These days, the methods used to build custom motorcycles are as diverse as the designs themselves. Some builders lean on modern tech like 3D design and printing, while others prefer to work directly with metal. This custom KTM 390 Duke rolls a whole lot of approaches into one spunky scrambler.
The Duke belongs to Akash Das, a graphic designer in the advertising industry, who?s based in Mumbai, India. Akash and his wife, Garima (also a designer) have a multi-disciplinary design side project called Busy People, where they play with ideas that don’t fit into their day jobs. Sometimes, that includes designing custom motorcycles.

?Motorcycle designs have slowly became a big passion for me,? says Akash, ?and I started working on them, along with my job. This KTM took a little more effort than part-time attention, so I had to take a sabbatical to finish it.? Busy People’s method is to design everything in-house, then outsource any tasks that they can’t handle themselves. Here, Akash designed many of the custom bits using 3D software, then 3D printed prototype parts, before having the final pieces machined from aluminum by third parties. The prototyping stage meant that each part could be tested for fitment?avoiding any surprises during final assembly.

Akash wanted to turn the 2018-model 390 Duke into a neo-retro scrambler, so he started with the subframe. He designed a new unit that would bolt straight to the OEM mounting points?but with a shorter and flatt...