For all the talk about individuality and personalization in the custom sportbike world, we sure see a lot of the same-old bikes here at Super Streetbike-mostly cookie-cutter, chromed-out Hayabusas and GSX-R1000s that, except for the paint colors, might as well be the same bike. That's why we get so damn excited when we come across customs based on more unusual production models, bikes like Kevin Malone's 2002 Suzuki TL1000R. Though Suzuki's "V-Twin Superbike" never quite met the company's expectations on the racetrack, the TLR's abundant low-end torque, track-bred handling and aggressive styling (complete with a chiseled nose and muscular ram air scoops) make it a great starting point for a street custom, as Salisbury, Maryland's, Malone demonstrates. Everywhere you look, Malone's bike is set off with clean, classy modifications, starting with the custom extended swingarm from Spencer Cycle in North Carolina, adjustable up to 6 inches over stock. The icy-cool paint is a Ford silver (with plenty of extra flake mixed in), topped with vinyl flame graphics from Tape Works, and smooth vinyl to replace the textured seat cover that the bike originally comes with. The bike is also lowered a few inches for an even more aggressive stance, but by far the coolest feature is the custom, owner-fabricated exhaust system. Look closely at the bottom of the fairing, and you'll see that each individual header dumps straight into a cut-down SuperTrapp silencer that exits directly through the bellypan. This underbike exhaust system is clean, unique and L-O-U-D with a capital "F" when Malone throws some revs at the big, 1000cc V-twin motor, making earplugs a must. We love it!
Quebecois Customs
If you're a big fan of professional hockey, you might already be familiar with Stphane Bergeron's amazing artwork. As the owner (and sole artist) of custom painting house Griffe Originale in Becancour, Quebec, Canada, Bergeron is best known for his intricately airbrushed hockey goalie masks-he tells us that he paints more than 120 goalie masks each year, and his customer list includes such big-name goaltenders as Patrick Lalime, Roberto Luongo, Tom Barrasso and Andrew Raycroft. In addition to hockey, however, Bergeron is also a serious motorcycle enthusiast. It only makes sense then that since opening shop in 1995 he has gradually made painting motorcycles a part of his business as well. Though he'll happily lay down his signature licks on any motorcycle, Bergeron prefers sportbikes for his personal transport-as evidenced by his two bikes shown here, a 2000 Yamaha R1 and a 2004 Kawasaki ZX-10R. Bergeron originally got turned on to the custom sportbike scene through his annual visits across the border to Laconia Bike Week in New Hampshire. He tells us that 60-percent of the bikes he paints belong to American riders, who benefit from a very favorable exchange rate between the American and Canadian dollar. Or maybe he's wrong, and he's been so successful with U.S. riders because his paintwork is just so damn sick-consider the insane demon-skull graphics on his R1 (about $3K worth of airbrushing work, he estimates), or the equally terrifying murals on his two-tone ZX-10R. Airbrushing aside, both bikes are relatively mild in tune-a MIG high pipe for the R1 and a Devil high-mount on the ZX-10R is it for performance enhancers-though each have been blinged out with chrome swingarms, wheels and polished frames. To inspect more of Bergeron's impressive bike artistry (or to check out his equally awe-inspiring goalie masks) look him up at www.griffeoriginale.com.