Written by Marlon Slack
It?s taken a lot longer than we?d like, but there?s some cool custom bikes coming out of China. And with more money being thrown around in Beijing than at a bikie strip show there will be more. The custom bike scene will be huge there some day. And in the years to come the Beijing custom scene will look back at shops like Madrill Garage and builds like their 2016 KTM Duke 390 dubbed the ?Orange Shark? as the bikes that broke new ground.

With rapid urbanisation there?s always a risk that China will skip a love of motorcycles and go straight for cars. But I?m we think that we?ll see more bikes like this. I love the little Duke 390 customs that have started to kick about. They?re lightweight, reliable and a shitload of fun to ride in stock trim – so why not use it as a base for a custom" ?With rapid urbanisation there?s always a risk that China will skip a love of motorcycles and go straight for cars.?

And that?s exactly what Madrill?s client was thinking when she dropped the bike into their Beijing garage. ?The KTM is a really good choice for a new rider and especially a female rider,? Madrill?s Luo Hao states, ?But everybody wants their bike to be individual. And anyway, the standard bike is too plastic?.

So the first thing Hao did was to remove all the plastic gunk. But he aimed to keep all the replacements lightweight. Because the owner wasn?t just going to be dodging cars, scooters and oblivious pedestrians on Beijing roads. ?She is ...