Maria Motorcycles have always been an inspiration to us. Vibrant colors, clever proportions, what’s not to like? During a short trip to Lisbon we couldn’t resist visiting one of the first shops that started the new wave customs scene.

Located just above the LX Factory, their shop is a hidden treasure. LX  Factory is a small hip area to the east of Lisbon, the centre of the alternative culture. It’s a nice place to visit just to check the design shops, the small coffee houses and the big and noisy hip restaurants.

But enough of the LX Factory. Maria are not open to public so we had to contact them first and book an appointment. Cleverly hidden inside a garage, they try to avoid exposure and focus just on their work. As they told us, if you have an open shop everybody comes in and starts chatting. As much as you want to talk bikes all day, the deliverables must be finished on time. So first tip from Maria. Don’t open a garage that is easily approachable by general public.

They specialise mostly on Triumph Bonnies, the carb ones. Easy to configure, lovely lines and proportions but a bit boring for the regular Joe. So Maria step in to elevate the style. They have build so many Triumphs that now they can do it with their eyes closed, as they told us. Expertise to the maximum. Most of their builds are sent outside of Portugal and that’s a good thing. It shows that the customs scene is universal and its vibes reach every part and corners of the earth.

After a very enthusiastic small talk about motorcycles and the hip bars of Lisbon, it was time to leave. We will surely visit them again when we have the chance.