Despite having a population of almost ten million people?more that Denmark or Switzerland?Hungary has a pretty low profile on the European custom scene. Maybe it?s because the country is tucked away in Central Europe. Or maybe Hungarians hide their lights under a bushel.
Judging by this very sharp custom Yamaha TR1, however, there?s at least one Hungarian workshop that deserves an international profile. Based in Budapest, it?s called Neuga and it?s run by three BMX fanatics.

?981? is a dark and luxurious Yamaha from the Virago family, and the vibe reminds us of the high-end creations from Stefano Venier.
The detailing and proportions are spot-on, which is just as well: Neuga?s commission came from one of Hungary?s best-known interior designers, Peter Szendr?.
?Peter is pretty precise,? says Neuga?s Benedek Eszteri wryly. ?He took part in the whole process, from day one until the end. It was two years of tears and joy until 981 was handed over.?
Two years is a long time for a custom build, but Benedek is sanguine. ?After you?ve built a few bikes, you stop running after dreams and become aware of reality. After the fifteenth month, we still had major changes.?

At the start of the build, Benedek and his colleagues Dániel and Róbert focused on the 75-degree V-twin. ?We needed a fully refurbished and trusty heart. So we measured everything and changed the rings, oil pump, cam chains, camshafts, and all of the gaskets and o-rings.?
They also refurbished the cylinder...