1957 Harley panhead custom by Ace Motorcycles of Japan
There seems to be a trend towards compact, muscular customs in Japan. And if that means fewer vintage Harleys desecrated with ape…
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.
Harley XL 1200 custom
If Harley-Davidson needs any more guidance on how to create Sportster range extensions for the future, this beautifully detailed XL 1200 custom…
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Harley Night Train custom
Harley hasn’t attempted to create a modern-looking bike since the 2002 VRSCA V-Rod. And you can’t mine the past forever, even if…
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Hard Nine D’MX: A BMX-inspired Harley WLA
Sometimes it feels like there’s nothing original in the chopper scene any more. It’s just bling and billet, and mostly pointless. But…
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Super Sport Cruiser: The Brass Balls Brawler
I’ve always thought that only two US custom brands have managed to extend their appeal beyond the local chopper scene: Zero Engineering…
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Harley Sportster bobber
This bike grabbed my attention for two reasons. It’s a textbook modern Harley bobber, and it’s a textbook example of how to…
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Harley Sportster by Robb Handcrafted Cycles
We rarely feature contemporary Harley customs, but when I saw these images by Australian photographer Michael Drabikowski, I had to make an…
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Gustav Skippone: Yuri Shif’s S&S-powered custom
Belarus-based Yuri Shif is rapidly becoming one of the most interesting custom builders outside the US. Granted, his specialty is show bikes—but…
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Leroy-Thompson Salt Flat Racer
One of the most interesting motorcycles at last year’s AMD World Championship was the Leroy-Thompson Salt Flat Racer, built by Scott Webster.…
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Harley-Davidson Pea Shooter
To my eyes, many of the most desirable Harley-Davidson vintage motorcycles are those that were built between the Wars. And not just…
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Custom Harley Sportster by Walt Siegl Motorcycles
After Walt Siegl moved from Austria to New York in 1985, he built motorcycles as a hobby. Three years ago, he moved…
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Johnny Cash tribute motorcycle by Roland Sands
We stumbled across this one on Roland Sands’ blog, and had to show it straight away—even if it means running two Harley…
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