walking dead custom motorcycle by classified moto

this is a rusted-out 1992 honda ‘CB750 nighthawk’ that moto customized for ‘norman reedus’, alias daryl dixon, from horror series ‘the walking dead’. the motorcycle carries a rustic, oxidized-styled finish, appropriate for the TV show and looks like it could be found roaming around a post-apocalyptic landscape; picking up survivors, rations, before making a quick getaway.

all images © classified moto

classified moto had initially built a custom yamaha ‘XV920R‘ for the fictional TV character, before being introduced to the television show’s creator, scott m. gimple, who was also looking for a bike for the horror drama series. visually, scott’s goal was to make the motorcycle look like it was assembled from pieces of many different makes and models. the garage then paired the front-end of one its sport bikes with an older, classic bike.

the engine components were hand-painted to create the impression that they were collected and cobbled together. a super-aggressive look comes courtesy of the extra-thick, bumpy dirt bike tires and also provides solid off-road handling. the rear-suspension was also upgraded to progressive’s ‘970 piggybacks’, so even though the bike looks like it’s been through the wars, beneath the battle-scars is a pair of shocks that give an exceptional ride.

 
a visually-arresting feature is the waxed canvas bag that fits snugly beneath the seat of the bike. it was introduced to add some visual weight to the bike after it was stripped of all unnecessary parts. by relocating a few components and using a shorai lithium-ion battery, it created a void under the seat where daryl can keep his bag of tricks — an ancient looking military style waxed canvas bag hand made by a skilled upholsterer from richmond, virginia.