Taste is subjective, so it’s with a hint of trepidation that I compile my Editor’s Choice Top 10 each year. After all, my job is to select the world’s best custom motorcycles week after week—so distilling an already discerning catalog to just 10 machines is a burdensome task.
It starts with a ‘short’ list of about 20-30 bikes, which is slowly whittled down to a more manageable size. I then eliminate any bikes that made it into our stats-based Top 10, in the interest of fairness, and make a final selection.
The bikes that made it onto this year’s list show a diverse range of styles and skillsets, but each is unforgettable in its own way. And unlike our statistics-based Top 10, this list isn’t ranked—bikes are listed alphabetically by the builder’s or workshop’s name.
Harley Shovelhead by Asterisk Custom Works
What does it take to win the coveted ‘Best in Show’ award at the prestigious Mooneyes show? You have to pull out all the stops—like Hideki Hoshikawa at Asterisk Custom Works did with this jaw-dropping 1978 Harley-Davidson Shovelhead.
Hoshikawa-san started with the Shovelhead’s frame. The twin down tubes were hacked off and replaced by an elegant single down tube, the steering neck was heavily modified, and a rigid rear triangle was welded in. Leaf spring forks from W&W Cycles went onto the front, with a 22” front and 19” rear wheel completing the rolling chassis.
A 74 ci Shovelhead engine from S&S Cycle powers the build, packed in tightly between the split fuel tanks and intricate exhaust headers. Hideki’s attention to detail borders on obsessive. A handmade dashboard connects the tanks, which are finished with stainless steel ribs and flanked by an ornate hand shifter.
There’s not a hair out of place. From the deep blue livery to the numerous brass details, Asterisk’s Shovelhead is a masterclass in building an award-winning machine. [More]
Buell Blast by Cheetah
Toshiyuki ‘Cheetah’ Osawa is renowned for building radical flat trackers that break the mold. Who else would be crazy enough to build a flat tracker out of the most notorious Buell ever produced—the ill-fated Blast?
Cheetah’s Buell Blast is unrecognizable. Its single-cylinder mill was repackaged in a handmade frame, with traditional molding techniques used to incorporate the fuel tank and side strips. The subframe and swingarm were made from chromoly tubing, finished off with bronze-brazed welds.
Additional handmade metal parts were treated to a swirled finish to add contrast, while the top was trimmed with a perforated leather seat. Cheetah also added WP Suspension parts, 19” Sun hoops, and Hosier flat track tires. The engine was fitted with a wide-open Dell’Orto carb and a custom exhaust header with an Ixil muffler.
The Blast’s playful finishes are another Cheetah hallmark. Black, silver, gold, and red highlights all harmonize to create a spicy flat tracker that’s as fun to look at as it is to ride. [More]
Vespa PX by David Buderus
What do the 1991 Mazda 787B race car and the 1982 Vespa PX80 E scooter have in common? Absolutely nothing. But that didn’t stop David Buderus from customizing the latter with inspiration from the former.
The biggest connection is the Vespa’s orange-and-green argyle livery, pulled straight from the 787B. But it only tells part of the story. David is a passionate Vespista, so he saw to an array of other performance mods and cosmetic changes.
It took David four years to build his ‘Vespa 787B.’ Look past the bright exterior, and you’ll spot a Lambretta front end, cut body panels, and a 200 cc Vespa Cosa engine that’s been bumped to 221 cc with a Malossi kit. There’s also a 35 mm Keihin carb, a Tassinari Vforce 4 reed valve block, and a Vape ignition from SIP Scootershop.
Beyond the replica graphics, the Vespa also sports a custom-made rear wheel that mimics the 787B’s Volk Racing Super Fine Mag, with an aero disc up front that also copies the Mazda’s setup. Loaded with clever details, David’s Vespa is a tour de force. [More]
Yamaha XSR900 by HAXCH Moto
The retro sporbike craze reached fever pitch this year, pioneered by artisans like Marc Bell. Operating as HAXCH Moto, the Brit has risen through the ranks with his penchant for late-80s and early-90s styles, his skills in a workshop, and his eye for a vivid livery.
Although Marc’s usual fare is older bikes, he made waves earlier this year with this sharp Yamaha XSR900. Nicknaming it the ‘XZR900 Thunderbolt,’ Marc pulled inspiration from some of the Japanese marque’s greatest hits.
“There are details from the YZF750, TZR250, FZR400, and YZR500 in there,” he told us, “but as a whole, it isn’t a replica of any of them. I tried to capture the design language of 90s Yamahas—so that it feels like a Yamaha, but is an original design. That’s a super tricky thing to do.”
The work was extensive, starting with all-new handmade aluminum bodywork, and ending with a paint scheme that could have been plucked straight from a 90s Yamaha catalog. Finished with an array of upgraded parts and color-coded details, the XZR900 haunts my dreams. [More]
Honda Dax 125 by JZO Crafts and Kunimoto Hidetoshi
If you need proof that Taiwan’s custom scene is on the up, look no further than the annual Speed and Crafts show. Run by Winston Yeh of Rough Crafts fame, it has quickly become the premium showcase for the country’s rising stars. It’s also where this groundbreaking custom Honda Dax made its debut.
The build was a collaboration between JZO Crafts and Kunimoto Hidetoshi, the founder of the mini-moto parts company Nemoto. The idea was to build a pint-sized street tracker with big engineering concepts.
Big ticket items include air suspension from RacingBros, a CNC-machined swingarm from Over racing, and 12” disc wheels with Brembo brake calipers and Triforce ceramic discs. The Dax’s signature fuselage was retained, but heavily modified. A titanium exhaust system now runs through it, alongside a custom-made aluminum fuel tank. Both are accessible via the hinged flat track-style seat unit.
Wrapped in grey and blue hues with bold Honda Wing graphics, JZO and Kunimoto’s low-slung Dax nabbed a well-deserved podium finish at Speed and Crafts. [More]
Yamaha RD350 by MotoRelic
To call Sean Skinner’s tastes eclectic would be an understatement. He runs MotoRelic as a one-man show out of a small home garage, where he builds everything from idiosyncratic contraptions to handsome restomods.
This tidy 1973 Yamaha RD350 shows every side of Sean’s personality. It came to him from a client as a rusted basket case, but all Sean needed was the frame and engine. While the two-stroke specialist Ed Toomey was busy rebuilding the motor, Sean set the frame up on his workbench and got busy.
On went Suzuki GSX-R750 forks, Cognito Moto yokes, and 19” wheels with Cognito hubs and Excel rims. The rear end was upgraded with a Trac Dynamics swingarm and HyperPro shocks.
For the bodywork, Sean matched a narrowed Honda Ascot fuel tank to a custom-made headlight nacelle and tailpiece, along with a skinny oil tank that doubles as an inner rear fender. Complete with fresh wiring, a Jim Lomas exhaust system, and a striking blue paint job, this RD350 is one of MotoRelic’s best builds yet. [More]
Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 by Purpose Built Moto
Based on the Gold Coast, Australia, Purpose Built Moto is one of the busiest custom workshops around. So it’s a miracle that they find time to create ground-up customs like this no-holds-barred Royal Enfield bobber.
Based on the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650, PBM’s 1940s-inspired machine offers countless elements to admire from every angle. It rolls on 23F/19R clincher rims, with a one-off girder fork at the front and a custom mono-shock setup out back. With a Nitron shock placed perfectly in line, the silhouette is close to that of a hardtail.
The fork is attached to bespoke yokes, with direct-mount handlebars up top. The bars wear minimal controls; gear changes happen via a jockey shifter with an integrated clutch lever. PBM even added a kink to the shifter shaft, so that they could tuck it in closer to the engine.
The Super Meteor was dressed with elegant, handmade aluminum bodywork, with well-judged black, polished, and leather details to finish it off. PBM didn’t intend for it to be a mere show bike either—once it was buttoned up, shop boss Tom Gilroy took it out for a customary test ride. [More]
Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 by STG Tracker
Marcelo Obarrio and Germán Karp at STG Tracker also delivered a Royal Enfield bobber this year, but theirs had a very different vibe. The donor bike was an Interceptor 650 (called the INT650 in the States), and the goal was to build a zesty bobber with as much custom stuff on it as possible.
STG started by rebuilding 80 percent of the frame, propping the rear up on shorter shocks, and adding cutouts to the OEM swingarm. They also fabricated a teardrop fuel tank, with a second reservoir under the seat hosting the stock fuel pump. The stainless steel handlebars, fiberglass side covers, and ribbed rear fender were all produced in-house.
Other modifications include a pair of aluminum oil radiators that attach to the frame’s down tubes, BMB pod filters, and a twin exhaust system. STG kitted the cockpit with ODI x Cult Vans grips, custom switchblocks, and a Motogadget speedo.
Subtlety went out the window when it came time for Marcelo and Germán to pick a livery. They tasked their painter, Alejandro Minissale, with covering all of the bodywork and the frame in a vivid gradient inspired by the Californian sunset. [More]
BMW R100GS by WalzWerk
Marcus Walz’s company, WalzWerk, is more of a boutique manufacturer than a custom bike workshop. Their Schizzo series of classic BMW boxer café racers has proven popular, so this year, they decided to apply the same philosophy to the venerable BMW R100GS.
WalzWerk calls this new model the X-Plorer, and, like all of their BMW builds, it’s as subtle as it is well-equipped. The subframe is more compact than the stock bike’s, the seat is a two-piece arrangement that can accommodate a luggage rack, and the fenders are Acerbis items manufactured specifically for WalzWerk.
The R100GS retains its 26-liter fuel tank and generous front fairing, but almost everything else on it is proprietary. The suspension uses tailor-made Touratech components, the rear wheel is wider than stock, and the front wheel has gained an extra brake disc. Behind the fairing sits a custom dash, complete with a Daytona speedo and a Quad Lock phone mount.
Under the hood, the X-Plorer features an extensively rebuilt engine that now produces 70 hp. Finished in traditional BMW colors and available to order with myriad options, the WalzWerk X-Plorer is high on my wish list. [More]
Ducati Scrambler 1100 by Wedge Motorcycle
Overpriced, underpowered, and poorly named, the Ducati Scrambler 1100 wasn’t remotely as popular as its smaller stablemate, the Scrambler 800. So it’s little wonder that Ducati dropped it from their line-up earlier this year.
It’s a real pity, though. Despite its shortcomings, the Scrambler 1100 is still a good-looking bike with a trellis frame, a Monster 1100-derived engine, and finishing kit from Öhlins and Brembo (if you get it in ‘Sport Pro’ trim).
This custom Ducati Scrambler 1100 from Wedge Motorcycle offers a glimpse at what could have been. Enamored with its frame, Wedge founder Takashi Nihira set out to make it the centerpiece of his design. He designed a new fuel tank and a pair of side covers that, when combined, make it appear as if the tank is squeezed into the trellis frame. A café racer-style tail bump adorns the rear, perched atop a modified subframe with an asymmetrical layout that makes room for the Ducati’s offset rear shock.
Lush teal paint adds to the Ducati’s classy aesthetic, while carbon fiber wheels from Rotobox and a low-slung cockpit suggest sporty intentions. Captured in vivid detail by one of 2025’s top photographers, Hiromitsu Yasui, Wedge’s café racer is the best use of a Ducati Scrambler 1100 yet. [More]
Honorable Mentions
There are always top-shelf builds that miss the cut by a hair’s breadth. This year’s runners-up are Ģirts Ozoliņš’s KTM RC8 streetfighter [above], Philip Ludwig’s kinetic BMW R 1300 R, Rough Crafts’ Ducati Monster [below], and Switch Stance Riding’s Ducati 900 MHR restomod.
Surprisingly, only one motorcycle landed on both our primary Top 10 and this list: Steady Garage’s chart-topping Honda Dax 125.
A personal word of thanks goes out to everyone who keeps the wheels rolling at Bike EXIF: custom builders, photographers, our staff, and you, our dedicated readers. Happy New Year, and see you again in a few days.
