The tenth in a row The Mull Mile is in the books and, we hear, it was one for the ages. Dozens of motorbike fans descended on the royal grounds of the Grimsthorpe Estate for a weekend of dust, petrol and smiles.
Amidst the chaos, a carefully curated selection of custom, vintage and rare bikes lined up in the courtyard of Grimsthorpe Castle for the first official Malle Mile Custom Build Challenge. Prizes were awarded on the day in a variety of categories, with the exception of one – Bike EXIF People’s Choice. And that’s where you come in.
We've narrowed it down to 10 cars, listed below in no particular order. Explore these beautiful machines at your leisure, but when you're done, let us know your favorites in the comments.
Once we've finished the comments, polled our social media channels, and debated amongst ourselves, we'll announce the official EXIF Audience Choice Award winner for the Malle Mile Custom Build Challenge Bike.
Andrew Stevens, AJS Model D, 1923 Despite being 100 years old, Andrew J Stevens' AJS Model D still knows how to have fun. Built in 1923, the bike has never been restored and was ridden at the Mull Rally just like that – 100-year-old patina and all.
The AJS D went through several modifications both before and after World War I. The 50-degree V-engine started at 648 cc and produced a mind-boggling 6 hp.
Andrew's Model D is a later, post-war version of the bike, so it has a longer tank and an updated seat, and power (back in 1923) was increased to 7 hp.
Andrew says his Model D cruises down the Kings Highway at 40mph, which is plenty for a Sunday drive if you look that cool.
Norton Manx by Simon Warren The Norton Manx was built as a works racing bike by the English firm to win the Isle of Man TT. Picking up where the Norton International left off, the Manx had a smooth-running (for Norton, anyway) twin-overhead cam engine, and Norton's famous featherbed frame was a bit of a late addition. Unlike the International, the new Manx had telescopic forks and dual-shoe front brakes, and was shorter and lighter than the previous model.
The bike you see here is a fine example of a Norton Manx 500 Classic TT. The single cylinder is hidden behind a stunning fairing painted in British Racing Green. The front and rear fenders are adorned with the Union Jack, and the high-mounted exhaust ensures that hot air is diverted away from the rear of the bike.
Everything, down to the last nut and bolt, looks brand new. And with upgraded disc brakes and a Mikuni carburetor, we're sure it rides (and stops) just fine, too.
Sebastian Miller's Triumph Bonneville T120 Scrambler Ever wondered what a Triumph T120 Scrambler would look like? Sebastian Miller's Triumph T120 Bonneville The answer to that question comes from a scrambler created by Sam James at LIND Triumph in London.
Sam started with a standard T120 and collaborated with talent like Charlie Stockwell and Hitchcox Motorcycles to bring this desert sled-inspired build to life. It features enclosed shocks that are longer than the OEM units, taller fenders, and mud-resistant rubber. A reinforced custom seat sits atop the frame, and the headlight grille adds a bit of classic Brit Scrambler flair.
Hitchcox has provided fantastic looking stainless steel pipes, and the catalytic converter has also disappeared, which probably saves £20. Dubbed the Grimsthorpe Growler (Sebastian and his family live on the Grimsthorpe estate), the bike is shown here in classic hare scramble trim, minus indicators, a rear light and mirrors.
Robert McLaurin's Triumph TR6 SR This custom Triumph TR6 SR, owned by Robert McLaurin, was originally shipped to Johnson Motors, the same dealer that gave Bud Ekins his first Triumph. We don’t know the exact history of the bike, but it somehow made it back to England and now looks like a proper old-school desert racer.
In true desert snowmobile style, the front fender is gone, as are the headlights and gauges. The large tank can hold plenty of fuel, which is fed to the engine through a single carburetor.
Twin pipes snake down the sides of the bike, ending just before the stubby rear fender. The generously padded solo seat features hand-painted lettering on the rear, in the same style as the Triumph logo on the tank and side cover.
Fitted with a Kenda Sand tire at the rear and Trial rubber at the front, this scrambler just begs to be thrown out onto the dusty path.
Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 Sidecar Motorcycle by Cherry's Company This black and chrome masterpiece was created by the one and only Cherry Company from Tokyo, Japan. Starting with the new Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650, Kaichiro Kurosu and the team at Cherry's added a handcrafted sidecar to their creation, which was unveiled at the Malle Mile after wowed the crowd at the Yokohama Hot Rod and Custom Show.
The leading-link front forks were hand-made, as was the large headlight with its custom resin lens. A wider, taller front end and custom fuel tank make the new seat appear lower, and the rear wheel has been replaced with a wider one thanks to a new swingarm design.
The 19-inch rear wheel is a custom 60-spoke piece that has a great dual-brake setup. But if the rear wheel is complicated, the 21-inch front wheel with no brakes is beautifully simple.
The classic pram design and (surprisingly) traditional Dutch wooden shoes inspired this stunning, gorgeous chair. The list of details is endless, but we especially love the gold leaf accents and dotted stripes.
Royal Enfield Interceptor by Rowan Horncastle This is by far the most colourful of the Malle entrants. Royal Enfield's in-house customisation team teamed up with Top Gear Magazine editor Rowan Horncastle to create this one-off. Royal Enfield Continental GT 650.
Inspired by Alexander Calder's 1975 BMW 3.0 CSL Le Mans car, the Enfield was given an Endurance-style fairing, which was then painted in the stunning livery you see here. Even Tom Hurley's custom seat was included in the brief.
The exhaust system is from BAAK, and the rear pegs are from Harris Performance. The rack kit is from Malle London themselves, with a set of Nitron shocks at the rear to smooth out the ride. The hubs were sent to Central Wheel Components for custom rims, allowing the RE team to fit wider profile tyres.
Who said sport tourism can't be sexy?
S2 King Kenny Tribute by Super73 Officially called the Super73 KR1 Yamaha YZR500 Tribute, this stunning yellow e-bike is a tribute to legendary racer Kenny Roberts and his famous yellow speed block paint job. It was built on a Super73 S2 by Daniel Lesko, head of HALO Europe.
The traditional pedals on the Super73 were the first thing to be removed to give the bike some motorcycle style. Short front forks, anodized bronze, were added, with a pair of clamp-on handlebars slotted into place. The top clamp and front number plate are custom parts and add a racing aesthetic.
The wheels have been painted gold and the brakes have been upgraded with a host of Magura parts. The super funky tires are Maxxis Super Suckers and the short cafe-style seat has been custom stitched in Alcantara.
This isn't a bike for cross-country riding (or even around town), but it's certainly capable of cruising around the race paddock.
Dan Stone's Yamaha MT-07 Custom Dan Stone of Stibnite Moto has a particular soft spot for the Yamaha CP2 engine. Found in the Yamaha MT-07, XSR700 and Ténére 700, it’s compact, versatile and a ton of fun – so who can blame him?
For the 2024 season, Dan decided to build a simplified motocross bike.flat tracker from MT-07.
Yamaha didn't design the MT-07 as an off-road bike, but that's where Dan's exceptional design talent came into play. The only parts left from the original bike were the engine, frame, and suspension, and Dan built everything else from scratch.
The subframe, seat, and gas cap are all custom, with a set of dirt bike wheels and tires thrown in for good measure. And the custom exhaust is almost as loud as the paint scheme.
BMW R18 by Kingston Custom Dirk Oehlerking and his shop, Kingston Customare no strangers to these pages. And if you've been reading Bike EXIF for a while, you'll probably recognize this stunning, streamlined trash can BMW R18.
If not, we'll fill you in. The R18 was originally commissioned by BMW Motorrad to celebrate their 100th anniversary. Dirk started with the all-new BMW R18 First Edition, creating a dust collector fairing with a split grille inspired by classic BMW car designs.
A fully custom fairing sweeps down from the tank and encloses the front wheel. Finished in black with a white pinstripe, the overall design is delightfully Art Deco. The saddle seat leads the eye down to the cleverly designed factory frame (which retains its suspension) and exposed driveshaft.
Unsurprisingly, Kingston's R18 left the Mallet Mile with the 'Best in Show' award, meaning Dirk will soon be getting a new Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 for his next custom build.
Dick Shepherd's John Giles Triumph ISDT Racing Bike John Giles was a legend in the off-road world. Born in Kent, England, he began his off-road racing career on a modified BSA. A few years later, in 1952, he became a factory Triumph rider (on a Triumph TR5 Trophy) and remained with Triumph until the end of his professional career in 1970.
Competing in international Six Days competitions, he collected 11 gold medals over 18 years. Considered an all-rounder, John was as good at hare racing as he was at trials. Incredibly for a man who rode trials and required incredible depth perception, he collected his medals despite only being able to see out of one eye.
Sadly, John passed away in 2023 at the age of 93, but his legacy (and bikes) live on. The beautiful blue Triumph you see here is one of his true race bikes. The 21-inch front wheel, skinny trials rubber and short fenders give away its purpose, as do the huge rear sprocket and small fuel tank.
Being an old racing bike that has literally been thrown around for most of its life, it has been restored to a very high standard. It is also part of Dick Shepherd's Triumph collection, which explains why it looks so pristine.
Mallet London | Images provided and thanked Shane Benson
