What Exactly Is A Unikat Motorcycle? Here's Everything You Need To Know
If you're a motorcycle enthusiast looking for something unique to add to your collection, where do you turn? While major brands like Harley-Davidson, Ducati, BMW, Indian, and Triumph offer some impressive and eye-catching bikes, it takes a different kind of company to mold them into something extraordinary.
You might think that Unikat founder Grzegorz Korczak spent his life working as a mechanic or engineer, but the truth may surprise you. While Korczak obviously has a passion for motorcycles, his background is in film, special effects, and art. This creative foundation has given forth some brilliant visual designs, complete with elegant lines, and inventive uses of color, transforming factory motorcycles into absolute eye candy.
Unikat Motorworks started back in 2013 and has built a few hundred unique bikes to add to its accomplishments. This company based in Wrocław, applies its knowledge of visual arts to a variety of motorcycle types such as restomods, scramblers, and café racers, among others. If you're new to the custom scene, a guide to motorcycle customization types will help bring you up to speed. While Unikat cooperates with a wide variety of bike manufacturers, and specialized part makers, it has partnered closely with Triumph's Polish division to craft several limited creations for the discerning collector.
The evolution of motorcycle customization
Custom bike shops, once uncommon, have gained a substantial following over the decades. The 60s saw the rise of custom choppers, which, alongside film classics like Easy Rider, urged more motorcycle enthusiasts to make their rides a symbol of their individuality. Today, there are notable custom shops worldwide, such as Auto Fabrica based in the U.K., Australia's Deus Ex Machina, Hazan Motorworks in the U.S., and Kingston Custom out of Germany, to name a few. Now, another company is transforming bikes into rolling art pieces: Unikat Motorcycles out of Poland.
According to Statista, every month of 2023 in the U.K. saw hundreds of custom bikes sold, with March being particularly strong at 1,299 custom sales. With more enthusiasts turning toward custom builds, history shows that the mainstream industry will follow aftermarket trends. These trends, in turn, will pave the way for more innovative designs across the motorcycle world due to the influence of custom culture. One group who absolutely loves specialty bikes is Hollywood celebrities. For example, multiple head-turning motorcycles were custom-built for Katee Sackhoff, known for her roles in "Battlestar Galactica" and "Riddick."
How to get a Unikat motorcycle
Since Unikat doesn't manufacture their own motorcycles, just customizes existing ones, if you want its unique design on a bike you'll have to provide one. The company will also search for specific classic motorcycle models around Europe for you, and once obtained, Unikat will begin work on customization. There are several factors that can effect your project, such as budget, and specific terms outlined in the contract. However, Unikat offers a straightforward approach with each bike that begins with generated images of the custom motorcycle so you can see a representation of the finished project before starting.
There are two main directions you can take your bike in terms of Unikat services: Comprehensive and Face-Lifting. The comprehensive approach completely transforms the original bike so that it's no longer recognizable. This complete conversion is far more dramatic but also much more expensive and time-consuming.
The other option is to go with Face-Lifting services, which stay true to the original model but add enhanced details to personalize it. These details include faithful paint, careful consideration of decals, a host of add-on third-party components, and even distinct engine notes. Depending on the scope of the project, a face-lift could be completed in as little as two weeks. If you need ideas for your Unikat, there are several cool ways to customize your motorcycle just for you.