuses, craftsmen, artists take motorcycles and turn them into rolling pieces of art.
I try to cover a little bit of it all. From the new bikes rolling off the production lines at the various motorcycle manufacturers to the littlest of custom shops and individuals tinkering around in their sheds.
Here are the main types of motorcycles I typically write about on this site.
Note that this isn’t an exhaustive list, and the article linked above about the different types of motorcycles will explain the full picture.
The fun doesn’t stop with the various types of motorcycles. There are also tons of brands that sell each type of motorcycle. I’ve written an article on the different motorcycle brands out there, and that should give you a pretty clear idea of what you’ll find.
Motorcycle type and the different brands matter a ton, but I often find myself and other riders classifying motorcycles by their engine size or displacement.
This is typically how the industry categorizes motorcycles. You’ll see a 250cc class, a 600cc class, etc. To learn more, check out my article on the various engine sizes out there in the world of motorcycles.
Lastly, I want to talk about the price of motorcycles. Everyone has to work in a budget, and you can buy a nice bike for very little money, but you can also spend a ton.
Price is a big deciding factor, and I would hope you take it into account. Here are my thoughts on motorcycles and their prices.
Below are the latest articles on various motorcycles.
There are thousands of cool custom motorcycles out there, but this custom Honda XR650L scrambler might take the cake for me.
Spencer Parr of Parr Motorcycles from my own neck of the woods in Indiana transformed a 2024 Honda XR650L, a durable dual-sport that has been in production for over 30 years, into the stunning “Sunrise Scrambler,” designed to look as if it rolled off the Honda assembly line in the 1970s.
Continue reading “Custom Honda XR650L Scrambler by Parr Motorcycles”AC Sanctuary’s RCM-696 Z1-R is a sensational, custom Kawasaki Z1-R that represents the pinnacle of the shop’s “Real Complete Machine” resto-mod program, embodying 30 years of obsessive Japanese perfectionism and serving as a rolling testament to their expertise.
The cafe racer motorcycle, while unmistakably a Z1-R, features an all-new, finely-adjustable upper cowl mount crafted from duralumin and a custom carbon-and-aluminum dash housing STACK analog gauges, executed with surgical precision to ensure aesthetic balance and full functionality.
Continue reading “Custom Kawasaki Z1-R by AC Sanctuary”This is “Tydirium,” built by Xavi Dynamische. It is a naked superbike conversion of a Yamaha R1 (based on the 2002 Deltabox III chassis), designed to capture the aggressive performance of a race replica while adopting a hyper-naked aesthetic.
The bike is named after Darth Vader’s personal shuttle due to its all-black, menacing look. Unlike most modern factory naked bikes, which often feature lower-spec components and reduced power, the Tydirium retains the full performance capabilities of the R1’s engine and chassis, including its claimed 152 hp output and a notably low dry weight of 174 kg (383 lbs).
Continue reading “Custom Yamaha R1 Streetfighter by Xavi Dynamische”The Yamaha XT500 restomod, built by Purpose Built Moto (PBM) and affectionately called the “VMX Scrambler,” is a tribute that blends the iconic dual-sport’s classic charm with aggressive vintage motocross and scrambler styling and modern reliability.
The aesthetic maintains the XT500’s DNA but features PBM’s signature style, including a modified factory fuel tank, custom aluminum bodywork, and a distinctive yellow and black ‘speed block’ paint scheme inspired by the 1976 Yamaha YZ400.
Continue reading “Custom Yamaha XT500 by Purpose Built Moto”This is the “Mazda 787B,” a 1982 Vespa PX80 scooter transformed into a meticulous motorsport tribute by David from the Zennteifel Rollerclub in Germany. This four-year build was inspired by Mazda’s 1991 Le Mans winner, the legendary rotary-powered 787B.
David was drawn to the race car’s underdog status and aimed to create a scooter that was both an engineering statement and a faithful visual homage. The finished aesthetic perfectly recreates the iconic green and orange livery, complete with precise details like the ’91 scrutineering sticker and a subtle rotary logo engraved on the fan hub.
Continue reading “Custom 1982 Vespa PX80 by Dave van Speedson”This is the “Silver Surfer,” a crash-damaged 2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan 411 that was expertly converted into a pure dirt bike. The build was a project by Max Hind of the 999lazer YouTube channel, executed in a remarkable four days by mechanic and test rider Sean Smith.
The entire purpose of the build was to prove the low-cost, low-power Himalayan could survive the UK’s most grueling off-road endurance event, the Weston Beach Race, an event known for overwhelming even professional-grade motocross bikes.
Continue reading “Custom Royal Enfield Himalayan 411 Dirt Bike by 999lazer”This is the “Silver Arrow,” a strikingly customized 1982 Yamaha TR1, a machine born from a desire to elevate a misunderstood platform. The bike was built by Christian Moretti of Plan B Motorcycles in Laveno Mombello, Italy.
Known for its powerful V-twin engine, the Yamaha TR1 was often called the “poor man’s Vincent,” a comparison Christian took seriously. His goal was to build a machine worthy of the legendary name, reinterpreting the 1960s British café racer style through a lens of Italian creativity and mechanical obsession.
Continue reading “Custom Yamaha XV750 Virago Cafe Racer by Plan B Motorcycles”This is the Royal Enfield Bear 650, transformed into the “Black Bear” by the undisputed master of monochrome, Tanadit Sarawek (or simply Eak) of K-Speed in Bangkok. The K-Speed workshop operates under a philosophy where black paint and matte finishes dominate, aiming to strip a factory machine of its innocence and infuse it with a sharper, darker identity.
The goal for the new custom Royal Enfield Bear was to leverage its existing scrambler platform to create a powerful back street brawler, focusing entirely on a clean silhouette and aggressive stance.
Continue reading “Custom Royal Enfield Bear 650 by K-Speed”Alright, let’s talk about a motorcycle that was inspired by the brutal, stripped-down aesthetic of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb racers. This is a 2022 Aprilia Tuono V4 1100, transformed by Michael Vienne of Championship Cycles in Los Angeles into a purpose-built track machine, aptly named “Peak Performance.”
The goal was to embody that Pikes Peak look: a bike wearing handlebars instead of clip-ons, with minimal bodywork, driven by the pure function of speed.
Continue reading “Custom Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 by Championship Cycles”Alright, let’s talk about a motorcycle that is less a machine and more a mechanical symphony unleashed. This is “Tatsumaki,” a 1982 custom Honda CBX1000, reborn by the wizards at Unik Motorcycles in Lisbon.
The legendary CBX is already one of the most iconic engines in history—a colossal inline-six—and for builders Tiago and Luis, the goal wasn’t just to customize it, but to truly set its thunderous heart free.
Continue reading “Custom Honda CBX1000 by Unik Motorcycles”
