With clean, classic lines plus Italian design and engineering, the new range of 2013 V7 models from Moto Guzzi is one of the most interesting things happening in the mid-size bike market. 3 models: the blacked-out V7 Stone, the touring equipped V7 Special, and the café-inspired V7 Racer all feature Guzzi’s signature 90º V-twin 750cc powerplant & amazingly, all 3 are priced under $10K.

Harley has been trying hard to shake the stigma their big twin bikes have as being heavy, two-wheeled chrome boats that dads and doctors drive on Sunday afternoons. Their latest effort, the 2013 Softail CVO Breakout retains the chrome but gets chopped fenders, a 240 rear tire, a beefy air intake, and offers the best weight to torque ratio of all the CVO bikes. Fast? Definitely.

Built around China’s only motorcycle that can even loosely be called a classic, the Chang Jiang 750, this chopped up and murdered one-off custom called Nero, from Beijing-based Bandit9 is as mean a CJ750 as you’re likely to ever see. Custom-made tank and tins, seat, exhaust and electrical plus the all-over matte black spray job guaranteed the Nero a spot on all the cool biker blogs. You can see why.

When it comes to building vehicles of any sort, BMW doesn’t really mess around. This serious-looking prototype electric-powered scooter could soon be on the roads hitting speeds nearing 75 MPH with a range of over 60 miles. It features an energy recuperation technology that reuses engine drag torque from braking to increase range up to 20-percent.

Any plug-in electric vehicle that isn’t a Leaf is cool in our book but few are as downright dope as the Brammo Empulse. Brammo’s two new models: the Empulse & Empulse R, have a transmission that feels like a traditional motor & hits 100+MPH plus feature proven parts like Brembo brakes and Marzocchi forks. 100 miles of riding for every dollar in electricity sounds good, too.

Like all bikes from Hamburg, Germany-based builder Axel Budde, this Guzzi café racer is a one off. Aside from that rebuilt V11 motor, just about every other part on the bike is custom, handmade or re-purposed from a treasure chest of 80s Italian parts. The balanced silhouette, power, and undeniable appeal of this bike beg the question: Why don’t any new bikes look this cool? Source

Right out of the wrapper, Triumph’s Scrambler model is pretty sick. It’s packed with a classic-looking 865cc Paralles twin motor and a trim package made for on or off-road action. The beefed-up, modified custom you see here was built by two skillful European craftsmen for Germany’s annual summer Triumph festival called Tridays, and its classic grass-track race called the Rumble. Looks like a winner to us. Source

If all you know about motorcycles is that you need a cool one, get one from Deus Ex Machina. We feature their bikes pretty often and that’s because they don’t make any lame ones. This highly modified Yamaha is only a 225 so it’s light, easy to ride and sips gas. The wide tires are great for on or off road rallying  and the clutter-free rear end & alloy tank make it look pretty mean for it’s size.

If you look at DP Customs’ “Seventy Three Ironhead” and ask yourself, “Why a hard tail and a sprung front end?” or “Why so black?” you should really just stick to driving your minivan and forget about motorcycles altogether. Source

In its original form, the old Yamaha XV920 was more than just a little lame. It was unremarkable in pretty much every way. Greg Hageman of Doc’s Chops however, has made his name by transforming old metric dogs into mean machines. These aren’t quick strip-down builds; this bike got a new sub-frame, a full rebuild, and re-purposed parts from a half dozen other bikes. Clearly Hageman knows what he’s doing. Source