Inspiration comes in all forms, and most custom builds are one of a kind. Strangely, as diverse as the roster of influence might be, few custom bikes take cues from the automobile industry.

When it's time to talk about going fast on a nitrous powered Hayabusa, all ears turn to Guy Caputo of Tiger Racing. He's been land speed racing since 2002 and has set or "bumped" 17 records at the Maxton "Monster Mile" course. This includes the grand daddy of them all; the very impressive 228 mph pass he made in 2005. This record still stands today as the fastest nitrous powered, open wheel motorcycle record in the world.

You've got some options after crashing your bike (provided your better half even allows you to keep it). You can either get it back together with stock parts and start where you left off, add a scrape bar and hit the parking lot, or...go all out and make it a custom showbike.

In 1982 Ozzy Osborn bit the head off a bat while Billy-Boy Bird first laid eyes on a Spondon. He made his dad chase the bike through the city center to get a better look at it; the poor guy on the bike must have thought they were the police because he accelerated out of sight. That is the precise moment Billy-Boy fell in love with Spondon frames.

Much like tattoos, the custom Hayabusa has been both admired and feared. In years past, mainstream sportbike riders considered fitting an oversized rear tire nothing short of blasphemy. Over time it slowly grew more popular and eventually gained social acceptance. And we'll be damned if fat tired customs aren't as commonplace as a celebrity with some skin art.

It isn't every day that a custom bike builder gets approached to make a bike for a worthy cause. Sure, money talks, and most of the high rollers that can afford a world-class builder's hands on his machine want the ride for their personal amusement, but not this time.

It's a timeless phrase: "Once a rider, always a rider." After you've been bitten by the motorcycling bug the mark never quite goes away. Such was the case for Mike Beckman and his hard rockin' 2006 Kawasaki ZX-10R.

Hot Road Rides In The Spotlight
Not long ago the streetbike scene was split; On one end you had the go-fast replicas that performed well but looked stock, and on the other you had the bling machines that looked great but were better left parked.

The timeless phrase, "One man's trash is another man's treasure," couldn't be more relevant than with this fighter plane inspired build.

West Coast style has forever blazed a unique path within American culture. Whether you're talkin' hotrods, custom bikes or lowriders, the left coast is responsible for a lot of the OG style. Some hate it, some love it, but we all recognize the roots.

Movies have been the inspiration for custom bike themes since the first steam powered bicycle had a picture of Steamboat Willie painted on it. In fact, the Predator movie has been the inspiration for many themed bikes by dozens of builders, but never quite like this. When Roderick "Slick Rick" McCullough, a successful business owner from Georgia, decided he wanted to make a theme bike to top them all, he found only one shop that was up to the task of pushing the limits of machine, style and taste.

Little Gracie Workman had a rough time early on in life. At birth she weighed just under two pounds, and it's a miracle she's still with us today. Now at seven years old, Gracie leads a normal life and is your typical sprightly young lass. Without help from the March of Dimes things may not have ended up so well though, and her dad, Randy, has found a way to say thanks to all those who helped his daughter pull through.

Is it the individual pieces that create perfection or the sum of the parts that make a success? This 2004 Yamaha R1 covers both sides of the story.

Unlike professional sports filled with rookie breakouts, the custom bike world is small at the top. Most noteworthy bikes come from established shops built by experienced hands.

In the world of street racing it's run what you brung and hope you got enough. Well...keep hoping, because if you find yourself lined-up against this black beast you better pack a lunch. So far he's pretty much been racing himself as his challengers are left sucking exhaust fumes.

No matter how you break it down, a week ain't much time to build a custom bike. Against the odds, seven days is all it took for Abe Pagan and his crew at Syndicate Custom Sportbikes to transform a stock GSX-R1000 into this turboed terror. But what's the rush? A customer and his cash said to get it done, and that's reason enough.

Almost overnight the Hayabusa created the custom sportbike scene, and to this day no bike on the planet has hosted more bling or performance upgrades than the mighty 'Busa.

When owner/builder "Zippy" was tricking out his 1999 Yamaha R1, he knew that with a Rotrex supercharger hiding within the folds of the Yam's skirt he'd have to address the wheelbase situation. The thing produces 200 HP at the wheel with a monstrous torque curve to match. The engine features original carbs modified for higher airflow, a Rotrex fuel pump for higher fuel flow, a Barnett clutch and a TTS exhaust system modified to clear the turbine, then topped with a Yoshimura RS3 end can.

For those of us who were members of the latchkey generation, afternoon cartoons served as our babysitters and held a special place in our upbringing while our parents were off working (or so they claimed). As soon as the bell rang to dismiss school, we'd run home to catch the latest animated episode of super hero antics. While future Jarheads would watch GI Joe and future gym rats aspired to be He-Man, nothing spoke more to mechanically inclined misfits than the Transformers. How many mock battles between the Autobots and Decepticons to save planet Earth must've been waged...

Men love shiny things, and throughout the custom world chrome has always been king. But nothing displays success like excess, and the custom bike scene has become glutted with the silver stuff. But what is a company to do when you are in the business of chrome plating? Change the game, what else?

Men, by nature, have a tendency to get carried away when it comes to toys. There is some inherent gene that makes us want to out-speed, out-custom, and out-spend our fellow brothers. Often, the only thing that keeps us from selling the family dog for extra money is the sanity of our female counterparts.

Buyer's Box
2005 Kawasaki ZX-10R
Front end: Dymag aluminum wheel,Braking rim mounted rotor and caliper
Rear end: Marchesini aluminum wheel
Motor: Turbonetics turbo, SARD wastegate, high compression pistons, custom exhaust, Dynojet Power Commander and Ignition Module

Today's new rider might wonder why anyone would want to customize a bike that's over 20 years old. Let's set the record straight. That ultra fast race replica with lights sitting in your driveway wouldn't exist if it weren't for the original GSX-R. Though debatable, the 1986 GSX-R1100 could easily be considered the very first liter sportbike. Sure, there were other high performance bikes prior to 1986, but before it came along there was never a true ready to race replica motorcycle.

There are two sides to every tale and as the timeless phrase goes, to each their own. Where some prefer their stretched bling machines, others tread lightly in search of a more understated path. While understandably the subdued cues of a modest-custom may not initially catch your eye, it's that second glance that will keenly captivate you.

Lawyers are a little like cops-most straight up suck, but every once in a while a decent one comes along and breaks down the stigma. Motorcyclists are oftentimes targeted by the latter group and then nailed down in court by the former, but not if Chuck Koro and Russ Brown can help it. They've chosen to fight for riders instead of against them, and that's all good in our book.