Every man should own at least one great suit. That sartorial commandment has been passed down for generations, but many of us have never had a custom suit made, and may wonder what to keep in mind when investing in a bespoke suit or tuxedo. Enter Alan David Custom. The family-run suitmaker has been creating fine American-made suits, tuxes and shirts since 1913. Located on Madison Avenue in midtown Manhattan, the dapper outfitters craft each individual piece with meticulous attention to detail, creating bespoke garments designed to fit flawlessly and enhance your silhouette with elegance and comfort. Here, ten essential suit-buying tips from ADC owner Alan Horowitz and his team of expert stylists.

 1. Never Get Measured By Your Salesperson

“Measuring and selling are two completely different skills, so always get measured by a tailor. You wouldn’t let the person giving you a test drive also run your credit score. It’s the same idea here.”

2. Ask For A Basted Fitting

“A basted fitting is what really differentiates a true bespoke from made-to-measure or made-to-order. Without a basted fitting, a suit can’t really be called a full custom. After a client’s measurements have been taken, a unique paper pattern is created. It’s from this pattern that the garment is carefully hand cut, assembled and temporarily hand stitched with white basting thread. At this point, the basted garment is ready for fitting.”

3. Buy From Well-Reviewed Suitmakers With Experience

“Do some research and look at online reviews before making a decision. Track record definitely matters, whether it’s years of experience or praised reviews. “

4. Your Suit Should Both Fit And Flatter You

“A custom garment shouldn’t just be about measurements, it should also enhance your body. Even if a suit technically fits, a trim cut on a heavyset build or a loose cut on a slimmer man won’t be flattering.”

5. Get A Second Pair Of Trousers

“Jackets last much longer than trousers as they wear much quicker. So a second pair of trousers can ensure your suit lasts much longer.”

6. Be Aware Of Button Stance

“If the top button is too high, it can accentuate the belly, and if it’s too low it can tend to look rather old-fashioned and unflattering. It should sit at the fullest part of the stomach.”

7. Sleeve Pitch Matters

“Everyone’s arm position is going to be slightly different so if the sleeve pitch doesn’t match, it’ll cause wrinkles near the bicep. If you’re looking at it from the side view, the sleeve line should fall cleanly from the shoulder to the cuff.”

8. Choose Tuxedo Fabric Wisely

“A tuxedo should never use the same cloth as a basic black suit, so you want to look for barathea weaves or blends with mohair for more structure, drape, and reduced wrinkling. Fabrics with mohair are great for tuxedos, they give a bit of a sheen but really hold the crease very well. But no more than 20% mohair, otherwise it’s too shiny.”

9. Consider Fabric Durability

“Not all fabrics that are good for trousers are also good for jackets. For example, faile cloth lacks body and volume for a jacket, but holds up well to the rigors of the trousers.”

10. Match Your Suit To The Occasion

“Your suit needs to match its purpose—whether it’s work, a wedding, or another special occasion.”

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Avid listeners of The Joe Rogan Experience are likely already aware of Rogan’s love of Porsche 911s, particularly of the restomodded variety. Among the crown jewels in Rogan’s garage are his SharkWerks Porsche 997 911 GT3 RS, featuring SharkWerks’ enlarged and uptuned 3.9-liter engine, as well as a 1-of-25 Gunther Werks 993 911, which encases a modernized version of the marque’s historic air-cooled flat-six in a carbon fiber body.

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The popular podcaster’s latest acquisition moves past modernization of existing 911s and into the realm of fantastical creation thanks to the work of RSR Project. The decade-old outfit specializes in building road-legal tribute versions of the 911 RSR, a pure-bred race car that Porsche conceived solely to compete at the highest levels of GT endurance racing but never drive off-track. As RSR Project puts it, “What we build is what Porsche never released: a car that looks the part, carries the presence, but is made to be driven—and driven hard.”

“Our goal with every build is to honor Porsche’s motorsport heritage while elevating performance to meet modern expectations,” said RSR Project founder Richard Schickman, who personally led the build. “For Joe, we wanted to create something that was not just stunning to look at, but also thrilling and reliable to drive. Every RSR build should feel alive every time you turn the key.”

Every build begins with a complete teardown and meticulous inspection of the engine—Rogan opted for the 3.5-liter flat six—as well as the transmission and supporting components. The bottom end is disassembled, measured, and cleaned before each steel component is magnafluxed—a process by which magnetized particles are used to visually check for structural integrity. The pistons and rods are balanced to within a gram and crank journals polished. New bushings, bearings, seals, and hardware are installed throughout, and the cylinder heads are glass-beaded, resurfaced to within half a thousandth of an inch, and fitted with new guides, seals, and springs after a competition-level valve job. Cylinders are honed, machined flat, and measured for perfect alignment, while the transmission is stripped, magnafluxed, and rebuilt with new synchros, seals, and guides.

Each RSR Project requires a donor body: a galvanized 1984–1989 911 Carrera tub, which is stripped down, fitted with steel flares, and reshaped into the iconic “longhood” design. From there, get a Concours presentation-worthy paintjob, Braid Fuchs wheels wrapped in Michelin TB15 vintage tires, and period-correct RSR touches such as a ducktail spoiler, fiberglass bumpers, and Carrera striping.

Inside, the cabin has been completely stripped and reupholstered, starting with a new Porsche Classic dash that restores the period-correct look and feel. RS-style door panels and proper Perlon carpeting keep weight down. For Rogan, the bucket seats were wrapped in black vinyl and a unique woven leather with nickel grommets reminiscent of 1960-era Ford GT40s. There’s also a classic Momo Prototipo steering wheel, refreshed pedal assembly, and a precision Wevo short shifter that aims to “channel the mechanical purity of the 915 gearbox,” which was originally produced from 1972 to 1986. While RSR Project will equip modern amenities such as infotainment systems per the client’s wishes, Rogan only elected to add an air conditioner, further adding to the car’s driver-forward purity and esotericism.

“Every RSR we create is built to be driven and enjoyed thoroughly,” added Schickman. “Joe’s car was tested extensively, road-proven for over 700 miles, and tuned to deliver the kind of visceral experience that makes these tributes so special.”

While pricing for Rogan’s car wasn’t announced, RSR Project commissions start at $375,000, which includes the price of the donor car. Tap here to learn more.

Like the Rolls-Royce Coachbuild division catering to the top 1 percent of the marque’s customers who commission one-off vehicles built from the ground up—such as the $31 million Arcadia Droptail—Bugatti is now offering similarly comprehensive personalization through its Programme Solitaire. The inaugural creation, named Brouillard, is a breathtaking coupe that pays tribute to Ettore Bugatti’s beloved majestic thoroughbred.

The Programme Solitaire is a modern-day take on Bugatti’s early 20th-century tradition of collaborating with specialist coachbuilders, a practice Jean Bugatti revolutionized by bringing the craft in-house to create icons like the Type 57 SC Atlantic. Brouillard is built upon the pinnacle of Bugatti’s W16 platform, featuring the 1,500-horsepower iteration of the legendary quad-turbocharged engine.

Channeling principles of classical art, Brouillard is dressed in dark tones on the lower third of the vehicle that visually connect to the car’s shadow, creating the perception of a lighter, more dynamic silhouette. Its aerodynamic kit straddles the line between function and beauty, from the air intakes that optimize cooling efficiency to a fixed ducktail wing that enhances the car’s elegant silhouette.

The interior craftsmanship reaches new heights with custom-woven fabrics, green-tinted carbon fiber, and a glass roof that creates an airy, cathedral-like experience. Tireless dedication to the finest artisan craftsmanship is evident in details like embroidered horse motifs, customized seats shaped to the owner’s preference, and a gear shifter machined from a single block of aluminum, featuring a miniature hand-crafted sculpture of Ettore’s favorite horse.

The Brouillard will be officially unveiled during Monterey Car Week as the first project of the new Programme Solitaire, which will create a maximum of only two masterpieces each year, ensuring that each receives complete attention and craftsmanship. These commissions will use existing Bugatti powertrains and chassis while focusing on bespoke bodywork and interior details.

Seven-time Super Bowl champion, Fox NFL commentator, and luxury watch collector Tom Brady showcased a custom-made, one-of-a-kind Jacob & Co. Twin Turbo Furious Tom Brady Edition timepiece while attending the E1 Monaco Grand Prix last weekend, where his Team Brady placed second in the all-electric boat race. This wildly exclusive, one-off timepiece creation marks a new pinnacle in horological complexity for the New York City-based luxury watchmaker.

The customized Twin Turbo Furious—meticulously designed in tribute to the GOAT of NFL quarterbacks—represents Jacob & Co.’s wildest expression of mechanical ingenuity yet. Crafted from advanced, lightweight forged carbon, the timepiece is finished in a tonal black, white, and grey color scheme. A personal touch is incorporated into the dial: Brady’s distinctive signature replaces the traditional Jacob & Co. logo at the 12 o’clock position. A single, subtly placed ruby at the hour marker provides a discreet nod to his iconic jersey number. And a black rubber strap completes the piece.

The watch’s intricate mechanics draw direct inspiration from the world of high-performance racing, and it has been engineered for peak horological performance. At its heart lie twin triple-axis flying tourbillons, rotating in perfect synchrony beneath a wide-angle curved sapphire crystal. This curved crystal offers an unobstructed view of the intricate movement in constant action, a mesmerizing testament to the watch’s engineering prowess.

Taking the advanced mechanics one step further, the timepiece houses a monopusher chronograph. This rare feature is paired with a unique pitboard time differential calculator, an innovation aimed at hardcore racing enthusiasts. This calculator allows for the precise comparison of up to five consecutive lap times, measuring every gain or loss down to the second.

Adding to its acoustic distinction, the timepiece incorporates a Decimal Minute Repeater. This highly complex mechanism, activated on demand, strikes time using cathedral gongs that are nearly twice the length of standard rods. This extended length allows for a deeper, richer, and more intense sound, creating an auditory experience as refined as the visual one.

Brady is no stranger to the opulent creations of Jacob & Co. He has previously worn other extravagant and technically sophisticated pieces from the brand, including the Billionaire Mini Ashoka and the Caviar Tourbillon in Yellow Sapphires. The one-of-one Jacob & Co. Twin Turbo Furious Tom Brady Edition is priced at a decidedly exclusive $650,000. See it in action in the video below.

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Hip-hop superstar Drake has offered a fresh glimpse into the opulent interior of “Air Drake,” his newly-renovated custom Boeing 767-300F. The extravagant PJ’s updated aesthetic has also sparked industry chatter about a potential tie-in with his upcoming album, Iceman.

Originally a vintage-inspired space, the jet’s interior now boasts a sleek, contemporary design featuring purple LED lighting and a dedicated movie room, optimized for extensive travel. Drake, reflecting on the jet’s acquisition, described it as “one of the craziest moments of my life” in a post shared on Instagram, following a promise fulfilled by an associate who vowed to secure him “the biggest jet in the game.” The aircraft’s exterior, conceptualized with the late fashion icon Virgil Abloh, retains its distinctive sky-blue and white cloud motif, complete with Drake’s OVO owl emblem and “Air Drake” branding.

Acquired in 2019 through a unique partnership with Canadian cargo airline Cargojet, the deal reportedly involved no direct payment, relying instead on the immense brand exposure generated by Drake’s global stature. While the base value of a 767-300F hovers around $185 million, the extensive customizations are estimated to have added $80-$100 million, transforming it into one of the most extravagant private planes in the music world. The jet is configured to comfortably carry 30 to 45 passengers, emphasizing luxury and long-distance capability.

Check out more on Drake’s high-flying jet in the Instagram post below, along with his 2025 European tour dates.

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Drake 2025 European Tour

• Birmingham: July 23 
• Manchester: July 25, 26, 28, August 4 
• Amsterdam: July 30, 31, August 2 
• Antwerp: August 7 
• Zurich: August 11, 12 
• Cologne: August 15, 16, 18 
• Stockholm: August 21, 22 
• Copenhagen: August 24, 25 
• Assago: August 29 
• Paris: September 7, 8 
• Berlin: September 11, 12 
• Munich: September 16, 18 
• Hamburg: September 22, 23 

From the outside it resembles the other historic, distinctively gabled manor houses that dot the Swedish countryside. However, this one contains something of a secret. Inside you’ll find the VO Vapen manufacture, a sanctuary of precision and artisanal virtuosity where privileged visitors encounter not merely firearms but cultural artifacts—“expressions of Swedish hunting philosophy where respect for nature intertwines with appreciation for timeless craftsmanship.”

Many consider VO Vapen to be the world’s finest bespoke gunsmith, and the firm creates what are widely hailed as the most exclusive hunting rifles on earth in its unique stone building—antique on the outside, state of the art within. They are masterpieces that can command over $800,000 and require up to 18 months of painstaking work to complete. Ever since master gunsmith Viggo Olsson founded the family business in 1977, their annual yield has remained deliberately limited. Only a handful of rifles yearly emerge from their workshop, each representing the pinnacle of meticulous materials melded to function and form.

VO Vapen remains dedicated to exclusive collections, limited editions, and one-off creations for those demanding nothing short of perfection. Deep-pocketed sportsmen and discreet collectors from around the world are the firm’s principal clientele, though certain hallowed names stand out among them, including King Carl XVI Gustaf and Prince Carl Philip of Sweden; Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai; and (the late) Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman.

“Through our journeys to the Arabian Peninsula, we developed a fascination with the mighty falcon,” says Ulf Olsson, who leads the family enterprise today. This curiosity about falconry would eventually birth an iconic weapon, the VO Falcon Rifle, honoring both traditional Arabian hunting methods and the magnificent predators themselves. Across the continent in Poland, meanwhile, Carlex Design had also been building a reputation for bespoke craftsmanship. The firm creates extraordinary modifications for the likes of the Mercedes G-Wagon and other ultra-luxe vehicles. Upon encountering the Falcon Rifle—with its intricate engravings that took over six months simply to research—Carlex found inspiration for what would become a four-year-long project: the G-Falcon.

This automotive masterpiece features a handcrafted roof with detailed falcon reliefs delicately highlighted with gold on polished metal—what Carlex calls a “One of One” creation. Such vehicles represent their most refined work, meticulously crafted by their elite team of artisans using advanced finishing techniques like hand-relief metal and patinated leathers, as well as exclusive paint finishes utilizing their proprietary Diamond Dust technique.

Carlex’s journey began modestly in 2008 as a tailoring workshop that renovated car interiors. “We know that true design requires sensitivity and moderation,” a representative of the company says. “In our projects, three elements always emerge: cohesive design, superb craftsmanship and noble materials.” Their fascination with natural treasures—rare exotic leathers, meteorites, precious metals and woods—singularizes their creative process and led to its magnificent evolution.

Today, Carlex specializes in ultra-limited G-Wagon conversions, including their exclusive Vintage series that blends luxury with truly timeless style. Their team comprises exceptional designers and craftsmen whose experience pushes them toward ambitious goals. Each bespoke project demonstrates their commitment to distinctiveness, with materials handpicked and transformed into interior masterpieces that balance luxury, comfort and functionality.

Alternatively, the VO Falcon Rifle itself stands as a tribute to the ancient art of falconry. With scenic gold-inlaid engravings depicting Peregrine and Saker Falcons—the varieties most prized by falconers in the Gulf region—it honors creatures that captivate with their tireless flight, grace and natural hunting instinct. Olsson’s visits to institutions like the Abu Dhabi Falconers Club, Emirates Falconers Club and Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital helped identify authentic regional falcon species for the design.

“To further connect the VO Falcon Rifle to the region, we developed a unique technique using Damascus steel for the octagonal barrels,” Olsson says. “It took over a year to develop and build them, ensuring uncompromising quality and accuracy.” This beautiful handmade steel, with origins in the Arabian world, was unprecedented in its application to multiple rifle components—even the special takedown-key features Damascus steel. Combined with stocks made from premium walnut root, each rifle becomes a functional work of art.

The collaboration between these two masters of their respective crafts seemed almost predestined. “The fact that Carlex embraced our ideals of craftsmanship and precision made this partnership natural,” Olsson says. “Rarely do you encounter artisans willing to dedicate years to perfecting their vision.” The recent Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition provided a singular opportunity to acquire these two extraordinary items together.

While impressive individually, together they form “The Fellowship of Falcons”—a car and rifle duo nearly as remarkable as the predator that inspired them. The partnership has proven so successful that future collaborations are already in development. “We’re currently planning several joint projects—some highly bespoke, others more accessible to the public—which we’ll reveal at a later time,” Olsson hints.

In both the rifle and the vehicle, one finds a celebration of the falcon—a creature that hunts with instinctive precision, attacking with astonishing force through a combination of speed, power and elegance. Just as the falcon represents mastery of the skies, these creations represent mastery of human craft—a fitting tribute to both the bird and the deep-rooted hunting traditions of the Arabian world that have elevated it to such cultural significance.  

This article originally appeared in Maxim magazine’s Summer 2005 issue.

The most obvious mod is the convertible form. Mansory notes that transforming a four-door to a convertible is much harder than doing the same to a two-door, as removal of the roof, a critical structural component, necessitates extensive body reinforcements throughout the frame and sill areas —mods that are crucial to compensate for the loss of torsional rigidity.

Another totally unique design design element of the “Speranza” is the new triangular side window located directly behind the rear suicide doors, which not only contributes to the vehicle’s sleek profile when the roof is closed, but also provides wind protection for rear passengers when open. The multi-colored convertible top operates fully electrically and features a lining, making it suitable for comfortable year-round use.

As with many other Mansory builds, performance is also enhanced. The upgraded 4.0-liter V8 engine now boasts larger turbochargers, a high-performance exhaust system with redesigned downpipes, and reprogrammed engine electronics. This potent combination results in a staggering 820 horsepower (up from the standard 585 hp) and a torque increase to 850 pound-feet to (from 627 pound-feet). The Speranza can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in a mere 4.0 seconds, with its top speed electronically limited to 155 mph.

Inside, the rear compartment features luxurious individual seats and an individually configurable center console. Bespoke details such as seat belts with the Mansory logo, full carbon sports pedals, a Mansory leather-carbon sports steering wheel, quilted leather floor mats, and Mansory lettering on the door handles underscore the vehicle’s exclusivity.

The “Speranza” is the latest addition to a stable of seven distinct G-Class derivatives offered by Mansory, including the “Grand Entrée,” “Gronos,” “Gronos EVO,” “EVO S Coupé,” and specialized “4×4” and “6×6” variants. Additionally, it joined Mansory’s larger showcase at May’s Top Marques Monaco auto show, which also featured the “Pugnator Tricolore” (based on the Ferrari Purosangue), the “Initiale” (based on the Lamborghini Revuelto), the regal “Emperor” (based on the Rolls-Royce Cullinan), and a rugged “Elongation EVO” (based on the Tesla Cybertruck).

“It’s priceless to me.” A conclusive sentiment that anyone who has spent time and cash on motorcycle mods will understand—the monetary value of a custom bike seldom reflects its subjective worth to an owner. However, the source of that particular quote was telling Maxim about his 1962 Harley-Davidson “Lucki-Pan.” And unlike the tastelessly chromed- and raked-out choppers polluting the pages of Facebook Marketplace, this minimalist one-off is actually objectively beautiful—and therefore valuable.

No surprise, as the Lucki-Pan was built by and for Brad Richards, creative director and vice president of design at Harley-Davidson. The H-D literate will immediately connect the latter half of its name to the “Panhead” engine, a historic V-twin named for the cake pan–like rocker covers topping its cylinder heads. “The Panhead motor is simple to look at and understand,” Richards tells us. “It has the perfect balance of polished and raw surfaces. Its proportions look confident and powerful—and it is.”

As for the “Lucki” prefix, Richards explains, “Post-WWII green bikes were avoided due to their perceived connection to the military motorcycles, and riders of the time thought a green bike was ‘unlucky.’ I thought this could be a great moment to use the color,” which ultimately came from Nissan’s 1986 palette.

This 1,200-cc power plant was the first piece of the Lucki-Pan’s puzzle, which was actually acquired in Detroit by Richards while on lunch break at his previous gig as chief designer at Ford Motor Company. It was sent to Terry Godschalk of Clarkston, Michigan’s T.G. Speed Equipment for a rebuild, and Richards began working closely with fabricator Ry Seidler, the owner of RAS Moto Detroit, to bring the rest of his design to fruition over a seven-year period.

“There’s a design language within choppers. I was playing with this language and rearranging the poetry to suit my vision,” Richards says. “I was basically mixing a classic ’60s chopper with a ’60s drag bike. Most of the key parts—like the engine, frame and wheels—all existed, so it was the smaller details I needed to bring to life.” A revered designer always, Richards went on to explain the first-second-third-read design concept, which deals with the way details become increasingly perceptible as the physical distance between the viewer and subject decreases.

“This is a concept we use inside the Harley-Davidson Design studio while creating our modern motorcycles as well, Richards says. “The first read is the furthest physically away from the bike—100 to 200 feet away—it’s the silhouette, color, proportion of major parts like the wheels, fuel tank, and tail section. If you can create something interesting with the first read, it draws the viewer in closer for the second read, which is from 20 feet away or so, where you begin to see certain key details much closer.  You may be drawn into mechanical details of the motor or the design of the seat and handlebars. The color and graphics are also easier to read at this distance, so they begin to do their work and bring you in even closer to the machine.”

The final level is perhaps the most important in Richards’ opinion. “The third read is where the execution of the bike is judged. For instance, how dynamic is the paint? Is there some interesting element within it like mica, or does the color shift from warm to cool depending on the shapes and contours of the bodywork? How are the many mechanical cables and electrical wires handled?  Can you even see them?  We call that ‘cable hygiene.’ But the most important element within the third read is the “easter eggs”—the subtle little details that a rider may not even notice until the bike gets its first wash, and a beautiful piece of branding is noticed.  It’s the jewelry. The whole point of the three reads is to create desirability with each step closer to the machine. Hopefully the whole bike hangs together with each read, creating a complete and engaging story.”

The Lucki-Pan definitely tells an intriguing tale of motorcycle craftsmanship peppered with Frankenstein-style procedure. The mid-1950s H-D “Straight Leg” frame, named for the frame’s straight front downtubes, came from New Jersey, while the 18- and 21-inch Akront rims could be considered readily available by comparison. But the “little details” that make the Lucki-Pan a paragon of artful customization are how the parts that Richards and Seidler made from scratch cohere. As a Cycle Source article notes, they cut down a Honda fender to match the rear tire. The oil tank, purchased for $14, was restored from a nearly destroyed state by Seidel. The handlebars, handlebar risers, hand-operated “jockey shifter” and foot-operated clutch were all conceived by Richards and crafted by Seidler.

“Building and riding a bike like mine provides a deeply emotional experience that removes you from the day-to-day and delivers you directly into the moment,” Richards says. “It will make you feel alive like nothing else. I’d highly recommend trying it.” You won’t find that feeling on Facebook Marketplace.

This article originally appeared in the January/February 2025 issue of Maxim.

“My love of motorcycles was born when I was 3 years old and my father threw me on a three-wheeler,” W. Robert Ransom tells Maxim. Unlike many arguably overeager fathers, Ransom’s dad wasn’t even particularly interested in motorsports—rather Wayne Robert Ransom Sr. gifted his kid a motorcycle for a reason as old as time itself: as a scheme to get his girl back.

“My parents were actually divorced at that point and he needed a way to get my mother back to the house,” Ransom Jr. recalls with some amusement. “So he said, ‘I’m going to get this kid a three-wheeler and then he’ll have to be brought to my house, and I’ll get to see my ex-wife!’ It was a ploy that worked out in my favor.”

Unfortunately for Wayne Sr. the Trojan horse Yamaha TriZinger YT60 strategy failed in getting his ex-wife back full time, but it did succeed in sparking a love of motorcycles in his son that would define the course of his life. “It’s crazy,” Ransom remembers wistfully, “when I ride by the dealership that’s no longer there, I can still see where it was sitting the day he took me to pick it up. That memory is that vivid.”

While buying a 3-year-old a 60-cc two-stroke trike notorious for their ease in flipping over might seem mind-boggling for 21st-century parents, the auspicious gift accelerated a prodigious aptitude for all things engineering and innovation. When Wayne Sr. passed away only four years later, suddenly Wayne Jr. was burdened with the responsibility of caring for and maintaining his own motorcycles—gapping spark plugs, cleaning air filters, and changing the oil. By the age of 12 he’d begun customizing his bikes, and at 19 opened his own service and light performance shop in south New Jersey.

These skills grew until lightning struck at the age of 24. At the time he had not yet practiced any motorcycle fabrication, nor knew how to shape sheet metal. He didn’t know how to TIG weld or engineer a chassis, either. But he envisioned a new motorcycle concept, and through seven months of hard work and self-learning, Ransom taught himself how to build one from the ground up.

Obsessed with speed, The Serpent was built on the concept of optimizing a motorcycle’s ability to translate power to the asphalt. In other words, allowing a sport bike’s Herculean torque to transfer to the tires and stay planted in order to experience the full head rush of torque without flipping the thing over. So Ransom extended both the front and back wheels, stretching out the entire chassis and dropping the engine for a super low center of gravity and seat height (only 17 inches).

“We’ll just say for the record, I took it out to an unnamed location in Mexico and I ran it up to 150 miles an hour,” Ransom laughs, shaking his head. “I was sitting there—it didn’t hit me until I got back to my facility because the bike did it so effortlessly—that I’m a 24-year-old kid, no formal education in engineering or metal shaping fabrication, and I’m looking at this bike and I’m like, I cannot believe that I just did 150 miles an hour on something that I built in a 600-squarefoot facility with minimal hand tools! And my mind just started to go wild with possibility.”

With zero empirical or academic engineering or construction knowledge, the idea of a super sport bike’s tidal wave of power unleashed onto a homemade chromoly steel chassis seems like the recipe for home cooking a 150-mph roadkill mash. But it worked. Moreover, at the time Jesse James and the revival of American choppers were all the rage, meaning bikes centered around big American V-Twins. Naysayers seriously questioned, if not mocked, his use of a Suzuki GSX-R1000 powerplant. But Ransom committed wholeheartedly to his vision and didn’t waver, despite the overwhelming contemporary trends. “I always just had an innate ability to know what would work,” Ransom marvels, “and what wouldn’t.”

Roughly a dozen one-off bikes later and Ransom Motorcycles has grown from a workshop the size of a walk-in closet to a serious manufacturer, building motorcycles for wealthy fanatics spread across the globe. The trilogy of its series starts with the Valiance Collection, the “entry-level build” that launches with the Archangel—a spiritual prodigy of the earlier Serpent bike. Designed for an orthopedic surgeon, the weekend track racer found himself riding way too fast on streets. So he commissioned Ransom to build a bike that would still challenge him, but at lower speeds than he’d have to push his sport bike. Ransom imagined a two-wheeler with a fat rear tire and increased front rake, one that would slow down velocity but still engage the rider in corners like they were racing twice as fast.

“So I took The Serpent and stylized it, squashed it, stretched it, and that’s where we end up with the Archangel,” Ransom explains. Other clever touches include a hidden headlight, cantilevered engine and pneumatic suspension with its air reservoir concealed in the swing arm.

Then there’s the Legacy Collection, which launches this summer with the world’s first all-titanium motorcycle, the Titanium Transcendence (more on that below). As next level and mind-blowing as that creation might sound, Ransom aims to supersede even that with the Majesty line.

“It’s no holds barred, no budget needed, as big and as exotic and as luxurious as we can go,” the ambitious builder promises. More than simply a two-wheeled vehicle, Ransom sees the first edition of the Majesty Collection, Reign, as a piece of museum-level sculpture that electronically transforms into a rideable motorcycle. So far requiring a simply ludicrous 10,000 hours to build, the solid bronze–bodied work resembles a polished gold Anish Kapoor sculpture that unlocks and transforms on command like the star of a Michael Bay blockbuster.

“I’m a sculptor by creed,” Ransom reveals when asked where the vision came for such a singular eye-warping piece of machinery-meets-art. “Sketching is very difficult, but sculpting for me is like breathing.”

Ransom’s Titanium Transcendence Puts Pedal To The Metal

If the proposal of an all-titanium motorcycle sounds unnecessarily challenging, that’s because it is. Highly sculptural body work or fairings in the motorcycle industry are usually made of fiberglass or composites, rarely metal. And never, ever titanium. Why? Titanium is not only incredibly expensive, but the low-density, high-strength metal makes welding notoriously difficult, and its thinness is unforgiving—planishing out flaws or errors can be both arduous and time-consuming. Overall one can expect labor to be three to four times more complex over steel or aluminum.

“It really exposes all the flaws that you have as a shaper,” W. Robert Ransom admits. “The artistry is making the metal look like it was molded.” His justification for the added challenge is simple: Ransom sees the Legacy Collection as prioritizing performance, acceleration and straight-line speed over the sculptural emphasis of the Majesty Collection, while the Valiance Collection plays the Goldilocks Solution bridge between the two.

Throughout the Transcendence build the New Jersey workshop detailed the process on Instagram, and Ransom found followers fascinated by the titanium craftsmanship. “They were wondering if I had a background in aerospace, because normally you’re not seeing the work being done by people who shape titanium online. They’re getting paid by places like Lockheed Martin,” Ransom says of fans DMing him on IG. After all, titanium is usually reserved for aerospace and spacecraft work done behind the secretive veil of nondisclosures.

Ransom estimates that 95 percent of his inaugural Legacy offering is crafted of titanium—the entire chassis, swing arm, exhausts, fuel tank, side pedal, upper cal and body work—all titanium. About the only parts other than the Suzuki Hayabusa engine not fashioned from titanium are its carbon fiber wheels.

So it’s extremely light for its gen-two 1,340-cc, inline-four Hayabusa engine, once the powerplant for the fastest production motorcycle on the planet. Weighing in at a svelte 375 pounds dry, that should make the Titanium Transcendence not just a gorgeous objet d’art to admire but also a terrifyingly fast two-wheeler to ride. “This one’s for guys at the red light,” Ransom muses, smiling. “It’s gonna blow away all other bikes.”

This article originally appeared in the July/August 2024 issue of Maxim magazine.

Follow Deputy Editor Nicolas Stecher on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.

Those clients will bypass Rolls’ top-tier Black Badge production range and head to the Coachbuild division, which previously created the “Sweptail“—once the world’s most expensive new car—and the one-of-four Boat Tail endowed with its own dining suite.

The latest Roll-Royce Coachbuild commission is the La Rose Noire, the first of four two-door, two-seat Droptails that the brand will build. The exterior is inspired by the Black Baccara rose—said to to be the favorite flower of the client’s mother. In nature, its dark pomegranate petals shine with a deep shade of red under direct sunlight but appear almost black when shaded.

Like the flower, La Rose Noire’s color changes depending on the perspective and lighting conditions. To achieve this effect, surface finish specialists developed a completely new paint process involving a “secret” base coat and five layers of clear lacquer, each blended with a slightly different tone of red. Two main colors were blended throughout the process: “True Love” red and a darker tone dubbed “Mystery.”

Complementing “Hydroshade” bright work is not painted by applied via a process featuring a “specific chrome electrolyte [that’s] introduced in the chrome plating process and co-deposited on each stainless-steel substrate in a layer just one micron thick – roughly the same width as a strand of spider-web silk.”

The removable hardtop is also noteworthy, as it’s low-slung shape was designed exclusively for La Rose Noire. At the push of a button, electrochromic glass becomes nearly translucent, offering nearly full-circle views of the exterior environment. “True Love” red paint also covers the Pantheon grille veins and lower front air intake, while the alloy wheels are rendered in the darker “Mystery” hue with shimmering red undertones.

But Rolls says the “most remarkable” element is the cocooning interior, one that took nearly two years to develop for the client. The “most complex expression of parquetry” ever implemented in a Spirit of Ecstasy-adorned ride features 1,603 pieces of wood veneer triangles, 1,070 of which are perfectly symmetrical, Black Sycamore background elements and 533 of which are asymmetrically positioned red pieces meant to evoke scattered rose petals. The wooden pattern stretches from the rear shawl panel through the doors and onto the fascia.

The client also requested that a specially commissioned Audemars Piguet 43mm Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date be mounted in the interior, but with a catch: It also needed to be able to be removed, attached to a strap and worn. As such, a powered clasp mechanism was created that presents the timepiece at the touch of a button, after which the aperture in the fasica is covered with an elegant titanium blank head watch that showcases a white-gold coin on a rose engraving.

In addition to luxe Swiss watches, the client also a taste for fine Champagne, so much so that they commissioned an exclusive vintage of Champagne de Lossy. Accordingly, Rolls-Royce built a Champagne Chest with an exterior lid that becomes a Black Sycamore serving tray for the hand-blown crystal Champagne flutes.

The sides feature the same parquetry work featured on the dash, and once deployed, they reveal to hammocks that display the clients’ special Champagne vintage. Stored thermal champagne coolers, made from black anodized aluminum and carbon fiber, are finished in the dark Mystery hue and ensure the champagne is maintained at the optimum drinking temperature.

According to Business Insider, the Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire cost the client more than $30 million, likely making it the most expensive custom car in the world.