Kompressor Kultur: Uwe Ehinger’s flathead dirt tracker
Uwe Ehinger describes himself as a ‘motorcycle archaeologist,’ and the description is apt. He knows where to find the most obscure parts,…
Read more »Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson is an icon of American culture and the most popular marque for custom builders. Shortly after the company was founded in 1903 in Milwaukee, customizers started bobbing, chopping and dirt tracking the famous V-twins.
After WW2 Harley motorcycles were at the center of the bobber craze, and kept their lead as Californian bikers turned to choppers in the late 1950s. The 45-degree engines have their own nicknames and folklore: from flatheads, knuckleheads, panheads and shovelheads to today’s Evolution and Milwaukee-Eight motors.
The Sportster is the basis for more Harley-Davidson customs than any other model. Originally fitted with an ‘Ironhead’ motor, it turned 60 years old in 2017. It’s probably the single most customized motorcycle on the planet, and certainly has the largest supply of aftermarket parts.
Shock Tactics: Moto Adonis’ aggressive H-D LiveWire
As the electric motorcycle market continues to grow, so does the custom electric scene. But it’s forcing builders to change tack. Electric…
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Top Five Harley-Davidson Sportsters, Part Two: Evolutions
The new Harley-Davidson Sportster S signifies the first major redesign in decades for the illustrious Sportster. To celebrate, we’ve been looking back…
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Top Five Harley-Davidson Sportsters, Part One: Ironheads
Harley-Davidson has just rebooted one of the world’s longest-running model lines, with the launch of the new Sportster S. But remarkably, it’s…
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Review: Riding the new Harley-Davidson Sportster S
Engineering is easy. Lean on decades of technological progress, R&D like hell, and a modern manufacturer can build a mechanically competent motorcycle…
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Speed Read, July 18 2021
The French are out in full force this week, with a Katana from Lucky Cat Garage and an R nineT from Le…
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Silent Alarm: The first custom LiveWire, via JVB-moto
It’s been a couple of years since Harley-Davidson revealed the LiveWire and sent shockwaves through the industry. It was the first battery-powered…
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Speed Read, 9 May 2021
This week’s custom motorcycles come in all shapes and sizes—from a pint-sized flat tracker, to a stylish BMW R18. Plus we take…
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Speed Read, 2 May 2021
This week we’ve got a smokin’ hot XSR155 in John Player colors from West Java, Harley’s cool and classy Electra Glide Revival,…
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Review: Riding the new Harley-Davidson Pan America
“I got to say, you’re looking older.”—Ellis “I am older.”—Sheriff Ed Tom Bell Amongst my Rushmore of cherished films, No Country For…
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Hidemo Style: A 1970s Shovelhead from one of Japan’s best
The Japanese custom scene sets rather than follows trends. Japan’s top builders each have a unique and instantly recognizable style, and the…
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History repeats itself: A Canadian XR750 returns home
Most of the customs we drool over on these pages have little or no history. They’re usually modified after a few mundane…
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