The Japanese customized scene has at all times marched to the beat of its personal drum—and nowhere is that this extra evident than on the annual Yokohama Sizzling Rod Customized Present. Colloquially generally known as the Mooneyes Present, and hosted within the Pacifico Yokohama conference corridor on the primary weekend in December, the HRCS is a one-day extravaganza of bikes, sizzling rods, and the individuals who love them.
It is a present like no different, which might be the way it’s managed to keep up its momentum for 33 years. The vibe is organized chaos, and the aesthetic is a vivid cornucopia of shade and creativity. If you have not attended it in particular person but, you must.
The occasion constantly produces an array of show-stopping builds from a few of Japan’s finest customized retailers, whereas often attracting prime workshops from additional afield.
We have already featured CW Zon’s twin-engine Royal Enfield, Cheetah’s spicy flat tracker, 46Works’ Fantic café racer, and Tough Crafts’ gold-hued BMW R 12 nineT. However between the headliners are scores of intriguing choppers, bobbers, scramblers, racers, and in any other case undefinable machines.
German photographer Marc Holstein is a well-recognized face at Mooneyes. Now dwelling in Japan and deeply embedded within the native scene, he often brings us the products after we cannot get there in particular person. We have gathered collectively our favourite pictures from his tour this yr, with a number of phrases from the person himself.
Marc Holstein: As at all times, Mooneyes 2025 was a improbable expertise. The Japanese maintain a really particular place in my coronary heart in relation to constructing customized bikes. There’s this sure one thing they do in another way—an strategy, a sense, a degree of element—that makes their builds actually stand out.
As ordinary, the main target of the present was, and at all times has been, on choppers and survivor bikes, with some beautiful gems within the combine. However past the various survivor choppers and crusty Knuckleheads, a variety of recent, state-of-the-art builds rose to the floor once more this yr.
One among my private highlights from the present was Wedge Bike’s Honda CBX 1000 [above]. I’ve at all times been a fan of that six-cylinder engine, and this one was a masterpiece.
Sureshot debuted a brand new Harley construct that confirmed pure craftsmanship and angle. Queen Lekha Choppers delivered the Voidreaper [above]—a pace chopper turned turbocharged fury, wrapped in colours of lightning.
On the Royal Enfield sales space, the improbable Kingston Custom Shotgun 650, already featured on Bike EXIF, stood proud. After all, Customized Works Zon’s newest twin-engine creation was in attendance too, as was Rough Crafts’ Shotgun 650.
It’s at all times robust to choose a favourite among the many invited builders who participate within the legendary ride-in. But when I had to decide on, Gary Royal’s (Beware Choppers) 1938 Harley [above] would take the highest spot for me—adopted carefully by Purple Clouds Collective’s lovely 1951 Triumph [below].
Pictures by, and with due to, Marc Holstein
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