Rene van Tuil of Revatu Customs knows how the custom->ke296 game works. His latest creation, dubbed the Black Pearl, perfectly illustrates how some builders are fine with eschewing performance improvements for the sake of aesthetic omnipresence.

This custom motorcycle is for steampunk fans all over the world. That’s because the Black Pearl - a fitting name, too - is a steam-powered motorcycle that’s not going to satisfy your thirst for speed and power, but it’ll most definitely catch a lot of people’s attention.

As you can see, van Tuil spent a great deal of time working on the Black Pearl to make it look and function like it’s supposed to be. The traditional motorcycle setup is nowhere to be seen. In its place is an overhauled machine that features a well thought-out suspension set-up that accommodates steam chamber that gives the bike its power.

Speaking of power, the Black Pearl really doesn’t offer a whole lot in that department. It’s got a top speed of 5 mph, which means that you can keep up with the bike if you decide to go for a leisurely jog covering that same distance.

But power and speed aren’t the things that make the Black Pearl special. It’s van Tuil’s incredible attention-to-detail and his desire to build something so unique you have no choice but to stare it as it chugs peacefully along the road.

Continue reading to read more about Rene van Tuil's custom Black Pearl steam-powered motorcycle.

Why it matters

I don't know about the rest of you, but in my part of the world, you don't see steam-powered motorcycles often. Actually, I've never even seen one.

So please forgive me for being a little amused about Rene van Tuil's custom motorcycle. Granted, it doesn't look anywhere near what a traditional bike should look like, but that's not the point of this incredible creation.

This isn't about recalibrating what a bike should be but recreating what it once was and reinterpreting it to today's world. It's not going to set any world speed records, but like I said, the Black Pearl isn't particularly absorbed with smoking other motorcycles.

Oh, it's going to do a lot of "smoking", that much I can tell you. But not in the way we've become accustomed to these days.

So appreciate the Black Pearl for what it is and don't shrug it off because of what it's not. It's a custom built bike that reflects the vision of its creator and for what it's worth, I'm guessing that van Tuil built this bike to look just the way it does.

I'll have no regrets if this is the first and last steam-powered motorcycle I'll ever see. That's how much I like it.