Rough Crafts Obsidian Fighter Is a Menacing Harley-Davidson Sportster
Keeping true to his tradition, Rough Craft’s Winston Yeh has delivered yet another menacing Harley-Davidson Sportster
Harley-Davidson is amidst a major overhaul, as a result of which, new products will soon join the company’s model range. As fans impatiently await the arrival of models like the Pan America, many Harley lovers are keeping themselves busy building extravagant remakes of popular Harley-Davidson models.
Rough Crafts is a world-renowned custom motorcycle outfit based out of Taiwan, and the company recently unveiled a beautiful reproduction of a 2019 XL1200CX Sportster, which is called ‘Obsidian Fighter’. Winston Yeh is the brains behind this project, and the designer has delivered many breathtaking custom motorcycles over the years.
Yeh built his first custom Sportster about a decade ago, and for his latest project, the Taiwanese designer decided to build a cross between a roadster and a chopper. The custom motorcycle rides much lower than the stock bike, which was made possible by Swedish suspension system manufacturer Öhlins. The bike comes equipped with FGRT 206 forks at the front and a pair of Blackline HD 757 shocks at the rear, both of which are used in their shortest setting.
Yeh sourced the yokes from Speed Merchant, and the entire ensemble gets an all-black color scheme. The designer also swapped the original 19F/18R wheels in favor of smaller 19F/17R Gale Speed rims, which are wrapped in Pirelli Angel GT II rubbers. To further enhance the bike’s menacing vibe, Yeh even installed bespoke carbon fiber covers at the back.
Rough Crafts also fabricated the discs for the braking system, which was designed by Beringer. The radial caliper bracket was furnished by Sick Shop. The highlight of this bike’s classic Frisco-Esque styling is its tall gas tank which sits atop the negative space between the frame and the motor. Yeh is currently in the process of mass-producing the signature Rough Crafts Sportster tank.
The tank used on the Obsidian Fighter is a prototype that was developed by Yeh and his supplier. The motor is now mated to an all-new Twin-exhaust system, which was handcrafted by MS Pro. Even the pushrod collars on the bike are handbuilt units, and the motorcycle’s sinister look is courtesy of Line and Circle Custom Paint.
Photos: Rough Crafts