When Kevin Ratkovich decided it was time to build his dream bike, he called a preacher. Actually, he called the Preacher, the owner and operator of Biker 1 Spot in Yellville, Arkansas. Preacher, aka Orie Tomlin, is Kevin’s spiritual advisor when it comes to Harleys. Preacher is a well-known presence in the bike world in Northwest Arkansas, and the only one Kevin trusted when it...

Brian Bagley, co-owner of Satan’s Cycles in Ravena, New York, and the crew has made sure every last detail on Custom1 is an eye-catching work of art. It certainly caught our eye. The shop, which opened in May, is a full-service store: custom building, repairs, and offering parts and service inspections. Brian has said the shop’s name is meant for people to stop and take notice, but...

This Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail is owned by Nate Ullrich of Clinton, Iowa, and modeled here by his lovely wife Theresa. Nate built the bike in his garage. “I did all the assembly, and everything was my idea,” he said. “My friend, Panhead Mike of Suicycles, raked the neck six-degrees. Mike Gulick laid out the marble paint job. Jody Grogan of Performance V-Twin powdercoated the...

Click here for more photos Osmane by A.T. American Cycles Story and Photos by Horst Rösler (www.motographer.de) You can’t stop custom bike builder Aykut Tartaroglu of Neuffen, Germany. He knows how to catch the eye of the European custom scene and always hammers out spectacular rides. When introducing his radical lowrider Stage 1 in 2005 at European Bike...

Click here for more photos Fred Kodlin’s Born to Die Pro-Street Story by Mark BarnettPhotos by Horst Rosler My family met Fred about twenty years ago. He was buying and selling used Harley-Davidsons like everyone else back then. I lose touch for a few years and before I know it, Fred has become the Arlen Ness of Europe. He not...

Click here for more photos Kosmo Drive By Italy’s Garage 65 Story by Mark Barnett and Horst RoslerPhotos by Horst Rosler Seven months went into the development of this extraterrestrial, European AMD Championship winning bike. Italy’s Marco Cinquini, proprietor of Garage 65 in Viareggio, Italy managed to push the design and...

  Our feature bike No Jokes is aptly named as it’s a serious custom in all respects. It’s loaded with some of the highest quality V-twin parts available in Russia and Yuri’s aggressive design definitely sets it apart from other builders. No Jokes is armed with a 113” Ultima engine breathing through a good old American S&S Super G carb while exhaling through a YSC exhaust and...

  Well, it’s quite obvious that Aldo loves his profession and it’s without difficulty seen in his products. The letters AQG are also the name of Aldo’s custom motorcycle shop, which is located in northern Italy and where he runs a one-man operation. His custom bike building business has been in operation since March of 2003 and since its inception, he has produced approximately 25...

So how do you decide what to build after taking over three decades off? “It’s the bike I always wanted to build. It was always in my head,” said Russ. “It’s a combination of 60s, 70s, and rolls clear on up to the present.” The basis for this bike was Russ’s love of the custom Edward Bohlin silver saddles he saw his western movie idols riding in the Rose Parade when he was a kid. “I...

  Italian master builder Aldo Querio Gianetto found his inspiration from an old motorcycle that his grandfather rode for years. It was a clean, minimalist design with only what was necessary to get from A to B. The frame’s backbone stretched straight from the headtube to the rear axle and a single seat tube angled down to hold the engine. That was it, no downtube, no chainstays,...