Recognizing the potential in a donor motorcycle is a crucial skill for any custom builder. But it’s a lot harder when the bike in question has already been customized, particularly if the existing mods don’t harmonize with your vision.
The man behind the HB-Custom name, Holger Breuer, knows this all too well. When this 1978 Kawasaki Z1000 arrived at his workshop in Hussum, Germany, it had already been turned into a streetfighter with a hodgepodge of pricey parts. But it was a far cry from what Holger’s client wanted, both aesthetically and practically.
“It came with a 180-wide rear tire, a K&J swingarm, and high handlebars,” he explains. “It had a short rear with a Giuliari seat for one person, and a very loud Marving four-into-one exhaust system.…