Sandy Scrambler Treatment for a 2015 Sportster XL

Desert Rat

The recipe for a real 'stinger' is one part Sportster Forty-Eight infused with a liberal dose of nostalgia. Add hard work and top-shelf parts and you get a cool desert sled that Steve McQueen would want to ride. Built by Kurt Diserio and dubbed the 'Desert Rat,' this XL1200X turned scrambler is now ready for some gritty off-road action.

Photos courtesy of Pittsburgh Moto.

Off-Road Memories

With help from his father, Diserio resurrected a crashed Forty-Eight to fashion his Desert Rat. Reminiscing about past motocross and trail riding days, he wrote, “The immediate idea was to dig into those off-road memories and build...something that resembled an old race bike.” Pursuing inspiration, Diserio set about to fix up the Forty-Eight and give it a “taller, more aggressive rider position.”

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Popular Scramble

Scramblers are the first dirt bikes. Originating in England during the 1950s as informal off-road races with modified street-legal bikes, 'scrambles' became a popular pastime. The trend caught on in America with events occurring primarily in the Southwestern deserts and Baja. Further popularized by the likes of Steve McQueen and racer Malcolm Smith, the tough desert sled was born.

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Added Vintage

Diserio's sled retains its stock fuel-injected 1200cc Evolution motor, with some added vintage flair. Reminiscent of the XR-750 and MoCo's early dirt track days, are a set of 'WTF Rocker Box Covers' by Esteves Motorcycle Design (EMD). Fabricated in Anduze, France, the rocker box covers are just one of many excellent retro-styled parts the company offers. 

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Iconic Pipes

Expelling the spent gas is a custom exhaust system by Iron Cobras Fabrication in Long Beach, California. The high-mounted stainless steel pipes with perforated heat shields evoke the iconic Triumph TR6 Trophy — a bike credited with launching the 'desert sled' style. Built between 1956 to 1973, the TR6 has long been imitated with its DNA ever-present in Triumph's new Scrambler 1200 XE. 

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Motocross Functionality

A PIAA halogen headlight provides much-needed illumination for the onset of desert dusk. A larger 4.5-gallon fuel tank is fitted for the long haul on desolate rides, and a set of Burly Brand handlebars satisfies the “taller, more aggressive” equation. In keeping with motocross functionality, the front fender was chopped and raised, which Diserio said: “It was a real pain to get mounted correctly.” 

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Dirt Bike Clearance

The XL1200X was subjected to some back end surgery as well. The fender supports were cut off and a rear loop was welded on, similar to a 1974 Honda Elsinore — the first factory-produced dirt bike. Providing clearance for the chopped-down rear fender is a set of tall Progressive 412 Series shocks. Admitting defeat on the seat fabrication, Diserio farmed the job out to Chappell Customs in Nevada. 

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Extra Bite

Wrapped in a vintage look, the Desert Sled is a versatile and reliable Sportster. It also gets a little extra bite from the venom-dripping scorpion graphic. Diserio admits that the bike weighs a bit too much to “truly get wild on the tight trails,” but has a standing invitation to join him in the open desert — just beware of the poisonous arachnids.

>>Join in the conversation about this Desert Rat Sportster XL right here in Harley-Davidson Forums.

For help with your do-it-yourself maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section in the forum.