1976 Harley Sportster Makes One Sweet Custom Bobber

Vintage Ride

For the most part, the bulk of the custom motorcycles we come across these days are based on more modern bikes, not vintage ones. Newer bikes are more comfy and in some cases more reliable/powerful than old ones, so it makes some sense, though we would love to see more classic Harley-Davidson builds enter the fray - rides like this pretty incredible 1976 XLCH1000 Sportster built by the folks at Copper Chopper.

Photos: Copper Chopper

American Influence

Like many custom Harley shops out there these days, Copper Chopper isn't located in the U.S. - rather, it calls Moscow, Russia its home, but you'd never know by taking a gander at this particular build. Instead, its design is deeply rooted in American culture, a classic bobber look that will never go out of style.

Photos: Copper Chopper

No Worse for Wear

This particular Sportster bobber is also Copper Chopper's very first commissioned build after its owners decided to take their business to a full-time, official gig, so it's somewhat special in that regard. However, the team started out with a pretty sad looking bike that had plenty of rust, though you'd never know it by looking at the immaculate Sportster today.

Photos: Copper Chopper

Retro Looks

Everywhere you look, it's pretty evident that Copper Chopper wanted to keep this particular build's vintage charm intact - not ruin it by adding too many modern bits and pieces. The round chrome headlight is decidedly old school, as are the handlebars and a single round mirror mounted to the bottom of those same parts.

Photos: Copper Chopper

Familiar, but Different

As one might imagine from this caliber of build, Copper Chopper also created a slew of one-off custom parts for it as well. That includes both the tank and seat, as well as the exhaust and rear cowl, to name just a couple. The result is a bike that looks familiar, yet also like nothing else out there.

Photos: Copper Chopper

Upgraded Powerplant

Copper Chopper didn't ignore the Sportster's bespoke powerplant either, as it has been treated to a more modern electronic ignition, an S&S carb, custom headers, and a full dress-up with enough chrome that one could use it as a mirror for shaving while you're out on a long multi-day ride.

Photos: Copper Chopper

Bright Future

The finishing touches here are a very cool two-tone paint job, which completes the custom look, along with a set of vintage multi-spoke wheels that measure 21 inches up front and 16 in the rear. The end result quite simply speaks for itself, and if this is any indication of what we can expect from Copper Chopper moving forward, its future indeed looks bright. 

Photos: Copper Chopper

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