Harley-Davidson Archives - BikeBrewers.com

UNIKAT Harley-Davidson Sportster XL883 Low

Ron Betist — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 13:20:49 +0000

On a cold winter day in Wroclav

It was a cold winter day when BikeBrewers took the trip to pay a visit to the digs of UNIKAT Motorworks. It had been a visit which was long overdue.

We have been writing about Grzegorz Korczak and his team of highly skilled professionals for many years and each time he has managed to surprise us with incredible gems that rolled out of their workshop.

It was a long ride to get there from the, but fortunately there was no heavy snow in Poland at the time, which made for a long but comfortable ride. Grzegroz was already waiting for us with a nice cup of coffee and local pastries, but we were in for a bigger treat.

About UNIKAT

Grzegorz Korczak– a graduate of the Lodz Film School (trained as a cameraman), repeatedly awarded at international festivals; director of special effects (including an Oscar nomination for “Rabbit a la Berlin”). As a visual artist, he has exhibited his works in the most important museums in Poland, and thanks to his creativity and creative courage, he has collaborated with artists around the world.

Now he uses his creative skills to spoil custom bike afficionados with the magnificent fruit of his imagination.

Every machine we have been writing about is even more special than the one before. A recognizable feature of UNIKAT machines is their extraordinary appearance, taken to the limit of perfection.

A true modern day creator, Grzegorz motorcycles are designed virtually, before his colleagues start fabricating the bike in their well equipped workshop.

It is often from scratch they start their work on a bike, turning a, sometimes decades old, machine into a true head turning piece of art.

Harley Davidson Sportster 883

This can also be said of the 2006 Harley Davidson Sportster. In just a few years it will be celebrating its 20th birthday. Gearing up for this occasion, its owner decided to let the UNIKAT team handle the intensive mechanical spa treatment.

With the coffee in our hands we walked to the showroom where the blue diamond was shining rays of light, illuminating the place and silently screaming for attention.

Gazing at the Harley we asked Grzegorz how this project came together.

His response: “I’ve met the owner at the little event where our bikes and motorboats where presented.

He was there with his wife and they admitted that their motorcycles had been stashed away far too long in the garage, and were now covered in dust. But being confronted with our 1/1 craft and design the passion was re-sparked and they were eager to have work done on the white Sportster Low.

Two weeks after the show Piotr called me and said he could no longer resist the urge to customise his machine. He said he had no specific idea except for two factors:

he wanted his HD to be a comfortable and easy to handle ride
he wanted me to also enjoy the project and have fun

To be very honest; these are the type of clients you normally can only dream about!

I came up with the concept of a “city scrambler” and Piotr instantly liked first digital visualisations of the new lines and shapes.

We spend some more time on choosing the perfect colour match, than we did on the design of the bike” the designer laughs.

Continuing: “Numerous colour schemes were discussed. From all black to silver with golden pinstripes…

Finally we decided on the light-grey-blue and we added stripes and logos to perfectly match with the copperish tone of the Öhlins piggyback rear suspension.

To sum it all up; the cooperation was purest of pleasures, as Piotr was involved but trusted the professionalism of the UNIKAT team at the same time. It’s yet another client that became a friend and we are still in close in contact. Now this exactly is why I love this job so much!” he smiles broadly

Taking it all in

We took another sip of our coffee and took our time to take in the polished beauty of this bike. It is interesting to discover all the bits and pieces that have lovingly been reshaped into exquisite elements that make up the total picture.

Sportsters that leave the Milwaukee plant are nice machines, but they make even better canvas for builders who know how to mold them into an even better shape. The first thing you notice when sitting on the XL883, is the completely changed geometry of the bike. A change for the better that is.

This is largely due to structural modifications related to the use of high shock absorbers, the position of the swing arm and motorcycle drive.

Unfortunately the weather was not good enough to take the Harley out for a spin, but we are convinced the modifications will make up for a much better and sportier ride than originally designed.

Modifications

Let’s zoom in on the most important details and enjoy the pictured elements:

Front

– spoked, custom made 19” wheel

– Dunlop flat track tire

– shortened front fender

– wider and lower handlebars

– leather, hand-crafted grips

– mo.blaze disc front turn signals from Motogadget

– classic, old-school Highsider mirrors

– LED lamp insert

– relocation of the speedometer mount and controls

– Arlen Ness accessory air filter

Rear

– spoked custom made 18” wheel

– Dunlop flat track tire

– new handcrafted (in-house) motorcycle frame end loop,

– new seat made from scratch and upholstered (covered with alcantara)

– Öhlins rear suspension 39 cm long

– rear, minimalistic fender

– Bates Style LED rear lighting

– Kellermann Atto rear turn signals

– side license plate mount

– new, unique blue paint with subtle copper details

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Full Circle – The Muscle Racer 2, a Harley Davidson Sportster

Casper van der Ven — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 10:17:09 +0000

Setting the scene

Sometimes in life things come full circle. Allow me to sidestep and take you back. On a sunny day in November 2017, I wanted to unwind from a scientific conference I attended in Miami, Florida. Looking for shade I ended up at Brothers & Brawlers, where I found a beautiful space, an excellent cup of coffee, and an atmosphere that made me want to stay until the end of time. The gray concrete, black steel, and natural wood gave it an industrial vibe, yet the space felt light and leather seats and sofas were soft and pleasant. The helmets, accessories, and garments displayed tickled my fancy. A couple of custom motorcycles were on display. This is what most of us see in our imagination when we hear ‘man cave’. Sebastian Ramirez, owner and founder of DiRocco Eyewear, provided the finishing touch. He set up the space as a living advertisement that you could breathe, smell, and taste.

Inspiration

Next, I saw a motorcycle that planted a seed in my imagination. The seed of building a custom motorcycle (at the time I owned a practically bone stock 2010 Triumph Bonneville T100). As we talked about the space and the concept, a van pulled up. Chet and colleagues jumped out, a bike rolled in. And we ended up giving them a hand in putting it up on a platform for display. The motorcycle was a Triumph Thruxton, designed by a well-known, dapper, masked rider, the first in the Snaefell series by Cohn Racers. Little did I know that 5 years later, I would write about another series of motorcycles the Spanish-born, Miami-based builder Chet P Ilzarbe would produce.

Previously we featured their Harley Davidson XR1200X Muscl e R series. Now it is time to update you about their new line, the Muscle R2. In a second part, we will give you more insight into Cohn Racers and its founder.

Background

First, some background. The Muscle R2 came out of the original Muscle R, as most racers and builders can agree: there is always room for improvement. During the production of the original Muscle R, Chet started identifying and testing these small improvements. Adapting, modifying, and testing on a motorcycle one builds for one’s own garage is part of the process. However, this is out of the question when you set yourself high standards for motorcycles you build for clients across the globe. So where can you take these improvements, and express your problem-solving skills? Correct, in a second series, the MR2. The profits from the first series were used to hire Joan Mataro and Anton. The first a mechanical engineer with a passion for motorcycles, the second a carbon fibre specialist, who worked at Scuderia Toro Rosso and Koenisegg. The remaining funds were invested in machinery, including 3D scanners, software and 3D printers. This setup allows for reverse engineering, rapid prototyping, and evaluating data.

However, despite the improvements in the shop, the original concept remained: a Harley Davidson Sportster with real power, proper brakes, improved handling, and an elegant yet mean stance reflective of its rider. To improve the handling, the team engineered a new frame with optimised geometry for superior comfort and rideability. Secondly, increasing the power output of the engine and decreasing the weight resulted in 26% more horsepower and 22% less weight, further improving both handling and rideability.

Frame

Again, a Sportster model provided the engine and frame as starting points. They 3D scanned both and included an additional XR1200 frame as well. Using the resulting digital mesh with millions of recorded data points, other components could be added digitally. After adding the suspension and wheels, the first prototype was simulated to test behaviour and ergonomics. Several prototypes were then printed from PETG plastic. After several iterations, they settled on a 3-piece assembly that bolts together with four M8 bolts in the front, and four M10 in the back. Master welder Josh Lewis built a welding jig to perfectly align every component prior to assembly. Thus, any alloy can be used to weld up a frame in the perfect geometry. Currently they use Titanium GR5 future MR2 owners. Using these high grade alloys results in a final frame weight of less than half of the original sportster frame.

Weight Savings

Moreover, using Titanium throughout the bike ensures the aforementioned weight savings. The originally steel front and rear axles, head stem, and exhaust are all newly made of titanium. Even the original steel bolts are replaced with titanium bolts. A swing arm of billet cnc aluminium is a piece particularly hard to come by, usually limited to MotoGP and elite racing. Therefore, the team designed a 5-piece that is welded together and adjusted to the client’s height. It provides strength, reduces weight, and introduces just the right amount of flex. Again, digital simulation was used to finetune these parameters into the final design.

Suspension

Further improving the handling, stock suspension is swapped out for fully adjustable Öhlins FGRT 200 series forks in proprietary cnc billet aluminium triple clamps and dual rear shocks. The spring rate and valving will be adjusted to every client’s specifications.

Wheels & Tyres

The stock Harley Davidson hubs spoked with stainless steel and lavcd with 18×6.0 and 18×3.5 rims, give the bike a bit of a flattrack feel. Clients have a wide array of options for tyres with this configuration, yet dual sport tyres seemed to be a popular choice for the first series. Rims made of carbon fibre, titanium, and aluminium are currently under development and will be available as an option only to MR2 owners.

The Powerhouse

Driving all this forward is a 100HP power plant based on the original motor. One of the most challenging parts to engineer and manufacture is the proprietary down draft air intake system. The aluminium manifold is cnc-milled from a solid block on a 6-axis machine. Oxygen is provided via two beautiful mesh covered ducts in the front. Fuel is provided from a laser cut and bent 2mm aluminium sheet that is welded and covered with a carbon fibre shell. A small oil cooler was integrated to reduce oil temperature and the original oil tank under the seat was kept to ensure a sufficient volume in the system. On the back end of the engine are two titanium headers with pie cut bends, giving it a rainbow array of colours after multiple heating cycles, topped off by two Akrapovic exhausts. For future clients willing to trade in some reliability, the output can be increased even further.

Leatherwork

To sit atop this powerhouse, clients will have to pick their own hide for the handcrafted upholstery. The hides are sourced from Scotland and artisans then craft the seat, tank strap, and optional other parts to ensure unity throughout. This ties both ends together and shows the level of detailing that goes into these bikes!

Detailing

Carbon fibre is used throughout the build. Their inhouse specialist with an impressive background has optimised the process of impregnating carbon fibres with resin and curing it in an autoclave (think: industrial pressure cooker) to ensure the optimal resin to fibre ratio. This makes for a very light and simultaneously very strong material. Over 20 parts on the MR2 are made this way. In our eyes, this intensive, expensive process is justified by the outcome! What a visual spectacle to observe!

Other aesthetically pleasing details are the lights and indicators. They are fully integrated into the bike. The tail, brake, and indicator lights are integrated into the fender with just two parts! All wiring is carefully hidden from sight, indicator wiring for example is integrated into the handlebars. The gauge is backlit in blue, just as the buttons, a subtle and elegant touch that improves operating them in the dark. This is another indication that the builders prioritised the rider’s point of view. The gauge displays analog revolutions and all other information digitally, keeping it clean and timeless. The front of the gauge is covered with carbon that crowns the bike with a wax mould cast, polished 24K logo.

Last call!

Only 99 bikes will be built, according to client specifications. Most of the options that are modified inhouse are included. Adjustments will be made to the ride height, suspension stiffness and other small details that will ensure the most comfortable fit to the client. Special wishes can also be catered for. Pricing is progressive, the first one starting at $45,000 USD.
Do you want to get started? Email

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And then there was light_Arch Motorcycle teams with J.W. Speaker

Ron Betist — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 08:11:11 +0000

Boutique Manufacturer
Los Angeles-based ARCH Motorcycle describe themselves as a ’boutique manufacturer’. We would rather describe them as cool dudes that create magnificent bikes.

Co-founded by Gard Hollinger and Keanu Reeves, they produce bespoke production motorcycles in their state-of-the-art, Los Angeles area factory.
They are smart about the way they go about their business too by creating over 200 unique parts in-house, which are proprietary to the currently available ARCH KRGT-1, their first production model, as well as their upcoming ARCH 1s and ARCH Method 143 models.

Designer and builder Gard Hollinger oversees a seasoned staff of devoted craftsmen who hand-assemble each unit to meet their client’s ergonomic and aesthetic preferences. ARCH Motorcycle was founded on the idea of redefining the American performance cruiser. Their bikes are manufactured with the idea to deliver an unrivaled riding and ownership experience through an obsession for innovative design, engineering excellence and dedication to the rider. On their website it reads: ‘Every ARCH Motorcycle is delivered via a uniquely collaborative process tailoring livery and ergonomic fit to each owner. What started off as an exploration of what may be possible in the world of motorcycling has quickly evolved into the benchmark for the premium motorcycle category’.

Phew! Sounds great. Unfortunately the BikeBrewers team has not yet had the pleasure of experiencing their claim to fame in real life, so in the meantime we just have to believe them on their word.

Quest for quality
Anyway, all joking aside, as a result of their quest to create awesome bikes, the boys from LA are teaming up with J.W. Speaker, an LED and emerging lighting technologies designer for automotive, power sports, transport, and industrial products.

J.W. Speaker will provide its LED headlights for all ARCH Motorcycle units built in 2022, including the ARCH KRGT-1 and the upcoming ARCH 1s and ARCH Method 143 models. J.W. Speaker and ARCH Motorcycle will also partner in developing customized LED lighting technology for future ARCH models.

Innovative lighting
To find out what this deal was all about we had a quick call with Trish Logue, Director of Marketing at J.W. Speaker.

According to her “the team at J.W. Speaker are beyond thrilled to be working with ARCH Motorcycle as their lighting partner for 2022 builds and beyond. We look forward to collaborating with the ARCH team. We have been at the forefront of innovative LED lighting designs for decades and developed the world’s first dynamically Adaptive Motorcycle Headlight™, designed to calculate bank angles on a real-time basis, automatically sending light up or down as the motorcycle leans into a corner. ARCH Motorcycle has built its brand around utilizing best-in-class components and we’re proud to be part of its roster of partners.”

So we quickly race back to Gard who responds: “J.W. Speaker has been an important partner of ours for years, so we’re excited to evolve that relationship further as we look ahead to the release of upcoming models like the ARCH 1s. Our riders’ safety is of utmost importance and working alongside a trusted partner like J.W. Speaker with their Adaptive 2 Series headlights ensures we deliver best-in-class lighting technology for all ARCH motorcycles.”

Well, if two people are so happy about working together, magical things are never far away.
We look forward to seeing all those excellent plans come to fruition that will further enhance the pleasure of riding those magnificent machines created on the West Coast.

Even better, we look forward to receiving the invitation from ARCH Motorcycle and J.W. Speaker fly over to test them and serve a live report about all those wonderful things we just read about.

More information
Bikes
ARCH Motorcycle
Light
J.W. Speaker’s premier LED lighting technologies,

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TOP 5 Cafe Racers 2021 by BikeBrewers

Adnane Bensalah — Sat, 25 Dec 2021 16:56:04 +0000

We’re gonna be honest, we are a sucker for lists. More specifically, end-of-the-year-top-5-motorcycle lists! It’s one of those things that we never can seem to get enough of. Whether you’re sitting with your friends or family, or on the workfloor with your colleagues, top 5 lists always add flavour to the discussions. We are going to try to avoid a massacre that is usually brought by questions like “what engine oil is best” or “what tires should I get”.

We have seen some incredible builds the last 12 months, and we have to say that despite the world pandemic, we are very pleased to see that so many people still take time work on that what we love most: motorcycles. For 2021 we have created a TOP 5 of some of the most interesting, esthetically pleasing cafe racers we wrote about here on BikeBrewers. We looked at the number of views and shares on our website and social media channels, but also at originality. After all, the list is subjective.

So without further ado, and in complete random order, here are the BikeBrewers TOP 5 Cafe Racer builds of 2021

1. Moto Guzzi 1100 Cafe Racer by Robin Mehnert
When Robin Mehnert, the woodwind instrument maker from Germany, messaged us that he and his father had built a cafe racer based on a Moto Guzzi 1100 California, we got very excited. When you see the pictures of the Guzzi, it’s not hard to see why. Make sure to read the full article to find out more about this clean looking example of Italo-Germanic craftsmanship

2. Icon Motorcycle Triumph Bonneville Triton
Okay, so this Triumph Bonneville was actually built a couple of years ago. However, we only really heard of Icon Motorcycles last year. We didn’t know much about the outfit, and sadly their website has gone offline since. All we know is that the 2 Triumph Tritons they’ve build are unlike anything we have seen in a very long time. It’s almost like a spiritual experience. Luckily, we spent some time writing an article about the work of these fine people, that are based in the Netherlands.

3. Harley-Davidson LiveWire “Rule Breaker” by Moto Adonis
Moto Adonis has been working hard in 2021, with a number of unique projects and builds, we are impressed by the work the 2-man team from the Netherlands has been delivering. When they presented their Harley-Davidson LiveWire project our jaws literally dropped to the ground. This must be the most menacing looking electric motorcycle we have ever see. Period! It looks like a great white shark. In black. On 2 wheels. We dare anybody to show us a custom electric motorcycle that looks better than this.

4. Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 “Lilith” by XTRPepo
There is such a thing as a match made in heaven. In this case, it would be Pepo Rosell, founder and owner of XTRPepo, and Royal Enfield. Let us explain. Pepo has been building race bikes since before we could remember. He has been doing that passionately for the past 25 years. The last 6 years or so, he decided to take step back from building radical custom racing machines for high end customers, and to focus on the more “fun” side of business. Which brings us to Royal Enfield. The people’s champion as far as we’re concerned. Royal Enfield has rapidly gained popularity outside of its domestic market in India. No frills, simple, classy, and affordable. Heck, 2 of our editors bought a Royal Enfield 650 for personal use! That says something! Pepo built a period-correct racer around the Continental GT, and it looks the part.

5. Triumph Bonneville “Gotham” by Tamarit x MotoShare
Tamarit has been building bikes for a long time now, and this heavily modified Triumph Bonneville was their 81st build to be precise. The Alicante, Spain based builders were commissioned by MotoShare to build a cafe racer that provokes people. A bike that gets people talking. José Antonio of Tamarit says: “We took a 2007 Triumph Bonneville and turned it into this ominous looking machine. It was during a video call that one of the guys from MotoShare mentioned it looked like it was made for Batman. It was ‘The Gotham’ from there on.”

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Rotterdam Dirt Ride 2021 – The Mud Edition

Ron Betist — Sun, 10 Oct 2021 02:10:50 +0000

Once upon a time…
…there were two guys from Rotterdam who were avid dirt racers.
Unfortunately if you want to experience some good off-road riding, there are not many places in the Netherlands where you can just hop on a bike and freely hit gravel or proper sand dunes. Most of this country below sea level is securely fenced off and when you decide to not mind the barbed wire and plough your way through small country roads, chances are, you will find an angry local official on your way.

Time for some fun
So, to have a bit of unadulterated fun, the boys turned South and found themselves riding the Fuel fuelled Scram Africa back in 2017. Having crossed this event off their bucket list, they decided it was time to create a mini version of this, closer to home and share it with others who may never have the chance to cross the Mediterranean to ride the desert.

Imagine creating an off road event with lots of participants on loud smelly bikes, dressed in the silliest outfits you can imagine on motorbikes that are more often than not absolutely unsuitable for the terrain they are digging their way through. All of this in the country we described at the start of this story and with loots of excited visitors arriving on vintage or retro styled custom motorcycles to cheer the muddy madmen (and women!) on.

City slickers
Add to that the idea to organize this on the outskirts of the second largest city in the country, and you will find yourself in long meetings with city officials and local government, constantly shaking their heads in disbelief of your audacious plans.

Not so in Rotterdam! With the invaluable help of a local policeman who knows his way around city hall and is a big motorcycle fan, Gideon Schipaanboord and his buddy Joey Delwell managed to squeeze out a permit to organize the first Rotterdam Dirt Ride back in September 2018.

This in itself being a major feat, they found themselves scratching their heads while looking at the papers allowing them to go and create a unique date on the international motorcycle calendar. Coming up with a great idea on paper is one thing, actually making it happen is something else.

Gideon is a seasoned marketeer who works for major motorcycle brands and associated businesses and Joey has a professional background in logistics. Both of them have a large network within the motorcycle community and many of their contacts are good friends. It is with the help of this network they have managed to throttle off the starting line and build an event that offers tons of fun for all those who come to enjoy some dirt.

The Fun Factor scale
The ‘fun factor’ is what they all do this for. Definitely not for the money, as most of this is made possible with the kind help of sponsors and ticket sales at a friendly price. Getting permission to organize an event like this might have been a major and unexpected victory, but the list of security measures just goes on and on. The Dutch are not just really good at fencing off the territory, but are true champions at creating rules and regulations to keep things under control in this densely populated piece of ground, owned by the Gods of the Sea until our ancestors decided to build dikes and pump out the water.

Year after year the event grew organically from a local club of around 25 friends slinging mud on a piece of land next to the highway, to a steady date on the calendar. The growth was exponential each year, and even in one of the most historically difficult years, they managed to continue with 70 participants and 250 people to cheer them on.

Fortunately in the course of this year things started to go back to the ‘normal’ as we all knew it and Rotterdam welcomed 110 riders from all over Europe and 750 visitors (the maximum allowed) during the two-day edition. According to Gideon they would have easily been able to get an audience of between 3.500 to 5.000 had they not been strangled by post-covid regulations.

Go large
The event moved from its initial slab of land, to a slightly larger piece of dirt just outside the Rotterdam city ring; much closer to the heart of the city. Having the luxury of more space, the organizers decided to create more excitement by adding an oval dirt track and a mini bike course for kids to the already existing motocross layout.

Schipaanboord says: “The foundation of the event is to have fun with your family of motorcycle enthusiasts. We also want this to be an easily accessible tournament for both riders and people along the track. A true meeting of old and new friends to which you can safely bring your kids.

In spite of the fact we have a competition and give out prizes to winners, it is the participation that really matters. We try not to take things (safety regulations aside) too serious. This really shows in all the pictures you will see of this colourful event. Smiles all over the place!

Weather permitting, we actively invite people to camp on the track and share stories while sitting around the camp fire. I know it sounds romantic, but it truly works.”

Rain dance
This fourth edition was late in the riding season. Moving from September to the start of October was an invitation for Pluvius to join the fun and take it up a few notches on the difficulty scale for both riders and spectators. The saying goes ‘it never rains but it pours’. And pouring it did. A steady flow of buckets was emptied over the heads of everyone attending. On the Saturday as well as on the Sunday.

However it was impossible to extinguish the inner fire to anyone present at this festival of mud and we share the pictures to prove it. After a couple of nice, dry, sunny and dusty editions, having to plough (or perhaps sail is a more apt description in this case) through the deep ditches of sticky mud seemed just to add to the exhilaration. As trying to stay dry was impossible for the spectators, being covered up to their ears in mud was the outcome of any knight swashbuckling across the muddy groves.

But man did they have fun!

Rearview mirror
Looking back, Gideon smiles with satisfaction. He adds: “The upbeat spirit of everyone attending was just unbelievable. As an organizer you take a big risk in setting up something like this. After those sunny years, we toned it down in 2020 but still managed to go ahead and make it a modest success. Continuing to build was our main goal that year.

When the horses are finally set free in the meadow again, they jump around with joy. In our case it was more like a rain dance and we went into the weekend looking at the sky with concern. But when people continued to pour in as well, we were relieved and enjoyed the two days just as much as everyone else seemed to do.”

Continuing: “We look towards the future with confidence. Again this year we managed to grow against the tide. Quite literally hahaha! We want to grow in the years to come, but keep it within certain boundaries. Our mission is to spread the word to the world what fun you can have with a likeminded group of people and show the love and passion for the sport of motorcycling at any level.

It is all about that and emotion. Period.”

Missing the point
More seriously: “It is surprising to experience such little support from the motorcycle industry. There are a few brands that have dipped their toes into the water, but no one never really jumped in. It is as if there is no full understanding for the retro and custom scene and what makes those afficionados tick.

It surprises me even more when you look at the number manufacturers producing retro styled machines to cater for this audience. Getting them on the road is what they are really good at, going with the flow of this growing band of brothers who want to have fun with them like people did in the sixties and seventies seems to be more difficult to grasp for the brands.

They miss out on great opportunities on the calendar throughout Europe. Whether it is riding on beaches, in the dirt or smashing bikes full throttle through mud, there are large groups of people enjoying all aspects of riding on two wheels with a twist.” Concludes the free-lance marketeer.

Amen to that! Is all the BikeBrewers team can say to sum this all up.

And see you all next year!

Rotterdam Dirt Ride
Rotterdam Dirt Ride Instagram

Photography:
Sjoerd Schenk
Joep.Photo
Remko van Diggelen

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Electric Menace: The H-D LiveWire dubbed “Rule Breaker” by Moto Adonis

Adnane Bensalah — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 08:14:43 +0000

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/MhA4EafzSrM” width=”800″ title=”Rulebreaker by Moto Adonis”]

History Lesson
A long time ago I saw a documentary about Carl-Benz and his invention; the automobile. This is not about who invented a car with a combustion engine first, but rather the challenges and misconceptions he faced when he tried to convince the people of his creation. Long story short: it sucked! In general people don’t like change. Moreover, we often ridicule or patronize those that embrace change, the so-called creators. “How can a machine replace my trusty steed?” and “It will explode when you ride it” were common phrases that were used back then. Still, if it wasn’t for the likes of Carl-Benz, we probably wouldn’t be writing articles about custom built motorcycles, instead, we would probably hand-write about custom build chariots…

Booming!
The number of electric motorcycle manufacturers is increasing fast, and the portfolio of new models is booming. We have seen Zero Motorcycles, Energica, Cake, and many more, creating some very good looking machines. There is something about having maximum torque available from the get-go. Honestly, go ahead and try one out, we dare you! You would be surprised at how much fun it can be. Yes, they sound different, and yes, they feel a bit different too. But, at the end of the day, they have two wheels, and with the pull you feel when you twist the throttle, you will smile guaranteed.

Pioneers
It is safe to say that typically, electric motorcycles are designed and built by non-motorcycle building companies. Let me explain: Tesla never built a petrol or diesel car before. As a matter of fact, for a car manufacturer they are still very young compared to, let’s say, Ford or Volkswagen. Still, Tesla is now considered as one of the world’s leading electric car manufacturers.

Traditional
When we think of Harley-Davidson, we think of one of the world’s oldest motorcycle manufacturers. They have a reputation of being the opposite of innovators*. And quite frankly, they didn’t have to be innovators for a long time. Their customers wanted air-cooled, push rod, big v-twins for years. However, decreasing sales numbers as well environmental restrictions are making it harder and harder to continue to build the same type of bikes with the same type of engines as they used to.

Unexpected move
That is, until we heard of Project LiveWire. A radically different Harley-Davidson. Not only was it a naked bike (totally different segment), it was also going to be 100% electric! Clearly this bike was meant to attract a new audience. Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor took two of these machines from Ushuaia to Los Angeles, with some support of course, to show just how capable Harley-Davidson had build this motorcycles; an impressive feat! It definitely got our attention.

Moto Adonis
When we saw that one of the Netherlands finest builders, Moto Adonis, had gotten their hands on a Harley-Davidson LiveWire, we lost our shit. Really, we literally jumped up in excitement! So, we hit Arthur Renkema up, one of the 3 founding members and co-owner of Moto Adonis, together with Job Leussing, to ask if we could see the bike for ourselves. The answer was: YES! But we had to be quick, because the owner of the bike, who wishes to remain anonymous, was. going to pick up his bike in 2 days time. The results of that visit can be seen on our YouTube channel. It is mind boggling when you realize that this entire build was created in just 4 months time!

If you haven’t heard of Moto Adonis before, they have been building custom motorcycles for years. We have featured a great number of articles about their builds in the past 5 years, make sure to check those out! This is the first time we have seen a HD LiveWire build like this. Since the bike is all electric, they left the internals of the motorcycle untouched and focused primarily on the esthetics. And they did an incredible job at that! A quick look at the spec sheet shows: 105hp, 116 Nm, 251kg, 160km range and a top speed of 185 km/h. Not bad at all!

We can’t wait to see more builds like this. In the meantime, enjoy these beautiful shots of the Harley-Davidson LiveWire

Photo Credits: Mark Meisner

Builder details:
Moto Adonis
Website
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube

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Shed-Build: Harley-Davidson Sportster 1275 by Daniel Nyland

Adnane Bensalah — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 07:26:47 +0000

Long runner
The Harley-Davidson Motorcycle company is one of the world’s oldest motorcycle manufacturers. One of the company’s most successful models has got to be the Sportster, which has been produced continuously since 1957. There have been countless different Sportster models, however, all of them had a 45-degree air-cooled V-twin engine and a softail. The long production run makes the Sportster one of the most popular motorcycles out there that are being modified by owners. And why not? Aftermarket parts are sold in abundance and in a wide variety of prices. People that own a Harley Sportster really love their bike. For a very long time, it was also the most affordable Harley-Davidsons on the price list. It is the VW Beetle of motorcycles.

Minimalistic
Daniel Nyland is an Arizona based engineer that loves to work on motorcycles in his spare time. He grew up riding dirt bikes and ATVs, and this particular Harley-Davidson was his first street motorcycle. The 1991 Sportster was sourced fairly cheap, which was great because that meant money could be spent on modifying it. Daniel feels that people often talk a lot of smack about Sportster, which is a load of nonsense because they are a blast to ride. We wholeheartedly agree with him on that point.

Inspiration for this build cannot be pinpointed to one specific moment or event, but rather a combination of various ideas. Daniel likes café racers and bobbers, so some influence was drawn from those. Many hours were spent on the internet looking at bikes and trying to figure out what would look badass. Going minimalistic was on the table, and it didn’t take long before all non-essential parts were removed, and the bike was stripped down to its bare bones. The engine had to be the centerpiece and everything else had to flow from there on.

Flow
Daniel believes that there are three major aspects to a well build motorcycle: the engine, the frame, and the bodywork. Each has to flow well with itself, but they all have to work with each other as well. The look of bare metal and seeing the grains and imperfections that are normally covered up by a traditional paint job, are what make Daniel’s heart pump faster. So, he wanted all the tins to be bare and add some hand drawn sketches to break it up as well as add some unique character to the bike. He knew he wanted the engine-case to be a semi-gloss black, with the covers and starter being raw metal grey, accompanied by a bitchin’ stainless steel 2-2 exhaust.

As with most builds, there were some challenges during the process. Assembling and disassembling the bike multiple times, making sure that everything was the way Daniel wanted it was one of those pains. All to make sure that in the end, he would realize that he should have done it differently. “When you look at the gorgeous creations from the pro builders you don’t understand the amount of foresight that goes into building a quality bike until you’re doing it yourself.”

Serious upgrades
Some of the work was done by a local shop called “Bloody Knuckle”. They helped out with some of the welding on the frame as well as creating the rear fender. Hammer Performance supplied the motor kit as well as reworking a set of 2007 heads. Everything else was done by Daniel himself.

What modifications are made and what parts were used?

Bare Knuckle Choppers hardtail kit
Black powder coat spoked wheels
Custom speedo mount
Vertical oil tank
Blackbird fuel tank w/ integrated fuel sight
Custom rear fender
V-rod style headlight cowl
Chainsikle rearsets
1275 kit from Hammer Perf w/ reworked 2007 heads
HP560 cams
CV40 performance upgrades
RXC velocity stack
EMD primary cover
Custom SS exhaust w/ internal ceramic coat
Dyna 2ki ignition w/ Dyna coils
Trimmed cam cover
Cognito Moto GPS Speedo
Custom coil mount
Antigravity battery
Tokico front caliper conversion
Progressive Suspension lowering springs
Custom electrical box hidden underneath battery tray

Results
It is incredible to see that everything flows perfectly together, especially the subtle brass accents that help tie everything together. The Sportster rides like a beast, with the Hammer Performance kit hitting hard and pulling long. It’s loud, low, and without a doubt terrorizes the quiet suburban street of Arizona. If there is one thing that Daniel learned from this experience, it is that anyone can do this. Building a motorcycle is an amazing experience and everyone’s motorcycle should be an extension of themselves. Hear, hear!

Builder details:
Daniel Nyland
Instagram

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HD Sportster Brat by XTR

Ron Betist — Tue, 15 May 2018 05:30:05 +0000

We can almost put it on our calendar every month: a fresh build from our friend Pepo Rosell of XTR Pepo. And as always, it’s a little surprise for us what base bike he took. XTR usually has a special love for uncommon machines. And this month he took a brand new Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 to turn into a cool brat:

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Custom Harley Cafe Racer by Redonda Motors

Ron Betist — Mon, 22 May 2017 04:59:57 +0000

Harley-Davidson isn’t a very dominant brand here on BikeBrewers.com. Of course, if you’re customizing motorcycles into cafe racers, trackers or scramblers, there are more logic base bikes to pick. Nevertheless, last week I’ve featured a cool Harley-Davidson Scrambler which got a lot of great feedback on our social media channels. And who remembers this awesome Sportster cafe racer by Ardent? I promised to certain readers to publish more custom Harleys (…mr. Kotcher?), so I was happy to receive this project submission by João Barranca of Redonda Motors from Portugal.

João was inspired by the 60s. Looking at those Maxxis white wall tires, metal flake paint, and candy red details, the bike has written “rock ‘n roll” all over it. A unique vintage look with modern day technology on board. To improve motorcycle handling and braking, the original suspension and braking system were replaced by a front suspension and braking system of a ’98 Suzuki GSX-R. In the rear section, the suspension was replaced by Koni Racing shock absorbers adapted to have a look of the 60s and in the braking system was placed a 4-piston Konico caliper. The original brake and clutch pumps have been replaced by a more modern and efficient Brembo radial. The original rims were retained in order to fit beautiful Maxxis Classic tires.

In the motorization, the changes that were made were only intended to add reliability to the motorcycle. Thus, the original carburetor was replaced by an S&S and the ignition system was changed to an electronic system with a Dyna ignition coil. A Ducati Diavel pump was fitted to the clutch to make driving more enjoyable. For the air filter was created a piece of stainless steel with the symbol of Redonda Motors. The exhaust system is a beautiful piece of stainless steel that mixes the modern design with the classic design if on the right side there is a huge amount of welds that shows its custom origin on the left side the design invokes the original tips used at that time.

For the front optics and maintaining the straight and minimalist lines was used an optics of another mythical motorcycle of the 60’s, the Honda Dream. This optics contains a beautiful Koso speedometer, oil pressure lamp, and side projector switch.

The seat was designed for the motorcycle and used a very Portuguese material that is cork. This material is extremely resistant and waterproof. Formerly, cork was only used for wine bottle stoppers, cork is now used to make wallets, hats, raincoats, shoes, wallets and … .. motorbike seats.

On a motorcycle with the spirit of the 60’s could not miss the air horns and were placed two on the left side of the bike.

Follow Redonda Motors

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Harley-Davidson Scrambler by Gasoline Motor Co.

Ron Betist — Tue, 16 May 2017 03:27:16 +0000

Story by Gasoline Motor Co.

Ever thought of playing around in the dirt with a bulky 1200cc Harley? Why not?! Gasoline Motor Co. from Sydney, Australia, as you may already know, builds awesome motorcycles. Motorcycles that tell a story, as they say. And the story behind this bike is pretty unique. A certain day Franky came into the workshop with a clear vision in his mind: he wanted to pay his respects to a lost partner and best friend Angel. A beautiful Brindle American Staffordshire. For 15 years Angel was a shadow by Franky’s side, she accompanied him as he hunted all over Australia, canoed the Nimboida river for 7 days through rapids and floods, searched for schools of fish from the front of his boat and kept him company under his desk at “The Agency”. Over the course of this bike build, Gasoline Motor Co. channeled Angel’s adventurous spirit and fierce loyalty to create a custom Harley-Davidson 1200cc off road machine worthy of her name.

Franky’s brief for A-15 was something edgy, but aggressive, he wanted something that could handle anything you threw at it, on any terrain, in any weather. In the Gasoline Motor Co. workshop, this contemporary Harley-Davidson was transformed from a stock street machine into an all-terrain powerhouse and a nod to the boundless energy and spirit of Angel. It was engineered with a massive excess of performance power, made to match the stamina of a wild animal, with a growl that signifies just how serious it is.

Stripping it of any unnecessary bulk, raising the clearance, camouflaging the tank and making sure that every last inch of the build suited its intended purpose was all part of the plan, ending up with something that is barely recognizable as a street cruiser and more akin to an insanely powerful dirt bike. The rugged terrain tires are the epitome of Angel’s boundless ferocity – poised in a scrambling stance and ready to take off at the proper command or in this case: the slightest twist of the wrist. The brat style seat and matching grips were created from a weathered brown leather cut straight from a high-quality hide, making sure the ride is as comfortable as possible when racing over dirt roads to the next adventure. The tank and side panels are a major highlight and were hand painted in a unique camouflage pattern to match the outdoors theme and adorned with a hand cut stencil sprayed on by the Gasoline team as the finishing tribute to the eponymous pup.

Angel may have passed on, but her adventurous spirit and infectious energy live on in the A-15, a custom made a tribute to man’s best friend that will help Franky and his new little pal Chief discover new adventures for many years to come.

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