Vintage Touches Turn Modern Harleys Into “Classics!”

by Jason Giacchino
HDForums

Let’s face it, until some real life Doc Brown invents a flux capacitor and mounts it into a DeLorean, the closest most of us are going to get to reliving the past is limited to our memories. For a select few, that ain’t cutting it. As a result, we have cruise nights, retro-inspired vehicles, restorations and projects in the barn we’ll get to one day.

In keeping with the power of nostalgia, we’ve rounded up some H-Ds that, while modern day classics in their own right have been given a massaging by their owners to reflect the style and appeal of the classics of yesteryear.

So you may be asking yourself, just what contributes to a successful modern tribute build? Surprisingly there is no singular answer as, so long as there have been motorcycles, there have been individuals customizing them. However, there are a number of modifications, exterior ones especially, that can go a long way in capturing the look of an era passed. Different headlamps, saddlebags, solo seats, engine trim and fringe are just a few ways to give a bike a vintage feel, and the bikes below are great examples of owners who’ve done it right.

Of course part of the appeal here is the fact that it can be taken as far as budget and time will allow. Some of the more intensive classic builds have entailed custom paint, hand built accessories and even the integration of genuine vintage parts.

In fact, those individuals short on time aren’t even disqualified from the classic appeal; as companies like 20th Century Cycles and their concept is to pay homage to the heritage and legacy of the American Icon that is the Harley-Davidson motorcycle brand with over 100 years in continuous operation. As such they offer production models as pre-packaged, fully accessorized Harley-Davidson bikes including Sportsters and Springer Classics having been given a 1940s Knucklehead look that even old-timers often mistake as genuine vintage iron.

The photos here represent a tantalizing slice of the spectrum available to riders with a bit of creativity and respect for the models of the past responsible for the bikes of today. Even still it may not be a bad idea to consider any 1982 DeLorean DMC-12’s posted on Criaglist by crazy-eyed, white haired scientist-types.