hazan motorworks the musket: maxwell hazan has achieved close to what can be considered perfection with ‘the musket’. as S two-time winner of pipeburn’s bike of the year award, he’s one of the few designers globally that could lay claim to the title of ‘world’s best’.

the sophisticated engine was hand-carved from a block of wood, hand-case at a foundry and finally, hand-machined by aniket vardhan. the frame was built to accommodate the sheer size of the engine, both of which sit upon the huge set of ‘bf goodrich’ silvertown car tires. hazan motroworks employed its craft in ‘the musket’ so much that the tires, wheels and headlight were the only components purchased; every other piece was made by hand.



of course if nothing is pre-made,every part can be finished bespoke to how you imagine it – especially if that imagination is one of the motorcycling world’s most vivid. following the engine’s lead, the shape of the tank, the angles in the frame, the pipes and everything else were mocked up, tweaked, scrapped and redone until their lines, shape and position were in perfect harmony. maxwell hazan started by mounting the engine on his workbench and secured the wheels. he then sketched the bikes initial shape out on a huge sheet of paper and hung it up behind. designing the bike at full-scale allowed him to see how each individual part fits exactly with the next and how the bike’s final proportions will form its overall aesthetic.

he tends to gravitate toward the minimal side of things, so all cables and wires are discreetly hidden. but if they are required to be there then his focus is on making them interesting to look at. the handlebars have been given a completely clean aesthetic by running an internal throttle cable through the 7/8” bars, with a hand shift and clutch to declutter the lower controls. the bike has a small battery made from an antigravity unit that was cut up and rearranged to fit inside the bespoke fuel tank. the rest of the ignition and electronics are housed under the engine to enhance airflow and reduce exposed wiring.

‘I wanted it to be finished like a steinway piano; just make sure you hang on when you twist the throttle,’ commented hazan.

the tank and fenders were all shaped from aluminum, and the frame is all steel tubing with varying wall thicknesses depending on each application. the tank’s shape is intended to showcase the motor, flowing along with the design while not obstructing the view of the cylinder heads and rockers. he also wanted to challenge himself and had his mind on making a thin, polished aluminum tank and fender from scratch.

the forks were a first for the seasoned designer, by moving parts of the springer mechanism it was transformed from compression to tension, allowing max to use a much thinner steel. all of the shocks are made from bearing bronze plus use sections of fork springs with smaller valve springs inside them. any other wooden seat wouldn’t do with the musket — it’s a beautifully-aged piece of walnut, coated in 15 layers of polyurethane lacquer and then polished to within an inch of its life to make it as comfortable as possible. the charismatic motorcycle is much quieter than first expected, and with about 55hp it’s not a particularly fast bike, however speed wasn’t a priority unlike its impressive styling.