Subtle Changes Make this Sportster S Custom a Beauty
German shop does a lot with a little on an HD Sportster S.
Harley Davidson makes a lot of motorcycles that cry out to be customized and there are plenty of HD lovers – both commercial custom builders and plain old HD riders – who can’t wait to get their hands on them. But, some bikes cry out louder than others.
The relatively new Sportster S is such a bike, and there have been some eye-catching custom jobs in the year since it burst onto the scene. Here is my favorite so far.
This one is also a sweet job, as is this one.
Big Bang
When the Sportster S came out last year, it made a big bang, even bigger than the usual new bike intro by Harley.
That was because of several reasons. First, it was liquid-cooled, a radical departure for Harley Davidson, and it portended the end of the old Evolution engine and the beginning of the Revolution Max era.
It also sported a lot of newfangled technology, which the Motor Company isn’t exactly known for. The bike represented both the end of an era and the beginning of a new one.
Radical New Look
But mostly, the darn thing did not look like a Harley Davidson. It looked like a sport bike, and HD traditionalists do not like the looks of sport bikes.
That’s one reason why the sportster has changed less over the years than any other in the HD lineup.
Year after year, sportster lovers could count on the new models changing very little, at least cosmetically. The company might make small improvements and changes, but the looks remained essentially the same.
But this one, this Sportster S, looked different.
The Near-Impossible
That’s why Germany-based Cult Werk has pulled off the near-impossible, in my opinion. They have vastly improved the look of the stock Sportster S by making some very subtle alterations.
First the exhaust. The stock, high-mount exhaust, which HD claims was inspired by the glory days of flat-track racing, is ugly. Let’s face it.
Cult Werk replaced it with a full, black Kess Tech system, which still manages to deflect heat away from the rider’s legs and tail section, but manages to complement the overall style and attitude of the bike much better than the original exhaust system.
Striking Paint and Graphics
The dark exhaust also complements the deep metallic gold that the bike is wrapped in. It’s a striking paint job.
Cult Werk does its own in-house, airbrushed graphics and they added that on the fenders, fuel tank and lower body parts. Again, it’s subtle and fits in well.
The dual-tone alloy wheels with their copper finish look great against the black forks and the acid gold finish on the sides match the body panels.
Up for Sale
The flat handlebar sits even lower than the bars on the stock bike, giving it an even sportier look and feel.
Other changes include a shorter fender, a bigger headlight cover and a teeny-tiny, custom tail light.
You might be asking: hey, is this bike, which has not been ridden for a single kilometer, for sale? Yes, it is, and the cost is $33,000. Hey, that includes the two-year warranty.
Photos: Cult Werk
