There are custom builds and there are custom creations. Then there are motorcycles that are as much works of art as means of transport. After that, comes this incredible masterpiece from Revival Motorcycles.

The $1/4 Million Custom Bike

Seven years might seem a long time for a one-off custom build but sometimes the results justify the wait. And when the build results in something that looks as good as this, the only question is; When can they start on another!

This is a true custom build, in that, apart from the engine, some suspension components and wheels, everything else has been hand crafted by the artisans at Revival Cycles.

The man who commissioned the build was clearly after something completely unique. With a resumé that includes Dell, Nike and Sony, all on the design side, Ed Boyd had very definite criteria for the creation.

“Revival delivered an opportunity to not only build a concept bike,” Ed Boyd explains, “but rather welcomed me into their design house to collaborate on a fully 3D customisation that utilised both high tech and low tech to accomplish the end goal of an unparalleled machine.”

Revival Cycles obviously welcomed the collaboration. “What Boyd purchased was an experience, not just a custom bike. Boyd claimed that he knew any other shop would have just taken his money and delivered a bike within a specified timeline. But Revival would work with him to provide a unique and uncompromising experience bringing his design dreams to life. Boyd collaborated with Revival Cycles for a fully immersive design experience unparalleled without corporate limitations or agendas.”

Revival Cycles was founded in 2008 by ex-corporate man Alan Stulberg. Motorcycles have been in his blood since childhood and Revival was a way of getting back to doing something he loves, combining it with his love for design.

“We believe that the motorcycle should be more than a means to get around; it is an aesthetic expression that demonstrates the beauty of purposeful form. We are as focused on design, art, and architecture as we are on mechanics and engineering. When we blend our interests, the result is as much fun to ride as it is to behold.”

This latest creation, called the Revival Fuse is nicknamed the ‘$1/4 Million Experience Build’ and uses a Ducati air-cooled motor, highly tuned with a race-tune ECU, slipper clutch and that incredible one-off exhaust system in stainless steel. The result is 140bhp, which is more than enough to make sure this stripped back machine goes as well as it looks.

The design process had every part drawn on paper, then translated into CAD and fabricated. A total of 1000 hours of fabrication time was spent.

But if we’re talking fabrication, then the are two elements that matter. The incredible seat and tank unit and the fairing are hand beaten aluminium and finished to an impossibly high degree.

And then you notice the handlebar/top triple clamp. If any part of any motorcycle ever deserved to be placed in an art gallery, it is this. The handlebars and top clamp are formed out of a single piece of billet aluminium and incorporate the brake and clutch mechanisms, throttle and hydraulic reservoirs and the switchgear. Naturally, all the cables are hidden. It’s perhaps the single most beautiful piece of engineering I’ve ever seen. I used to think the top triple clamp on the Triumph Thruxton R was gorgeous, now it just looks commonplace next to this.

As for road legality, there is a headlight and theta light is integrated into the seat unit for a totally clean look but there’s no provision for licence plate or mirrors and this slick tyres won’t pass examination by a member of the law enforcement agency. But who cares? Going by the looks, you’ll be travelling at near the speed of sound so they’d never catch you.

Everything is perfect and one-off: the twin rear shocks attach to a CNC-milled swing arm: the front forks are also machined and have Öhlins internals: the calipers are one-off items from Hayes and Dunlop created the set of one-off slick tyres.

No expense spared and none spared either in the clarity of vision of the customer and the creators. I love that this build has not been compromised by practical considerations as they would ruin the purity of the design which allows every element to stand out.