Kristen Cavallo had a radical idea for an exhibition at the Branch Museum of Design, where she is executive director, so she took it to the board.

What if the Branch put some of the custom motorcycles designed by John Ryland of Manchester-based Classified Moto on display? She was talking about vintage Japanese bikes with modern inverted forks and a rough-around-the-edges attitude. The Branch board saw it as exactly the kind of rebellious idea the museum was seeking.

The exhibit’s title, “Ruined” comes from Ryland being told by motorcycle purists that his designs ruined “perfectly good motorcycles.” He didn’t get into motorcycles until he was 40 and began noticing cool custom motorcycles coming out of Europe and Japan. Rather than choppers or sport bikes, these had a more custom vintage feel. He was already into working on and racing cars, so he shifted his focus to motorcycles, inspired by the bikes that had caught his attention.

With his car projects he’d gravitated to adding modern performance parts to older vehicles, so it seemed natural to do the same with bikes. He’d gotten it in his head to add a set of gold sport bikes forks to an old Yamaha XS850. “I did a bunch of research and worked with a local machine shop to figure out how to graft the modern front end onto the old ‘80s frame, and it looked awesome in my opinion,” says Ryland. “No one else had done it that I could find, so I felt like I was on to something pretty cool.”

From there, he experimented with more radical undertakings, adding modern swing arms (rear ends), suspension, and wheels to older bikes. Initially, he was modifying bikes for his friends at The Martin Agency where he worked in advertising.

Before long, he had a solid portfolio of early builds. Adam Ewing, a friend and photographer, shot all Ryland’s builds in his studio, and they began to get a lot of recognition online. “That pretty much started Classified Moto as a company,” he says. “It also started the whole ‘Classified’ style that took off over the years.”

“They just look fun to ride”

The bold innovation on display in Classified Moto’s industrial-edged, two-wheel design offers a brilliant juxtaposition with the Branch’s chandeliers and pressed tin ceilings.

That look is what fills the Long Gallery at the Branch Museum. While Classified Moto has built customs using many different platforms — different brands, cruisers, off-road, sport bikes — their brand language is typically considered gold forks, lots of bare metal, exposed mechanical elements, aggressive knobby tires and an adventurous stance.

“I’m sure someone could find early bikes to prove me wrong, but before around 2008, custom bikes like that weren’t a thing,” says Ryland. “It was mostly choppers, cafe racers and sport bikes.”

There was some mixing of categories, but not with the specific look Ryland was achieving. He watched as “classified” became a genre, with lots of builders and even manufacturers pulling from that design language. “I like the idea of our bikes being ambiguous when it comes to year, make, model and even purpose,” he says with a smile. “They just look fun to ride. Visually, that’s my main goal.”

To be sure, Classified Moto’s typical customers have changed over the years. Early on it was his friends in advertising that appreciated design and could buy parts while he did the work for free, just to make it happen. These days, Ryland admits that even he couldn’t afford one of his own bikes as they’ve become the province of people abroad with a budget for expensive toys and conversation pieces. “Dubai is a hot spot. We’ve also built bikes for companies for giveaways, contests and promotions,” he says. “Moving forward, I’ll be concentrating on doing fewer builds, but ones where we can break new ground and stay excited.”

“The Walking Dead” bike

Gearheads and design enthusiasts alike will understand his point when checking out “Frank,” a custom build for Rebel Bourbon designed to provoke a reaction with its gas tank covered on one side with writing explaining “Things you’ll want to know about parts,” and the other side displaying the owner’s manual. With complete creative control, the Classified Moto team used a Frankenstein approach, repurposing parts from past projects and fabricating the rest.

A standout among many in “Ruined” is the bike Classified Moto was commissioned to design in 2014: a post-apocalyptic bike for “The Walking Dead” character Daryl Dixon, played by Norman Reedus. A custom rack was fabricated to carry Daryl’s iconic crossbow, whether mounted or removed, reinforcing the narrative realism of a character always on the move.

Paired with “Ruined” is “Refined,” an exhibition in the Main Gallery that looks at the history of Vespa, the stylish motorcycles that appealed to young professionals and, more importantly, to women, as vehicles for everyday life in post-World War II war-torn Italy. A 1946 Vespa ad shows a young woman dressed for work waving so long as her Vespa takes her away from the dated figures of the 19th century cyclists and pedestrians in the background to a future of autonomy and upward mobility.

By the 1960s, the Vespa had been adopted by Britain’s Mod subculture. The red 1964 Vespa Super Sport -with glove box- delivered enhanced speed and performance and, like a sports car, has fewer bells and whistles to keep the weight down. The bold blue 1974 Vespa Primavera, light with a compact frame and agile performance, proved that style and speed went hand in hand. A half century later, the Primavera makes a statement using the Vespa logo on the front shield with additional letters to spell out “Stop Racism.”

Not all the Vespas on display are vintage. Inspired by the Chinese Year of the Snake, the 2025 Vespa 946 Snake features scale-textured grips and a snake motif on the front fender and under the ergonomic seat. The 2025 Vespa GTV melds vintage styling with modern performance for riders who appreciate tradition with a contemporary slant, while also providing insight into how the Vespa brand has brought form and function into the 21st century.

For visitors who’ve never set foot in the Branch Museum of Design, you likely won’t get a better introduction to how design differs from fine arts than with “Ruined” and “Refined.” Design isn’t just about looks, it’s about how things work, even when they’re on two wheels.

“Ruined” and “Refined” runs through Aug. 31 at the Branch Museum of Design, 2501 Monument Ave. Branchmuseum.org.