Devil in Disguise: Custom Heritage Softail is Hotter than Hell
Thunderbike puts some black magic into the Heritage Softail
The Devil went Down to Deutchland
In 1985, foreign trade merchant Andreas Begerforth started a small business in his parent’s shed. Licensed as a Motorradschuppen, which is German for ‘motorcycle shed,’ Begerforth modified and repaired Japanese motorcycles. Several years later, Begerforth became a licensed Harley-Davidson dealer and opened Thunderbike HD Nierderrhein, a dealership and motorcycle fabrication shop in Hamminkeln, Germany. Now Thunderbike has put the devil inside of a custom Softail. In addition to being a licensed HD dealer, Thunderbike also produces its own in-house custom builds using Thunderbike parts and accessories. One of their latest projects is, ‘El Diablo,’ a fiery red Hellraiser built from the bones up in the Thunderbike workshop.
Photos courtesy of Thunderbike Harley-Davidson Niederrhein
Classic Style
Thunderbike has based its reimaging of the Heritage Softail on the classic lowrider style found in the American Southwest along the U.S./Mexican border. Perhaps most famous in Southern California, the Chicano style of dropped lowriders, pinstripes and metal flake paint jobs has inspired builders in Deutschland. El Diablo’s red-hot metal flake with black accents was painted by Chris Rupaner of Chiko’s Pinstriping. Rupaner’s meticulous paintwork covers the bike with a wicked red sheen and old school flames licking the tanks and fenders.
Photos courtesy of Thunderbike Harley-Davidson Niederrhein
>>Join the conversation about Thunderbike's El Diablo right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!
The Devil’s Forge
Thunderbike produces its own line of parts ranging from air cleaner covers, footpegs, and triple trees to handlebars and full-on custom frames. Thunderbike manufactured El Diablo’s custom front and rear fenders to fit their own Digger wheels. Digger wheels are manufactured by Thunderbike and available for purchase through the dealership. Among the Thunderbike original parts used in the build is a Thunderbike Spoke 66T/25mm pulley, a Thunderbike special swing arm conversion, an air ride suspension kit, and a custom powder coated exhaust system.
Photos courtesy of Thunderbike Harley-Davidson Niederrhein
>>Join the conversation about Thunderbike's El Diablo right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!
Hot Stuff
El Diablo isn’t alone in the gallery of Thunderbike’s Chicano Conversion Softails. The company has a number of highly stylized builds in the same theme such as El Toxico, a Chicano Conversion Softail based on a Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic Softail with a Milwaukee-Eight powerplant, El Gringo, based on a Softail Custom with an Evolution motor and Desperado, also based on a Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic Softail with a Milwaukee-Eight engine.
Photos courtesy of Thunderbike Harley-Davidson Niederrhein
>>Join the conversation about Thunderbike's El Diablo right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!
The Devil’s Due
Although Thunderbike Harley-Davidson Nierderrhein doesn’t have a sticker price listed for El Diablo, they are a licensed dealer and their motorcycles and parts are available for purchase internationally.
Photos courtesy of Thunderbike Harley-Davidson Niederrhein
>>Join the conversation about Thunderbike's El Diablo right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!
For help with DIY service of your bike, check out the how-to section of HDForums.com
