Not long ago, riders who wanted an electric motorcycle had very few and very wack choices. BRD’s Redshift motocross bike is a shining example of how far we’ve come in a short time. Depending on how you roll, this stripped-down all electric design can be set up for off-road thrashing or zipping over potholes on city streets with endless torque. Source
Portland, Oregon’s Icon brand turns out serious, premium quality American-made motorcycle gear. The latest addition to their line is a full-face helmet rendered in raw composite. No fancy paint job, no BS. Very Mad Max. The fog- free shield is optional.
This isn’t the first bike we’ve featured by master-builder Winston Yeh. From his Shop in Taiwan, Yeh continues to turn out one-of-a-kind customs. This gothic sled is built around a highly polished Harley knuckle motor wedged into a Zero Engineering frame. All the custom body and fabrication stuff is Yeh’s handiwork. And it’s not a museum piece, it’ll peel you off if you’re not holding on tight. Source
Harleys and those awful Victory bikes aren’t your only options for an American made motorcycle. Motus Motorcycles has created a line of truly American made bikes that look like a cross between a Ducati, a BMW and a Moto Guzzi designed for touring. The 100 cubic-inch “baby block” V4 pushrod motor gives them their distinctive look and fitted with hardware from Brembo, Ohlins, and Oz, they are definitely bikes for the serious rider seeking power and performance made here at home.
Triumph is celebrating its 110th year of making England’s most iconic motorbikes. The limited edition Bonneville T100 is based on their 1902 T100 No.1, and packs a parallel twin 865 cc motor, spoked wheels, and a tasteful smattering of chrome. The Brooklands Green color split paint scheme is a nod to the Brooklands track, the world’s first purpose built motor racing circuit. There’s an anniversary crest on the side cover, inspired by early bike badges that feature the classic Triumph crown icon. They’re only building 1000 of these beauties. Now’s your chance.
Although Deus is headquartered in Australia, this Sportster-based custom called The American was actually built by an American named Michael Woolaway who works right here in the USA. With a look combining café racer and classic street-tracker design, this Harley-powered leg burner is a great example of an American-made custom that looks nothing like your dad’s hog.
The Bomb Runner is a fully customized Harley Sportster from the soon-to-be-legendary custom garage Rough Craft, based in Taiwan. Builder Winston Yeh turns a 2011 Sporty Forty-Eight 1200 into a bulked-up beast of a bike. He takes the best of classic craft, Japanese Brat Style, custom fabrication, and high performance power and blends them into bikes like this one here. Nobody would dare call this Sportster “the chick’s Harley.” Source
The Horex has a lot going for it. It’s German and not a BMW! And it’s a V6. What’s the advantage of a 6-cylinder street bike? Well, you get more power at a lower rev. The VR6 Roadster from Horex is a groundbreaking machine with a beast of a motor as narrow and nimble as most fours. Yup, German engineering at it’s finest.
In an effort to shake up its classic line of American-made cruisers, Harley-Davidson has unfortunately made some downright ugly factory customs in the past few years. The new Softtail Slim however is a stunning bike. It sports the 103 C.I. big twin motor and the classic soft-tail that looks like a hardtail rear end and has been stripped of all the BS that turned dentists and lawyers into wild hogs. No chrome, no cases, no plastic, just a barebones, badass Softtail bobber that won’t get you mistaken for an off-duty exec just yet.
By their very name British bike builders Spirit Of The Seventies is making their aim pretty damn clear. Their latest custom is a versatile and highly modified Triumph twin based on the 2005 Scrambler. Major frame and performance mods make the S6 one mean machine whether you’re ripping around on backroads or trying to drive it up over a stonewall.
