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.
The Japanese custom scene has its leading lights; superstar builders with résumés that include coveted show trophies and high-profile OEM collaborations. But there are also highly skilled craftsmen who manage to fly under the radar—like the builder of this captivating Harley Electra Glide bobber, Shintaro Kido. Kido-san runs his one-man shop, Kid Custom Factory, out…
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In Egyptian mythology, Bennu is an ancient deity associated with creation and rebirth. Depicted as a bird, it is believed that he may have been the original inspiration for the legend of the phoenix—which is exactly why the owner of this enchanting 1978 Harley-Davidson Shovelhead named it after him. Even though the donor bike was…
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Wisdom and timeless style generally evolve after decades of mistakes and missteps. The brothers Hindes of Prism Supply in North Carolina are overachievers in every sense of the word, and the depth of their work belies their age. In their mid-twenties, the duo has officially been in business for only two years, but has already…
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In 2013, Scott Jones of NOISE Cycles showed up at Born Free 5 with a machine that captivated minds: a 1952 Harley-Davidson Panhead morphed into a race-inspired, aluminum-bodied bike with an asymmetrical face.
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With a 34-degree rake and a 240 mm rear tire, the Harley-Davidson Breakout is the antithesis of the bikes that typically rev…
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Parked outside the Harley-Davidson museum in Milwaukee is a bronze statue of one of the Motor Co.’s most influential racers—’Smokey’ Joe Petrali.…
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Over the weekend of the Barber Vintage Festival, I had a few goals: to show off a few bikes, hang with friends,…
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The Motor Co. releases their shiniest special edition yet—the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Gray Ghost—while a well-established Japanese workshop turns a Honda CB750…
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We’ve seen our fair share of custom bikes that could be classified as works in progress. Some have been cobbled together crudely…
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Nick Keating is the man behind the lens of one of the most popular images we’ve ever shared on Facebook. It was…
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Even though Rough Crafts frontman Winston Yeh is happy to build custom bikes that fall outside of his purview, his bread and…
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Fo Huang has an enviable skill—the ability to take whatever he imagines and turn it into a physical object. Working as NamiXII…
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