Gustav Skippone

Gustav Skippone

Belarus-based Yuri Shif is rapidly becoming one of the most interesting custom builders outside the US. Granted, his specialty is show bikes—but he’s mixing interesting design and paint with a tremendous level of detail. This S&S-engined machine is the follow-up to the controversial ‘DUster’, the star of the last Custombike and Verona Expo shows. It’s mysteriously called Gustav Skippone, for reasons only known to its owner Vladimir Kristovskiy. As with DUster, the paintwork is unusually pale for a custom, but the retro-inspired cream color strangely works. The bike is built around a powerhouse 107ci S&S V-twin motor, and transmits its 95-or-so horsepower through a Baker 6-speed ‘box and Continental rubber. The fuel tank, swingarm and softail frame are all YSC creations—with a classic Harley-Davidson springer handling suspension duties up front. Expect to hear a lot more about this bike over the next few months at the European shows.

Nikon D3X | 1/80s | f/4.0 | ISO 100 | Focal length 165mm