Back in Time: 2016 Sportster Turns Late 1950's Replica
With this "classic" you'll get all the practicality of a modern bike with none of the headaches.
Fresh Metal
Unlike a lot of custom bikes these days, this isn't an old bike made to look like it's fresh out of the box, it's the opposite. With Harley-Davidson's blessing, Spanish custom motorcycle builder, Efraón España, decided to take it into his own hands to celebrate the Sportster's 60th birthday. Efraón was involved with Cafe Racer Dreams(CRD), a custom shop based in Madrid, which has produced some fantastic bikes in the past. After CRD changed ownership, Efraón began working from his own workspace again, UFO Garage, which is where he produced this Sportster.
Evolution not Revolution
Luckily for Efrón, Harley took the 'evolution, not revolution' approach when designing and upgrading the Sportster. So, there has never been a massive overhaul of the Sportster, just incremental improvements to an already great machine. Efrón took a brand new 2016 Sportster XL1200 and redesigned it to look like an Ironhead from the late 1950s. He was able to capture all of the charms of the 1957 model and combine it with all the practicality of a modern Sportster. This is helped by the fact he left the 2016 Sportster's Brembo brakes and Öhlins suspension untouched, so it rides and stops like a brand new bike.
>>Join the conversation on this modern turned vintage 2016 Sportster right here in HDForums.
The Makeover
Some of the 2016 Sportster's parts were kept but a lot were custom made, like the exhaust, which follows the lines of the original Sportster's exhaust to a T. The handlebars were also handmade to look like the originals. A modern-day Sportster speedometer sits between the handlebars, just like it would have 60 years ago. The seat looks like it could have been taken straight from the original bike until you notice the carbon fiber base that supports it, which was necessary to fit the new frame.
>>Join the conversation on this modern turned vintage 2016 Sportster right here in HDForums.
Vintage Parts
A Hella headlamp has been shoehorned into a first-generation Sportster housing, further accentuating the 'modern-day practicality meets old-school charm' vibe. The air filter is a vintage piece from an original Sportster and has been adapted to fit the fuel-injected engine of the donor bike. Another vintage piece is the 1957 tank which has been altered slightly to fit the new frame and plumbing. Although the badge on the tank may look like it was taken off a 1950's Sportster, Efrón actually painted it himself. He also applied the mesmerizing gold and white paint scheme, that closely resembles the 1957 pre-production bike which currently sits in the Harley-Davidson Museum.
>>Join the conversation on this modern turned vintage 2016 Sportster right here in HDForums.
Retro Rubber
Efrón custom made the 19-inch front and 18-inch rear spoke wheels which look like they were lifted straight from the original. Then, he wrapped Firestone deluxe tires around them and the vintage look was complete. Sitting over the tires are XL fenders which Efrón winded by hand and painted. Shiny, modern disk brakes are the only viable way to tell this bike's wheels from the original's, which had drum brakes. Seeing as this year is Harley-Davidson's 115th anniversary, we hope there's a chance we will see a few more custom builds, celebrating their history. If Harley doesn't take it upon itself to make some one-off bikes, hopefully, Efrón will.
>>Join the conversation on this modern turned vintage 2016 Sportster right here in HDForums.
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