I’ve been aware of the meticulous work and innovative designs of Swiss cafe racer engineer Fritz Egli ever since seeing one of his ultra-rare Vincent-powered specials at a London bike meet some 20 years ago. At the time, I was so blown away by actually seeing a Vincent Black Shadow cafe custom that I didn’t…

Moto PGH. built this groovy Yamaha 650 That Shoulda Coulda Been a Winner ‘Tis a strange and wonderful problem to have, but each yeear during our annual custom bike show, we’re so busy with the organizing end of things that there’s amazing custom bikes that miss our eye. Oftentimes- and this past August’s even was…

Since launching this publication – in an Isle of Man hotel pub, of all places_ nearly 10 years ago, we’ve encountered some truly amazing and interesting people who also dig fast, sleek classic bikes. Among the first to phone in was singer and lifelong biker Billy Joel who called our offices so casually, we figured…

Though I’ve been riding and tinkering with motorcycles for nearly 40 years, the actual, hands-on building of engines has been a skill I’ve never accrued. Being busy both working a demanding journalism career (or three) and simultaneously struggling to maintain a family life and an annual riding season of around 10,000 miles has left little…

With dozens and dozens of entries pouring in during our August 12 Custom Bike Show to name the giveaway British Motorcycle Gear leather jacket, company honcho Paul Brooks has announced that he’s chosen a winner. Turns out local dude Bob Mathe chose The Legend Jacket, which is a very fitting name. Bob will receive his…

It was during the very first season of Velocity’s “Cafe Racer” TV series that one of the producers happened upon the idea of a low-buck build-off challenge episode. Me and my then co-host, rockabilly singer Ben Frideman, were taken to the AMA’s Vintage Motorcycle Days weekend at Mid-Ohio and each given $1,000 cash. Our mission?…

The summer’s soon to be winding down, but the good dudes at the Steel City Rockers are staging their annual custom speedbike and scooter get-together come Saturday, September 2. The Rocker club has taken the helm of this established event, adding new sponsors and reborn energy to the show, which is located on Grant Avenue…

Naturally, weather, logistics and professional commitments kept lots of folks who wanted to from attending last weekend’s Custom Bike Show. Well, thanks to the good guys at Virginia’s Cognito Moto, there’s some very well-shot, high definition video of Saturday’s events that just about sums up the fun, excitement and amazing machines on display. We especially…

With the skies pissing down on our Friday night Rebel yell Pre-Party, we were encouraged to find a hearty hundred souls in attendance. The screening of the Mods and Rockers classic “Quadrophania” at Sewickley’s Tull Theater proved a hit and as we exited late nite, the skies were clearing, leaving us encouraged about Saturday’s possibilities….