After cataloging the greatest custom builds in the world for over a decade, we?re often tempted to think we?ve seen it all. But we?d be wrong, because there?s always something new or interesting around the corner.
This creation from Germany made us pause, though. A ground-up scrambler build, using a Velocette engine in a Yamaha XT frame" That?s some creative thinking (and craftsmanship) right there.

The bike might be unusual, but in many ways, Sven Brands is the stereotypical modern custom builder. Although he earns a living as a graphic designer, he spends every spare hour working on bikes?and in particular, old Brit iron.
?My approach is to build them up from bits, rather than modifying an existing bike,? he says. ?I wouldn?t call it a hobby?it is a vital part of my life.?
Sven works under the name ?Garage Brands? and this project started about two years ago, when he spotted a Velocette MAC single cylinder engine for sale.
?It was offered on German eBay. The seller told me it had been used in vintage speedway racing in East Germany. So I purchased it on behalf of my friend Bernd Meyer, as a decoration/object for his desk!?

The MAC engine is undeniably pretty: a 349cc unit that powered Velocette?s post-War commuter bike to a surprisingly rapid 75 mph (121 kph).
The engine was ?stuck? when Sven got his hands on it, so he took it apart and did a top end rebuild. Then plans changed when he accidentally discovered an abandoned Yamaha XT600 frame?hidden in a dark c...