It’s the question we get asked the most and remains the hardest of all to answer. How much does that bike cost? While we can extract even the most minuscule detail about any and every build, the vast majority of owners and builders alike don’t want to part with that one vital piece of information. So, to do our best to finally shed some light on the topic, we’ve put together a list of some very cool custom creations, most of which we’ve featured on these pages, and assembled them in ascending order, based on their asking price in US dollars. There is something for every budget and they cater for every taste, so which of these machines would get your cash?
Honda CJ360 by Freeland Motorcycles – $6,500
The cheapest bike on our list comes from the West Coast of the USA and is this tasty classic Honda bitsa built by Ronnie Hansen. Filled with endless ’60s Cali Scrambler charm, the foundation of the bike is a CJ360 frame. To provide the power there is a CL360 engine, with Mikuni carbs and a pretty trick high-rise exhaust. The suspension is all upgraded, but at this price point what makes the bike such a steal is the quality of the paint and upholstery. To think you can own a bike to show and to shred on – and do it at such a bargain price – has me calling this the steal of the list.
Royal Enfield 700 GTC2 ‘Mistral’ by Jets Forever – $15,350
You’re going to need another ten grand to sit your backside on this beast, but that extra money buys you a hell of a lot of bike. The Enfield only sold recently and was built by the uncompromising Jeff Duval, who works with only the best in the industry to produce custom motorcycles that are truly one of a kind. The fully built engine was pieced together by Andy Berry, Wasp Motorcycles crafted the nickel-plated chromoly frame and Image Custom Design laid down the flawless paint. Every component on the bike is high-end, CR suspension, Beringer Brakes et cetera, and sold road registered ready to ride, the new owner must be thrilled.
Royal Enfield 650 Drag Bike by Bad Winners – $19,000
Built by the French outfit for Enfield in Europe, this is a no-nonsense, fire-breathing race bike is designed purely to go fast in a straight line. The famous parallel twin engine has been given a serious work over, with an 865cc big bore kit, machined heads, S&S titanium valve train, programmable ECU and a big shot of nitrous. Ohlins suspension is used, as well as Beringer brakes and the Dymag wheels are worth a third of the cost of the first bike on our list. So, what brings the asking price of this amazing carbon-bodied machine back to earth? It’s really the simple fact you can never ride it out on the road.
SCHIZZO® Café Racer by WalzWerk Motorcycles – $20,500
Designed by the world-renowned Marcus Walz and built on his custom bike production line in Germany, this is about as close as you’ll get to owning a new bike, that is in fact, a fully built custom motorcycle. Using the company’s online bike configurator, you pick all the parts you want from their catalogue; colour, style and spec. And then they rebuild a seriously trick BMW R from the ground up to fit your every desire. Having a completely rebuilt engine and electrical system gives you reliability that’s hard to find in this space, and with a starting price of just over 20k, you can see why they sell like hotcakes.
Kawasaki Ninja from AC-Sanctuary – $34,000
Now, getting the price of a brand new Sanctuary build is near on impossible, my guess is they start around $40,000 and nearly double depending on the exact base model and the spec you choose. But the new line known as the Ninja Sports Package TYPE-R, has a few examples that were built to be sold at the company’s latest showroom, and despite having just a few thousand kilometres on the odometer since the bike was built from scratch, the price is very enticing for those with that sort of money. We don’t need to say anything about the build itself, you literally get the best of everything, built by the very best at what they do. Win the lotto or sell a kidney, and most bikers would buy one in a flash.
One-Off Ducati by Alonze Custom – $41,000
If you want to own a motorcycle that previously won our Pipeburn Bike of the Year Award, then Jim Alonze has his incredible creation currently for sale. The engine is a classic Ducati Desmo Twin, but apart from that, every part on this bike is handbuilt by the man himself. From the stunning tube frame and swingarm, to the never before seen trellis girder front suspension, this is bike building at its very best. The bodywork is carbon fibre, the engine and exhaust are flawless in form and function, and even the front screen is hand-blown. Turns out you can put a price on perfection.
‘Reimagined’ BMW R1250 R by Renard Speed Shop – $71,500
Now the purchase price of a brand new BMW is nothing to sneeze at, so that helps to explain part of the price, the rest is down to the fact it was built by one of the very best workshops for the “Custom Bike Building World Championship of 2020”. It also happens to be one of the most viewed custom bikes ever on the internet, and you can bet that the handcrafted aluminium body in its brilliant white paint is a big reason for that. You also get a host of cutting-edge 3D printed parts, a fortune in wheel and suspension products, and a bike that will stand out, no matter what crowd you ride in.
Custom Confederate X132 Hellcat by Revival Cycles – $80,000
If the price of a new Beemer worries you, don’t even think about a Confederate, but when a friend of the famous Austin, Texas workshop had a minor mishap after the brakes failed, he asked the guys to build him a true one-off creation. A CNC-machined subframe and hand-formed fuel tank got the bike straight again, and then the completely custom alloy bodywork totally transformed the American muscle bike. It features a host of tasty treats, like a full stainless exhaust, premium upholstery, laser-cut components and of course, that incredible engine. But it’s a hell of a lot of money, even for a Hellcat.
How much many of these bikes cost to build is hard to answer, the Walz bikes give you an insight into the true amount that many spend. But if this scribe had to put pen to paper and hand over my own hard-earned cash, then the AC Ninja would sit proudly in my garage. What about you?