Custom bike-loving riders gather at the annual WHEELS AND WAVES event in France
Biarritz 2024, this year’s WHEELS AND WAVES event was held from June 12 to 16, 2024 in Biarritz, a famous touring spot in southwestern France. Now in its 13th year, this cultural event brings together from all over Europe visitors who love a wide range of hobbies, including motorcycles, surfing, skateboarding, music, and art.
The event offers a wide variety of rider-oriented attractions, including sprint, dirt track, and sand races, as well as touring events to the site.
One of the most unique aspects of the event is that most of the motorcycles at the venue, both on display and ridden by visitors, are custom-built.
Some bikes are vintage, while others are relatively new, varying from racing bikes to touring bikes. Riders who share the spirit of custom bike-building and their prized motorcycles gather at the event, transcending time and genres.
Hondas from around Europe compete with their custom designs
In one section at the event, colorful custom bikes are lined up. These bikes are the entires in the customization contest organized by Honda Motor Europe, Honda’s European subsidiary.
Since 2020, Honda Motor Europe has been holding the customization contest based on a different current model each year.
This year’s base model was the scrambler-style 2-cylinder CL500/250, released in 2023.
The competing teams’ mission was to create an iconic custom motorcycle inspired by Honda’s illustrious past and the heritage built up by its motorcycle culture.
This year, Honda dealers and custom builders from 9 countries entered the contest and brought their one-of-a-kind motorcycles inspired by a page from Honda’s history or a memorable concept or irreplaceable scenes of past generations.
Custom bikes at Biarritz 2024. Many visitors took their time to appreciate each bike to cast their votes.
This contest is not decided solely on the votes of Biarritz 2024 visitors, but is open to online voting from all over the world.
On this site, photos and videos show each contestant’s bike in fine detail, allowing the viewer to feel the passion that went into creating these custom bikes.
Site visitors can vote by pressing the VOTE button for their favorite bike. Registration is not required, and votes are accepted until August 31. The winning bike will be announced around September.
Find your favorite bike, and show your support while enjoying the nostalgic history of Honda and its motorcycles!
Honda’s Wheels and Waves customization contest 2024 entries
Enduro 500 (Spain)
The Enduro 500 built by Honda dealer Stilmoto is a classical Spanish enduro bike, reminding the viewer of a beautiful, golden era of motorcycling history, and features eye-catching tank paintwork, high front mudguard, headlight cover, number board, a variety of handmade parts and Arrow exhaust muffler.
Cherry Lady (Spain)
Drawn from the classic lines and logos of legendary Honda 750s of the 1990s, Cherry Lady is all about maintaining the essence and history of the Honda 750. Based on their extensive experience with customers, Honda Motorsport Las Rozas de Madrid, long time custom bike makers, included details such as premium leather seat with red stitching, RedMoto mirrors, Michelin Anakee tyres and Candy Red paint.
CL501R (Spain)
Inspired by the flat track style of racing bike popular in the USA, the CL501R features adjustable rear gas shock absorbers, adjustable front fork plugs, radial front brake master cylinder and braided lines, and handmade radiator and chain guard. The team’s focus was finding the right balance between performance, aesthetics and functionality to create a bike that looks ready for competition.
Moonground (Portugal)
This minimalist customization with wrapped exhaust downpipes, high-level muffler and aggressive block tyres aims to ride on all terrain. Maybe it could even ride on moon terrain!
Oceans’ Track (France)
Ocean’s Track rolls with an American flat track style with a hint of stunt bike about it. The key changes over the standard CL500 are the red frame and swingarm, super wide handlebars complete with bar end mirrors, and acutely tilted muffler.
CL500 Digger (France)
An homage to the classic Honda XLs and XRs of the 1980s from Chave motos, the CL500 Digger features a high front mudguard, headlight visor, number boards, knuckle guards, retro tail unit, performance muffler and gold wheels, making it immediately recognizable as an off-road bike.
CL500 Charade Spirit (France)
The flat track racing-inspired CL500 Charade Spirit is adorned in tricolor, the most classic Honda color scheme, matched with aggressive block tyres, high level front mudguard, single side number board, knuckle guards and high-level single exhaust muffler.
Bik’ink (France)
The Bik’ink, exuding a 1970s’ street scrambler aura, is shroud in an orange and cherry paintwork. New rear shocks and the high-level single exhaust muffler complete its Californian look.
Irezumi (France)
The Irezumi, with stunning artwork painted on the fuel tank and front mud guard, also features a minimized rear end and high-level exhaust with single satin muffler and tan seat.
The Poseidon Project (UK)
The Poseidon Project was created by the team from south London’s Doble Motorcycles as an homage to the beauty and power of the ocean. Inspired by the team’s strong interest in marine conservation, it features a custom painted frame and components with oceanic blues and greens, airbrushed fuel tank and side panels, plus custom seat finished in brown leather.
Sterrato 500 (Italy)
The Sterrato 500 (dirt road in Italian) is inspired by Honda’s past bikes, while aiming to maximize the CL500’s off-road performance using genuine Honda accessories and select components.
Terra Battuta 500 (Italy)
Terra Battuta 500 moves the CL500 in the direction of a long-distance travel all-rounder with stylish, versatile carrying capacity and an array of parts. To make traveling more enjoyable, it features a brushed aluminium front mudguard, engine bars, luggage carriers, black anodized luggage rack, tall screen with integrated GPS support, block tyres, and skateboard!
CL Surfer (Germany)
Inspired by the beauty of the Biarritz beach, the event’s venue, the CL Surfer fits the laid-back surfing vibe with its signature blue-striped metallic silver fuel tank and front and rear mudguards, and brown leather bench seat.
Flat Track 500 (Belgium)
The first entry in the event’s history from Belgium, the Flat Track 500, inspired by American flat track racing, celebrates the purposeful aesthetic of competition machines. This bike is equipped with Öhlins rear shocks, cantilever swingarm, straight handlebars, and a lowered exhaust pipe and muffler.
Alpina 500 (Switzerland)
Built by Meister Engineering and Switzerland’s Honda Moto, the Alpina 500 celebrates 50 years of Honda Switzerland. It retains much of Honda’s global heritage, while referencing details and elements of one of Europe’s most beautiful countries. The Alpina 500 features a CB-style fuel tank, stripped subframe, and minimalist bench seat.
Bunker imPrint (Turkey)
The event’s first entry from Turkey, and the only entry based on the CL250, the Bunker Imprint taps into contemporary retro café racer cool to produce a uniquely modern interpretation, with glass-fibre reinforced Nylon FDM 3D home-printed half fairing, new side panels, and belly pan.