Review: The New Harley-Davidson Roadster
When Harley-Davidson Europe invited us to ride their latest Sportster, we were skeptical. They wouldn’t tell us anything about it—revealing only that…
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.
Masters At Work: Harley-Davidson Street Build Off, Japan
Despite the often-impenetrable language problem, we’re always keeping an eye on the Japanese custom scene. Even though the Western ‘alt moto’ scene…
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Battle Of The Kings: The Iron 883 Edition
The core of the traditional custom scene has always been Harley-Davidson: their bikes have been bobbed, chopped and tracked for decades. But…
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Custom Bikes Of The Week: 27 March, 2016
A Mike Hailwood Ducati Scrambler tribute, the winner of Indian’s Project Scout program, and a killer Yamaha RD350 from Twinline Motorcycles. Meet…
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The Wrenchmonkees return with a Sportster 883 custom
It feels like we haven’t heard from the Wrenchmonkees for a while. And we’ve just found out why: the original alt-moto superstar…
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Remaking The Harley Dyna, Street Tracker Style
When the Spanish workshop Radical Ducati closed in 2014, we feared it would be the last of Pepo Rosell’s incredible work. His…
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All Class: Heiwa’s stunning custom Shovelhead
It’s hard to describe the Japanese style of custom building. But it’s easy to spot: the bikes usually have a timeless and…
Read more »Heavy Breathing: A turbo’d Harley Street from Cherry’s
Kaichiroh Kurosu is one of Japan’s elite builders. He runs Cherry’s Company out of a cosy workshop in Tokyo, and his builds…
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Noise Cycles’ Harley Shovelhead Drips With 70s Style
Harley-Davidson styling has always been deliberately behind the times. Even in the 70s, the shovelheads had more of an early 60s vibe.…
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Haters Gonna Hate: El Solitario’s Harley Sportster
If you’re a regular here, you’re probably familiar with El Solitario MC. The controversial customs from this Spanish workshop have driven some…
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Rough Crafts’ Raked-Out Harley Softail Rocker
If there’s a trend in the custom movement, it’s that form and function are finally starting to play nice. Many builders are…
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Custom Bikes of the Week: 1 November, 2015
This week we’ve got a panhead from superstar Japanese builder Cherry’s Company, a BMW R60 built by a nonprofit organization, and a…
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