The custom motorcycle scene was once a fairly niche space, though the mid-aughts would see a massive influx in interest in one-off two-wheelers. Spurred on by the creation and success of now-eminent custom moto blogs like BikeEXIF, Return of the Cafe Racers, and Pipeburn, the widespread popularity in the bespoke bike space unsurprisingly lead to an increased demand. This, in turn, resulted in the inception of dozens and dozens of custom motorcycle shops popping up across the globe. While each of these outfits boasts its own unique style and strengths, there are a handful of one-off bike-building operations that have managed to stand above the rest, displaying a level of skill in design and fabrication that give way to what can only be described as world-class custom motorcycles. And it’s this small handful of highly-elite shops and craftsmen that we’ll be highlighting today in this guide to the best custom motorcycle builders. 

We’ll start this by first saying that there’s a slew of genuinely legendary names in the custom motorcycle space that one can very reasonably argue were deserving of representation on this list. There’s also obviously some subjectivity here, as personal taste and aesthetics clearly play a role in how we view each shop. With that said, we set out to be as objective as possible when piecing together this thoroughly-curated list. 

For starters, we’re only looking to shops that are currently operating, which right off the bat excludes a great many outfits that previously carved out legendary names for themselves but eventually slowed or stopped their operations altogether. We then looked back through our own coverage for our favorite builds from the last few years to select an initial list of candidates that are still building bikes. From there, we examined each shop’s body of work, paying close attention to their eye for design and creativity, as well as how idiosyncratic and/or original their builds are. We also accounted for the diversity amongst a shop’s different builds, and whether or not they specialize in a single genre — and if they do so well enough to deserve a place on this list — or churn out a wide variety of build types and styles. 

Being able to design a beautiful custom motorcycle is one thing, but being able to turn a design into metal is another story altogether, which is why we also closely scrutinized each shop’s craftsmanship, execution, and level of fit and finish. This criteria is extremely important, as the ability to produce a one-off motorcycle with a true factory-level finish is a massive part of what separates the best shops in the world from their counterparts. Just as important, however, is the level of attention to detail and intricacy each build displays. This includes elements such as the number of custom parts produced for each build (versus the number of aftermarket components used). Looking at these areas collectively ultimately lead us to a shortlist of what we’ve crowned the best custom motorcycle shops.

2LOUD Custom

Headquartered out of Taipei City, Taiwan and run by Ma ‘Max’ Yicheng, 2LOUD Custom is a world-renowned bespoke bike building outfit lauded for its classically-styled customs, though there are several factors that set 2LOUD aside from the rest of the custom Moto crowd. This shop’s bikes not only feature super clean, super tidy, and super uncluttered appearances that are visually devoid of any unsightly ancillaries, but they also sport overall appearances that remain incredibly true and authentic to 1960s and ‘70s era motorcycles. This shop’s elite status is also furthered by its stellar execution and build quality, along with its equally impressive attention to detail and use of minor supplementary bespoke elements.

Auto Fabrica

Based in England, Auto Fabrica is a world-famous one-off motorcycle shop that crafts bikes characterized by their immensely tidy, uncluttered profiles, clean lines, and brilliant execution. More so than almost any other customs shop currently in operation, Auto Fabrica’s designs are wildly cohesive, and see every inch of the bike and every single element that comprises it taken into account and thoroughly scrutinized. This ultimately gives way to beautiful one-off two-wheelers with perfectly matched bespoke tanks, subframes, and tails, complemented by smaller matching elements such as exhausts and headlights. A great many of Auto Fabrica’s more elaborate projects also undeniably blur the line between one-off two-wheeler and fine art. 

Cohn Racers

Madrid-born builder Chete Ilzarbe first proved Cohn Racers’ capabilities with several of his early one-off works — which included several noteworthy Ducati and Harley builds. More recently, however, Cohn unveiled its magnum opus with what’s been dubbed the Muscle R2. In many ways, this shop has taken the bespoke supercar/hypercar buying experience and brought it into the two-wheeled realm, with the MR2 doing for the Harley-Davidson Sportster what Singer Vehicle Design has essentially done for the Porsche 911. Born out of over $1,000,000 and 20,000 hours of development, this machine’s development is more on par with that of your average high-performance production model than it is a custom motorcycle. Adorned in 24k gold shop badges, this bespoke Sporster is comprised of over 170 bespoke parts — 20 of which are crafted from carbon fiber — plus more than 20 top-shelf after market parts. Limited to 99 units in total, the MR2’s only remaining stock element is its 1,200cc V-Twin engine, which has been tuned to generate 26% more power, with the bike putting down over 100hp, while weighing 22% less at 420lbs at the curb. Each unit is built on a custom, made-to-order basis giving the buyer a wide range of configurable options. 

Deus Ex Machina

Founded in Australia in 2006, Deus Ex Machina (Latin for “God From The Machine”), has grown from a small custom moto builder with a single location into a globally-recognized lifestyle brand that’s just as well-known for its clothing as it is its world-class custom builds. Harnessing design and fabrication skills from some of the world’s most eminent builders — with in-house lead wrenches that have included Michael “Woolie” Woolaway and Jeremy Tagand — Deus’ one-off two-wheeled works span a wide variety of styles and build types, though no matter the genre, every single one sports an unmistakable vintage influence. Now boasting more than 20 brick-and-mortar locations scattered across the globe, Deus continues to churn out one-off bike builds, though has also branched out with a myriad of side efforts such as Deus Records, Deus Cycleworks, and Deus Surfing, just to name a few. 

El Solitario MC

El Solitario Motorcycle Club — or ESMC — is a Spanish shop run by David Borrás. The company built its name and reputation on the strength of its unique and well-crafted one-off moto builds — such as its Harley-based Desert Wolves adventure bikes, its “Petardo” Ducati one-off, and controversial BMW R9T-based “Imposter” build — though has since capitalized on its following by producing a growing catalog of side projects and product releases. In recent years, ESMC has admittedly slowed its one-off bike production, though it does still occasionally churn out new one-off works, plus it’s used this time to whip up a wide range of supplementary offerings including an array of bags and pieces of riding gear, and numerous collaborations including a recent whisky release, a limited edition pair of 100% Barstow riding goggles, a pair of ESMC x Native Sons sunglasses, and a camo-clad collection of adventure riding gear done in partnership with Alpinestars. 

FCR Original

Working out of Chauvigny, France, FCR Original is a high-end custom motorcycle outfit that trades almost exclusively in crafting custom bikes with a heavily-retro-inspired and occasionally very period-correct-looking appearance that’s all brought to life with an insanely-clean factory-level execution and finish. Working only with modern donors from BMW and Triumph (and two Royal Enfield models), FCR offers its bikes as parts of a limited build series, rather than being one-off works — an element that allows the shop to invest markedly more time in designing each build, resulting in highly-calculated customs that see practically every inch of the machine severely scrutinized. FCR’s meticulous eye for design is matched by an equally premium level of craftsmanship and uniformity among its builds. 

Hazan Motorworks

Working out of an 800-square-foot studio in Los Angeles’ Fashion District, Hazan Motorworks is a one-man operation run by living legend Max Hazan. Producing a wide variety of build types — a myriad of which feature forced-induction powertrains — Hazan’s builds are sketched out by hand at a 1:1 scale, though much of the design exists only in the builder’s head. Part custom motorcycle and part work of fine art, Hazan’s builds are hand-crafted from the ground up, and are typically comprised entirely of custom one-off parts, with the only remaining stock element usually being the engine — and even that is almost always heavily modified. These machines not only look fantastic as overall cohesive designs, but they’re made all the more impressive and unique by the fact that Hazan bestows each of his motorcycles with a generous slew of tiny bespoke details such as custom wheels, cockpits, and braking systems. 

Hookie Co.

Hookie Co. is an incredibly eminent customs shop located in Dresden, Germany. Since its inception, Hookie Co. has managed to stand out from the crowd by applying an incredible eye for design with a level of fit and finish that’s typically reserved for high-end production models — a feat that’s often at least partially made possible through the use of innovative manufacturing tech such as 3D printing. And, while it’s bread and butter was once crafting one-off bikes, Hookie has since added producing bolt-on kits to its repertoire, and now makes just about as many kits and parts as it does bespoke one-of-one custom motorcycles.

Ironwood Custom Motorcycles

Originally coming onto the scene in 2012, Ironwood Custom Motorcycles is an Amsterdam-based shop founded by Arjan van den Boom and Nick de Ruijte. Beginning with a focus on cafe racers, Ironwood would quickly develop its own signature style, leading to the inception of the BMW “bob-fighter” — a streetfighter, cafe racer combo with an ultra-stubby bobbed tail/subframe. Crafting these one-off monoposto machines isn’t Ironwood’s only claim to fame, however, as it’s also been the force behind a handful of very different one-off works  —several of which have been backed and/or commissioned by manufacturers themselves. Arj of Ironwood is also responsible for recently co-founding off-shoot CNCEPT Moto alongside fellow Dutch builder Timothy Somers of Powerbrick Performance.

Kaffee Maschine

Founded and headed up by Axel Budde, Kaffeemaschine Motorcycles is a Hamburg-based shop that one could classify as something of a one-trick pony. It just so happens that Kaffeemaschine’s one trick is building what are objectively some of the finest and cleanest Moto Guzzi-based cafe racers (and roadsters) on the planet. While Kaffeemaschine never strays far from its basic formula, each build is beautifully designed and executed, with the shop managing to put a unique spin on every project. What’s more, Kaffeemaschine’s builds aren’t just vintage-inspired, they very often look nearly period-correct, with elements often borrowed from ’60s and ‘70s era aftermarket parts and race bikes such as those built by Magni. So, you can cal it a one-trick pony, but the German shop performs its once trick better than practically anyone on earth. 

Kingston Custom

Lead by Dirk Oehlerking — a former motocross champion in his native country — Kingston Custom is a shop in Germany that possesses a particular affinity for BMW donors and hand-formed bodywork. Often employing old-school production techniques, Kingston has produced an objectively impressive body of custom two-wheelers over its existence. What really makes Kingston stand out from the crowd, however, is Dirk’s bodywork. Taking inspiration from vintage and antique streamliners and salt flat racers, Dirk frequently pieces together full suites of hand-worked body panels to create his award-winning one-off works — many of which reside in museums. Additionally, Dirk’s work has garnered dozens of prestigious awards, and has resulted in him receiving a variety of commissions directly from major manufacturers. 

K-Speed

K-Speed is a custom motorcycle shop and parts produced that is very much a product of its environment. Based in Thailand, K-Speed works in a region where small-displacement bikes rule the roads, and as such the shop has unsurprisingly developed a knack for transforming small-bore bikes into impressive one-off works — a great many of which utilize modern Honda donor platforms. Often sporting an intentionally minimalistic and raw aesthetic, K-Speed’s bikes typically employ borrowed tanks, exposed framework, custom seats and subframes, and a generous helping of bespoke components and items from its own in-house parts catalog — and tend to be devoid of bodywork. The quality of K-Speed’s builds is made all the more impressive by the staggering rate at which this shop produces one-off motorcycles — though this is made possible by a well-staffed team, though it’s nonetheless impressive and of note. 

Purpose Built Moto

Based in Australia, Purpose Built Moto — or PBM — is a scrappy yet highly-capable customs shop that’s about as far from a one-trick pony as it gets. Not only does this Aussie outfit churn out a wide range of scramblers, bobbers, cafe racers, and practically anything and everything in between, but PBM’s catalog of work is all remarkably well-executed. What’s more, the rate at which Purpose Built Moto completes it commissions is beyond impressive, as it somehow manages to never sacrifice on quality or attention to detail. Lastly, the shop also produces a range of in-house parts and accessories, plus it documents a great many of its projects via its social media accounts and YouTube channel. 

Revival Cycles

Founded by Alan Stulberg and Stefan Hertel and headquartered out of Austin, Texas, Revival Cycles is another extremely eminent one-off bike-building outfit that also produces equally top-notch riding gear, bags, clothing, and other lifestyle accessories. From its custom-framed BMW R 18-engined “Birdcage” build to its Ducati ST4 sidecar-cross racer to its Confederate Hellcat Streetfighter to its retro-inspired fully-faired BMW S1000RR cafe racer to its recent fully-bespoke Ducati Fuse project — the latter of which was born out of more than 1,000 hours of expert labor — Revival’s builds as unique and diverse as they are well-crafted and executed. And it’s this combination of willingness to take risks, worldclass eye for design, and extremely high standards for craftsmanship that Revival Cycles has developed a reputation as one of the world’s leading custom motorcycle outfits. 

Roland Sands Design

Born in Long Beach, California, Roland Sands’ father was a custom chopper builder and the owner of the aftermarket parts company Performance Machine. On top of picking up a wrench and building custom bikes from a young age, Roland also participated in racing, with a two-wheeled career that included winning an AMA Pro 250cc GP Championship title in 1998. Sands would eventually combine his love for speed and understanding of performance characteristics with the chopper influence bestowed upon him by his dad, ultimately giving way to Roland Sands Design. Roland Sands Design — or RSD — now employs a full team of staffers, and builds a wide variety of different types of one-off motorcycles, from cafe racers to adventure bike to, of course, choppers. Sands is also the force behind the Super Hooligan Racing Series and several festivals including the Moto Beach Classic, plus his company produces a wide range of riding gear and aftermarket parts.

Rough Crafts

Operating under the banner of Rough Crafts, Winston Yeh is a Taipei-based builder known the world over for his ultra-high-end one-off builds. Benefitting from a spare-no-expense approach, Rough Crafts works with a wide variety of modern donor platforms — from Harleys and Royal Enfields to Ducatis and MV Agustas. Yeh has established a hallmark look, characterized by its aggressive-looking bodywork, which is practically always brought to life in partially-exposed carbon fiber overlaid with black and gray pinstriping and bespoke shop badges. Yeh rounds out his builds with a smattering of uber-premium aftermarket parts that always includes items from the Berginer and Öhlins catalogs — elements that afford these one-off machines with improved performance to go with their stunning, and often menacing looks. 

Tamarit Motorcycles

Despite only being founded in 2015, Tamarit Motorcycles has 140 completed builds under its belt — averaging over 17 builds annually — all of which are based on contemporary Triumph donors. This has ultimately afforded the Spanish shop an undeniable expertise when it comes to wrenching on and customizing modern bikes from the Hinckley firm. Spanning a wide variety of build types, from cafe racers to trackers to scramblers to roadsters, Tamarit’s builds are comprised of a number of one-off parts that are often paired with custom aftermarket components that Tamarit also produces and sells to the public a la cart. And while it was already clear in the shop’s infancy that Tamarit possessed some major bike building chops, it has only continued to refine and improve its work over the last 100+ builds, making us even more optimistic to see the one-off Triumphs that Tamarit whips up in the future. 

Untitled Motorcycles

Untitled Motorcycles is an elite shop with locations in London and San Francisco that are headed up by Adam Kay and Hugo Eccles, respectively. In a former life, Eccles worked as an elite industrial designer that previously did work for outfits including TAG Heuer and Nike. He’s now harnessed these world-class design abilities and applied them to penning stunning one-off bikes and limited-build series. Taking another page out of the industrial design playbook, Eccles’ bikes are designed in a manner that allows them to be replicated and manufactured multiple times — allowing the shop to offer some of its most iconic two-wheeled works as custom-configurable limited-build series. 

Vagabund Moto

You can’t buy taste or a world-class eye for design, you either have it or you don’t, and Graz’s Vagabund Moto has “it” in spades. Since first coming onto the scene in 2015, Vagabund has built an impressive following on the strength of its ridiculously clean, and often futuristic-looking designs — all of which are brought to life with a beyond-impressive level of fit and finish. From scooters to cafe racers to enduros, everything Vagabund touches turns to proverbial gold. In addition to an ever-growing number of apparel items, bolt-on kits, and custom parts, Vagabund has also recently been spending its time building one-off cars and kits including a custom Porsche 911 and a safari-style 924. 

Walt Siegl Motorcycles

It’s not all that often that a custom motorcycle can pass for a full-on production model, though that’s nonetheless exactly what Walt Siegl manages to achieve with every one of his builds. Working under the banner of Walt Siegl Motorcycles — or WSM — this shop sees its Austrian-born artisan, designer, fabricator, and founder pair custom sets of bodywork with a suite of high-end performance parts. Because Siegl typically trades in limited build series rather than one-off works, his customers are given a wide range of configurable options when commissioning a build. Additionally, Walt’s custom bikes don’t just look the part, as his machines are actually built for high-performance riding — further cementing WSM’s legendary status in the custom moto space.