Dutch Master: Pancake’s simple, sublime Sportster XLS
Harley-Davidson’s new Softail range has set the interwebs alight, which has us thinking: isn’t it about time the Sportster got refreshed too?…
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.
Review: The 2018 Harley-Davidson Softails
When Harley-Davidson announced its new Softail range, Dyna fans wept and shook their fists. Their beloved twin-shock platform was gone, with existing…
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Period Incorrect: A Harley Sportster XLCH beach racer
One of the greatest spectacles in motorcycling is The Race Of Gentlemen, held every summer on the Jersey shore. It’s a recreation…
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Kuzuri: A Harley XL1200 Sportster custom from Thrive
If there’s a rising force in the modern custom world, it’s Indonesia. It’s no longer surprising to see a world-class middleweight café…
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Gone In 60 Seconds: NCT’s Harley Dyna ‘Eleanor’
When Harley announced the death of the Dyna exactly one month ago, there were howls of anguish. But we’re hoping that folks…
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Iron Riot: Harley Softail custom by One Way Machine
Julian von Oheimb is the German master of Milwaukee metal. He’s been on the podium at the AMD World Championship an incredible…
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Subtle Deception: A Harley Sportster bobber from 2LOUD
Old bikes are unquestionably cool. But if you buy one, you’re on the fast track to becoming a self-made mechanic, specializing in…
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Ride Report: Inside the surreal world of the Gumball 3000
I’m making my way through parc fermé, with a Dodge Hellcat to my left and a Lamborghini Aventador to my right. In…
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Has NCT just built the best-looking Harley Street ever?
While some motorcycles are more capable than others, there are very few bad ones on the market today. Modern machines might not…
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Custom Bikes Of The Week: 16 July, 2017
A trio of Harley Sportster desert sleds from Spain, an immaculate BMW R80 from Australia, and a Benelli cafe racer from Italy.…
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Born-Free Build: Behind the scenes with Matt Machine
This weekend, the great and the good of the custom world are congregating at the Oak Canyon Ranch in Silverado, California, for…
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Brooklyn Brawler: An 883 Sportster with a double life
The mighty Harley-Davidson Sportster turns a whopping 60 this year. Since 1957 it’s been modified in every imaginable way—long before the ‘custom…
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