Tested: American Metal’s ‘The Disciple’ Sonic-Infused Whiskey

The comments section is about to get hotter than a lean-burning header, so ready your popcorn and pipe wrap. Yes, you’re reading a tasting review on Bike EXIF, but before you shout ‘wrong blog,’ or ‘stay in your lane,’ hear us out. We’ve extended our reach, namely with the addition of Iron & Air’s back catalog of material, and also adding in some of our own outside influences as well. If you’re anything like us, custom motorcycles, classic autos and tastes from around the world go hand-in-hand; the sort of topics that give substance to conversations between gearheads.

Speaking of things that go hand-in-hand, it’s the opinion of the EXIF editorial staff that there are few finer things in life than a good spirit after you hang the keys up for the day. Whether it’s blue-collar light beer in the garage, or a neat glass and an RSS feed, some pairings are natural.

Whiskeys and bourbons are a recurring topic of our side chatter after hours, as we discuss the latest we’ve sampled, and we have an occasional virtual happy hour as well. We call it Whiskey Wednesday, and since we’re already doing the work, we figured why not share our findings with you?

Our first subject comes courtesy of a group of craftsmen from American Metal Customs in Danbury, Connecticut. Their award-winning custom shop cranks out rad bikes and hot rods, and they’ve expanded their brand to include a line of traditional American whiskeys as well—we respect the move.

The Disciple—American Metal Whiskey

• Tennessee Straight Whiskey
• Distilled in Tennessee, bottled in Vermont
• 90 Proof, 45% alcohol by volume

A limited-edition single-barrel, adorned with pinstriping, brass and Knuckleheads, The Disciple is very clearly aimed at the old-school American iron enthusiast. Its theme and namesake come from a recent Harley custom from American Metal’s Josh Allison, but it’s more than targeted marketing, as American Metal devised a way to include The Disciple Knucklehead in their ‘sonic-infusion’ process—let’s dive in.

The Disciple won’t leave gearheads wanting for presentation, as the inspired artwork was done in collaboration with Los Angeles-based Sonny Boy, known for his pinstriping, lettering and sign painting. Twice the weight of a contemporary platic fuel cap, the brass bottle stopper pops with a surprising heft, and it was modeled off the brass grips on Allison’s Knucklehead. The stopper alone is such a unique piece, it’s likely to find its way into your toolbox instead of the recycling bin—I’m thinking Harley oil bag cap, but I haven’t measured it yet.

With our uncultured palettes cleansed, we pour The Disciple neat and huff the intoxicating scents. You get a good hit of caramel, citrus and spice, that’s the orange and cloves talking, and the 89-proof amber liquid is more than inviting.

The first impression is that this is certainly an easy drinker, and it should be considering the high corn content in the mash bill and the conservative alcohol content. First met with caramel and butterscotch, and finishing with citrus and pepper on the edge of your tongue, there’s almost no burn to speak of. It goes down easy, but there’s sufficient complexity to bring you back for more. If you’re a casual whiskey drinker, or looking for a unique gift, The Disciple will not disappoint.

You’ll get a good two or three neat glasses out of the Disciple before you’re ready to switch it up. After that, the strong sweets and spice may get exaggerated, but it evens out nicely with some ice—don’t ring our necks too bad for not having steel ‘chilling cubes’ on hand. And while it’s a little low on octane, I think you’d have a good whiskey smash on your hands for subsequent sipping.

Before we get lost in the sauce, we need to revisit this whole sonic infusion deal. Since you can’t pipe straight Knucklehead exhaust into the oak barrel, they’ve devised a way to use recorded sounds from the Disciple’s exhaust in the four-year barrel aging process. We’d assume the audio must agitate the whiskey so the oak’s vanilla and caramel flavors transfer quicker. I’m no Sommelier, but the flavors are certainly there, so it’s more than a gimmick and a fancy label in our books.

I suppose there’s no truer measure of whiskey than how far the bottle goes, and only about half remained at the end of our session. Listing for $79.99, the Disciple is easy to like, and American Metal went above and beyond to send us their standard single-barrel, glassware and a wood box as well. While you won’t find these extras on the shelf at your local store, we’d be lying if we said they didn’t enhance the experience, and one of our tasters remarked that the wooden box was worthy of committing a small pet to the earth in.

That’s the type of insight you’ll find nowhere other than Whiskey Wednesday. Cheers

Stock images courtesy of American Metal Whiskey | Facebook | Instagram

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The Disciple: A Mixed-Metal Harley Bobber with EL Knucklehead Power

Anyone who’s ever picked up a wrench has probably experienced the urge to create something from scratch; something that exudes craftsmanship and attention to detail. Few of us have what it takes, and pro builders must go even further to prove their mettle. While Josh Allison’s name was already established in the custom bike world, he knew he’d have to take things to the next level to launch American Metal Customs, and he’ll be the first to admit ‘The Disciple’ Knucklehead had its fair share of complexities.

Raised in a family of artists and a habitual sketcher, Josh needed only the right powerplant in-house before he could commit his artistic vision to paper—and eventually sheet metal. As luck would have it, he had a line on a 1941 Harley-Davidson EL Knucklehead engine in New York—rebuilt to factory specification for the project. The rest would be fabricated.

Josh explains that inspiration for a build can come from most anything—architecture, nature, fabrics, etc.—but a vintage bicycle provoked the design of The Disciple’s bodywork. Look no further than a 1950s Schwinn Hornet and you’ll find the impetus for the Knucklehead’s sharp lines.

Like its pedal-driven counterpart, The Disciple’s tank is a split design with chiseled lines up top and a dramatic curve accenting the 45-degree V-twin heads. The art-deco wings also come from the Schwinn, executed in bronze, with a complimenting inlay covering the backbone. A detailed and complex assembly, Josh relays that it was one of the most complex parts to get right.

The saddle is also a study in mixed metal fabrication. It’s composed of steel and bronze layers with some trick beadrolls and contrasting rivets. Hinged up front, and sprung in the rear, its elongated shape is also reminiscent of classic Schwinn hardware.

In the world of Harley bobbers, there’s no finer frame than factory rigid, and the sloping backbone provided the stock stance Josh was after. Original pieces command thousands on their own, so a reproduction straight-leg frame was sourced and Josh bodyworked the cast sections and windowed the neck for a clean, enhanced stock look.

Up front, Josh embraced creative liberty and experimented with an Indian-style, leaf-spring front end he had sitting around since his days at Orange County Choppers. He shortened it to keep the stance tight with the 21-inch front spool wheel, and removed a leaf from the spring pack to keep the ride plush. Custom fabricated bars maintain the vintage feel, accented by a brass clutch lever and grips.

While The Disciple certainly embraces bygone eras, Josh insists there’s no point in building a bike that isn’t functional, and you’ll notice a few modern sensibilities in the build. The absence of a front brake is offset by a disc out back with dual calipers from TC Bros. Josh also installed a Baker 6-into-4 transmission, which as the name suggests, provides six forward gears in place of the stock four-speed. Additionally, there’s a kicker to solidify credibility with the graybeards, but also an electric start on the open primary.

To further captivate onlookers, Josh worked loads of detail into the Knucklehead with various brass fittings, caps, and accents, continuing the mixed metal theme throughout. The custom air cleaner, kicker pedal and valve stem cap incorporate vintage religious figurines, reinforcing the bike’s namesake. These pieces and retro taillight assembly were sourced from Light Asylum, and Josh relishes working in these obscure items to add depth to the project.

For a builder who insists on functional customs, Josh finds The Disciple rides every bit as good as it looks, and it was finished just in time to make a splash at the Fuel Cleveland show. And speaking of a splash, the Cleveland crowd was able to sample an all-new whiskey line by American Metal, with its flagship bottle inspired by the bike. Aptly named The Disciple, the Tennesee Straight uses recorded acoustics from the Knucklehead in its barrel aging process, and Josh sent us a sample on the house.

Tune in after hours for the full report.

American Metal Customs | Facebook | Instagram | Photos courtesy of American Metal Customs, and special thanks to David Carlo

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Forever Single: A first look at the 2025 Suzuki DR-Z4S and DR-Z4SM

The Suzuki DR-Z400 has been around for over two decades, and in that time, it hasn’t changed much. That’s because it hasn’t needed to. Available in enduro and supermoto trim, the DR-Z400 boasts an enviable cult following thanks to its no-fuss, bang-for-buck vibe.

Off-road riders and street hooligans alike love the DR-Z’s punchy single-cylinder motor, relatively light build, and endless upgrade possibilities. If that’s you, you’ll be happy to know that Suzuki has just treated the DR-Z to a major update, adding new styling, fuel injection, and a handful of other upgrades.

Now rebranded as the DR-Z4S (dual-sport, above) and DR-Z4SM (supermoto), the new DR-Z sports more than just a facelift. The changes start with an all-new steel twin-spar frame and aluminum subframe, propped up on new KYB suspension components with adjustability at both ends. An aluminum swingarm rounds out the chassis package.

Next up is the DR-Z’s all-new 398 cc single-cylinder four-valve DOHC engine, now with electronic fuel injection, a ride-by-wire throttle, and a slip-assist clutch. It features a higher-lift cam profile, a new piston design, twin iridium spark plugs, titanium intake valves, and sodium-filled exhaust valves. There’s no word on the DR-Z’s power and torque figures yet, but we’re expecting it to be a punchy little beastie.

One major update is the Suzuki DR-Z’s new electronics package. A first for the DR-Z, it includes switchable rider modes, traction control, and ABS. ABS can be switched off either just on the back wheel or on both wheels; perfect for experienced dirt bike riders and supermoto racers.

There’s LED lighting all around, while the dashboard is a relatively modest LCD unit.

The DR-Z has had a visual makeover too, while retaining its svelte dirt bike aesthetic. The plastics are sculpted and more modern, and the whole thing feels a little less utilitarian and a little more edgy. The non-traditional headlight nacelle is a nice touch.

A slim new 8.7-liter [2.3-gallon] sits up top, while a redesigned air box hides beneath the bodywork. A quick-release fastener on the left-hand side releases the left-hand side cover, offering quick access to the air filter. Other notable changes include the radiator, exhaust, seat, wider footpegs, and tapered handlebars.

Sticking to the proven DR-Z formula, the Suzuki DR-Z4S and DR-Z4SM are separated by their suspension and wheels. The DR-Z4S gets a dirt-worthy 21F/18R wheelset, with 280 mm suspension up front and 296 mm at the back.

As you’d expect, the DR-Z4SM rolls on 17” wheels, with 260 mm and 277 mm of travel, front and back. The front suspension on both bikes is adjustable for compression and rebound damping, while the rear shock is adjustable for compression, rebound, and preload. Both models use a progressive rear shock linkage.

With the Suzuki DR-Z4S and DR-Z4SM, the Japanese marque has managed a trick that very few companies can pull off. They’ve taken a beloved motorcycle and modernized it, without losing any of the traits that made it so popular in the first place.

There’s no word on when (or where) the DR-Z will hit dealers, nor what it will cost. But we’re waiting with bated breath.

Source: Suzuki

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Dream Bike: Another knockout Sportster 1200 street tracker by Mule

Richard Pollock has an enviable problem: a full order book. Just last week, we featured a stunning Harley Sportster street tracker in his signature Mule Motorcycles style. It turns out that he churned out a second Sportster around the same time, and it’s just as wild.

The project was conceived when Mule’s client brought him a very unique Harley-Davidson motorcycle—an early ‘iron’ XR750 flat tracker that had previously been owned by the late Allan Girdler. A lifelong racer, journalist, and former editor of Cycle World magazine, Allan was also a good friend of Mule’s. The bike’s current owner wanted it upgraded for spirited road riding, before the project unexpectedly took a sharp left turn.

“After some background research, he said that what he really wanted was one of my more straightforward Sportster street tracker builds, which I was only too happy to provide him with,” Mule tells us. “I wanted to build him something that would really stand out and use a few more exotic components.”

The old XR750 was shelved and a 2001-model Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 was dragged onto the bench instead. Mule’s client had been itching for a completely bespoke motorcycle since discovering Bike EXIF twelve years ago, and, after losing both parents several years apart to cancer, figured that it was time to make that dream a reality. So Mule pulled out all the stops.

The motor spec on this build is a slight departure from Mule’s normal template. Upgrades include large-finned Screamin’ Eagle heads and cylinders, Andrews cams, and a trick billet aluminum intake manifold from Hammer Performance, which allowed Mule to attach a carb to the normally fuel-injected heads.

Randy Troy’s Carb Restorations handled the requisite carb modifications. Meanwhile, Mule constructed a burly two-into-one stainless steel exhaust system using parts from Cone Engineering.

The Sportster’s chassis mods are subtle, yet impactful. Mule trimmed the rear end, modified it to support a flat track tailpiece, and moved the shock mounts forward on the swingarm. A custom battery tray sits under the seat, and the bike is propped up on a lightweight chromoly side stand.

Right-side-up Öhlins Blackline forks do duty up front, held in place by a set of Mule yokes. They’re matched to Öhlins piggyback shocks at the rear, with a full range of adjustability fore and aft.

The wheels are featherlight carbon fiber items from BST. Measuring 19” each, they’re matched to Mule hub adaptors and wrapped in street-legal Dunlop dirt track treads.

The front brake setup includes 300 mm EBC rotors (designed for the Yamaha MT09), with Brembo four-piston calipers mounted on GPS Racing brackets. A Beringer caliper on a Mule hanger grips a Braketech disc at the back. The brake lines are from Crown Performance, and both of the master cylinders are Brembo parts.

Anyone familiar with Mule’s work should recognize the bodywork. It’s standard fare for the American custom builder; a Storz aluminum fuel tank, a First Klass Glass seat unit, and a Saddlemen pad. If there’s a more quintessential Sportster flat track arrangement, we haven’t seen it.

A set of stainless steel Mule flat track bars dominate the control area, fitted with a Motion Pro throttle and a Buell clutch assembly. A Trail Tech gauge keeps things legal, while a chromed headlight on GPS Racing brackets lights the way. Lower down, you’ll find Mule’s signature CNC-machined right-hand side foot control assembly.

A sporty silver and black livery, executed by regular collaborator SBK Paint, takes this Harley Sportster street tracker over the finish line. “I had this paint scheme idea from a Ducati 916 I had built about 25 years ago,” says Mule, “and since very few people ever saw that bike, I thought this bike needed it. The new owner’s other bike is a Ducati too, so it was a good fit!”

Once again, Mule has balanced form and function in a way that only he can. As far as all-American Harley street trackers go, Richard Pollock is the G.O.A.T.

Mule Motorcycles | Instagram | Images by Olivier de Vaulx

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First Look: The new Royal Enfield Flying Flea electric bike

While we’ve been focussed on Royal Enfield’s steady expansion of their 650 range, the Indian motorcycle marque has quietly been cooking up an intriguing new platform. Get a load of Flying Flea—Royal Enfield’s new electric motorcycle brand within a brand.

Taking a page out of the Harley-Davidson/LiveWire playbook, Royal Enfield has launched Flying Flea as its own company, rather than as a new model range within their existing brand. Flying Flea debuts with the classically-styled Flying Flea C6 electric bike, with the scrambler-styled Flying Flea S6 set to follow.

Motorcycle historians should recognize the Flying Flea name. The original Royal Enfield Flying Flea was a skinny 125 cc bike developed during World War II. Weighing next to nothing, it was air-dropped alongside paratroopers (which explains the parachute in the new Flying Flea logo.)

Packaged as a compact, lightweight electric bike for short-range missions, the Flying Flea S6 takes visual inspiration from its ancestor. The original Flying Flea was notable for its elegant girder fork, so Royal Enfield has created a modern forged aluminum version of it. It’s connected to a forged aluminum frame, with magnesium used for the battery case.

The Flying Flea’s silhouette is graceful, with each part harmonizing with the next. The faux fuel tank feels less like an attempt to mimic a petrol bike, and more like a design consideration to create cohesion between the chassis and powertrain. Fins on the battery case follow organic lines, while tightly wrapped fenders recall classic Royal Enfield designs.

The finishing kit rides the line between modern and classic. A petite LED headlight sports a classic black-and-chrome bucket, while a classy Royal Enfield plaque adorns the left-hand side of the motor. It’s an electric bike, but it doesn’t look like an appliance.

Royal Enfield has packed miles of tech into the Flying Flea platform, with a claimed 28 patents filed in the last six months alone. The big takeaway is that the company has developed the brains of the Flying Flea in-house rather than simply buying in all of its components. Operated via a round touchscreen dash, the bike boasts myriad riding mode adjustments, onboard ABS, a connectivity suite, and over-the-air update capabilities.

There hasn’t been a peep about the Flying Flea’s power output, range, or weight. But Royal Enfield is clearly pitching it as an urban runabout, so we expect those numbers to be small. Given their track record for building accessible machines that offer decent bang for your buck, we’re excited to see how the Flying Flea electric range pans out.

Source: Flying Flea

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First Look: The BMW Concept F 450 GS adventure bike

The last time BMW Motorrad released a 450 cc dirt bike, it was a wild off-roader that borrowed tech from the marque’s latest acquisition at the time, Husqvarna. The newly minted BMW Concept F 450 GS is nothing like that bike.

Unveiled just as EICMA is about to kick off in Milan, the “near-production-ready” BMW Concept F 450 GS is said to fill the gap between the Bavarian brand’s single-cylinder G 310 GS and twin-cylinder F 900 GS.

Styled like a scale model of the progressive new BMW R 1300 GS, it’s powered by a brand new engine from BMW; an inline twin that we’re guessing is in the region of 450 cc, capacity-wise. (We speculate because BMW has revealed precious few details.)

BMW claims that the new motor uses “a special, never-before-used ignition offset,” which is said to give the mill a rev-happy character. Output is listed as 48 hp, which puts the new 450 in the right bracket for Europe’s A2 license classification. BMW also says that the bike will weigh close to 175 kg [385.8 lbs], again, to keep the power-to-weight ratio compliant for A2 licenses.

According to the press material, the A2 class is a big target for the BMW Concept F 450 GS—but so is performance. The concept bike sports fully-adjustable upside-down forks, with a rear shock that’s adjustable for load-dependent damping.

The 19F/17R wheels look to be BMW’s proprietary cross-spoke tubeless tires, and while die-hard off-road riders will pine for a 21” front wheel, there does look to be a decent amount of ground clearance. Continental TKC80 tires hint at the 450’s dual-purpose usage.

A 6.5” TFT display dominates the cockpit, loaded with connectivity features, switchable rider modes, and ABS. But most of what the BMW Concept F 450 GS tells us isn’t in the press release.

For starters, we know that when BMW says “near-production-ready,” they really mean that we’re looking at a dolled-up version of the actual production bike. We also know that no company builds a new engine for just one bike, so you can count on seeing more 450 variants in the near future.

The biggest question is just how much of the BMW Concept F 450 GS spec will remain once it goes into production. BMW has hinted that it might lose a few inches in the seat height department, and that the laced wheels might be swapped for alloy hoops; neither option is particularly appealing.

It’s also unlikely that a bike with a fully loaded TFT dash, adjustable suspension, and an Akrapovič exhaust will make it to market at a price that’s appealing to anyone shopping for an A2 license-compliant bike. And given that the Concept F 450 GS already looks a bit toylike, removing its best features might kill its appeal.

On the flip side, if BMW specs and prices the 450 competitively, they might be onto a winner.

Source: BMW Motorrad

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First Look: The 2025 Krämer GP2-890 XX hypernaked track bike

Based in Burghausen in Upper Bavaria, Krämer Motorcycles is a boutique marque with a singular focus—race bikes. Everything they create is 100 percent track-focused, jam-packed full of high-end engineering, and slathered in top-shelf components. Now they’ve applied that ethos to their first naked bike, the Krämer GP2-890 XX hypernaked.

Unveiled today at EICMA, the Krämer GP2-890 XX has much in common with the company’s GP2-890 RR track racer, but it’s more than just a GP2-890 RR without a fairing. Sporting upright ergonomics and a host of other tweaks, the GP2-890 XX is, as Krämer puts it, “built for wheelies, not podiums.”

“When we looked around the paddocks we were going to, we noticed that a little over 10 percent of the motorcycles on track were large-displacement naked models, which is an interesting trend developing in the industry,” says Jensen Beeler, who runs Krämer’s USA operation.

“Until now, no manufacturer has produced a hypernaked that is focused solely for the race track, even though the demographics are skewing more into this category with each passing year. The Krämer GP2-890 XX aims to give these track riders a more purpose-built motorcycle for this segment of circuit riding, in the same way our other motorcycles have done in their model segments.”

Like the GP2-890 RR, the Krämer GP2-890 XX uses a chromoly trellis main frame, with a rotationally molded plastic fuel tank out back that also functions as the bike’s tailpiece and subframe. The swingarm is a cast aluminum unit, featuring a progressive shock linkage that Krämer’s been running on the GP2-890 RR in the British Superbike Championship. The running gear includes full-adjustable WP APEX suspension at both ends, a full complement of Brembo braking components, and ultra-light carbon fiber BST Star Tek wheels.

Just about everything on the Krämer GP2-890 XX is adjustable, from the swingarm angle to the steering head angle, triple clamp offset, seat height, and the position of the rear-set foot controls. That level of adjustability is a boon for track riders who want to extract the maximum from their machines.

Powering the GP2-890 XX is the 889 cc parallel-twin motor from the KTM 890 platform, good for 138 hp and 100 Nm. Peek inside, and you’ll spot titanium connecting rods, high-compression Pankl pistons, titanium valves, a race-spec camshaft, and CNC-machined ports. Air is fed via two chunky carbon fiber air ducts, with stainless steel exhaust headers mated to a titanium muffler at the opposite end.

The bike runs off a Mectronik MKE7 ECU with a six-axis inertia measurement unit that manages the rider aids, which include traction and wheelie control. Riders can customize the ECU with their own settings, or with ones from Krämer. The dash is an ECUMaster ADU 5 unit, loaded with everything you’d need at a track day—including a GPS-powered lap timer.

What little bodywork the GP2-890 XX is almost exclusively made from carbon fiber. Stripped down to the basics, with number boards at the front and sides, it’s a gnarly-looking machine that would look just as good in street trim. It’s light too, weighing just 140 kilos [309 pounds] with 16 liters [4.2 gallons] of fuel on board.

Available for pre-order in extremely limited numbers, the Krämer GP2-890 XX will set you back $49,995 in the United States and €50,000 in Europe. It’s also the first motorcycle that Krämer’s offering with factory customization options, starting with the frame color and fairing decals.

Tempted?

Krämer Motorcycles Germany | Krämer Motorcycles USA

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