Classic British Finish for Stock Iron

Family Branch

Vintage meets modern with this custom 2016 Iron 883. Crafted by Speed & Custom, the guiding design principle was to blend the look of early flat track racers with a garage-built finish. Drawn from a heady cocktail of inspiration, the result is part championship racer, a touch of Vincent Motorcycles, a drop of British coffee shops, and a branch off the family tree.

Photos courtesy of Sykes H-D.

Level Award

Speed & Custom is the custom shop for Sykes Harley-Davidson located in the south of England. Launched in 2009, the shop takes customer experience and the customization process to the next level. A six-time recipient of the Bar & Shield award and the AMD World Championship of bike building, Sykes can confidently boast that they are “not your average Harley-Davidson dealership.”

Iconic Accolades

Dubbed Ol'44, the impetus for the build was another Speed & Custom project known as the Mert Lawwill Replica. Motor Company race enthusiasts will recognize the name Lawwill from his prestigious, championship-winning career as a member of the Harley-Davidson factory racing team from 1964 to 1977. Among his many accolades, Lawwill was featured in Bruce Brown's iconic motorcycle documentary, On Any Sunday.

Replica Building

A Sykes Harley-Davidson customer spied the Lawwill build and knew immediately that he wanted something with the same racing punch. If it is true that the chopper-aesthetic saturates American custom bikes, then café racers govern British bike building. Speed & Custom began with a replica Vincent fiberglass seat pan and a handcrafted aluminum gas tank from Omega Racer, based in Thailand.

Support Rails

This is where Ol'44 build hit a snag. The teardrop rear section did not work with the boxy, cutout tank. Speed & Custom stated, “The silhouette did not look right, so...an earlier style tail section was substituted.” A ribbed aluminum fender was then fitted, along with support made from a re-purposed backrest that neatly tied into the chopped frame rails.

Purloined Pad

For old school-appeal, a chain conversion was performed and the stock shocks were traded-out for a set with a more classic look. Along the same lines, Harley-Davidson stainless steel, full-floating rotors were installed. The seat was purloined from a Forty-Eight, modified, and then upholstered by nearby SM Trimming, along with a small fender pad.

Nostalgic Function

To get the racing stance right, 19'' Morad Alloy Rim were fitted to both the front and rear. A Roland Sands Design riser holds XR750-style handlebars, capped with a set of Harley-Davidson Nostalgic Hand Grips. Appealing to function and minimalism, a Motogadget speedometer was installed along with a combination of Kellermann Atto and Thunderbike turn signals.

Family Inspired

In a neat bit of visual trickery, a one-off housing was milled to cover the fuel injection unit. Along with a velocity stack, the custom assembly now resembles a vintage SU carburetor. The number boards were chosen to commentate on the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings and a family history of military service. Ol'44 is an inspired build!

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