Speed Read The Dazzling Harley Davidson Fat Boy Gray Ghost And More

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The Motor Co. releases their shiniest special edition yet—the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Gray Ghost—while a well-established Japanese workshop turns a Honda CB750 Custom into a sharp café racer. Our weekly dose of motorcycle goodness also features a rare Voxan Café Racer prototype and a charming custom Triumph Bonneville T100.

2025 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Gray Ghost 35 years on from its release, Harley-Davidson is adding a special Fat Boy to their Icons Motorcycle Collection. This is the limited edition 2025 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Gray Ghost (spoiler alert: it’s really shiny).
Harley didn’t expect to keep making the Fat Boy past its first iteration in 1990. But it’s proved so popular, that it’s been through three engine generations, and lives on today in the current Harley Softail lineup.

It’s been so successful that this glossy gherkin isn’t all that different from the Fat Boy Arnold Schwarzenegger rode to fame in Terminator 2. The (mostly) solid wheels, twin shotgun exhaust and stepped leather seat all remain. Even the yellow details on the rocker covers, engine covers and tank console insert pay homage to Willie G’s original design.
Harley has upgraded the Gray Ghost over the standard model with a solid-mounted Milwaukee-Eight 117 Custom powertrain, newly tuned suspension and selectable ride modes. But more importantly, this lacquered lance is dripping with chrome.

Using a process that H-D calls ‘physical vapor deposition’ (a fancy name for powder coating), the bodywork and most of the surfaces on the Gray Ghost feature a mirror finish that fares better over time than traditional chrome plating.
The sun reflecting directly into your eyes when you’re riding might be slightly problematic, but at least you’ll look cool. Jokes aside, even though a fully chromed factory motorcycle is something only Harley would be inclined to make, the finish is certainly growing on us. Take this bike anywhere at sunrise or sunset, and it will look incredible. [Source]

Honda CB750 by A Beard Custom Cycles It might be hard to tell, but this sleek café racer started life as a 1981 Honda CB750 Custom—Honda’s attempt at adding 80s American cruiser styling to the formidable CB750. Its new lease on life is thanks to Fumihoko Ueda and his legendary workshop, A Beard Custom Cycles, which has built some of Japan’s best customs from their base in Hatsukaichi City since 1996.
Ueda-san started by stripping the factory bodywork away, leaving a bare frame. The factory 19F/16R rear Comstar wheels remain—as do the air-assisted front forks, which have been rebuilt. Fat vintage-style treads raise the rear a little, while clip-on bars lower the riding position.

The fuel tank is from a Kawasaki ZRX400, but it has been chopped and changed so much that it looks like a bespoke piece. The seat, side covers, and rear cowl are all scratch-made. The whole package creates an aggressive silhouette that ties in with the sharp design of the DOHC engine.
The front fairing is from GOODS, but it has also been modified to suit the bike’s proportions and treated to a custom dashboard. There is fresh lighting all around, with a pair of stacked LED taillights peeking out from the rear cowl and tiny turn signals that only eagle-eyed readers will spot.

The rebuilt engine wears polished cases, contrasting against the dark blue and black paint job. A black ceramic-coated quad exhaust snakes its way under the bike, with the mufflers stacked on top of each other to increase cornering clearance. A brace of FCR 37 mm carbs (with pod filters) supplies a bit of extra juice and style.
The bike was unveiled to an adoring crowd at this year’s JOINTS Custom Bike Show in Port Messe, Nagoya. It’s easy to see why it was such a hit. [Source]

1997 Voxan Café Racer prototype If you remember the Suzuki TL1000S and have always wanted a better-looking, French version, we’ve got a treat for you. This is a 1997-model Voxan Café Racer—a 996 cc sportbike produced by the French manufacturer between 2000 and 2009.
Where the Suzuki TL was (like most Suzukis) cobbled together like a parts bin special, the Voxan Café Racer was completely made by hand. This particular example is especially rare. Not only does it only show one kilometer on the clock, but its VIN reads ‘001.’ That’s because it is the full-sized, fully functioning prototype that was released at the Paris Motorcycle Show a few years before the bike officially went to market.

The gorgeous frame was built by Charles Laurent, and the engine was supplied by Sodemo Moteurs, a French engine-maker and tuner. The liquid-cooled, 72-degree V-twin pumped out a healthy 100 hp, which was the limit dictated by French law at the time.
This DOHC prototype reportedly contains titanium valves, a billet crank, forged pistons, Pankl rods, and a quad fuel-injection system (which the factory model never got). Besides the artfully made frame and swingarm, the bike is equipped with a long list of parts from top-tier manufacturers like Marchesini and Beringer.

The French design team was definitely onto something with the Voxan Café Racer. It looks great for a 28-year-old motorcycle, especially in this burnt orange color scheme.
The bike is being sold through Iconic Motorbike Auctions, so if you’re in the market for a hand-built piece of French motorcycling history, now is your time. And yes, it comes with a floppy disc to tune the ECU (which is peak 90s).

Triumph Bonneville T100 by FCR Original The French workshop FCR Original has just unveiled their latest project—a stunning custom Triumph Bonneville T100, designed in collaboration with Brett Eyewear. The bike’s been built as a marketing tool for the retro motorsports-inspired eyewear brand, but we’d just as soon pick it for weekend jaunts along the coast.
The T100’s frame has been nickel-plated, giving it a distinctly old-school desert racer vibe. A Bates-style headlight with a yellow lens shines through a headlight grill, which sits in front of a Motogadget speedometer.

The tank is painted a lovely shade of blue that was developed in the FCR color lab, with brushed knee dents and hand-painted Brett logos. The high-mount stainless steel exhaust and mufflers are custom, while the engine covers have been engraved with a pattern inspired by designs found on Brett eyewear. A custom leather seat with an embroidered logo sits upon a modified subframe.
Custom-built Shock Factory 2win shocks are bolted onto the back, with Continental TKC80 tires spooned onto the laced wheels. The wheels are powder-coated light gold—a subtle modification that makes a big impact. The engine’s simply been upgraded with K&N filters and new mapping.

Cross-braced handlebars sport new grips, Motogadget switches, and new mirrors. The front and rear fenders are custom, both rolled from aluminum. A skid plate, custom radiator grill, and hand-painted ‘007’ number plates tie everything together.
It’s not the first time FCR has collaborated with Brett Eyewear, and it hopefully won’t be the last. [FCR Original | Brett Eyewear]



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