DP Customs are on a roll right now, and according to owner Justin Del Prado, this is their fastest and best-handling bike yet. It’s a café racer based on DP’s favorite platform, the Harley Sportster ironhead.
According to Del Prado, ‘We started with a 1980 matching-numbers donor and decided to turn it into a café, with a lot of open space in the frame. The frames are usually cluttered up with components, so we wanted to lighten up the look.’ The tank is a classic 70s Maico, made of raw aluminum, and its angular lines inspired the rest of the bike.
Many parts are DP Customs one-offs, including the rear cowl, oil tank, exhaust and seat. ‘We spent tons of time fabbing up the little things you can’t see—it’s what you don’t see that makes the design work.’ The “Quantum-port” exhaust system is a symmetrical 2-into-1 chamber ‘to give just the right amount of backpressure. It sounds wicked at high rpm.’
The last DP bike, ‘Look Right’ was inspired by one of Jacques Villeneuve’s BAR Honda F1 racing cars, and this time, DP have been influenced by the winner of the 2011 24 Heures du Mans: the Audi R18 TDI.
And yes, there is pipe wrap on this bike. ‘We live in a climate that’s regularly 100+ degrees,’ Del Prado explains. ‘Arizona is HOT. We use titanium wrap for function: to protect the rider’s legs, and keep the heat in the pipes.’
[Images by Jed Strahm.]
