The custom motorcycle world is moving fast. It?s a world of Photoshop renders, digital sketches, computer aided design and 3D printers. Which is good to see, but also makes us a little sad at times. Motorcycling is a visceral, mechanical experience, and injection molded plastics don?t quite have the charm of bodywork turned on an English wheel.
Fortunately, there are still a few guys who know how to operate a lathe and build a frame by hand. And Max Hazan is in the top echelon?because he adds artistic vision and historical appreciation to create an intoxicating mix.

Max is quite clear that this latest build isn?t designed for cross-country trips. ?It?s just something that has two wheels and was fun to make,? he says. ?There was no intention of making something practical.? The idea for the KTM has been kicking around in Max?s head since he made his first bike in his dad’s workshop, while recuperating from an off-road accident.

?I made that bike for nothing, with virtually no metalworking tools. It had a Honda GX engine that cost $89 from eBay, plus some bicycle parts. The bike went way faster than I expected, and I knew that the next bike I built would have to be out of motorcycle parts.?
?So the idea here was to make something like the first motorized bicycle: light, cheap and fast,? says Max. ?The KTM RFS [Racing Four Stroke] engine is perfect. It has the cleanest shape of the modern 450-type motors, it?s easy to work on, and it?s relatively bulletproof.?

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