April custom roundup: Three off-road specials built for adventure

Killian Moreno KTM 500 EXC-F

Turning a hobby into a career is something most dream of, but few accomplish. Killian Moreno (Instagram) is one of the exceptions. His journey from molecular biologist to motorcycle adventure influencer might sound unlikely, but motorcycles have always run in his blood.

"I started riding when I was four, began racing motocross at seven, and by 11 was competing at national and European levels," he recalls. Killian's father worked as a mechanic in the Spanish MX Championship, so he and his brothers grew up surrounded by racing. At 15, he switched to roadracing and continued competing into his late teens.

Like many racers, Killian eventually reached a point where progression depended on finances. Without a major sponsor, he was forced to make a difficult choice: continue racing or quit and attend university. With a bit of parental pressure, he opted for the latter.

"It was a very hard decision. I felt disappointed and unhappy without racing, and I ended up stepping away from bikes completely for almost 10 years," he says. Eventually, though, the passion returned.

After returning to riding, Killian began sharing his adventures on social media, combining his love of motorcycles with a passion for photography. After a few years of documenting his exploits, brands began to take notice, and he found the backing he needed to step away from the laboratory and jump back in the saddle full-time.

"Today I travel around the world, work with amazing brands, and get to ride all kinds of bikes in many different countries, which still feels pretty surreal sometimes," he says. It's safe to say he's now living every motorcyclist's dream.

With the success of his career as a moto influencer, Killian had the opportunity to build his ideal bike. Coming from a motocross racing background, it was always going to be off-road-focused and fast, but it was one particular trip that defined exactly what that would look like.

"After a trip to Morocco, everything clicked. In the dunes, I realized I wanted more raw power, less weight, and a bike that felt more natural for the kind of riding I enjoy most. So I ended up on a 500 and began building it into what, for me, is the perfect off-road weapon."

Built on a KTM 500 EXC-F platform, Killian's concept was shaped by Baja. "I've been lucky enough to ride there seven times in the last four years, and that style of terrain and riding has had a huge influence on me." During his time in Baja, he rode a variety of different motorcycles, but it was the raw power of a properly tuned, lightweight 500 that stood out and made the KTM the perfect starting point.

The centerpiece of Killian's Baja-inspired build is a twin-headlight setup from Holy Moly Motorcycles in Portugal. It features twin 5,000-lumen 50W lights with interchangeable white and yellow lenses for different conditions. Surrounding them is die-bent alloy tubing with laser-cut panels that enhance the look while providing essential protection. Mounted above is a HugeRock X70 navigation tablet, a must-have for "off the grid" adventures, that's controlled via a URSAE roadbook controller so he can keep his hands on the handlebar.

To give his KTM the performance its new look suggests, Killian formulated his own performance improvements. A GET SX1 Pro 4T ECU handles engine, traction, and launch-control tuning, while an FMF Racing 4.1 slip-on unlocks extra horsepower from the 510 cc single. A 14/48 MotoMaster sprocket setup improves power delivery to the ground, and for reliable grip in harsh terrain, the bike runs a Motoz Outback Race tire up front and Michelin Rally Mousses at the rear.

In keeping with its purpose, the KTM is also fitted with a host of essential off-road upgrades. A P3 carbon fiber skid plate, brake disc guards, headlight trims, and radiator guards by Outback Motortek offer increased crash protection without adding unwanted pounds. Barkbusters protect the hands, levers, and Renthal 827 Fatbar, while IMS footpegs provide secure footing, and an IMS 3.5-gallon fuel tank allows him to venture further off-road. Then, to add a personal touch to this custom KTM's plastics, Killian tasked Uni Racing Graphics with designing vinyl graphics for the bodywork that plug his sponsors and his social media channels.

While there's no denying everything mentioned makes this KTM 500 EXC-F a cut above the rest, it's the suspension Killian is most proud of.

"One of the areas where I probably spend the most time is suspension tuning," he says. "Different terrain, different riding styles, different luggage setups, different trip lengths, those variables change everything. Getting the suspension dialed for each ride is a constant process, but it's also something I genuinely enjoy."

To complete the package, the KTM has been kitted out with a WP XACT Cone Valve fork and a WP Super Trax shock, giving Killian the adjustability he needs to tune the setup for any situation.

Holy Moly Co. Ténéré 700 retro kits

With around 50 custom builds to his name, Francisco Menezes, founder of Portuguese workshop Holy Moly Co. (Instagram), sees every factory-built motorcycle as a canvas for customization. So, after crashing his beloved Ténéré T7, he turned disaster into opportunity.

With his Yamaha's plastics all but destroyed, Francisco saw no other option than to rebuild it his own way. Following in the footsteps of Deus Ex Machina and French workshop Crispy Club, he decided to reimagine his T7 as a retro-styled rally raider.

In early 2025, Francisco unveiled Holy Moly's Retro Ténéré 700, but rather than just building a one-off, like the many customs he'd built before, he released it as a kit. This meant that any owner of Yamaha's popular middleweight adventure motorcycle could transform their bike, too. As you'd expect, it sold like hot cakes, and now, one year on, the kit is back on sale with a minor update and all-new livery.

The Holy Moly Retro kit 2.0 is a complete bodywork overhaul for the 2019 to 2024 Yamaha Ténéré 700. Designed as a direct replacement for stock parts, fitment is done using five or six regular tools and comes with installation instructions.

The kit consists of PP plastic components, which include the front fender, tank covers, side panels, radiator surrounds, and fork protectors. There's also a 3D-printed tail tidy made from flexible TPU and a 3D-printed display mount made from ASA prime filament that will accept the standard LCD or TFT Ténéré displays or an aftermarket 7SOLID unit.

Other features of the kit include aluminum radiator guards, LED turn signals, that meet European certification requirements, with adaptors and mounts for easy installation, and plug-and-play wiring for the tail tidy. The kit also comes with +1000 micron decals, pre-installed in the customer's chosen colorway. There are six different retro designs to choose from, applied to either white or black plastics, and you can even request custom graphics at an additional cost.

The big difference between the 2.0 and the original version is the headlight assembly. For the first version, the kit utilized the Elba fairing and headlight assembly from off-road aftermarket accessory experts Acerbis. While it was a good fit stylistically, Francisco felt its proportions didn't quite match. His solution was to design and produce an Elba-inspired alternative that was proportioned correctly and featured modern lighting. As a result, the front fairing now includes a 40W LED headlight, also e-approved, with low- and high-beam functionality and essential wiring.

The T7 Retro kit 2.0 starts at $1,797 in the United States (€1,850 in Europe), which, considering everything you get and the ease of fitment, is pretty reasonable, and they'll ship them anywhere in the world, to boot.

Along with the Retro Kit, Holy Moly also offers a universal Baja headlight assembly, as seen on Killian's KTM in the story above, and will be releasing an ADV tower assembly they've developed with MCPRO navigation. For more details, check out the Holy Moly website.

Eric Minsker Husqvarna Norden 901

It may hurt to admit it, but crashing is an inevitable part of off-road riding. No matter your skill level or what bike you ride, there's going to be a time when you're lying in the dirt beside your beloved bike, wondering where it all went wrong. But in the case of Eric Minsker's (Instagram) resurrected Husqvarna Norden 901, it wasn't a gnarly off-road crash that set it on this new course.

Eric is a self-confessed adventure rider and moto camping addict based in the Pacific Northwest. He's also handy with a spanner, having built custom bikes for the Revival Cycles Handbuilt Show and routinely servicing the motorcycles in his stable. His love of riding takes him deep into the backcountry, which he documents on YouTube in the hope of inspiring others to do the same. The following is his account of how this Norden 901 build came together.

"It happened on an ordinary afternoon. A car ahead of me missed its turn and slammed on the brakes. I clipped the back of it, went down, and ended up in a ditch. Speeds were low, around 20 mph, and I was in full gear, which made all the difference. But the timing couldn't have been worse. I'd just finished rebuilding the bike and was five days away from leaving on an adventure I'd been planning for months with friends. I inevitably missed the trip.

"Once I was back on my feet, I inspected the bike and found no structural damage. It was mostly cosmetic, with the front end taking the brunt of it. The insurance adjuster thought otherwise and wrote it off. To me, it had just become a blank canvas. So I bought it back and got to work.

"I had bought the Norden brand new and rode it in stock form for two years, across the country, through multiple Backcountry Discovery Routes, and on countless nights camping in places most people never see. By the time of the crash, it had 12,000 miles on it, and I'd already rebuilt the head and valvetrain. This wasn't just a motorcycle I owned; it was something I'd invested in, mechanically and personally. Walking away from it wasn't an option.

"My goal was to build something that looked factory, but elevated. I tend to hyper-fixate on visual cohesion. Going too far is easy. Knowing when to stop is the hard part.

"The timing worked in my favor. Aurora Rally Equipment, based in Greece, had just announced its rally kit for the Norden 901. It became the foundation of the build, with carbon-fiber fairings, a CNC-machined head clamp and navigation tower, and a Denali LED headlight. I then added a Thork Racing T665 navigation device and an Oxbow Gear radio.

"The rolling chassis was overhauled with Excel 21F/18R wheels wrapped in Mitas rubber, and the suspension was upgraded from stock WP XPLOR units to top-spec WP XPLOR PRO forks and shock. Rottweiler triple clamps and a Scotts steering stabilizer round out the front end.

"Protection bits came from Bullet Proof Designs, guards on the rear brake rotor, caliper, fluid reservoir, and front sprocket. Vanasche Motorsports supplied the fuel cap and foot pegs. Turn signals are from Motogadget, hand guards from Reflex Racing, and a KTM Powerparts radiator guard was fitted alongside SamcoSport coolant hoses. The exhaust was modified with an Arrow catalytic converter delete and a Wings muffler, tuned with a Rapid Bike Evo.

"The seat is fully custom, built by Rich's Custom Seats in Washington State. The pan was reshaped to follow the narrow subframe, the foam reworked, and a one-off cover created to match the build. Most people don't notice it at first glance, which was exactly the goal. Mosko Moto soft panniers and a Barracuda tail tidy finish the rear.

"I designed the custom decal kit myself, aiming to pay tribute to Husqvarna's original design language. Subtle details, like retaining the factory placement of the 'H' logo, were intentional. I wanted it to feel familiar, like it belonged. Several components were also powder-coated by Creekside Customs to tie everything together visually.

"The most challenging part of the build was patience. The Aurora Rally kit was still in development when I committed, so there was a waiting period before production. Sourcing smaller components was equally time-consuming. But beyond the parts, the real challenge was execution, translating a clear vision into reality, piece by piece, without losing sight of how I wanted the finished bike to look and feel."

Some bikes are replaceable, but Eric's Norden had earned its place. Rebuilt with essential parts and a defined purpose, it's now taking him further off the beaten track than ever before.