The custom scene has evolved in myriad ways since we first launched Bike EXIF, but we’re still suckers for motorcycles that play on classic themes. This quintessential café racer from Rusty Wrench Motorcycles ticks all the right boxes, with clean lines, subtle upgrades and an immaculate livery. Remarkable, when you consider that it started out as a busted up 1987 Moto Guzzi Mille GT.
And that’s putting it mildly, by the way. The Guzzi rolled into Rusty Wrench’s workshop in proper barn find condition; its frame was bent, half its seat was missing and it was buried under dust. So the Portuguese crew truly performed a miracle to get it looking this tight.

For starters, some key parts were so damaged that they had to be scrapped entirely?most notably, the frame. Rusty Wrench transplanted the motor into an older Le Mans Mark III frame, then modified the subframe to suit their concept. Next, the team rebuilt the Moto Guzzi’s worn-out motor. It looks factory fresh now with a delightful combination of black and polished finishes. The original Dell’Orto carbs run with DNA filters, and the exhaust system is from the Italian specialists Zard.

This Mille GT still wears its original wheels?resplendent in a gold powder coated finish and wrapped in modern Avon rubber. But its suspension is all-new, with a set of upside-down Suzuki GSX-R forks doing duty up front and YSS shocks out back. The forks are held in place by custom yokes, and feature a black d...