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Harley-Davidson Blue Vegas Is a $15K Bet on German Custom Bike Building

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Harley-Davidson itself has a build-off competition dedicated to its international dealers with a budget cap of around $6,500. The bike maker has this rule because motorcycles can be customized for far less than one would spend on remaking a four-wheeled vehicle, and with incredible results. Over the past eight weeks or so, either as part of our Harley-Davidson Month or Two-Wheeler Month coverages, we’ve talked aplenty about custom Harleys coming out of a German shop by the name of Thunderbike. Diverse as they are, these creations have in general one thing in common: they’re not that expensive to make, provided you already own the base motorcycle. The one in the gallery above is different, though. What you’re looking at is a Fat Boy S (which you can get in stock form today for a little over $20,000) modified so heavily that it’s price has jumped by at least $15,000. That’s the number we came up with after adding all the prices of the over 20 custom parts that have gone into making it. It does not include the man hours put into it, the incredible paint job, and some other parts Thunderbike probably failed to mention. The build is called as per the Germans Blue Vegas, partly because of the unlikely color chosen for the wheels and the flames on the tank. Leaving aside the fact that the custom parts (ranging from the wheels and fenders to the handlebar and tank) fit together perfectly, the paint job is one of the main reasons the motorcycle looks so great. It might seem risky business for the garage to go the blue way, but since this was probably made at the request of a customer, the risk was not really theirs. In the end, the bet paid […]

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Harley-Davidson Billy Bones Is No Pirate, Still Looks Menacing

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Even today, more than a century after the first Harley-Davidson motorcycle rolled, there’s no denying the appeal the Milwaukee-made machines have for the people in the custom industry. First, we have the countless shops and individuals out there who keep working their magic on decades-old HDs, as highlighted by the recent The No Show ran by the bike maker last month. Designed to help all those builders who had no place to show their creations because of the ongoing health crisis, the online event brought to light a number of very unique creations, some of them amazing. At the same time, the bigger and more visible shops have shifted their focus to the more recent models in the bike maker’s lineup. That’s not a bad thing in itself, but these newer machines have some too industrial about them. Take the Thunderbike line of custom Breakouts for instance: the Germans have around 40 of them, and despite each one being made to be unique, they do kind of look the same. The Billy Bones we have here is a tad different, though. Based on the Cross Bones model that was produced briefly not long ago, it has a very distinct look about it, one that somehow links today’s mass-produced Harley’s with the ones of the olden days that are still so appreciated in the modern times. This particular bike came to be in 2009, at a time when the Cross Bones was still around. It packs a great deal of custom parts (over 20 of them, and we’re told not all have been listed on the bike’s official page) that took about a month to assemble in the shape you see here, a shape the guys at Thunderbike call “vintage.” The motorcycle has been christened Billy

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Harley-Davidson Top Chop Is a Panhead Ode to Copper, Brass and Nickel

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Nowhere in the transportation industry is metal held in such high regard as in motorcycle manufacturing. When it comes to cars we tend to cover metal in all kinds of colors and paints, as if to hide it, but motorcycles, at least from time to time, proudly display their metal parts with no shame. Sure, there are custom bikes that get painted extensively to cover most of their bodies, but the engine, for instance, almost always remains exposed in its metallic form. And their a sight to behold, because what are motorcycles if not an ode to carefully shaped metal? The build in the gallery above takes pride in the materials it is made from. Sure, paint was used on it, but we’re not talking about colors that remind us of trees or the clear blue sky, but ones that scream metal: copper, brass, nickel, and of course chrome here and there. Initially a 1957 Harley-Davidson EL, the bike was modified at the hands of German custom garage Thunderbike and turned into something they call Top Chop. The idea was to have a motorcycle tribute to the “glittering choppers of the 70s,” and for the most part the Germans succeeded. Just like when it comes to the rest of the shop’s builds, this motorcycle here is packed with custom made parts (that are also available for purchase), ranging from the handlebar to the fuel tank – it is the tank that gives the name of the motorcycle. At the core of the Top Chop’s frame sits a Panhead engine with Shovelhead looks, and gifted with a Magneto ignition and a Mikuni carburetor. We are not being told anything about the bike’s performances. The Top Chop is of course a one-off build (an older one made

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Harley-Davidson Ego Shooter Is Not Your Usual Rocker

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com For the past 20 years or so, the European custom motorcycle segment has been flooded with Harley-Davidson based or inspired builds coming from Germany. The group responsible for this onslaught is called Thunderbike and as part of our Two-Wheeler Month coverage in June we’ve talked about them at length over the past few weeks. Generally, we focused more on their most recent builds, but there are others, much older, that deserve their time under the spotlight. For the end of this week we chose a build the Germans call Ego Shooter. It was first presented in 2011, at a time when the shop was half the age it is today. Unfortunately, we have no info on what happened to it since, but records, including photographs and a bizarre YouTube video (attached below) are still here to tell the bike’s story. Built on a Softail Rocker base, the bike is described as “not exactly the first choice for custom friends.” The line was produced by the Milwaukee-based bike builder from 2008 to 2011, and it couldn’t have been more different than the variant portrayed in the gallery above. As usual with all the Thunderbike builds we’ve covered, this one too is a mobile display of German imagination when it comes to custom parts. From the rear end that can move up and down thanks to an air suspension to the small fender at the front, all speak volumes about what stock Harleys can become in the right hands. The exhaust system, air filter, pegs and handle fittings, fork, and the handlebar are just a few of the custom parts fitted on the motorcycle, all topped off by a custom paint job (containing more colors than we’re used to seeing when it comes to Thunderbike machines) that

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Bulldog Is the Alpha Male of Big Dog’s Motorcycle Lineup

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Over the past week, as part of our Two-Wheeler Month coverage, we talked at length about the custom motorcycles made by Wichita, Kansas-based Big Dog Motorcycles. As the week draws to a close, so do our stories about the group, as we’ve reached the end of the list of Big Dog machines available. And of course we saved the best for last. Big Dog is among the few shops out there to have turned custom motorcycles into series production bikes. That’s a good way to provide people with the riding thrills they like without sending them into bankruptcy. With this approach, Big Dog managed to keep prices low, as low as $28,995 for the Coyote model. The Coyote is part of a lineup of bikes that also includes the Boxer and K9, but also the alpha male of the lot, the Bulldog. This is the most expensive Big Dog machine currently available, and there’s a good reason for that. Technically, the build does not differ all that much from its siblings (with the exception of the Boxer, which is significantly shorter). It also rides on a custom frame, the frame houses the same S&S Super Sidewinder V-Twin engine as in all the other bikes, and the engine is tied to the same 6-speed transmission. Only this time it comes with a reverse gear. Why a reverse gear? Because what sets the Bulldog apart from the rest of the Big Dog motorcycles is that well, it is not a bike. It’s a trike, one meant to “break the leash” as its makers say. That’s right, a trike powered by an engine so big (the Sidewinder has a displacement of 124ci/2.0-liters) it comes with “more displacement per cylinder than the sum of all cylinders on today’s biggest

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Harley-Davidson Earl Grey Is Cross Bones as Diluted as Milk Tea

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Harley-Davidson’s Softail frame has become over the years the backbone of a great number of motorcycles. The Milwaukee-based bike builder currently has 12 bike models using it, ranging from the Standard to the Heritage Classic. Down the ages – the first time the frame was used as a registered trademark was way back in 1984 – other names were stealing the headlines. There were names like the Night Train, Cross Bones, and of course the Springer. As do the Softails of today, older ones are favorites of the custom industry, even if perhaps not as much as say the more recent Breakout. And one fine example of custom work on an older Softail is the one we have in the gallery above. Wearing the name Earl Grey, the build is based on a 2010 Cross Bones and is an older project of German custom shop Thunderbike. Like most of their other builds, old or new, this one too is a mammoth display of custom parts – some 20 of them were used all around the two-wheeler. The exhaust, handlebar, footpegs and fuel tank are aftermarket parts, as are the tailights and headlamps. The front end sits on a Springer fork, shortened to meet the purpose of the build, while the power of the Screamin’ Eagle 113ci fitted with a race kit is sent to the ground by means of disc wheels. It is these wheels that are the standout element on this build. Painted all white, they fit the matte paint used elsewhere on the body just right to give you the impression the Earl Grey name is the perfect description for the machine: it looks just as diluted as a cup of milk tea, pale when compared to the other colorful builds out there.

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Harley-Davidson Solid Dude Is the Latest Thunderbike Stunt

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com For the past month or so, as part of our Two-Wheeler Month coverage, we talked at length about some of the craziest builds on two wheels out there. A good portion of our attention was focused on a German group called Thunderbike. In the business of customizing Harleys but also create their own frames for about 20 years, Thunderbike is one of the most active shops not only in Europe, but in the world. The number of bikes they modified over the years is simply huge, and there seems to be no stopping them. Their latest stunt is called Solid Dude, and is a Fat Boy turned into the “absolute power cruiser.” Previewed this week by Thunderbike, the motorcycle is the usual display of custom parts extravaganza. As they usually do when modifying existing motorcycles. Thunderbike seems to have spared no expense with this one either. Around 30 new parts have been made to work together and look like a solid piece of engineering on the body of the Fat Boy. A quick look at the modifications made shows that, aside for the engine itself, there was little that wasn’t touched by the Thunderbike magic. Larger elements like the front and rear fenders are custom, but so are smaller ones like the handlebar or the turn signals. A highlight of the build are of course the wheels. Sized equally in diameter at 21 inches, they’re of Thunderbike spoked design and painted in such a way as to match the bike’s apparent Nardo Grey paint wrapping. Complementing the whole thing are the pipes of the Dr. Jekill & Mr. Hyde exhaust system. We are not being told who commissioned the motorcycle and not even how much it cost to make, but if you have the time,

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Big Dog K9 Is the Chopper-Style Cruiser Motorcycle Most Can Afford

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Generally speaking, custom bikes are not cheap. For one, there’s the wealth of parts that go into making one, then the hours of labor spent, and God what else. All that add up and reflects in the asking price for such a build. Of course, most shops make custom bikes on demand, but even if they make one out of the blue, there’s still that only one. No series production means no standardized parts or assembly processes, and that means more money too. Wichita, Kansas-based Big Dog Motorcycles is one of those few businesses that make series-production custom bikes. That means their products, although they have the look and feel of something unique, are priced to be more affordable than a one-off because there are more of them. There are 4 bike models in Big Dog’s portfolio, and as part of our Two-Wheeler Month coverage we’ll talk a bit about each one of them over the next few days. And we’ll kick off with the K9, a “chopper-style cruiser with a strong silhouette, bold, cutting-edge style, and a killer sound.” Built on a custom frame, it packs a 124ci (2.0-liter) S&S Super Sidewinder V-Twin engine tied to a 6-speed transmission. The frame rides on a swing-arm suspension and hidden adjustable rear shocks, and makes the connection to the ground via Avon tires. Starting from $34,995 (the K9 is in the upper half of the Big Dog lineup price-wise), the engine is offered either carbureted or with fuel injection (add an extra grand for that), a price that is rather affordable, considering this is after all a custom motorcycle. Don’t expect that to be the final price, though. There are 12 body colors to choose from, three types of wheels, two finishes for the engine (polished

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Harley-Davidson Seventy Looks Smooth as Silk

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Generally, custom bike builds are meant to convey a message of hardcore two-wheeled motoring. To get that message through, custom builders usually have to create monsters that stand out through sharpness, coldness, or perhaps meanness. The bike in the gallery above has none of those attributes. If anything, it looks soft to the touch, possibly smooth as silk, but somehow manages to retain an air of coolness specific to custom Harleys. What you see in front of your eyes was once a 2017 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy. It lost most of its industrial look at the hands of a German custom garage by the name of Thunderbike, and was gifted with a more eye-soothing appearance. There are, of course, a lot of custom parts that have made it onto this build – over 30, in fact – but it’s not them that make the biggest difference. It’s the paint job that does. Partially the work of Thunderbike’s favorite partner in this area, Ingo Kruse, it blends matte black with gold on the wheel rims, fenders and fuel tank to create an almost tactile visual experience. Related in the garage’s books with the Night Train we talked about over the weekend, the Seventy – that’s the name chosen for the motorcycle post-build – comes with new fenders and fuel tank, custom wheels (sized 21 and 23 inches), new toppers and grips. The mechanical improvements include the addition of a swingarm kit, a hydraulic clutch cylinder, and a modified air suspension – you can find the entire list of modifications made by accessing this link. As pretty much all Thunderbike builds, this one too is not for sale. It has been built to order, but it also acts as a sort of mobile billboard for all the special

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1921 Harley-Davidson Banjo Board Track Racer Wins H-D Design Award

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com At the beginning of last week, bike maker Harley-Davidson announced it is holding a special online event dedicated to all those bike builders who were robbed by the health crisis of the chance of showing their creations in live motorcycle shows. Called The No Show, the Harley event brought together on Youtube and Instagram around 60 bike builders across the U.S., each showing and advertising their bikes the best they could. Of the 60, Harley chose three to be named winners in various categories – Media Choice Award, H-D Styling & Design Award, and Harley-Davidson Museum Award. As far as Styling & Design, the bike was selected and the crown was handed by Brad Richards, the man in charge of design at Harley, to a build called 2-Cam Banjo Board Track Racer. The bike is the work of a man from Wisconsin named Michael Lange. Describing himself as a bike builder for 50 years and a self-employed man for the past 30, Lange decided to bring to The No Show a motorcycle he built way back in 1996, one he was supposed to show at this year’s Mama Tried. The man’s confidence in the bike paid off, given his build won one of the three awards, but perhaps for him that’s just a small achievement. Running on massive wheels and packing a host of custom-made parts, from the engine itself to the fuel tank and the frame, the Banjo is of course an odd sight on the roads today, but it is a common one at various racing events still paying tribute to the racing bikes of old. Lange says he originally built the bike to race it as a privateer, and race it he did for the past 24 years without many major issues.

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