With over two decades of experience, numerous awards, and a stacked skill set spanning traditional fabrication to 3D design, there’s very little that ShifCustom can’t do. If their wild three-wheeled BMW R18 didn’t convince you, perhaps this aviation-themed Moto Guzzi café racer will.
Founded by Yuri Shif and based in Minsk, Belarus, ShifCustom operates at the intersection of imaginative design and out-of-the-box engineering. That ethos is splashed all over this neo-futuristic–meets–art deco masterpiece. Powered by the V-twin from a Moto Guzzi Breva 750, everything beyond the powertrain is bespoke.
The aeronautical inspiration for the build came from the Mandello del Lario marque’s roots. Although Moto Guzzi never built aircraft, the company was founded by World War I pilot Giorgio Parodi and his squad’s mechanic, Carlo Guzzi. (The eagle’s wings in its logo are a tribute to their close friend Giovanni Ravelli—another pilot who helped conceive the company, but tragically died just days after the war ended.)
Yuri’s been enamored with aviation since his childhood. “I’ve always admired the purity of the lines and forms of aircraft design,” he states. “The very configuration of the proprietary Moto Guzzi V-twin with its transverse cylinders immediately recalls associations with airplanes—that’s how the ‘Aero Guzzi’ project came about.”
ShifCustom’s take on the Moto Guzzi Breva turns its drivetrain into a centerpiece. It’s suspended from a custom-made structure that forms the foundation of the bike’s minimalist chassis. Designed with forward-leaning forms that mimic aircraft tail wings, it was designed using CAD software to ensure a perfect fit.
CAD was also essential in refining ShifCustom’s unique rear suspension design. The crew retained the original swingarm, but connected it to a purpose-built linkage system that runs through the boxy frame. If you’re looking for the rear shock, it’s mounted between the Moto Guzzi’s cylinder heads.
There’s more trickery up front, where ShifCustom designed and built a parallelogram-style fork that hides its shock absorber behind the bike’s bodywork. The fork legs echo the grooved aesthetic of the swingarm, while matching wheel axle nut covers create a visual connection point between the front and back of the bike.
The custom-built 19” disc wheels offer another aeronautical touch, taking cues from the landing gear on World War I fighter planes. The front wheel sports a one-off perimeter disc brake; the caliper is tucked behind the left fork leg and fed by a brass brake line. A duplex drum brake slows down the rear wheel.
The Breva’s new bodywork is a testament to ShifCustom’s ability to execute a cohesive vision. The stretched fairing, fuel tank, and tail section are all handmade pieces, creating a sculpted silhouette that tapers towards the back. Look at the bike head-on, and every section sits wide at the bottom and narrow up top, featuring a stepped aesthetic that’s interpreted perfectly for each part.
The sleek build includes a pair of LED headlights and a slim, vertically-mounted LED taillight. A combination analog and digital speedo sits in a handmade bracket behind the fairing, flanked by drilled plates that create a mini aircraft cockpit feel. Items like the handlebars, grips, and foot controls are all custom.
ShifCustom’s Moto Guzzi café racer is finished off in a sophisticated livery that uses brushed aluminum and painted panels, punctuated by delicate blue pinstripes. Luxurious brown leather trim, and custom-made intakes and exhausts, add more classic aviation-inspired touches.
Like all of ShifCustom’s builds, the Aero Guzzi is as eccentric as it is impressive. Hand us the keys, and we’d gladly pilot it to our local café.
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