Sportsters Attack the African Desert with Reckless Abandon
Let's find out.
El Solitario offers custom designs for bikes and riding clothes
The young people got even more excited when reality TV brought out new shows with people like Jesse James who were building custom bikes. Another such person is David Borras, whose company El Solitario offers custom designs for bikes and riding clothes. His designs don’t fit into any one category because they are unique. His work became controversial, and he personally is considered a Wild Man – one report mentions him dancing naked around a biker group campfire, sticking his tongue out and poking biker “trendies” with a sharpened stick.
David Borras crafted a persona as a wild man
The El Solitario clothing was made from scratch by Borras and his partners because they wanted to come up with something really different, even special. They invented a line consisting of a "Super Denim” to protect the rider with pieces such as denim coveralls, and silk scarves. Nothing you would typically just go to a store and grab “off the shelf”.
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The Dirt Quake, a “run-what-you-brung” competition...
Borras and crew created a BMW 9T (that appeared to have been wrecked on the front end) dubbed The Imposter. His Ducati Petardo resembled a helicopter. Another bold move was made when his tiny Pluto dirt bike was actually ridden in the streets from Spain to England to participate in the Dirt Quake, a “run-what-you-brung” competition where street, dirt, café and other styles met on oval tracks to race in unity.
The idea for Borras was never to be trendy. He wanted to reach the group that loved creativity and lone rangers who dared to defy the status quo; mavericks in the industry – and of course - Harley Davidson was included in their creations.
>>Join the conversation about the El Solitario and Custom Sportster right here in the forum.
It all shifted just a few years ago
David Borras remarked, “ten years ago this would not have been possible. However, since 2017, young, creative riders have regained control of motorcycle culture. We flicked our middle finger at the motorcycling establishment, and guess what? We won! Major motorcycle manufacturers have responded and are paying attention.”
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Enter the “Desert Wolves”
Enter the “Desert Wolves”. The project started coming together in 2016 when the El Sol crew built three custom Harley-Davidson Roadsters with Ohlins suspension so he could ride the unusually heavy machines in the dirt and sand. El Sol’s signature paint was also included on these models, sporting a “tattoo-over-tar” look. They looked good alright, but could a street Harley pass the enduro test – to go out to play in the sand?
Well, they did. The HD Roadsters successfully crossed 2500 miles of nasty, but also visually spectacular terrain in Morocco; a country in North Africa bordering the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
>>Join the conversation about the El Solitario and Custom Sportster right here in the forum.
It all started with the Sportster
“We paid honor to the first Sportster, the do-it-all sports motorcycle. We took that 1950 program into the 21st century and the race department at Öhlins made it work. The fork was easy, but the shocks were a problem with the travel we needed and the weight of the bikes—they ended up modifying quad racer shocks!
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If you're gonna be in the desert you better be comfy
They’re huge! But these 550-pound bikes fly at 100 mph on the African open desert better than any stock dual-sport on the market—I mean it because we did it. Our vision was to...produce the necessary vehicles, garments...for a cross-Saharan motorcycle adventure."
>>Join the conversation about the El Solitario and Custom Sportster right here in the forum.
A real deal film director
By teaming up with a group of significant sponsors, the team was able to design the bikes with top-notch gear – all El Solitario – looking very Mission Impossible-ish. David shared his vision: “Our vision was to create an international multi-brand collaboration to design and produce the necessary vehicles, garments, and artifacts needed for a cross-Saharan motorcycle adventure. We designed and produced special helmets, protective gear, boots, shelters, and of course our motorcycles.
>>Join the conversation about the El Solitario and Custom Sportster right here in the forum.
Sahara Desert Adventure on Custom Harley Sportsters
This project single-handedly promoted the El Solitario concept from being oddball outsiders to independent, happening organizers. The Desert Wolves is truly a work of art – the riders, the bikes, the riding gear, the photography and the film made to show the world their exploits took shape as one solitary vision. Borras has made several films to date. They are the most interesting in the “alternate custom” scene.
>>Join the conversation about the El Solitario and Custom Sportster right here in the forum.
El Solitario’s Big Bad Wolf
This is the first El Solitario project that isn’t just me creating a work of art with different companies and our direction. In a way, we were half creating the products and half acting as a creative agency. The best part is to be a Nobody, a newcomer, a crazy punk, working with all these big companies. ”The “Desert Wolves” promoted Borras as a true film director, building scenes and photography as real as life itself. Formerly known as the “mad genius”, he is thought of as just a “genius” who makes films that are ultimately for the mind – and that is exciting and new to motorcycling.
RIDE ON!
>>Join the conversation about the El Solitario and Custom Sportster right here in the forum.
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