Custom motorcycles hold a special place in my heart. Growing up, I always dreamed of building my own custom creation as there are lots of custom bike shows where I’m from; builds that showcase masterful restorations, otherworldly custom builds, and head-turning resto mods. And to this day, hope to be able to achieve this goal in the not-too-distant future.
While these builds are by all means cool as hell, 99 percent of them are based on existing machines. The Archangel from Ransom Motorcycles looks to occupy that one percent—standing as a one-of-a-kind creation that has 100 percent its own identity.
I mean, just look at it.
The Ransom Archangel is nothing short of a feast for the eyes; looking at it, one can find it difficult to know where to start. It’s one of those things wherein the more you look at it, the more you’re mesmerized.
From the nose to the tail, the Archangel is crafted out of hand-formed aluminum and chromoly steel elements. Up front, the fender is sharp and angular and conceals an LED headlight revealed only when the nose slides down to expose it.
The same pointy, yet flowy lines follow to the sides of the bike, doubling as radiator shrouds. Meanwhile, the tank, tail, and swingarm look like a monocoque structure, also following the same streamlined design language we see at the front of the bike. It’s quite a lot to take in.
No matter what angle you look at this bike from, there’ll always be something that’ll catch your eye. From the 300-section rear tire to its extremely raked-out inverted fork, and wait… what? Is that an inline-four engine?
Indeed, the Archangel is powered by a four-banger pumping out a whopping 185 ponies with a 13,000 rpm redline. It’s presumably sourced from a Japanese sportbike, although Ransom doesn’t disclose what motor it’s rocking. Apparently, W. Robert Ransom, the talented craftsman behind Ransom Motorcycles, was surrounded by Japanese sportbikes growing up, hence his affinity for these high-revving motors.
He chooses to shroud the specific engines in anonymity to retain the Archangel’s individuality, as people tend to associate custom builds with the brands of their engines. But Ransom ascertains that the Archangel is 100 percent a Ransom motorcycle—complete with its own VIN. Plus, when was the last time you saw a custom cruiser powered by an inline-four?
So the next logical question is obviously “Can I buy this sick custom bike and how much will it cost me?” Apparently, if you’re patient enough and have the dough for it, you can.
Ransom will take a non-refundable $2,000 deposit for this bike, and will let you chat directly with the builders to spec it according to your wishes. From there, they’ll require a much heftier remuneration, with some accounts stating that the finished product can set you back close to the price of a supercar.
At the end of the day, I’m sure any motorcycle enthusiast would love such a radical piece in their collection. I mean, just look at it.
