Max Hazan's Personal KTM is Barley Legal
Max Hazan's personal KTM 950 SM supermoto is one of the most significant custom motorcycles to come out of Hazan Motorworks: a bike built not for a collector or a museum, but for the builder himself. It is the only machine in Max Hazan's catalogue where every decision was made for the rider rather than the buyer, and the result is a stripped-down supermoto that is, as Hazan puts it, barely street legal, but entirely extraordinary.
Who is Max Hazan?
Max Hazan is widely regarded as one of the finest custom motorcycle builders working today. His style is immediately recognizable: hand-formed metal twisted and bent into sculptures that carry a hint of steampunk, impossibly precise proportions, and mechanical complexity made to look effortless. Most of his builds are commissioned by collectors with deep pockets, and a large number reside in the Haas Motorcycle Museum in Dallas, Texas. But this KTM is different. Max built it for himself.
Why the KTM LC8?
Hazan had always wanted to build a litre-powered supermoto. The KTM 950 SM, powered by the LC8 V-twin engine, was the natural starting point. The LC8's dry-sump system means the motor sits low in the frame, giving the bike a compact, almost lightweight feel despite its displacement. It was also carbureted from the factory, allowing Hazan to avoid the complexity of electronic fuel injection components. He picked it for the simplicity of parts, he says, not the aesthetics: by KTM standards, the 950 SM was never a beautiful bike. That was not his concern.
The paint scheme reflects the same philosophy: grey and white, clean and direct, letting the metalwork carry the visual weight.
The Build: 45 kg Lost, Nothing Wasted
The modifications are extensive but every one serves a purpose. The Marchesini 10-spoke wheels, sourced from a CBR1000 race bike, were a non-negotiable choice: Hazan loves them and machined custom hubs, carriers, and a cush drive to make them fit the narrow KTM frame. The factory tank, a large unit similar to what KTM fits to its adventure bikes, was cut down and relocated to the rear subframe, sitting flush beneath a slimmed seat and integrated cleanly with the frame rails. A custom oil tank, elegantly hidden under the seat, replaces the stock unit and actually holds more oil than the original.
Hazan retained the fenders and bodywork because he wanted a factory look rather than a stripped tracker aesthetic. Relocating components to maintain the sleek profile required hours of precision machining. The end result: 45 kilograms removed from the stock dry weight, transforming what was already a powerful machine into something that feels genuinely agile.
Read the full detailed breakdown at Bike EXIF and the technical analysis at Asphalt and Rubber.
Barely Legal, By Design
The finished motorcycle looks like it belongs on a track, not a public road. In reality, all it needs is wired turn signals and headlights, which are already laid out, to become fully street legal. Hazan prefers to display it without them, in its naked, uncluttered state. That restraint is the whole point: nothing on this bike is there because it had to be, every part is there because it should be.
Explore Hazan Motorworks and Custom Motorcycles at TheArsenale
TheArsenale carries some of the finest handmade custom motorcycles in the world, including builds from Hazan Motorworks. Explore the collection:
- Browse the full Hazan Motorworks collection of handmade custom motorcycles available at TheArsenale.
- Discover The Musket, one of Max Hazan's most celebrated commissions.
- Explore the Hazan Ducati 860 GT Turbo, a turbocharged Hazan build unlike anything else.
- See the full custom motorcycle collection at TheArsenale, featuring the world's best independent builders.
