Canepa Design Softail 1997 Harley-Davidson Heritage Looks Immaculate
There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to this custom-built Softail.
If you’re not familiar with Canepa, they’re well-known in the collector car world. They sell, restore, and maintain a collection of some of the finest sports and racing cars in the world. They’re especially highly-regarded in the Porsche world.
At Canepa, it’s not unusual to see a restored race car that ran at Le Mans next to a rare factory homologation model that they built only a handful of. Calling Canepa a grown-up candy store simply wouldn’t do it justice. As a result, when they turn their attention to a motorcycle, you know it has to be the best of the best.
Canepa started with a 1997 Softail and set to work transforming it into a classic throwback that still performed like a modern bike. Canepa is known for being thorough, and this build was no exception.
Subtle and Sweet
They started by stripping the bike down completely to a bare frame. The frame was gently reshaped in key areas to give the bike the stance they wanted. Then, excess brackets and tabs were cut off and every joint was re-welded for strength. Finally, the frame was ground smooth before it was repainted. During reassembly, the wiring harness was re-routed through the frame for a cleaner look.
A springer front fork was utilized to nail the classic look, while ivory painted, custom-made wire wheels tied in with the modified tank and big, flowing, 1940s-style fenders. The engine was upgraded internally for additional power, and it breathes through an exhaust with fishtail tips exiting beneath the leather saddle bags.
Many components, like the air cleaner, were off-the-shelf items. Much of the bike, though, was either custom-fabricated or heavily modified. Every component, bracket, and fastener recieved attention and care.
Subtlety is the name of the game when it comes to this custom. Reading the for sale listing on Canepa’s site, this was a very thorough transformation. However, it looks like a mildly customized bike from the ’40s or ’50s. That’s exactly what the team at Canepa was after.
Photos: Canepa
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