staff@slashgear.com (Shane Schmid)
2024-04-22 13:00:09
www.slashgear.com
Custom bike shops, once uncommon, have gained a substantial following over the decades. The 60s saw the rise of custom choppers, which, alongside film classics like Easy Rider, urged more motorcycle enthusiasts to make their rides a symbol of their individuality. Today, there are notable custom shops worldwide, such as Auto Fabrica based in the U.K., Australia’s Deus Ex Machina, Hazan Motorworks in the U.S., and Kingston Custom out of Germany, to name a few. Now, another company is transforming bikes into rolling art pieces: Unikat Motorcycles out of Poland.
According to Statista, every month of 2023 in the U.K. saw hundreds of custom bikes sold, with March being particularly strong at 1,299 custom sales. With more enthusiasts turning toward custom builds, history shows that the mainstream industry will follow aftermarket trends. These trends, in turn, will pave the way for more innovative designs across the motorcycle world due to the influence of custom culture. One group who absolutely loves specialty bikes is Hollywood celebrities. For example, multiple head-turning motorcycles were custom-built for Katee Sackhoff, known for her roles in “Battlestar Galactica” and “Riddick.”