Born with a mixture of oil and gasoline in his blood, Kingston Custom founder Dirk Oehlerking is now one of the world’s most recognized customizers.
He won his first motocross race riding a borrowed Yamaha and wearing rubber boots. In 1985 he became German champion and took part in the World Cup in Spain. By the time his riding career ended, he had won over 230 trophies and awards.
Today, his technical talent and passion is applied to very individual and extraordinary custom motorcycles—including official commissions from manufacturers such as BMW Motorrad.
The tenth running of the Malle Mile is in the books, and from what we’ve heard, it was one for the ages. Scores of motorcycle nuts descended upon the regal grounds of Grimsthorpe Estate for a weekend of dust, gasoline, and grins. In between the chaos, a curated selection of custom, vintage, and rare motorcycles…
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Dirk Oehlerking’s name has become synonymous with cosmic art deco machines that wouldn’t look out of place in an art gallery. But the German custom bike maestro also knows how to build everyday motorcycles that stun with their simple elegance. He’s just used that approach on a classic BMW R80 boxer, turning it into an…
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Whenever Dirk Oehlerking builds another custom BMW boxer, it feels like his signature art deco style has reached its zenith. But then the next project rolls into the Kingston Custom workshop, and the German artisan flips the script again. Flitting between vintage boxers and the newer BMW R18, Dirk constantly pushes himself, and his imagination,…
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We live in a world where you can stream entire discographies of music straight to your phone, yet vinyl sales are booming. Technology might be advancing at a relentless pace, but we’re still drawn to analog things—either for their charm, or for the sake of our own nostalgia. In this context, neo-retro motorcycles are something…
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Bobby Haas left a giant hole in the custom scene when he passed away unexpectedly last year. As the owner and curator…
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BMW R nineT owners are spoiled for choice when it comes to personalization options. The bike has been out long enough that…
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Malle London describes their annual Malle Mile event as “a non-stop celebration of the speed, music and art of the motorcycle culture.”…
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We all know Hagon for their shocks, often fitted to the custom motorcycles that grace these pages. But company founder Alf Hagon’s…
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BMW has wasted no time getting the new R18 into the hands of customizers. Five months ago, before the Bavarian cruiser was…
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The Honda CB650R has a lot going for it. The middleweight roadster is easy to ride and well made, and it comes…
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Dirk Oehlerking has a portfolio of incredible builds, but there are two machines that stand out. They are the White Phantom and…
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If you live in the USA, you probably won’t have seen the Yamaha MT-125. But the mini ‘hyper naked’ is popular in…
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