World's best custom bikes 2011

Say you are in the market for a new motorcycle, what do you find most appealing? Most people buy within their budget, and performance and appearance follow shortly after. But if you were to choose a motorcycle based purely on how it looked, would pick one of these?

The 2011 AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building has been run and won at the world-famous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota, with Japanese tuner Ken Tabata of Tavax Engineering in Osaka taking home top honours.

His custom motorcycle, the Tavax 2011V (second image), is an incredibly intricate design and not without a few unusual engineering solutions. Apart from the sculptured aluminium that dominates the design - the front and rear fenders appearing almost organic in their curvature - the front end comprises a leading link setup that also incorporates elements of a springer fork design.

Tabata-san's V-twin motorcycle took him more than three years to build, and he says he created the flowing metal work to look like a cheetah, agile and quick.
He made all the aluminium body work by hand, and also the engine covers. Interestingly the rear swing arm attaches behind the rearward cylinder and arches over the gearbox. It rides on 17-inch Marchesini rims and is fitted with Dunlop sports bike tyres.

A worthy winner? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Other mentions go to Larry Houghton of UK company Lamb Engineering. The bike is called Son of a Gun (third image) and based on a 1951 BSA single, which Houghton purchased on eBay. The golden bike could only manage silver however, taking second place in the comp.

Third place getter Bolide (fourth image), built by Satya Kraus of Kraus Motor Co. in the USA, is a more traditional cruiser design than the other bikes on the podium, though its minimalistic design, sports bike inspired rear shock, performance tyres and impeccable finish make it no less laudable.

The fifth ranked custom bike also deserves a mention, mainly because it's design is so utterly radical. The RK S built by Rafik Kaissi at RK Concepts (fifth image). The style is arresting, to the point where its function is almost lost in its form. The low bars, spine-like frame and 'floating' wheels give it a dream-like appearance.

Fourth place went to French fettler Bernard "Buck" Massart, for his Spacester (sixth image) custom. Based on a 1987 Harley-Davidson Sportster XL1200, the Spacester retains some of the Sportster's proportions while adding an ultramodern look, complete with Buell-inspired perimeter front disc brake and rigid rear end.