Bikes

The donor Yamaha SR500 was given its radical transformation into a desirable café racer under Budde’s ‘Kaffeemaschine’ label, with support from Hamburg-based marque specialist Kedo. “Although the SR has been around for more than 35 years and all possible customisation styles exist, I've only seen a few SRs coherently given the café racer makeover,” says Budde. His company not only fashions a new aluminium tank and seat to complete the conversion, but also puts around 250 man-hours into perfecting the smaller and more intricate details.

Though not actually produced by Lotus – the name has been licensed to design and engineering company Kodewa, mastermind of Lotus’ current Le Mans effort – the beefy new motorcycle will become the first two-wheeler to wear the famous yellow-and-green coat of arms. Going by the name of C-01, the bike not only boasts a 200bhp, 1,200cc V-twin engine, but also a distinctive carbonfibre and titanium body. While the latter displays classic undertones, it's also reminiscent of the futuristic machines seen in Tron: Legacy.

At Rocket Supreme there are no rules. The folks at the Barcelona-based shop are happy to work with whatever you’re willing to bring to the table. And even if you’ve got nothing in mind, its own creations, the Big Joe I and Little Joe II – so named after some of the first and most innovative space vehicles to blast off from Cape Canaveral – provide the perfect starting block to build on.

Developed by Icon in collaboration with Vintage Electric in California, the chic cycle aims to capture the classic elegance of the American board track racers that raced at the very dawn of the motorcycle age. Don’t be fooled by the vintage styling, though; the E-Flyer is crammed with state-of-the-art technology.

By the end of 2015, Upham hopes to be building 200-plus bikes per year

The 21st Century SS100 - named after the guaranteed 100 miles-per-hour bike introduced in 1924 - brilliantly combines modern engineering with a retro look that makes it instantly recognisable as a Brough with a modern twist.

German winters are long, so this metal-master was in search of a project to keep him busy during December evenings. “After 25 years as a motorcycle rider, I had the feeling that I was missing something,” explains Robrock. “Life is just too short for stuff straight off the rack.” Rather than choosing a classic from the 60s or 70s as a base, Robrock instead opted for the ugliest bike he could find. The fortunate nominee was a BMW K100 from 1984.

1972 Butler & Smith BMW F750

A rope, a pair of skis and a motorcycle with spikes - that's all it took 60 years ago to let rip through the snow. There is, sadly, no record of the speeds attained in this unlikely sport, but we look back wistfully on these pictures, especially when we think about freezing our feet in the next queue for the ski-lift...