Motorcycles have always been for the rugged at heart. It takes some level of audacity to cruise through town with a powerful engine beneath one, with air in the face, breezing through the hair, and generally being exposed to weather changes.

These custom cruiser bikes are a lot more than just pieces of automotive machinery. They tell a definitive story about their owners, their style, preference, inclinations, or philosophy, even as much as their faith. It’s little wonder why people put much effort into selecting one or customizing one that they had before. The goal is to be the best on the block and show it all off on Instagram. Here are some of Instagram's most badass custom cruisers.

10 Eric Stein’s 1964 Panhead

Via Pinterest

Eric Stein owns one of the most badass pieces of machinery ever on Instagram. His 1964 FL Harley Davidson has a 64-pan engine with a 1955 straight leg frame. The cruiser’s rear fender is a flipped around flathead front fender. The bike operates a jockey shift-type clutch and has one juice drum brake.

The leather seat and shiny grease black paintwork of this bike are custom done, and the graphics on the bike are hand-lettered. The front end of the cruiser is typical except for the handlebars. The bike happens to be Eric’s eleventh bike and one of his favorites.

9 Ben Zales 1963 Panhead Chopper

Via Visordown

Ben’s 1963 Panhead chopper won the media choice award in the recently concluded first-ever virtual bike show by Harley Davidson dubbed No Show. He built this bike in June of 2019 and fabricated many pieces of the bike in his home garage. The small vase-shaped tank, the pipes, the seat, and the controls are chief among the pieces he built.

RELATED: 10 Sick Modified Harley-Davidsons We'd Love To Throw A Leg Over

The bike was pieced together and customized by his friend and owner of Split Image Kustoms. The blue paintwork is also custom done. The bike’s inspiration was the sixties show bikes, which were designed to have amazing looks, but not so much as to cover long distances.

8 Christian Newman’s 1940 Knucklehead Chopper

Via Revzilla

Newman’s 1940 stainless steel knucklehead won the Museum award int the No show virtual bike contest. The bike has an all-stainless-steel frame and fork, and both the sprocket and rotor protrude out of the bike’s frame. Newman modified the bike’s transmission to be two and a half inches narrower by cutting off the whole of its right side. He changed the clutch and kicker spring mechanism to suit the new build.

The design of this cruiser is such that fuel flows through the frame and not through hoses. Its engine is an original 1940 Harley Davidson engine.

7 Keino Sasaki’s Apolo 1968 Shovelhead

Via Motorcycle Cruiser

Keino Sakasi is a custom bike builder based in New York, and this Shovelhead cruiser is one of his more recent customizations. The bike has a rather different style. It is a lifted road bike and not a low-slung chopper, like most cruisers. Keino’s intention with this bike’s customization was to do something atypical of new customizations, and he pulled it off.

The odd-looking tank is one of the main points of customization. There is also the rear fender, which he modified to make more angular and aggressive. The engine is an original 1968 shovelhead. His nick is engraved on the side of the tank for a perfect finishing.

6 Josh Allison’s 1946 Patinated Knucklehead

Via Bikerbay

This 1946 knucklehead is one classic Harley Davidson, and Josh admits that sourcing the parts to build this cruiser was one of the hardest things he had to do because the parts are originals that are no longer in production. Leading up to this bike’s build, Josh built other patinated bikes, a 1951 Panhead, and a 1975 Shovelhead. However, the Knucklehead was the goal for him.

RELATED: The 10 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever Made

The bike has a 1946 knuckle motor and a 1945 leg frame. The seat and the wings integrated to the tank’s side are two pieces of neatly done custom metalwork. Josh wanted his bike to remind people of a king, and that’s what he got. He dubbed his cruiser, the King Nothing Bobber.

5 Austin Johnson’s 1980 Shovelhead

Via motorcycle458.wordpress.com

Austin built this bike in 1984, and he has been riding it for over 30 years since its customization. The seat of the bike was custom created by an American company called Old Gold. The company is into the creation of parts and accessories for motorcycles.

The cruiser features an 18-inch rear wheel and a 21-inch front wheel, pm brakes on both wheels, and an exhaust system from Bob. It has a 98-inch motor and an SU carburetor. The front end is about 35 mm, and it has a fork brace. It runs pretty well for a thirty-year plus bike—Austin named it Burnin Love.

4 John Jessup’s 2020 Lowrider S

Via Instagram

John dubbed this beauty “Freebird” after he had an eagle imprinted on the tank’s side. A custom graphics artist on Instagram did the graphics. He goes by the handle blinkystriping. The front end of the bike is chromed out for a sleeker feel and features legend suspension. John had the clutch changed from a cable-actuated clutch to a hydraulic clutch for smoother usage.

The engine is a leading-edge, 129-cubic inch engine, and the exhaust is the RB racing pro stock pipe, the bike features saddleman seats. The seats have gel inside, and they fit perfectly with the build.

3 Louie Hartley’s 1953 Panhead

Via Instagram

This cruiser holds a special place in Louie’s heart because it’s the final one that he built as a farewell. Some parts of the engine were custom adjusted, so was everything else except for the bike’s wheels.

RELATED: 10 Cool Harley-Davidson Bobbers We Would Love To Ride

Hartley’s bike has a one-off top clamp into which the handlebars are integrated, and it also has a one-off headlight mount. The frame of the bike was custom built by Death Grip, a company owned by Louie. The red paint finishing was just the right choice, as it adds the beauty of the bike, especially in the sunlight.

2 Jero Fleming’s 1964 Panhead

Via Bikerbay

Jero Fleming’s 1964 Panhead took part in the No Show online bike contest organized by Harley Davidson. Straight out of California, this bike makes a bold statement with its distinct exhausts and shiny frame. In the building of the blue pearl, Fleming sought to achieve a traditional 1960 chopper style

The frame and paintwork were custom done by his friends.

1 Winston Yeh’s 2018 Street Bob Thunder Chaser

Via Motorcycle Cruiser

Winston’s Bob thunder chaser was built to stick to his traditional bobber customization style. The base model used in the build is the 2018 Milwaukee Harley Davidson. Winston combined the new technology with the vintage style to produce a hybrid of sorts.

The cruiser is fitted with 18-inch wheels for a more horizontal balance. The front-wheel operates a two-caliper one-disc brake system. The tank and tail were made of aluminum and fiberglass, respectively, and the cruiser featured as a worthy contestant in the No Show Harley Davidson contest.

NEXT: 10 Insane Japanese Cruiser Bikes That Put Harley Davidson To Shame