How good does a bike have to look in order to make up for the fact it's functionally compromised? From futuristic customs to retro throwbacks, these five motorcycles make hefty practical sacrifices at the altar of vanity.
Being a motorcycle lover is hard. You’re constantly torn between form and function – not everything that looks swell necessarily makes for a sweet ride, and vice versa. And looks are clearly a high priority; the motorcycle world is riddled with machines that stir the heart and the loins with extraordinary beauty, but that'd be a royal pain in the butt to live with and ride every day.
We look at five such motorcycles (and scooters) that we'd argue look like they belong to an art collection but don’t really seem like they belong on the tarmac. From an early-2000s BMW to a Harley-Davidson cult classic, and even a carbon-composite 120 mph (193 km/h) scooter… Let's dig into today's selection.
Auto Fabrica Type 17
The guy who put in the order for the "Type 17" told the creators at Auto Fabrica to "go nuts." Considering this was going to be the company's first official enduro custom, this project couldn't possibly be straightforward.
The bike's seat is its most prominent element. Well, the cover over the seat. It pops right off thanks to a clever latch system, to reveal a rather comfortable-looking Alcantara seat that.
The cover's there to protect the Alcantara, but... Well, we’re not sure how you’re supposed to carry it when you’re riding the bike. Maybe in a backpack? Or you could leave it back home in the garage, where it's no use at all... But hey, we’re just happy the thing functions like a proper bike. This isn’t the first seat fetish we’ve seen on a custom - Dotto's first custom motorcycle had a seat hidden under a fold-out tailpiece.
Cover aside, it does look like a sweet ride. A 2009 model BMW G450X serves as the foundation for the Type 17. Its 449cc single-cylinder engine is oriented 30 degrees forward while its crankshaft rotates backwards. A "fuel cell" is tucked between the subframe rails beneath the seat, since the airbox occupies the space that would otherwise be occupied by a traditional fuel tank.
It gets all-aluminum bodywork, hand-made by Auto Fabrica. Like a traditional enduro bike, it has big side panels that direct air into the radiator, which tapers down to a compact tail section. Inspired by the Ducati Desmosedici, there is a box-style muffler cleverly integrated into the rear fender, and the headers have been hand-sand-bent.
One glance at the Type 17 and you'd know exactly who put this custom together, thanks to the enormous logo that runs the length of the bike. Based in Southend-on-Sea, in the UK, Auto Fabrica is owned and operated by brothers Bujar and Gazmend Muharremi. As of this writing, they have a series of customs right from Type 1 to Type 22, and they design, prototype, and construct their builds from the concept to the finished product.
Piper Moto J-Series
The Piper Moto J-Series "super scooter" made a considerable splash when it was revealed in June of 2023, quickly becoming the talk of the town. However, it's not just any scoot. A four-stroke KTM 690 engine powers the two-seater with a bespoke frame and carbon-composite body. The J Series' LC4 engine can reach 0-60 mph in 4 seconds and a maximum speed of 120 mph.
It produces 67 horsepower, all of which is transferred to the back tire using a six-speed gearbox. However, this isn't your typical transmission with a foot gear lever and clutch. Rather, it gets an electric paddle-shift system
A custom chrome-moly TIG-welded trellis chassis and CNC-machined billet swingarm are some of the additions Piper Moto gave to the J-Series. An ExeTC remote reservoir shock out back and 43 mm WP Apex USD forks up top complete the picture. How swanky!
Mind you, all that motor and suspension goodness comes at a cost; as you can see, when the rear fairing is lifted, there's precious little room underneath that seat for the storage space that makes a boring standard scooter so practical and useful. So this might look cool and go fast for a scooter, but it's no more practical than supersport bikes that arguably look considerably cooler... And go considerably faster.
The man responsible for this creation is the well-renowned John Piper, who's worked with the likes of Jaguar, Prodrive, and the Williams and Benetton Formula One teams during his distinguished engineering career. Additionally, he was involved in Le Mans and the WSBK, among other motor racing events.
Piper once described the J-Series as a "Lambretta on steroids," and that seems fair. Now, everything from the original, operational, and road-legal prototype to the complete design rights are being offered for sale, because Piper lacked the resources to bring this project to production on his own.
Dodge Tomahawk
Dodge has a track record for creating wild concepts, but some of them are significantly more bizarre than others. Unveiled in 2003, the Dodge Tomahawk is probably as weird as things ever got.
Created by Bob Schroeder and Dave Chyz of the Chrysler Group, the Tomahawk debuted at the 2003 North American International Auto Show. Powering the build – and dominating the design – was the mammoth 8.3-liter V-10 engine from the Viper muscle car, capable of putting a whopping 500 horsepower (370 kW) and 525 lb-ft (712 Nm) of torque through a pair of rather slim-looking rear tires.
Yes, a pair – the Tomahawk had four wheels in total, independently suspended to allow tilt angles up to an alleged 45 degrees. With two front wheels so close together, and a colossal engine between them and the rider's seat, conventional forks and regular steering was out of the question. So a set of handlebars back closer to the tank had to operate not one, but two center-hub steering systems, giving the Tomahawk the turning circle of a medium-sized aircraft carrier.
Dodge claimed the Tomahawk could reach a top speed of 420 mph (676 km/h). Not a chance; aerodynamics mean more than horsepower when it comes to top speed, and this machine looks to have roughly the same drag coefficient as a piano.
As many as nine of them were sold through the Neiman Marcus catalog for at least $550,000 each, but the Tomahawk was never street-legal, and it mainly existed as an attention-grabber for the automotive brand. It did that job exceptionally well, so perhaps the form follows function here in that sense – but this was little consolation to those unfortunate enough to actually have to ride the thing.
Like the poor soul in the video below, tasked with getting this monster up the hill at Goodwood. From the looks of things, the brown leathers might've been a better choice that day.
K-Speed Honda Dax
A vintage race bike lookalike with the pounding heart of... A Honda 125? "Yes, please," says K-Speed. The Dax is equipped with a handsome retro dustbin-style fairing, made of lightweight composite fiber. The bike is stretched out to visually balance the front-end, thanks to an extended swingarm at the rear, where a fat 12-inch-wide wheel gives you all the rubber you'll need to handle both of the available horsepower.
The exhaust, lowered suspension, and rear wheel covers are all from K-Speed's Diabolus range of parts. A bespoke header positions the muffler precisely at the fairing's edge. A Diabolus seat sits atop the footpegs, which have bizarrely been moved to the swingarm. This decision extends what's already a pretty weird-looking riding position, and ensures that every time you go over a bump, your knees will helpfully shoot upwards.
There's no clutch lever to deal with, because the motor has a centrifugal clutch and a four-speed box. K-Speed therefore came up with a creative method to completely remove the scoot's foot controls. The shifter has been altered to a jockey/suicide hand-shift arrangement, and the rear brake lever is now mounted on the left bar.
K-Speed is one of the most well-known custom shops in Thailand, producing motorcycles at breakneck speed, and often focusing on the smaller bikes that are particularly prevalent in Southeast Asian markets. This Dax custom is a beauty without a doubt.
Form? Check. But function? It's still a mini-moto under the skin, just heavier, with fatter hoops, super-wide bars and a forward-tilted riding position with unsprung footpegs that'll jackhammer the rider's legs up and down wherever it's ridden. It strikes us as a machine best left as an indoor display.
Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight
Harley-Davidson will always have a special place in motorcycle history. While the company is best known for its thunderous, ultra-American V-twin cruisers, it's stretched its envelope with quite a variety of different bikes over the years, including a scandalous foray into silent electrics.
This one sticks to the tried and tested formula, though. In 2010, the Forty-Eight was added to H-D's Sportster series. With its name derived from Harley's 1948 introduction of the renowned "peanut" fuel tank, this balloon-tired, low-riding, retro-inspired bike immediately won over fans.
While some motorcycle enthusiasts loved its styling more than others, there was one big problem with this bike: that peanut fuel tank carries a piddly 2.1 gallons (7.9 liters), and riders report a range of just 50 miles (80 km) if they're lucky, before they need to pause their explorations of the open road and start looking for fuel.
Form-wise, it looks and sounds great. The fat tires and 16-inch spoked front wheel with its cut-down fender are nice visual touches, and that classic Sportster 1200cc V-twin gets it around just fine, but we just can't look past that tank mileage.
Worst of all, this is a standard production bike, not some wacky concept or custom. And the Forty-Eight makes Harley riders' range complaints about electric motorcycles look particularly funny, since the LiveWire One can get twice as far in combined-cycle use.
Over to you, dear readers! What are your favorite examples of form over function in the motorcycle world?
Sources: Auto Fabrica, Piper Moto, Stellantis, K-Speed, Harley-Davidson
