Before a single layer of fibreglass was laid or the first mould was pulled, this motorcycle existed as little more than a lump of clay. It’s a process more commonly associated with Porsche, Ferrari and Ducati design studios than a home workshop in the Austrian Alps, but that’s exactly where Moritz Bree and his friend Anton began. Side by side, they shaped every surface by hand, refining the proportions until the bike looked right from every angle before committing it to fibreglass. In an age where CAD models and 3D printers dominate the custom world, the pair chose one of the oldest industrial design techniques in the book. The result is a street-legal KTM EXC 500 that looks less like a modified enduro and more like the factory flat tracker KTM has somehow forgotten to build.
If Moritz Bree’s name sounds familiar, it should. We first featured him as a teenager when his sketches and early collaborations hinted at a remarkable future, but this latest project proves he’s long since graduated from promising young designer to accomplished motorcycle builder. And while good friend Anton passed on the art of clay sculpting to the young wiz, Moritz handled the complete technical transformation, taking a KTM EXC 500 and reimagining it without sacrificing the very thing that makes it such a usable weapon. Rather than cutting the chassis apart or engineering a one-off frame, he set himself a far more difficult challenge: create an entirely new identity while leaving the motorcycle’s original road-legal architecture intact.
The cleverness of the project lies beneath the bodywork. Hidden under the hand-built fibreglass monocoque are the KTM’s original fuel tank, rear subframe and airbox, all left untouched in their factory positions. That means the motorcycle retains its registration and legality in Austria and Germany while presenting an entirely different silhouette to the outside world. The complete body lifts away as a single removable shell, transforming the EXC into something that feels like a prototype straight from an OEM design studio. It’s an elegant engineering solution that avoids compromise while delivering a level of visual cohesion that’s almost impossible to achieve with conventional bolt-on panels.
The monocoque itself is beautifully resolved. From the compact headlight nacelle through the flowing tank section and into the sweeping tail, every surface rolls naturally into the next. There are no awkward seams, no oversized side covers and none of the visual clutter that often gives away a converted enduro. The integrated LED headlight sits neatly inside a race-inspired number board, while the radiator remains proudly exposed rather than hidden, framed by the surrounding bodywork instead of competing with it. It’s a subtle decision, but one that allows the mechanical components to remain honest while the styling does all the talking.
The stance is equally convincing. Lowering the suspension by approximately 130 millimetres completely changes the KTM’s proportions, replacing towering enduro ergonomics with the low, purposeful attitude of a genuine flat tracker. Fresh Excel rims wrapped in matching 19-inch tyres reinforce the transformation, while the Moto-Master front brake provides the stopping power needed for life on the road. A ProTaper handlebar keeps the cockpit clean and functional, and a custom-built exhaust follows the underside of the engine before exiting low, preserving the uninterrupted line of the monocoque rather than drawing attention to itself.
What really elevates the build is the restraint shown throughout. The powder-coated blue frame is allowed to become part of the composition rather than something to disguise, echoing the bodywork without overwhelming it. The vivid combination of powder blue and yellow immediately recalls the golden era of European motocross and flat track, yet never slips into nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. A fine black pinstripe separates the colours, the graphics remain understated, and even the fork decals feel considered rather than promotional. It’s the sort of livery that could just as easily have appeared on a factory race bike in the late ’70s, fun and to the point.
That sense of authenticity extends to the motorcycle’s finish. The panel gaps are remarkably consistent, the mounting points disappear from view, and the surfaces possess a softness that only comes from hours spent refining clay by hand before the moulds were ever produced. Modern digital design often favours sharp creases and exaggerated edges, but this bike takes the opposite approach. Every curve has been carefully massaged, literally by hand, giving the motorcycle an almost production-ready quality that makes it difficult to believe it came out of a small workshop and not a top-tier design studio in Turin.
For all the craftsmanship involved, Moritz Bree’s KTM never feels like an exercise in showing off. Instead, it’s a thoughtful exploration of what a modern flat tracker could look like if manufacturers prioritised purity of design over marketing trends. By wrapping a completely standard, road-legal KTM EXC 500 in a hand-sculpted monocoque, Moritz and Anton have produced a true urban attack vehicle, with authentic flat track appeal and a level of fit and finish that is truly high-end. It simply demonstrates what happens when traditional coachbuilding techniques, clever engineering and disciplined design come together in exactly the right hands.
[ Moritz Bree | Photography by Craig Stuart ]