Kraus Motor Co.

Kraus Motor Co. is based in Petaluma, California, and has been one of the more influential names in the American custom motorcycle scene for the better part of two decades. Founded by Satya Kraus, whose early years were split between racing dirt bikes, working in graphic design and operating heavy machinery, the company has always reflected that unusual mix of disciplines: technical rigour and visual sensibility in equal measure.

The workshop is exclusively dedicated to customising Harley-Davidson machines and has earned genuine respect from a passionate community with high expectations through innovative improvements rather than surface-level modifications.

Kraus Motor Co. has consistently done exactly that, focusing on suspension, braking and ergonomics to produce machines that ride as well as they look. The same bikes that win top honours at World Championship shows have broken land speed records on the Bonneville Salt Flats. That breadth of achievement says a lot.

Over time, the company has evolved from a full custom shop into a manufacturer of premium aftermarket components, developing systems that bring stock Harley-Davidson motorcycles to a significantly higher level of handling and performance. More recently, Kraus Moto contributed to Indian Motorcycle’s FORGED series, a collaboration that reflects its growing influence across the American V-twin world more broadly.

For riders who want a machine engineered around how it actually feels to ride, Kraus Motor Co. is one name worth knowing.