Tucked away on the first floor of a building on Rivonia Road in Morningside, next to a petrol station, is Corse Customs, a custom automotive and motorcycle brand established by Jonathan Killik, whose passion for motorcycles dates back to when he started riding at about four years old.
With time, Killik’s passion for riding evolved into something deeper: a drive to build, design and understand motorcycles “as expressions of personality, engineering, and art”.
According to Killick: “The business itself was born from a desire to create something genuinely different within the South African market. It was never intended to be a conventional dealership or workshop focused on volume. The vision was centred around individuality and craftsmanship, the belief that every motorcycle should possess its own identity and that no two motorcycles leaving Corse Customs should ever be the same.”
Drawn to Italian motorcycle engineering, motorsport culture and racing heritage, Killik has built a business that combines these elements with South African creativity and individuality. This ethos is reflected in the name, with “Corse” representing “speed, performance, engineering and the emotional side of Italian automotive and motorcycle design”. “Customs” is based on the belief that every build should be unique and personal.
Corse Customs focuses on Ducati motorcycles, which, for Killik, are a unique combination of emotion and design. “There is a rawness and passion to Ducati that naturally aligns with our philosophy. Their strong visual identity and racing heritage provide an exceptional foundation for bespoke customisation,” he says.
He views the Ducati Monster S4R 1000 “Paolo Tex” build as one of their best. It combined classic Italian performance culture and racing heritage with aggressive styling and bespoke craftsmanship, resulting in a motorcycle that felt both raw and refined. Paolo “Tex” Tesio is an Italian designer and motorcycle builder known for bespoke full-body kits for Ducati, especially the Monster, and his work inspired the Corse Customs build.
“The Ducati Monster S4R platform was the ideal foundation due to its iconic trellis frame, aggressive stance and visceral riding character. We didn’t overcomplicate the motorcycle. The focus was on preserving and enhancing the motorcycle’s raw mechanical beauty. Every detail, from stance and fitment to finishes and component integration, was approached with the intention of making the motorcycle feel like a natural extension of Ducati’s racing DNA,” Killick says.
Corse Customs’ design and customisation philosophy is centred on balance. While aesthetics is important, functionality and rideability are critical. Visual design mustn’t compromise engineering, which means every decision, whether it involves ergonomics, suspension setup, wheel fitment, paint finishes, exhaust routing or component selection, must work cohesively.
Geometry and fitment are also important. Killick points out that a motorcycle can look exceptional standing still but feel completely wrong dynamically if proportions and setup are not carefully considered.
“Attention to proportion and detail is everything. We prioritise clean lines, purposeful aggression and timeless design rather than excessive styling. The ultimate goal is for a build to feel factory-developed — almost as though it could have been produced directly by Ducati or another premium manufacturer — while remaining unique. We believe in restraint, proportion and purposeful design. Less clutter. Better materials. Functional beauty.”
In this technological era, one aspect that can be the greatest challenge in a build is electronics. Even though my motorcycle is 10 years old, it has cruise control, rider aids, etc. For Corse, because today’s motorcycles are highly integrated, making significant mechanical or aesthetic changes while retaining factory reliability requires careful engineering and experience.
In addition to customising motorcycles, Corse Customs carries a range of motorcycle and automotive parts and accessories, including performance wheels, riding apparel, exhaust systems and protective equipment from brands such as Ducabike, Ilmberger Carbon, Ackrapovič, Woodcraft, New Rage, Öhlins and Pro-Bolt.
Their criteria for the brands they work with are heritage, technical credibility, local market suitability, reliability, and after-sales support, as opposed to simply following trends. As Killick says: “If we would not personally use or fit a product ourselves, and our community isn’t enthusiastic about it, we generally will not carry it.”
They use this same approach for the custom parts they produce.
“We see ourselves as curators of enthusiast culture, not just retailers or builders. The next phase for us, having built a strong reputation through bespoke builds, carefully curated premium accessories and a focus on authenticity and craftsmanship, is evolving into a fully established premium and lifestyle house in South Africa, combining motorcycles, automotive performance, lifestyle and design under one identity.”
The most recent milestone in this evolution is the introduction of internationally recognised performance brands in the stable, with the latest coup being a partnership to launch OZ Racing in the country.
As their vision expands, they remain committed to craftsmanship, individuality, authentic products, purposeful design and a genuine enthusiast culture. I am here for that, and look forward to seeing what’s next for Corse Customs.
From the June issue of Wanted, 2026.
