It’s an interesting theory, and I reckon there’s some truth in it. So I always enjoy hearing a story where the father has passed on his passion to a son or daughter.

Today, this 1973 Norton Commando is owned by Florent Graglia of Toulouse, but it used to belong to his father, who rode it from 1975 to 1982. “When my brother was born,” Graglia recalls, “this bike was parked in a garage near Nice. The bike slept there for about 28 years. At Christmas 2010, I said to myself, that legendary bike is there, and it’s my legacy! I have to do something”.

With the help of his brother, Graglia resurrected the Norton and transported it from Nice to Toulouse. But the bike was not in good condition, and needed sympathetic hands to restore it. So Graglia contacted Vincent Prat from the Southsiders MC, and the restoration began.

After months of work, the bike was finished and kicked into life. “I can’t really describe the feeling I had the first time I rode it,” says Graglia. “I made a jump 37 years back in the past, to when my Dad bought this motorcycle and rode around the Mediterranean, carrying my mother over the steep roads of the Nice back country.”

Head over to the Southsiders MC website for more images and the full story. And if you’ve got a son or daughter, take ‘em out for a ride this weekend.

Bike EXIF is the world's #1 source for custom motorcycles, classic motorcycles and cafe racers. Produced in association with Icon.

The phrase sprung to my mind when I first saw this BMW, a 1978 R100/7 that lay in bits and pieces in a garage for years. Restored and running again, it’s far from beautiful—but it has a transfixing quality that would stop the traffic even in blasé Paris.

The bike was discovered by Nico, one of the founders of the French moto lifestyle website 4H10. It was the Rickman racing tank that first caught his attention and prompted him to buy the BMW. “I wanted an old but reliable bike that was light but powerful enough to awaken the streets of Paris,” he jokes.

Nico fitted twin-spark cylinder heads from an R80GS and a slim, custom exhaust system in stainless steel. (“Loud, but street legal,” he says.) The original rear frame loop was shortened, and a custom two-up seat fitted—slimmer than the stock two-tier BMW seat, but still comfortable. Short aluminum fenders have lightened the look of the R100/7 still further and the headlight is from an old Ossa, wrapped in a vintage grille of unknown provenance.

The result might not be conventionally beautiful, but it’s certainly striking. Oui?

Images courtesy of Carl Ringdahl & Elodie Matyjasik, CremProd.

Bike EXIF is the world's #1 source for custom motorcycles, classic motorcycles and cafe racers. Produced in association with Icon.

Galbraith’s interest in Rokon was piqued in the mid-90s after he read an article in the Old Bike Journal. “Like many others, I had occasionally seen pictures of the Trail-Breaker in motorcycle magazines when I was younger—but gave them very little thought. I was amazed to find that the machines are still being made today.” Galbraith promptly bought himself a new 1996 Trail-Breaker.

The beautifully-restored Rokon we’re looking at here, however, is much older—a 1972 model. The story starts when Galbraith was tipped off by a work colleague, who had seen an older Trail-Breaker being ridden nearby. “The next weekend I went knocking on doors trying to find the owner. I not only found the owner, but also discovered that he wanted to sell the machine. It was running and complete, but with the blemishes of decades of service.”

The bike was just asking to be restored, so Galbraith bought it and set about the task. He sandblasted and powder coated the frame, restored all the chrome, recovered the seat, and laid on fresh paint. “The most time consuming part of my effort was the endless wet-sanding and polishing of the aluminum parts to bring them to a mirror finish, including the hollow drum wheels,” says Galbraith. “This bike looks better than any factory fresh example.”

Rokon Trail-Breakers only have around eight horsepower. But thanks to the super-low gearing, they’re almost unstoppable. “It’s particularly fun to come up to a tree, give it some throttle, and simply walk up the tree trunk,” says Galbraith.

To find out more about these amazing machines and their creator Charles Fehn, head over to the Rokon World website. [Many thanks to Jim Bainbridge for the images.]

PS: Bike EXIF is now on Pinterest. We’re showcasing the best motorcycle images and links from around the net, as well as our own greatest hits. Check out our boards here.

Bike EXIF is the world's #1 source for custom motorcycles, classic motorcycles and cafe racers. Produced in association with Icon.

With the help of his brother, Carlo has built a mongrel of a machine. The suspension is Honda-spec Öhlins all round—with forks from a VTR1000 SP-2, and shocks from an unspecified CBR. The headlight is from a Yamaha MT-03, and the tail is modeled on the Aprilia RSV unit, recreated using carbon fiber.

The side-mounted oil cooler is a racecar fitment; the sinuous exhaust is a hand-made one-off from Zard. A Beringer braking system keeps the forged aluminum Marchesini wheels in check.

There are some very pricey parts there, but the Roscio brothers have stayed on the right side of the line. “Biuta” is beautifully judged, and is no doubt tremendous fun to ride.

It’s a classic case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. And who’d have thought there’s a Multistrada under there?

Spotted on the excellent Il Ducatista, via Ducatimultistrada.it.

Bike EXIF is the world's #1 source for custom motorcycles, classic motorcycles and cafe racers. Produced in association with Icon.

Black Bridge is the nom de plume of Beijing-based Adrien Macera. Macera has been tinkering with motorcycles for as long as he can remember, but this Honda CB400 is his first commercial build. “The bike was for a friend who owns a bunch of restaurants in Beijing,” says Adrien. “We normally ride on trackdays with a group of friends. But for this project, he asked if I could build a smaller-capacity cafe racer, for commuting around town.”

It’s a pretty impressive result for a new workshop. After all, there isn’t the parts availability or network of builders that we enjoy in the west. But this CB400 has a squat and purposeful stance that belies its capacity. A lot of that comes from the CBR600RR front end—complete with Tokico brakes fed by a Brembo master cylinder. At the back, the frame was chopped—to fit the custom seat unit—and is suspended by Showa shocks. A beautifully crafted underslung exhaust system completes the aesthetics.

There’s a lot of aluminum fabrication on this machine, not only for weight reasons, but also to reduce corrosion. That includes the tank, seat pan, battery box, headlamp bowl and assorted bracketry.

Keep an eye out for the Black Bridge name. Hopefully we’ll be seeing more from Adrien Macera in the future.

Bike EXIF is the world's #1 source for custom motorcycles, classic motorcycles and cafe racers. Produced in association with Icon.

“My Ducati became more and more customized and pretty, and less appropriate for my daily five-mile commute into the West End,” Anthony says. “I needed a second bike. Something that would balance bullet-proof reliability with custom looks.”

Despite being familiar with high-powered modern machinery, Anthony hankered after the old Zeds he rode in the 90s. “Then I stumbled across an ad for a horrible imported KZ1000. It was being sold by the guy who used to service my Zeds in Camden. So I rang him up to say hello, and he persuaded me to check it out.” Being a big fan of the Wrenchmonkees’ Zeds, Anthony instantly saw the potential of this bike. “I lost all reason and agreed a price on the spot.”

The plan was to make this KZ1000 pretty but practical. That meant plenty of second hand parts: only the engine and running gear had to be 100%. “This bike had to be ridden every day in all weathers. Not just sitting outside a trendy shop to look cool on summer days,” says Anthony. “It’s what I would call ‘custom-lite’. Looks cool in pics, but down-and-dirty on closer inspection.”

Anthony had a clear picture of what he wanted: clip-ons, Raask rear-sets, a small headlight and tiny blinkers, and a long Brat-style seat. The bike already had a 4-into-1 pipe and Keihin filters on the Mikunis. “It ran really well, so no issues there.”

Anthony stripped the bike at the Untitled garage under Camden’s railway arches before the frame was de-lugged, re-welded and cleaned up. A new rear subframe was built to accommodate the seat. The electrics exposed by the removed side panels were hidden. Fenders were chopped, brackets were fabricated and a shift lever and linkage were created from BMW and Guzzi parts, matching the Raask rearsets.

“With new levers and braided hoses, the front brakes now work well,” says Anthony. “The engine is tight and strong, and she even corners quite well. So I’m more than happy with how she’s turned out. Now I just need to stick to my guns and try not to make the big Zed too perfect, or I’ll need a third bike for my daily ride!”

Thanks to Damian McFadden for the images. Head over to the Bike Shed for more custom inspiration.

Bike EXIF is the world's #1 source for custom motorcycles, classic motorcycles and cafe racers. Produced in association with Icon.

The Tridays is one of the largest motorcycle events in Europe. It’s held every year in the picturesque Austrian town of Neukirchen, and organizer Uli Brée traditionally reveals a one-off custom to celebrate. This year, he’s enlisted two considerable talents: Jochen Schmitz-Linkweiler of LSL, and Jens vom Brauck of JvB-Moto.

The Rumbler is designed to compete in the Tridays Rumble: a 400-meter sprint race on grass, open to all. So it’s an unusually practical machine. LSL fitted Öhlins suspension and Pirelli studded tyres to lift the Rumbler higher off the ground than a stock bike. Custom triple clamps tweak the steering geometry, and there’s a Magura Supermoto brake system—complete with 4-piston calipers and a radial master cylinder for tremendous stopping power.

The distinctive look mostly comes from JvB-Moto parts—including the headlight, fenders, side panels and bench seat. An Arrow high-performance exhaust completes the package.

I don’t know what other machines will be competing in the Rumble, but this one will be providing stiff competition. And looking good while doing so.

Bike EXIF is the world's #1 source for custom motorcycles, classic motorcycles and cafe racers. Produced in association with Icon.

The ZPsport 449 is powered by a Gas Gas single which delivers around 45 hp at 6,200 rpm, feeding through a six-speed ‘box. The bike is light at 130 kg fully-fuelled, and the 860 mm seat height is rider-friendly.

The chassis is tubular steel, with a single downtube branching into twin engine supports. I haven’t heard of the fork brand MUPO before, but the adjustable rear shocks are Öhlins. The rest of the components are top-drawer: the brakes are from Brembo, and the rims from Excel—21” at the front, 18” at the back.

The prototype is finished in the classic DKW colors of black, green and white, but the production machines will be offered in other colors. The bike is essentially hand-made, and when small-scale production starts in October, customers will be able to personalize their bikes to their hearts’ content.

All this comes at a price, however. It’s been set at €22,430, which is around US$28,000. That’s even more than Ducati’s range-topping Panigale 1199 S Tricolore. But the ZPsport 449 seems to be an attractive, capable and exclusive machine. I’m hoping there are enough enduro buyers who value rarity and vintage aesthetics.

Thanks to Lars-Hendrik Schneider for the tip.

Bike EXIF is the world's #1 source for custom motorcycles, classic motorcycles and cafe racers. Produced in association with Icon.

Decker has received some flak over this bike from Vincent purists. But his Black Lightning is not one of the 30-odd bona fide factory bikes. He assembled it using period-correct salvaged parts supplied by luminaries such as Marty Dickerson and Mel Helde, Jr., who was Rollie Free’s mechanic. And Decker has nothing to hide: “this bike really is a cobbled-together Frankenstein that I’m not ashamed of.”

At first glance, the Vincent DNA is obvious in this machine. Mostly in that huge engine. But park it next to a ‘real’ Lightning, and the differences become obvious. The rider sits a full foot lower on the Schwinn Sting-Ray seat than on the stock machine. The tank is several inches narrower: indeed, only the footpegs and bars extend beyond the width of the engine. The headlight is from a 1970s Honda ATC, and complements the oversized speedo better than the bulky original lamp.

Cycle World profiled this machine in an excellent article a couple of months ago, and after a barrage of criticism, printed an excellent riposte from Paul d’Orleans. As for me—I’d take Decker’s Black Lightning over the original any day. Would you?

Images © Horst Roesler. With thanks. See more of Jeff Decker’s work at his Hippodrome Studio site.

Bike EXIF is the world's #1 source for custom motorcycles, classic motorcycles and cafe racers. Produced in association with Icon.