kingston custom fashions an art deco, museum-worthy motorcycle

some motorcycles look so good that they belong in a museum. this is the case for the kingston custom good ghost, which was a request and now, an item in the hass moto museum and sculpture gallery in dallas, texas. it fits the exhibition perfectly: its handcrafted form is shaped in an exquisite art deco style, and completes a trilogy of ‘phantom’ bikes by the german creator.

all images courtesy of kingston custom, by ben ott

made from a 1980 BMW R100 RS motorcycle, the kingston custom good ghost is encased in an art deco-inspired structure hand-shaped from 2mm thick aluminum. it houses an additional small fuel cell behind the transmission, with an external fuel pump then pushing the liquid power where needed. the carbs were moved to inside the fairing, K&N filters added, and custom intake manifolds were built in too. the front features a set of kidney grilles inspired by the 1936 BMW 328 roadster and a recessed headlight above it. tracing the bodywork, the construction is complete with a stainless steel exhaust that follows the baseline of the structure all the way to its tapered tail.

the rider is placed on top rather than ‘in’ the motorcycle. the custom leather saddle extends all the way up to the curved front, interrupted by a row of kingston-branded gauges. this whole structure flips up to reveal a leather-lined cubbyhold big enough to hold a bottle, two glasses, corkscrew, spare spark plug and plug cap. likewise, at the enclosed rear, two panels hinged and secured by leather clasps lower to reveal a tool kit on the left and a selection of century-old silverware on the right.

project info:

maker: kingston custom

name: good ghost

museum: hass moto museum and sculpture gallery

original model: BMW R100