Custom bike show season is in full swing. Austin’s Handbuilt Show and Portland’s One Moto Show recently went down Stateside, the Bike Shed Show is going down in London as we speak, and there’s a Los Angeles running of the Handbuilt Show happening in July. Wedged in between them is a brand new fixture on the custom moto calendar; the Moto Craft Show in Toronto, Canada.
Less than two weeks away, the inaugural Moto Craft Show takes place from June 7 until June 9, in the Queen Elizabeth Building—a 63,000-square-foot exhibition space in Toronto. Visitors will have a carefully curated selection of around 100 motorcycles to ogle throughout the weekend, with a 50-50 mix of vintage and custom machines. Most notably, a quarter of the machines on show are being shipped over from the prestigious Haas Motorcycle Museum in Dallas, Texas.
Before his untimely death in 2021, Bobby Haas, who had previously found success as an investor and then a National Geographic photographer, had made a name for himself as not only a discerning collector of custom motorcycles, but as a true patron of the art. The Haas Museum houses an impressive collection of mind-bending creations—many of which Bobby had a direct hand in financing.
The contingent of Haas bikes coming to the Moto Craft Show includes multiple hits from Max Hazan, Cristian Sosa, Jay Donovan, Craig Rodsmith, Origin8or, GT Moto, Chabott Engineering, Mark Atkinson, and more. We’ve cherry-picked just five stunning customs from the list, as a small taste of what the Moto Craft Show has in store. You’ll have to get down there in person for the rest.
BMW ‘Alpha’ by Mark Atkinson and Mehmet Doruk Erdem We were deeply saddened to learn of the recent passing of Mark ‘Makr’ Atkinson. He was a talented fabricator and motorcycle builder who, among other gems, gave us the inimitable ‘Alpha,’ and who will be sorely missed.
Born from a design penned by the Turkish designer Mehmet Doruk Erdem, Alpha is a BMW-based land speeder with otherworldy looks inspired by sharks. Mark saw Mehmet’s renders online and figured that he could bring them to life. Working across continents, the two gentlemen successfully created one of the most exotic machines to ever grace these pages.
At the heart of the bike is a heavily modified BMW K75 chassis and motor. The fairing uses a blend of basalt and carbon fibers, and features side ‘gills’ and classic BMW front kidney grills. The rider’s area features a slim leather seat, a luxurious leather ‘chest pad,’ and the BMW K75’s OEM dashboard.
The details are as innumerable as they are gorgeous—from the way the clip-on bars poke through the fairing, to the well-judged BMW roundels that are sprinkled throughout the build. Best of all, the bodywork can be opened on bespoke hinges for quick access to its working bits. [More]
‘The Killer’ by Craig Rodsmith Craig Rodsmith has never needed much encouragement to build whacky motorcycles, but he got plenty of it from Bobby Haas regardless. The two were fast friends, and Bobby was responsible for commissioning some of Craig’s best builds, always egging him on to try crazier ideas.
This bizarre front-wheel drive contraption was one such project. Inspired by the German ‘Killinger und Freund’ machine built in 1935, Bobby was convinced that Craig could build something in the same vein. Craig hesitated at first, but eventually relented—and we’re glad he did.
‘The Killer’ stuns with its gleaming hand-formed bodywork, but the best bits are those that you can’t see. Propelling the bike forward is a three-cylinder radial engine, mounted directly to the front wheel.
Craig started with three 60 cc two-stroke mills, then combined their crankcases to make one unified powerplant. The engine sits inboard of a custom-made 19” front wheel with offset spokes. Power is transferred to the wheel via a layshaft, which drives a centrifugal clutch, which spins a final drive sprocket, which transfers power to a flanged shaft that the wheel is bolted to.
Needless to say, none of the above arrangements is available off-the-shelf. Craig made it all himself—without the use of any 3D software or CNC machines. [More]
Honda CB750 by Origin8or The most colorful bike on this list, this beefy 1974 Honda CB750 is the work of Rob Chappell at Origin8or Custom Cycle Co. And it’s more than a cut above the scores of me-too CB750s that have populated the custom scene over the years.
The vibe here is less ‘brat’ and more 90s muscle bike. Starting with a donor that had been meticulously parted out into packets and boxes, Origin8or rebuilt the bike from the inside out, starting with an extensive engine clean-up and rebuild.
Next, the Honda was treated to a complete Suzuki GSX-R1000 front-end, adorned with a Ducati 748 fender. A Kawasaki Ninja 650 swingarm was fitted to the rear end of the bike, along with a Ducati 821 shock, and a 90s GSX-R wheel. An aluminum gas tank and fiberglass tail section sit up top, giving the CB a lean and purposeful silhouette.
The bike also features clip-ons, rear-set pegs, a digital speedo, and a meaty Hindle four-into-one exhaust system. Finished off in a striking House of Kolors gold, with lime and racing green stripes, Origin8or’s CB750 is a staunch reminder that this big four used to be considered a superbike. [More]
‘Stingray’ by Jay Donovan Bobby Haas had a nose for sniffing out custom builders that blurred the lines between motorcycles and art—like the Canadian wunderkind Jay Donovan.
‘Stingray’ is one of Jay’s most ambitious, and most intriguing, projects. The idea was to build an electric motorcycle that would eschew the appliance-like aesthetic that electric motorcycles can often have. But he took the concept further, by creating a rolling, battery-powered sculpture.
The real genius here is the deliberate flirtation between form and function in every piece. The frame is a bespoke chromoly steel affair, with almost every section curved on three axes. The motor is offset to make space for the battery management system, and the batteries are distributed throughout the bike, to avoid having one massive brick sitting in the middle.
The bodywork is fluid, with multiple air scoops that not only look fantastic but also help to keep the batteries cool. The oddball front suspension is entirely Jay’s design, the front wheel features a hidden inboard brake system, and the back end is stopped by a brake disc mounted directly to the jackshaft that transfers power to the rear wheel.
A row of orange cables offers the only hint of color on this otherworldly machine, and reminds you that this is, in fact, an electric motorcycle. [More]
Supercharged KTM by Max Hazan It’s hardly surprising that the Moto Craft Show will feature six Max Hazan-built motorcycles from the Haas Museum. Max has been at the top of his game since he first burst onto the scene, continuously finding new and imaginative ways to wow us.
This supercharged KTM is one of our favorite Hazan Motorworks builds from the past few years. The inspiration came from early motorized bicycles, with Max looking to create something “light, cheap, and fast.” He sourced a KTM 520 enduro bike, yanked out the motor, and got to work.
As we’ve come to expect, Max’s KTM is loaded with complicated solutions to simple problems. The 520 mill benefits from an Aisin AMR350 supercharger, utilizing a bunch of custom parts that were milled from aluminum on an old Bridgeport mill. There’s also a Keihin FCR41 carb in play, and the radiators are repurposed oil coolers from a Cummins diesel motor, with coolant running through part of the chromoly frame.
Max built the front suspension out of chromoly bar stock and fashioned the twin fuel and coolant tanks out of aluminum. The wheels and ‘clincher’ tires are inspired by vintage bicycles. One notable part is the elegant CNC-machined rear hub; it should look familiar because it inspired the design of the rear hub on Jay Donovan’s build. [More]
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