Honda is returning to Wheels & Waves with one of the most ambitious editions of its European Honda Customs competition yet, as the 2026 event introduces an ‘On Road vs Off Road’ theme that pits custom CB750 Hornet and XL750 Transalp builds against one another.
Now in its seventh year, the competition has become a fixture of the annual Wheels & Waves festival in Biarritz, showcasing the creativity of Honda dealers and custom builders from across Europe. For 2026, ten countries will be represented, with five Hornet-based customs taking on five Transalp-derived creations in a battle that celebrates two very different sides of motorcycling.
The competition has steadily grown in popularity since its debut in 2020, when the CB1000R served as the canvas for the first wave of customs. Subsequent editions focused on the CB650R, CMX500 Rebel, the mini-bike trio of Dax, Grom and Monkey, the CL500 scrambler and most recently the GB350S. This year marks the first time Honda has split the contest between two completely different platforms, creating a direct clash between road-focused performance and adventure-inspired exploration.
Adding another layer of intrigue, Honda has confirmed that the motorcycles will not only be judged by public vote but will also be reviewed by the original designers behind the production machines. Giovanni Dovis, who styled the CB750 Hornet, and Valerio Aiello, the designer responsible for the XL750 Transalp, will assess how each builder has reinterpreted their work.
The Hornet-based customs showcase a remarkably diverse range of ideas. White Venom transforms the naked middleweight into an aggressive street tracker complete with carbon Rotobox wheels, Wilbers suspension, a bespoke exhaust system and extensive CNC-machined and 3D-printed components. Another Hornet build draws inspiration directly from the bike’s namesake, featuring honeycomb-themed graphics, handcrafted bodywork and components borrowed from elsewhere in Honda’s range, including an X-ADV wheel set and CB125R headlight.
For fans of racing heritage, Last Lap pays tribute to 1980s World Championship machinery with a race fairing moulded from an original period tool, HRC-inspired colours and a custom exhaust system. Ruth heads in a completely different direction, taking inspiration from Baja desert racers through bold violet and neon-red bodywork, additional lighting and a high-mounted exhaust.
Meanwhile, Mugen adopts a more aggressive streetfighter approach with lowered suspension, clip-on handlebars, carbon winglets and gold detailing, while another futuristic interpretation uses extensive 3D-printed bodywork, partially enclosed wheels and dramatic candy-red paintwork to create perhaps the most radical Hornet of the group.
The off-road contingent built around the XL750 Transalp is equally varied. Ocean Nomad blends adventure-bike practicality with surf culture, featuring simplified bodywork, a retro-inspired round headlight and a bespoke surfboard rack mounted alongside the bike.
One of the most unconventional entries is the ATC750, which converts the Transalp into a three-wheeled off-road machine inspired by Honda’s historic ATC range. The build required extensive chassis modifications, including a custom rear axle arrangement and revised drivetrain setup.
Saharja takes a more traditional rally-inspired route, complete with navigation tower, digital roadbook, auxiliary fuel tanks, protective equipment and HRC Tricolour graphics. Another standout entry comes from the UK, paying tribute to Cyril Neveu’s Dakar-winning NXR750 with long-travel suspension, twin high-level exhausts, race number boards and a desert-racing aesthetic that celebrates Honda’s rich rally heritage.
Beyond the motorcycles themselves, Honda is once again embracing the artistic side of Wheels & Waves. Graffiti artist Moka 187 will create bespoke artwork on the surfboards used as display stands for the customs, continuing the event’s tradition of blending motorcycle culture with art, design and surf-inspired creativity.
Held annually in the French coastal town of Biarritz, Wheels & Waves has evolved into one of Europe’s most influential motorcycle lifestyle festivals. Combining custom motorcycles, surfing, skating, hill climbs and live art installations, the event provides the perfect backdrop for manufacturers to showcase one-off creations that might never make it into production but often influence future design trends.
With ten dramatically different interpretations of two of Honda’s most important modern motorcycles, the 2026 European Honda Customs competition promises to be one of the most closely contested editions yet. Whether visitors favour the asphalt-focused aggression of the Hornet customs or the adventure-ready imagination of the Transalp builds, the competition once again demonstrates how far a production motorcycle can be transformed when creativity is given free rein.
