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- Where the custom market stands
- Heritage brands pushing factory customs and events
- What builders and media are showing
- Two undercurrents to watch
- Industry takeaways
- From the newsroom and community
- Highlights: shows, art and projects
- Products, tech and small-business notes
- Deal of the week (editorial listing)
- Miscellaneous notes
Easyriders has joined the Bikernet family, and the newsroom has been recalibrating around a busy autumn push. The team is finalizing the November/December “603” mentoring issue while compiling reports on industry trends, shows and a few personal highlights from Sturgis and gallery work.
Where the custom market stands
The custom and customized-motorcycle segment remains a solid niche inside a slow overall market. Industry estimates place the sector in the low double-digit billions, growing at roughly 6% annually. North America still holds the largest share, while Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing region.
Post Salt Bikernet issues weekly edition for August 28, 2026
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Stylistically, choppers account for the largest share, but bobbers, café racers and scramblers are the liveliest growth areas. Aftermarket parts continue to drive activity, and the bagger market is increasingly significant to builders and promoters.
Heritage brands pushing factory customs and events
American legacy manufacturers are very active. Harley‑Davidson expanded its 2026 lineup — including CVO models and updates to Milwaukee‑Eight engines — and is using racing and sponsored builds as marketing. Harley organized a six-round Bagger World Cup that ran alongside MotoGP events at COTA, Mugello, Assen, Silverstone, Aragón and the Red Bull Ring. In Europe the company backed a Creators Custom Clash that debuted at European Bike Week in Faak am See, Austria (September 8–13).
Indian Motorcycle marked its 125th anniversary in 2026 with new Scout Sixty variants positioned toward factory-custom buyers. The brand separated from Polaris in February and now operates as a standalone company under Carolwood LP, led by former Harley and Vance & Hines executive Mike Kennedy. Carolwood has said it plans to bring some manufacturing back to Iowa and Minnesota. Sales, however, have fallen sharply in 2026—particularly in the U.S.—so the Scout’s factory-custom focus is unfolding amid a business turnaround rather than a momentum sweep.
Moto Guzzi organized GMG 2026 in Mandello del Lario (September 3–6) to celebrate a new factory/museum and the marque’s 105th year—an example of how heritage gatherings continue to fuel custom interest.
What builders and media are showing
Mid-displacement platforms are the current garage-builder sweet spot. Royal Enfield’s 650 twins feature heavily in custom-media coverage, while Indian-based shops have produced some of the year’s most-viewed workshop features. Honda has leaned into the trend with its seventh Hondacustoms.com contest at Wheels & Waves, pitching five CB750 Hornets against five XL750 Transalps in an on‑road vs. off‑road format. BMW’s R nineT remains popular in Europe and Japan, and even small models such as Honda’s Dax are getting hot-rod or chopper treatments.
Shows and competitions are expanding: SEMA’s Battle of the Builders added a dedicated motorcycle category for 2026 (Las Vegas, November 3–6), while long-running European events—Custombike, Wheels & Waves and Bike Week—continue to showcase dealer- and OEM-backed creator builds.
Two undercurrents to watch
First, volume brands from China are moving into the U.S. and other markets. Sales of gasoline motorcycles from companies such as CFMoto are up sharply in some markets; while not yet part of “custom culture,” inexpensive modern platforms often become the donor bikes of tomorrow.
Second, electrification remains uneven. Commuter EV two‑wheelers—particularly Chinese exports—are proliferating, but premium electric motorcycles have struggled to gain traction. LiveWire‑class models have seen deep discounts. Custom EV projects exist and will grow, but the visually photogenic custom scene in 2026 is still overwhelmingly internal-combustion, retro and mid-displacement.
Industry takeaways
The craft side of the custom world is healthy and increasingly professional. Attention and investment tend to favor factory-custom cruisers, bagger racing, Royal Enfield/Honda donor platforms and anniversary marketing. The principal risks are legacy volume brands losing ground—Indian’s sales slump and Harley’s quest for new audiences—and whether electric platforms ever become a favorite canvas for builders. The team at Bikernet is also exploring the rise of bagger drag and related racing formats.
From the newsroom and community
The Bikernet Weekly News was assembled by a rotating staff, including The Redhead, Wayfarer, LA Laura, Viscous Vickie, Danial James, the Freak Show team, Sturgis prospect Kendra, Paul Davis, Agent Zebra and Berry Wardlaw. The upcoming issue centers on mentoring, the holidays, Sturgis coverage and a Battle with the Salt Flats feature.
Wayfarer contributed a personal piece on moving from reader to collaborator and the value of mentorship. He recalls sending early work in 2006 and being encouraged to continue—an arc that helped launch his writing and led to his role as associate editor. The post also links to a collection of Bandit’s quotes on Easyriders; Bandit himself summed up a similar sentiment in a recent line: “I just turned 75, and look at all the cool stuff I can do this year. Think about kids today, all the stuff they can do on their phones daily. Life is incredible, all you need to do is to get out of bed and get moving. It’s all at your fingertips.”
Highlights: shows, art and projects
Artist Ray Drea reported a successful July show at the Iron Horse Hotel in Milwaukee—50 pieces displayed, sales recorded and five new works created during the run. For this year’s Sturgis rally, Drea partnered with Buffalo Chip to produce a piece for headliner YUNGBLUD at the 86th rally. He created three signed giclées for charity auctions and a commemorative print for the Chip; the musician also purchased the original. Drea noted the performer injured himself on a campground motorbike earlier that day and still went on to headline the show, with medical confirmation arriving in the days after the rally.
Destination Florida Magazine asked to use one of Drea’s Jimmy Buffett paintings for a fall cover and invited him to paint live in Key West. He is scheduled to paint at Zazoo Gallery, 622 Duval Street, October 21–24.
Products, tech and small-business notes
Lowbrow Customs introduced the Straton Springer, a modernized springer front end inspired by 1940s Harley designs. The part keeps vintage styling while offering bolt-on fitment for many frames, including Gasbox full frames, four-speed Harley big-twin frames (Shovelhead, Panhead, Knucklehead) and stock Evo Sportster frames (1986–2003).
JIMS Tech is contributing content to Easyriders, spotlighting a new ACR socket and the FAT6 transmission. According to the team, the FAT6 has years of development behind it; it ran at the salt flats during recent testing and has attracted endorsements, including a video from Kevin Baxter offering a lifetime warranty on the transmission when purchased through his shop.
Deal of the week (editorial listing)
A recent pre-owned listing highlighted a 2022 Harley‑Davidson FXBBS Softail Street Bob in Redline Red with 11,919 miles. Key details:
- Engine: 114 cubic‑inch Milwaukee‑Eight
- Transmission: 6‑speed
- Notable equipment: Saddlemen step-up seat, mid-controls, Thrashin Co. saddlebags, 10‑inch wrinkle‑black handlebars
- As listed price: $12,995
Miscellaneous notes
The team is discussing new editorial projects, including an idea for a Tattoo magazine and feature pieces on a streamliner’s panels from a record run. There are also community-focused efforts: a new seat by Adam Croft associated with Kevin Baas’s high-school mentoring program, and updates from writer Bill Hayes, who recently published another book with editor Jennifer.
