2026 is the seventh year in a row that Japanese bike maker Honda has held its annual Battle of the Twins custom build-off competition, and in the metrics that matter, it was the most successful edition yet. Earlier this month, we got word of what builds made it all the way to the top, with something called the Mugen being declared the overall winner.
As usual, the Battle of the Twins required custom builders from across Europe to take an existing Honda model and modify it as they saw fit. The finished products then fell under the scrutiny of some of the bike maker’s reps, but also the general public, as the online voting component of the competition is a very important part of it.
For 2026, Honda imagined a battle between on-road and off-road motorcycles, more specifically between the Hornet and Transalp 750cc V-twin-powered rides. The designers of the two models, Giovanni Dovis and Valerio Aieillo, had their say on tens of designs, and their opinions were then pitted against those of some 42,000 people who voted online over a period of several months.
The Mugen I mentioned earlier, which was declared the winner of both the on-road and overall competition, started out life as a CB750 Hornet. Taking on the job of turning it into an aggressive reinterpretation of itself was Portugal-based dealer Mototrofa.
Photo: Honda
The bike was not mechanically modified in any way, but it was turned into a proper streetfighter thanks to a series of custom additions, but also a paint job to match: a combination of deep forest green and gold accents and carbon fiber details on a number of components.
This bike was voted by no less than 10,092 people, which represents almost a quarter of the total. That’s a lot, considering the number of entries, and propelled Mototrofa into the select club of just one other garage that has won Honda’s Battle of the Twins more than once, joining Italy-based Maan Motocicli Audaci.
Speaking of Italy, the winning bike in the off-road category of the competition is something called the Saharja, a Transalp-based bike inspired by the Dakar desert race that impressed 4,800 people during the online voting phase.
This bike features a handcrafted navigation tower with a digital road book and TFT speedometer, a redesigned front end with integrated LED lights, and a host of aluminum parts, including the skid plate and side fuel tanks, and a set of steel side protection bars.
Photo: Honda
Riding on knobby tires and flaunting a high-mounted exhaust system, the Honda Saharja comes in the usual HRC Tricolour livery, meaning red, blue, and white.
There are a number of notable mentions in this year’s Battle of the Twins, meaning the designs that have made it to the podium in both the on-road and off-road categories. In the former, that would be Last Lap and Sting Honey.
The Last Lap is the work of Spanish dealer Stilmoto, which took the Hornet it and gave it the look of a 1980s GP racer. It took second place after gaining 6,900 votes thanks to the custom elements it displays: a full fairing at the front, pressed from a NOS 40-year-old mold, a flat-top tank, and a boxy rear end. A single-sided swingarm and full custom exhaust are also on deck.
Coming in third in the on-road category was a Hornet named Sting Honey, imagined in Poland by Honda Sokół and Steel Choppers. The achievement is even more impressive as this was the first time a Polish custom entered the competition.
Photo: Honda
Inspired by the bike’s own name, the build stands out through the paint job, a honeycomb design that covers key elements of the two-wheeler, the modified rear end, meant to exaggerate the original lines, and a bunch of handcrafted elements: fairings, fuel tank, seat and handlebar mounts.
On the off-road aisle, the British ’86 Dakar Tribute came second, with its XL750 Transalp modified by CJ Ball to remind people of the 1986 NXR750 ridden by Cyril Neveu to the win of the Dakar race. The bike boasts a high-exit blacked-out twin exhaust system, upgraded long-travel suspension, and a raised front fender.
The Transalp was propped on off-road tires, and it features a desert paint scheme complete with race number boards. As a fine touch, there is even a tribute to Dakar founder Thierry Sabine – his words, “a challenge for those who go, a dream for those who stay behind,” is featured on the bike.
Last but not least on the podium in this category is French Ocean Nomad, described as a vision of coastal living. It references outdoor adventure and surfing through its paint scheme (ocean blue, ivory, and burnt orange), the removed fairings, and an old-school headlight. Wrapping everything up is a stubby exhaust, custom U.S.-style license plates, and a side surfboard rack with matching skate and surfboards.
Honda did not say what would come of these builds now that their time under the spotlight has ended.