Author: Wesley Reyneke
Not too long ago, our good friend and ace photographer Kazuo Matsumoto introduced us to the work of Minoru Watanabe at Fatech in Tokyo, Japan. Watanabe-san clearly never takes a day off, because he’s already blessed us with another glamorous vintage Harley Shovelhead. This one’s dripping with just as much nostalgic Americana as the last—but it’s way more sparkly. The lines, details, and finishes on Fatech’s custom bikes reflect Minoru’s personal interests. He’s equally passionate about vintage choppers and hot rods, and is the proud owner of a 1930 Ford Model A Roadster. “The owner of this machine and I…
When Shiro Nakajima isn’t tinkering away in his workshop or storming the B-roads around the foothills of the Yatsugatake Mountains, you’ll find him at the track. He’s a regular face on Japan’s classic racing scene, and is just as happy piloting race bikes as he is building them. Even when he’s working on a classic café racer or restomod for a client, the man behind 46Works can’t help but imbue it with a sense of track-ready performance. Nakajima-san typically uses older donor bikes for his projects, but he’s not opposed to spinning spanners on newer machines. So when the Japanese…
In a world where motorcycles are growing ever more complex, the Kawasaki W800 endures as a bastion of mechanical elegance. It offers little in the way of technical frou-frou, beyond its fuel injection and ABS-equipped disc brakes. And while it hails from Japan, its styling is a stunningly faithful tribute to the halcyon days of British motorcycling. It’s also highly rideable, thanks to a parallel-twin engine that’s easygoing yet peppy, paired with neutral ergonomics that encourage daily rides. It’s no surprise that both the W800 and its predecessor, the W650, have been darlings of the custom scene for years. This…
South Africa boasts the current UFC middleweight champion and the world’s top-ranked rugby team—neither of which we’d want to go toe-to-toe with. There must be something in the water, because this Harley Shovelhead from Cape Town’s Stoos Customs bristles with the same ferocity. Based in one of the city’s industrial areas, Stoos Customs was established 13 years ago by Alex Stoos after an internship at Exile Cycles in the US. The workshop’s address hasn’t changed, but the team has grown to seven and earned a solid reputation locally and abroad. The Shovelhead project was conceived at last year’s Bike Shed…