Our friends at Bandit9, a Beijing-based custom motorcycle studio, reached out to us last week to tease one of the most thrilling bikes I’ve seen since… well, last time Bandit9 reached out. The Bandit9 Bishop Motorcycle is the latest from Daryl V and crew at Bandit9, a work of motorcycle art that will grace the collections of 9 lucky motorists. It’s based on a low-displacement Honda Supersport, and compared to that original, Bandit9’s Bishop is a brand new beast of its own design.
The Bandit9 Bishop Motorcycle features a hi-grade aluminum unibody, a custom-built suspension and a set of organic details that give this bike a beautiful finishing touch. There’s a walnut/oak/teak inlay on either side of the tank, and a charcoal gray suede seat that’s about as subtle as it comes. Subtlety is central to the Bishop’s design, as there are no extraneous elements in its body design, not even a single fender.
While every bike I’ve featured from Bandit9 is a special snowflake of its own, the Bandit9 Bishop Motorcycle has a special resonance with me. Low-displacement, compact bikes like these really light up my sky, and a design so minimal and refined is the icing on the cake. This is the kind of bike I’d want to ride constantly and show off to every motorcyclist I know. I’d be conflicted, though, as I’d also want to lock it in a clear glass case in my living room and never drive it. Ever. It’s as if Daryl V designed this one for both the museum and main street. Where you take it is entirely up to you.
The Bandit9 Bishop Motorcycle is in production now, and 9 of them will be available soon starting at $6400 USD. I’ll have more to share when the finished models are ready to be shown.
