monnom customs curves a wooden walnut fairing over elegant cafe racer

based in des moines, iowa, monnom is the sole creative work of mike gustafson. the talented motorbike builder has recently unveiled his custom red 1973 honda CB350, to which he adds elegance and a sense of timelessness by curving a single piece of walnut wood into a sculptural fairing over the front of the bike. a furniture designer by trade, gustafson shows his expertise in the field, working further with wood to create a black walnut sear, and a wooden rear bump.

images courtesy of monnom customs

monnom customs tells bikeexif now he likes to push the boundaries of design, and stretch what is possible with a given material, whilst keeping his bikes as minimal as possible. although aesthetics are important, gustafson strives to keep the motorcycles fun and comfortable to ride. in terms of the bike’s functionality, gustafson has stripped and rebuilt the motor of the ride, whilst fitting a new electronic ignition, charging system, and exhaust headers. the ride runs off an antigravity battery, and is dressed up with perforated steel, and a lick of apple red paint.