Baked to perfection: A Sportster-driven Harton café racer
Building the perfect custom bike is a lot like the science of baking. You’re combining ingredients in the correct ratios to produce…
Read more »Harley-Davidson Sportster
The Harley-Davidson Sportster was introduced in 1957 to compete against the best-selling British bikes that were invading the United States market. The 2021 Sportster S is the third major design in the series, and belatedly drags the Sporty into the 21st century.
The Harley-Davidson Sportster’s original 40 hp Ironhead V-twin engine gave a top speed of approximately 100 mph and stayed in production until 1985, when it was replaced with the 1986 Evolution motor.
There is a vast market for spare Sportster parts and accessories, and many owners transform their bikes into something else—whether a chopper, cafe racer, or scrambler.
In our extensive coverage of Sportster customs, you’ll find bikes that are tuned up (and dressed up) by the world’s top custom Harley builders. Dig in, and get inspiration right here for customizing your own Harley-Davidson Sportster.
Gleam Machine: Rodsmith’s Ironhead Sportster café racer
A sleek frame, a mechanical aesthetic, a distinct lack of plastic and a lot of polished metal. This Harley-Davidson Ironhead Sportster café…
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By the Book: A Sportster street tracker from Mule
If we had a stock Harley-Davidson Sportster and a hankering for a top-shelf street tracker, we’d probably call Richard Pollock. Better known…
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Still Got It: OWM scrambles the outgoing Harley Sportster
With the release of the Nightster, the decades-old Harley-Davidson Sportster has now fully passed the torch on to the next generation. But…
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Speed Read, April 17, 2022
Harley-Davidson expands their new Sportster line with the 975cc Nightster. Plus we profile a BMW R18 from Canada, a Ducati SportClassic from…
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Muscle R2 by Cohn Racers: The ultimate Sportster special
The market for modified Sportsters is crowded. Most builders of repute in the USA know their way around the venerable platform, and…
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Streamlined: A French designer reimagines the Sportster
There are a million ways to customize a Harley-Davidson Sportster, so it’s tempting to look to those that have gone before for…
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The Survivor: A Harley Sportster hardtail by MB Cycles
You know you’ve been building custom motorcycles for a long time, when a bike you built two decades ago makes its way…
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Textbook: A Harley Nightster 1200 custom from Taiwan
There’s a staggering number of aftermarket Harley-Davidson Sportster parts on the market, and nobody knows this better than Jimmy Chou. His father…
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Pay Dirt: A Purpose Built Harley Sportster Scrambler
Not all scramblers are created equal. Some wear high pipes and knobbly tires, but may never go off-road, while others are made…
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100ci of madness: The S&S Death Tracker Sportster
There are literally dozens of companies making tuning parts for Harley-Davidson engines. But not many have the experience of S&S Cycle, the…
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Sekepal Aspal: Top customs from the big Indonesian show
A pause on motorcycle shows has been one of the many disappointments of the COVID-19 pandemic. But rather than sulk, the organizers…
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