Custom Xtreme Zone

 

As befits such a prestigious feature focussing exclusively on customised motorcycles, the Custom Xtreme zone was run on behalf of the Show Organisers by the staff at Back Street Heroes and Streetfighters magazines, the country's longest-established and market-leading titles dedicated to the custom bike world. Every year, they scour the British Isles in order to assemble, at the NEC, a cross-section of the very best bikes produced by those highly-talented individuals who comprise the elite of contemporary builders. Many of these unique machines - some of them hot off of the workbench - had yet to be seen at any event, or indeed, in print, so this was a rare opportunity for show visitors to be among the first to appreciate the wild imaginations, exceptional engineering work and flawless finishing skills which have gone into their creation.

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HIGH ROLLER
Vic and Lin Jefford are the couple behind Destiny Cycles, probably the cream of the UK crop when it comes to completely one-off custom builds. With their latest project, the gambling-themed trike, ‘High Roller', they might have taken a break from two-wheelers, but the incredible standards of workmanship and attention to detail we've come to expect from a Destiny build are still there for all to see. The high-necked hand-made frame ingeniously doubles as the oil tank and is attached to a Reliant Regal axle at the rear, while the Sputhe ‘Fatvo' V-twin engine that provides the motive power displaces a whopping 100 cubic inches of capacity. From the hybrid girder/springer front forks through to the Percy Badbrush paint job, just about everything - except for the motor and the tyres - exemplifies the very pinnacle of motorcycle customising.

SCOTTIE'S ‘KNOVELHEAD'
In a rather more traditional vein, Scott Harwood's Harley-Davidson engined custom epitomises a certain classic style of chopper that will never go out of fashion, though few will ever be built to such exacting standards as this one has been. With an unsprung rigid frame, long 12-inch overstock raked forks and boasting innumerable one-off hand-made components, Scottie's chop is powered by a totally rebuilt, bored and stroked, 1600cc Harley-Davidson Shovelhead V-twin engine of 1970 vintage that the owner fitted with a pair of rocker covers from an old H-D Knucklehead, hence the bike's moniker of ‘Knovelhead.'

STU YATES'S H2 GSX-R
Taking the heart out of the ubiquitous streetfighter may seem like sacrilege to some, but by removing the engine from a Suzuki GSX-R and replacing it with a three cylinder, two-stroke engine from a 1970s Kawasaki has resulted in Stu Yates creating one of the most unique bikes of the decade, let alone of the year. This innovative combination almost overshadows the high level of supremely clever detailing and entirely bespoke engineering, resulting in a minimalist, lightweight and wholly exotic little powerhouse.


PAUL BAIMBRIDGE'S SINGLE-SIDED FIREBLADE
Running a single-sided swinging arm on a streetfighter isn't especially unusual nowadays... but to have a single-sided front end, as well...? Now that really is something a bit special! Twin car wheels, both modified to suit, an additional fuel tank hidden in the tail unit, lots of bespoke engineering and an all-encompassing petrographic paint scheme all combine to create one of the most distinctive streetfighters you're ever likely to come across.
 

Companies who exhibited in the Custom Zone were: 

Wicked Graphics
P & P Seating
MAG
Magazine Man
Just Bandits
Fat Skeleton
Big CC Racing
Streetfighters/Back Street Heroes
Nicholas Pole