Slow Burn
3.3 metres, 400 kg and 7,000 hours
Seven thousand hours of work, a 30-inch front wheel and 3.3 metres of flowing steel. Game Over Cycles’ Slow Burn is a sizeable expression of one Polish custom builder’s enthusiasm for Metallica, taking its inspiration from the 1936 Auburn owned by the band’s frontman, James Hetfield.
The 400 kg creation has added another three trophies to its collection at European Bike Week 2026 in Austria, winning over both the judges and the public with its translation of classic American car styling onto two wheels.
Slow Burn claimed the People’s Choice Award and first place in the Bagger/Tourer category at the Harley-Davidson Custom Motorcycle Show, then took Best of Show at the separate Arneitz Custom Bike Show.
From Hetfield’s Auburn to a Polish custom
Built in Rzeszów, Poland, the motorcycle shares its name with Hetfield’s Slow Burn, a customised 1936 Auburn 852 Boattail Speedster developed with American custom car designer Rick Dore.
That car provided far more than a colour scheme. Game Over Cycles set out to carry its proportions, curves and Art Deco detailing across to a motorcycle, right down to the controls and upholstery.
The most obvious reference sits at the front, where a radiator-style grille and paired lamps recreate the face of the Auburn. Chrome detailing on the front guard echoes the car’s mudguards, while the enormous front wheel takes its styling cues from the Auburn’s wheels.
At the other end, the elongated panniers and rear bodywork draw out the car’s sweeping tail. The flowing panels leave the polished engine exposed between them, with a cream leather saddle providing a break in the dark paintwork.
The handlebars and levers take their shapes from the car’s windscreen frame, while the saddle uses the same leather as its upholstery. Even the rear lights and air-filter cover were considered as part of the automotive theme.
Getting all of that to work together required considerable attention to scale. GOC says the bike needed sufficient length and volume to reproduce the car’s lines, while its proportions were also developed with Hetfield’s 185 cm height in mind.
Stanisław Myszkowski – Game Over Cycles founder and owner
“Metallica has always been a huge artistic inspiration for me. I am a fan of both the band’s music and the visuals that accompany their art. James Hetfield is a huge automotive fan, he collects and restores vintage cars, so we decided to combine these two worlds and build a motorcycle inspired by James’ vehicle.”
7,000 hours in steel
GOC puts the build at 7,000 labour hours. The structure and bodywork are steel, with the builder avoiding plastic panels and concealing fasteners to preserve the uninterrupted lines.
The frame, swingarm, rear suspension, 30-inch front wheel, fuel tank, guards and panniers were all made by GOC. Its work also extended to the handlebars, levers, brake discs, oil tank, exhaust, suspension covers and numerous smaller components.
Power comes from a 115-cubic-inch RevTech V-twin, equivalent to approximately 1885 cc, supplied through Custom Chrome Europe. It is paired with a five-speed RevTech gearbox, BDL clutch and Mikuni carburettor.
Performance Machine components feature in the foot controls and handlebar hardware, with PM Works brake callipers gripping GOC-made discs. Legend Air front suspension forms part of a setup with pneumatic adjustment at both ends, another feature shared with the car.
There is plenty happening beneath that smooth exterior. The panniers open electrically, the number plate retracts electrically, and an electrically operated flap carries the instruments while concealing the fuel filler.
The exhaust is integrated with the pannier design, with its sculpted outlets becoming another part of the bodywork’s chrome detailing.
The design was developed by GOC with Bartosz Janiszewski of Lfant Design. Paintwork credits go to Novol and Anest Iwata, while WB-Line produced the leather saddle.
Dore, who worked with Hetfield on the Auburn, was impressed by how closely the motorcycle followed the car’s detailing.
Rick Dore – Custom car designer
“It’s an incredible vehicle, especially when you compare it to James’ car. The body, the wheels, color, even the levers, everything was right on with the Slow Burn. My hats off to Game Over, they did a great job and the craftsmanship was out of this world.”
Judges and public agree at European Bike Week
The latest success at Lake Faak brought GOC its fifth People’s Choice Award at European Bike Week. Myszkowski also noted that, across events in Europe and the United States, it was the third occasion on which Bill Davidson, great-grandson of one of Harley-Davidson’s founders, had presented the company with an award.
Stanisław Myszkowski – Game Over Cycles founder and owner
“Slow Burn bike goes beyond the boundaries of a standard vehicle. Of course, it has two wheels and drives, but we are happy that both the judges and the public appreciated the clean lines, the precision of every component, and above all, how the automotive styling was translated onto a motorcycle.”
Already a winner at Daytona
Slow Burn first appeared at Daytona Bike Week in March 2024 and collected four awards across two competitions on debut.
It won the Extreme Bagger category and Best of Show at the Boardwalk Bike Show, then repeated that combination at the Rat’s Hole Custom Bike Show.
The three Austrian trophies add to an already successful show career for a motorcycle whose appeal lies in the details. The overall shape makes the first impression, but the closer you look, the more of the Auburn you find.
Game Over Cycles Slow Burn specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Builder | Game Over Cycles, Rzeszów, Poland |
| Design | GOC and Bartosz Janiszewski, Lfant Design |
| Inspiration | James Hetfield’s Slow Burn 1936 Auburn 852 Boattail Speedster |
| Engine | RevTech 115 cu in V-twin, approximately 1885 cc |
| Transmission | RevTech five-speed gearbox, BDL clutch |
| Fuelling | Mikuni carburettor |
| Construction | GOC frame and steel bodywork |
| Front wheel | 30-inch, made by GOC |
| Suspension | Legend Air front; GOC rear suspension and swingarm; pneumatic adjustment front and rear |
| Brakes | PM Works callipers, GOC discs |
| Exhaust | GOC custom system integrated with panniers |
| Paintwork | Novol and Anest Iwata |
| Seat | WB-Line, using the same leather as the Auburn’s upholstery |
| Overall length | 3.3 metres |
| Weight | 400 kg, as quoted by GOC |
| Build time | 7,000 labour hours |
