Softail Standard Ain’t So Standard Any More
Premium German custom builder turns plain standard into work of art.
The Harley Davidson Softail Standard is the go-to motorcycle for those HD fans who like to customize their bikes themselves. You get in quick and cheap and make the bike yours over time.
That’s why I’m a little surprised we haven’t seen more cool customs from the pros. Until now. I’ve always been a sucker for black and white – if done right – and this guy done right.
A Standout, Even Among a Custom Crowd
The builder is a German named Julian Von Oheimb, the main man behind a shop named One Way Machine, and he’s a four-time winner of the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building award. He knows his business.
He’s churned out a series of low-slung beauties, with nicknames like Gringo, Silver Storm, Iron Riot and Singapore Sun, just to name a few.
Von Oheimb took this Standard and turned it into the opposite of “standard,” a real looker nicknamed Goodfella that’s going to stand out in any crowd, even a crowd of customs.
Hand-Made, Steel Fuel Tanks
The builder had started his customizing career specializing in older Harleys, but slowly became interested in more modern Harleys. Goodfella is a 2021 Standard dropped off by a customer who gave Von Oheimb full license to do what he wanted.
The first thing you notice about Goodfella is its long, low and mean overall stance – like most of the customs in the One Way Machine portfolio – followed by the way the white tank stands out in a sea of blackness. That’s a steel, hand-made fuel tank, and the filler cap is made from a hood ornament of a vintage car.
One of the first things Von Oheimb did, according to autoevolution.com, was to get more of a slammed look, so they lowered both the front and rear suspensions.
Spare, Spartan Rear End
The OEM rims were stripped and the spoked wheels, 21 inches up front and 18 inches in back, came courtesy of TTS Motorcycles. You will also notice the custom black and white rear fender and the absence of a front fender altogether.
Another innovative design involves the rear end, featuring Zodiac discs and premium Beringer calipers. You may be looking at it and noticing a very spare, spartan look. That’s because the brake rotor is hidden behind the sprocket.
The Softail Standard already comes with some pretty impressive power with the 107 Milwaukee 8 engine which churns out almost 100 pound-feet of torque at 2,500 rpm, as recorded by tests at Cycle World. So the builders left the engine alone.
Inspiration to Amateur Builders
That black leather saddle, covered by Spirit Leather, is a nice aesthetic touch, and the short, 2-into-1 exhaust is about the only thing on the bike that isn’t black or white; they combined Vance and Hines headers and a Dr. Jekill and Mr. Hyde muffler. That and the S&S air cleaner complement the rest of the bike perfectly.
The builder added other touches, both seen and unseen, that make this bike one of the best Softail Standard customs seen to date among the world of custom builders. It’s an inspiration to all those amateur customizers who own one of these blank canvases.
Photos: One Way Machine
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