There’s a trend that’s picked up speed amazingly fast this year: wood on motorcycles. It’s tricky to pull off, but when it’s executed tastefully the results can be spectacular.
After all, some of the world’s most desirable cars and yachts feature exquisite wooden highlights. And that?s where Arjan van den Boom of Ironwood Motorcycles found inspiration for his latest build?cars such as Aston Martins, and classic Riva boats.

Dubbed ‘The Savage,’ this 1978 BMW R75 is a blend of both materials and styles. ?After fifty-plus Ironwood projects, this is my first actual iron-and-wood bike,? the Amsterdam-based builder observes. ?It’s a bit of both worlds?a scrambler setup, with the stance of a cafe racer and a cruiser twist.? Though the wooden motif dominates the aesthetic, there’s actually a lot more going on here?like a completely re-worked rear end. Gone is the BMW’s original twin shock setup: in its place, Arjan has fabricated a new subframe, and modified the swing arm to run a single shock. The blacked-out rear shock is a fully custom unit from Hyperpro.

Up front, Arjan swapped the forks out for a set of upside-downs off a Ducati S2R. The upgrade package also included the Duc’s Brembo brake discs, calipers and master cylinder. Stainless steel braided brake hoses were fitted up front too.
The wheels are also new, with a 19? rim out front and a 16? rim out back, both laced up to the original hubs. Arjan opted...