Have you noticed how photographers often favor the right-hand side of a motorcycle? Sometimes it’s because the bike’s side stand has it leaning over to the left, making it awkward to capture a good angle. Other times, it’s because the right-hand side is simply more visually appealing than the left.
That’s not the case with this 1970s Harley Shovelhead, which features a burly open primary, a bespoke oil tank, a hand-shifter, and a handmade exhaust system—all on the left side.
It’s the work of the Japanese custom bike builder Masumi Tsuchino, who operates out of Iruma in the Saitama Prefecture, just northwest of Tokyo. Tsuchino-san qualified as a mechanic out of school, then cut his teeth at a Toyota dealership. Later on, he took a job at Red Baron—a massive motorcycle dealer chain in Japan—where he learned the ins and outs of motorcycle maintenance and customization.
Next, he did a stint at the custom workshop Sure Shot in Chiba, honing his skills under the watchful eye of multiple Mooneyes award-winner, Takuya Aikawa. He finally branched out eight years ago, opening his own custom shop, Infinity Inc.
Inspiration for this 1975-model Harley-Davidson FXE came from vintage board trackers, so the overarching goal was to make the bike as skinny as possible. “I am very attracted to the board tracker, which has a very simple structure,” he tells us. “I like the style of the engine mounted on a bicycle-like frame, and the large wheels.”
“I wanted to make a bike that reflected the style of racing in the 1920s.”
Masumi started by transplanting the Shovelhead motor into a vintage Panhead frame. The rigid frame is mostly stock, save for a subtle narrowing of the rear triangle.
Next, Masumi built a skinny new 21F/19R wheelset, laced with stainless steel spokes. The hubs are refurbished drum brake items from S-Proud. “They use a process called ‘super regeneration,’ which gives them stopping power comparable to that of disc brakes,” he explains.
For the front end, Masumi sourced a replica vintage Harley VL springer fork, but soon discovered that it was too wide for the look he was after. So he promptly tore it apart, narrowed it, and put it back together. The top yoke comes from Visionary Cycle Products, and the ‘clip-on’ handlebars are one-offs by Masumi.
Masumi fabricated the grips too, which reference early Harley designs. The right-hand handlebar features an internal throttle and a rudimentary front brake lever, while the left sports just two switches. The whole arrangement is super-sano and delightfully retro.
Trimming the Shovelhead down further is a sharply tapered handmade fuel tank, adorned with a brass filler cap and an integrated Motogadget speedo. There’s a second fuel tank below the seat, with a Yamaha DragStar fuel pump delivering fuel from both tanks to the carburetor. Oil is housed in a custom-made tank further back.
A Mesinger bobber seat sits atop the old Panhead frame, followed by a modified Sportster front fender. A swingarm-mounted bracket holds the license plate and a Hide Motorcycle taillight.
The components adorning the left-hand side of the shovelhead engine are arranged with Tetris-like precision. Masumi’s biggest challenge was directing the custom exhaust headers to the left of the bike—something you seldom see on a Harley. Coated in black, the exhausts are astonishingly elegant.
Just behind the gaping exhaust openings sits an open primary kit from Belt Drives, Ltd., modified with hand-crafted front and rear covers. With very little space left, Masumi built a series of linkages for his custom hand-shifter.
Despite the bike’s complexities, Masumi has taken steps to make it as easy to ride as possible—like relocating the foot pegs to compensate for the low position of the bars. “No matter how fantastic a bike is, there’s no point to its existence if it’s hard to ride,” he says.
Nicknamed BT4 (‘BT’ for board tracker and ‘4’ because it’s the fourth Infinity bike in this style), Masumi’s custom Harley Shovelhead is finished in a medium gray paint job that tips its hat to the beloved Suzuki Jimny. A handful of parts have been polished, while the custom points cover and air cleaner have been sandblasted and anodized, creating a unique matte black finish.
Viewed from any angle, Infinity’s board track-inspired Shovelhead is flawless. It boldly displays not only Tsuchino-san’s craftsmanship, but his sharp eye and excellent taste too.
More, please.
Infinity Inc. | Facebook | Instagram | Images by, and with sincere thanks to, Kazuo Matsumoto
