This week’s selection of custom motorcycles is all about color. We kick off with a Honda CBX 1000 sporting flashes of pink, before focusing on a Triumph Scrambler 1200 in a timeless desert beige. Finally, we profile a pair of BMW R 1300 GS customs with bespoke liveries that are impossible to miss.
Honda CBX 1000 by Unik Edition
Lisbon-based custom shop Unik Edition wowed us a couple of years ago with a Honda CBX 1000 restomod that effortlessly rolled Japanese and European influences into one machine. But that project left them wanting more—so they’ve built another custom CBX in the same vein.
Starting with a 1982-model Honda CBX 1000, Unik wrenchmen Tiago Gonçalves and Luis Gonçalves (not brothers) carried over the best details from their previous CBX, while judiciously tweaking their formula along the way.
Major updates include a set of Kawasaki ZX9 forks and yokes, plus a Triumph Street Triple swingarm. As you’d expect, neither of these mods was simple. The forks had to be extended, and considerable fettling was required to match the Triumph swingarm to the Honda chassis.
Unik also kitted the CBX with a gorgeous set of 17” laced wheels from Jonich, with a beefy 180-section tire fitted out back.
Aesthetically, Tiago and Luis wanted to retain elements of the CBX’s DNA while modernizing it. The front fairing and LED headlight were adapted from a Honda Hawk 11—a modern interpretation of the classic Honda Nighthawk that’s only sold in Japan. The tail section is OEM, but it’s been trimmed extensively.
Unik even retained the Honda’s stock taillight, but cut and reconstructed the lens to make it smaller. The subframe was trimmed to accommodate the updated bodywork, with genuine leather upholstery finishing things off.
A set of clip-ons sits behind the fairing, fitted with a Domino throttle, Magura levers, and Motogadget switches. The speedo is a Motogadget item too, and the whole bike’s been rewired with components from the German electronics specialist.
The Honda’s six-cylinder motor was repainted, the carbs were tuned and treated to K&N filters, and the transmission was rebuilt with shorter ratios. An aftermarket six-into-six exhaust system adds an appropriate soundtrack.
Finished in a striking black and pink livery by Ballek Air Painting, Unik’s Honda CBX 1000 restomod honors the monstrous six-cylinder superbike’s legacy, while gently nudging it into a new age. The balance of classic and reimagined details is pitch-perfect—and any motorcycle able to sport pink paint in a way that isn’t garish gets bonus points in our book. [Unik Edition | Images by Tiago Almeida]
Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE by Erne’s Euromotos
Situation in Zürich, Switzerland, Erne’s Euromotos is both a Triumph dealership and an accomplished custom shop. So when the owner of Ace Cafe Luzern needed a new ride, he knew exactly who to call.
The Erne’s crew delivered a desert-inspired Triumph Scrambler 1200 that’s so tidy, it might appear stock to the uninitiated. But the reality is that every inch of this machine has been tweaked in some way.
With capable Marzocchi suspension, twin Brembo front calipers, tubeless laced wheels, and a stonking engine, the Scrambler 1200 lacks nothing in the rideability department. So the team’s plan was to focus on the areas where they felt it was lacking by injecting a little style and utility.
The most obvious change is the Triumph’s new paint job—a simple desert beige affair with a host of hard parts finished in black. It’s complemented by a Tamarit Alpine seat, which has been re-upholstered in luxe vintage brown leather.
Up front, Erne’s added a high-mounted fender, a fly screen, and a headlight grill. They also fitted a handlebar brace, leather grips, short levers from Wunderkind Custom, and Motogadget bar-end mirrors. A set of PIAA spots does duty lower down, mounted on a set of Triumph crash bars.
Out back, the crew removed the stock taillight, blanked off its original mounts, and trimmed the rear fender. A canvas pannier from Unit Garage hangs from a luggage rack, while a leather strap holds down a jerry can. Tiny Kellermann LED turn signals finish off the lighting setup, with the rear two acting as taillights.
Completing the look are Continental TKC80 tires, a side-mounted license plate bracket, an aluminum radiator guard, and an aftermarket chain guard. Finally, stubby twin mufflers from Mass Moto offer up a soundtrack worthy of the Alps. [Erne’s Euromotos | Images by Rabea Hüppi at Yard]
BMW R 1300 GS by RS76 Customs
The BMW R 1300 GS is a technological tour de force—an exceptional road bike that can cut loose (to some extent) when asphalt turns to gravel. But while it’s a top performer, it’s sorely lacking in the looks department. Utilitarian to a fault, it feels like a collection of functional components that don’t quite mesh.
These two BMW R 1300 GS customs from Berlin-based RS76 Customs lean into the mammoth boxer’s inherently quirky looks by amplifying the two sides of the bike’s personality. Nicknamed ‘SM’ for supermoto and ‘SX’ for supercross, each features a handful of top-shelf components and is wrapped in outlandish artwork.
RS76 is the in-house custom division of the BMW motorcycle dealership Riller & Schnauck, so they’re well acquainted with the modern BMW GS. By customizing the two 1300s in opposing styles, they could lean into the bike’s two distinct personalities.
The ‘SM’ model wears 17” forged wheels from OZ Racing, wrapped in Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP rubber for aggressive street riding. For the ‘SX’ version, RS76 built a 21F/17R wheelset with Excel rims and Continental TKC80 tires, ramping up the BMW’s off-road capability.
Both bikes were fitted with Motomaster brake discs, Motogadget bar-end mirrors, and Rizoma license plate brackets with LED taillights. They also feature new seat upholstery, with a two-tone design that extends forward onto the tank panels.
The ‘SM’ uses a set of gold handlebars to match its wheels, with Raximo foot pegs mounted lower down. Its entire exhaust system has been ceramic-coated black, right down to its HP Corse muffler.
The ‘SX’ bike is finished off with Rizoma handlebars, BMW hand guards with integrated turn signals, a BMW luggage rack, and a titanium muffler from SC-Project.
With the parts in place, both bikes were handed over to illustrator and painter Alexander Bloch, known for his kinetic cartoon-like style. He treated the 1300s to a pair of one-off liveries, guaranteed to stand out outside the local Starbucks. [Source | Images by Sven Wedemeyer]
