Harley-Davidson

Rescued 1969 Harley-Davidson XLCH Sportster Is Why Simpler Builds Are Better

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Motorcycle shows and the Internet as a whole are suckers for heavily modified bikes. The more extreme the build, or the more different from what it used to be, the more applause and recognition the makers and two-wheeled machines get. Unfortunately, this year we had a lot fewer chances of experiencing custom bikes. Most of the 2020 shows were canceled due to the health crisis, and custom garages, having been closed for a few months, didn’t come up with as many new exciting things as before. Luckily, our generation has the Internet, and ideas like that of Harley-Davidson of bringing 60 builders from 10 countries together on Youtube, in short and separate videos meant to present all the hot builds of 2020 and the past years. Called The No Show, the event brought to light back in June some of the finest creations in the industry. As you already guessed, most of them were hardcore modifications of existing production bikes, or in some cases rough builds made from scratch. That’s not the case with this kind of pure XLCH Sportster. Part of the family that was born in Milwaukee in 1957, the XLCH was nicknamed Competition Hot due to its potent 883 cc engine fitted in the frame (1,000cc from 1972) and its sportier appearance: it was less embellished than its siblings, almost stripped-down. The same can be said about the bike in the video below. Presented during Harley’s The No Show by Dan Sheridan from Sandy Hook, Connecticut, it is less of a custom build and more of a rescue project. Allegedly the bike sat for an unknown number of years stored away by some Harley dealer, before being rescued. It was sold to Sheridan close to two years ago, and he tended to […]

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Rough Crafts Takes Harley-Davidson Sportster Forty-Eight on a Bespoke Adventure

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by Silvian Secara from https://www.autoevolution.com Are you ready to meet the grooviest Sportster Forty-Eight that’s ever roamed our roads? As of 2010, a gifted aftermarket wizard named Winston Yeh founded Rough Crafts in the Taiwanese capital of Taipei. His enterprise specializes in developing an extensive selection of aftermarket items, as well as creating some of the raddest custom two-wheeled masterpieces you’ll ever have the honor to encounter. Generally speaking, the workshop’s range tends to revolve around Harley-Davidson’s creations, but the RC team will gladly tackle just about any motorcycle brand on their magnificent bespoke exploits. As I was navigating through the firm’s portfolio, I stumbled upon a glorious creature based on a 2012 Sportster Forty-Eight. This build was completed back in 2015 and served to let everyone know these folks aren’t playing around. It features an intricate display of meticulous craftmanship that’ll leave you genuinely speechless. In fact, let’s take a minute to examine what’s at hand here. The donor is put in motion by a malicious Evolution V-twin behemoth, with an astronomical displacement of 1,199cc. At approximately 4,000 rpm, this nasty piece of air-cooled machinery will generate up to 79 pound-feet (107 Nm) of ruthless twisting force. A five-speed transmission channels the engine’s unholy power to a belt final drive. Rough Crafts kicked things off by outsourcing a retro Dunstall GT front fairing replica and reshaping its windshield to fit the desired aesthetic. Instead of discarding its factory gas tank, the crew went about sculpting a pair of knee dents that complement the lines of the aftermarket front fairing. Ultimately, these refinements add up to a stunningly fluid design language. At the rear, we notice a single-seater quilted leather saddle and one handsome cafe racer-style tail section, which houses the bike’s relocated oil tank. Next, RC browsed The Speed

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New Harley-Davidson Stage IV Kits Turn Softails into Meaner Screamin’ Eagles

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com It was only at the end of August that Harley-Davidson announced the availability of “the biggest, most powerful street-compliant engine Harley-Davidson has ever created,” the crate Screamin’ Eagle 131. But since a complete engine swap might seem a bit extreme for some, here come some upgrade kits for a slightly smaller tuning job. There are a number of them made available this week by the Milwaukee bike maker, dedicated to Softail bikes manufactured from 2018 and Touring motorcycles made from 2017. The biggest and most extreme is the 114ci to 131ci upgrade, one that is described by the company as “the largest Harley-Davidson bolt-on engine upgrade to any Milwaukee-Eight motor.” Sporting things like CNC-ported heads with 1 mm bigger valves, high-lift SE8-517 cam, high compression pistons and a 64 mm throttle body and intake manifold, the kit gets the engine’s power all the way up to 124 hp and 135 ft-lb of torque – these levels are achieved when the upgrade kit is backed by the Screamin’ Eagle Street Cannon Mufflers. Next up is the 107ci to 128ci upgrade, featuring, naturally, about the same changes. In this case, the output levels go to the same horsepower rating as with the larger kit, 124 hp, but torque output is somewhat lower, at 127 ft-lb of torque – Screamin’ Eagle Street Cannon Mufflers are needed here as well. The 114ci/117ci to 122ci upgrade also brings increased power. Depending on the bike it is used on, there are up to 15 percent more horsepower and 13 percent more torque squeezed out of the engine. Last but not least is the 107ci to 119ci upgrade that adds 23 percent more horsepower and 17 percent more torque. The new kits are already out, and you can find more information about

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Here’s How They Make the Indian Challenger Bagger to Beat 12 Harley-Davidsons

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com At the end of this month, the inaugural Drag Specialties King of the Baggers invitational at Laguna Seca Raceway takes place. The event is part of the MotoAmerica Superbike Speedfest, and will see a pack of 12 Harley-Davidson motorcycles competing against each other, and a single Indian Challenger. We’ve already talked once or twice about the bike Indian is cooking up together with S&S and Roland Sands, but what we got so far, officially, were only a few details and a slightly larger number of photos. But with just a couple of weeks left until the event, we finally get a video series detailing “work that both teams are doing behind the scenes as they prepare to take on the field.” You can find the first episode of this mini-series (we are not told how many of them there will be) attached below. It is more of a presentation of all the people taking part in the build, but we also get some interesting shots (also available in the gallery above) of the motorcycle itself, and some details on how the build is going. What we knew so far – things like the 122 horsepower, an inverted front suspension, and a hydraulically-adjustable FOX rear shock – are now put into context by the people at S&S, and Roland Sands himself. As for the one who will ride the bike during the Laguna Seca bagger race, that would be Frankie Garcia. The rider became the youngest athlete to compete in an X-Games motorcycle event in 2006, when he was just 15, and he is presently a member of the Indian Motorcycle-RSD Super Hooligan race team. “It’s a real honor to have the opportunity to not only participate in the inaugural King of the Baggers race, but

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St. Louis woman becomes first Black female Harley-Davidson technician

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People graduating in 2020 may have a much different graduation experience than those who came before. Still, they’re putting on their graduation masks, caps, and gowns, and moving down their new paths in life. Take Paris McGowan, a brand-new graduate of the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute of Orlando, with a specialization in Harley-Davidson. She’s a Black woman motorcyclist who grew up in a family of riders in St. Louis, Missouri. Her mom rides, her dad rides, and other members of the family do, too. Watch this video and you’ll see an adorable photo of tiny, eight-year-old Paris sitting on a GSX-R, grinning so big it almost hurts your heart. She’s clearly having the greatest time any eight-year-old ever had, so is it any surprise she became a rider when she got older? Not just any rider, though—a history-making one. With her graduation, McGowan is now the first-ever Black woman to graduate from MMI as a Harley-Davidson technician. It’s a barrier she’s very proud to have broken. When people see her, she may be a lot of things they’re not expecting. However, she says that people soon learn that with bikes, she definitely knows what she’s doing. “There are a lot of Black female Harley riders, or just Black female riders in general,” McGowan said. “We need to be shown more. My mother, who is a strong, proud Black woman, rides her own motorcycle. I have aunts and cousins who all ride together. I mean, we just did a female unity ride for Labor Day. I believe there were at least 300 or more female riders out there, and it was incredible.” More than anything, McGowan says, she wants women and girls—especially women and girls of color—to see her, and also hopefully see themselves. Motorcycling is for everyone—and wrenching is for all

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Harley-Davidson Ice-Cool Brother Is a Mean Green FXDR

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Few motorcycle builders out there have enough products in their portfolio as to feel comfortable to reference older builds as soon as new ones pop up. Thunderbike is one of them, with the Germans having released into the wild over the past 25 years literally hundreds of custom bikes, all of them based on or heavily related to Harley-Davidson two-wheelers. Back in 2019, Thunderbike built a special machine for Harley’s Battle of the Kings competition. It was called Roar, and came as a heavily modified FXDR sporting tons of custom parts, a Stage 3 tuning kit to increase the Screamin’ Eagle engine’s displacement to 117ci and give it more power, and a devilish, dragster-like appearance enhanced by the orange-black-silver paint scheme used on it. Thunderbike’s most recent project is dubbed Ice-Cool Brother. Not exactly a cool name for a Harley custom bike, but it does send across the message Thunderbike wants sent: this could be the brother of the Roar, and because its painted grey-green, it’s Ice-Cool. Childish reasoning, we know, but the machine itself is far from that. Commissioned by one of the garage’s customers, it comes with a lower stance owed to fork modifications, breathes easier thanks to a new air filter kit, and packs a bigger punch thanks to the fitting of a Stage II torque kit. Thanks to the changes made, Thunderbike says there’s a 5 percent increase in torque right from the start, and at 4,500 rpm it even squeezes 14 percent more than before. You can find the entire list of modifications made to the bike at this link. What you’ll not find is the final build price for the Ice-Cool Brother, but after some digging (Thunderbike lists most of the parts used in the project) we came up

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Harley-Davidson Mantis Is a Great Slice of American Garage Magic

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com There’s no actual statistic on how many garages attached to homes are in the States. A report called American Housing Survey claimed that in 2015 about 63 percent of all occupied housing units have a garage or carport, so that would mean a lot. And in a great deal of such garages, magic of one type or another happens. Of particular interest for us is the magic that has to do with motorized vehicles, no matter the number of wheels, wings, or whatever. The magic that ends up in things like this here Harley-Davidson Mantis being created. The bike is about three years old, and if it hadn’t been for Harley-Davidson’s The No Show online event, we probably wouldn’t have found out about it. The Youtube series took place earlier this year and brought to light the creations of 60 builders from 10 countries, works that would otherwise have not been shown anywhere this troubled year. The Mantis is one of them. It is the creation of a Nevada man by the name Josh Sheehan. It was literally built, like many other great American things, in a garage (he likes to call that a shop). It started life as a 1968 Shovelhead and, as the first bike of the builder, it managed to push him at the forefront of the custom motorcycle circuit. Sheehan doesn’t give too many details on the changes made to the bike (watch the video below for more), but the visual upgrades that make the Mantis stand out are more than obvious. From the light orange on the tank and rear fender, to the wheels (21-inch front and 18-inch rear) and the hand-engraved rocker boxes and cam cover, the entire build is a testimony to how good-old fashioned imagination, a correct

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Harley-Davidson Model J Built The Traditional Way Can Still Race

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com There are a great number of custom bikes being made just for show. They look stunning, feel great, but they are not really meant to be ridden, just admired. That’s not the case with the one here. Back in the months when the health crisis was not all that bad, yet we all were hunkered down as if there was no worse tomorrow, all major motorcycle shows were canceled – as was pretty much everything else, for that matter. To fill the void, Harley-Davidson set up The No Show, an online event dedicated to the custom builders who all of a sudden had no place to show their masterpieces. 60 builders from 10 countries were featured in the series, and the Model J in the gallery above is one of them. As one of the earliest motorcycles in the bike maker’s portfolio, the Model J still captures the imagination of custom builders. Introduced in 1915 as mostly a military motorcycle, it quickly rose to top of the range status, and was seen on the battlefields, on the streets, and on the tracks. Sadly, there are not that many of them left today, that’s why we’re more than glad to talk about one once we get wind of it. The Model J we have here comes from 1927, and was remade back in 2016 by a shop called Built The Traditional Way from Grove City, Ohio. The man behind it showed it first during that year’s Born Free motorcycle show, from where he returned, obviously, with an award, and decided to show it once again in Harley’s The No Show. Made on a custom worked frame and boasting a new tank and lowered seat height, the bike is powered by a rugged and race-proven 93ci engine

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Harley-Davidson: A Piece Of Americana On Sale

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from https://seekingalpha.com Summary Harley-Davidson has the power of a strong brand name that resonates well with consumers. While it’s had its fair share of recent challenges, I’m encouraged by the company’s turnaround efforts being led by its new CEO. I expect the company to benefit from an increased need for outdoor recreation, and see the shares as undervalued. During the current COVID-19 environment, technology stocks seem to get all of the glory. However, I believe that by looking beyond the headlines, one can find value in stocks that are positioned to benefit from the current environment. One such stock that I see is Harley-Davidson (HOG), which is a well-recognized, classic American company. In this article, I evaluate what makes this an attractive investment at the current valuation; so let’s get started. Looking Into Harley-Davidson There are perhaps few companies that spell Americana more than Harley-Davidson. Its iconic brand is synonymous with motorcycles and is loved by enthusiasts in the U.S. and around the world. Its loyal customer base like the fact that the bikes are highly customizable, therefore making each bike their own personal expression. What I like about the company is that its brand transcends beyond just the product, and into a feeling. Emotions play a huge role behind consumers’ large discretionary purchases, and this is exemplified by the following quote from the company:’ The current environment, however, has not been kind to Harley. Revenue was down by 47% YoY in the latest quarter due to lower shipments, and the company posted a net loss of -$1.83 per share. This was due to a combination of restructuring charges and the fact that nearly 60% of its global dealer network was closed back in April. In addition, Harley had lingering issues with a bloated cost structure and an inefficient supply

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Roland Sands’ Harley Davidson 883 Sportster

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by Silvian Secara from https://www.autoevolution.com One thing’s for sure; the pros over at Roland Sands Design a no strangers to the two-wheeler realm. Besides crafting some seriously rad custom motorcycles, the California-based company also specializes in designing casual apparel and riding gear, as well as manufacturing aftermarket modules that’ll have your machine looking the part. In the past, we’ve examined an array of ambitious exploits from RSD, such as a feral BMW R18 behemoth and one gorgeous MV Agusta Dragster 800RR, to name a couple. Let me tell you, there’s no shortage of breathtaking goodness in their spectacular portfolio. As you browse through, you’ll run into virtually countless awe-inspiring works of two-wheeled art that guarantee to soothe each and every last corner of your moto-loving soul. As such, it goes without saying these folks aren’t playing around. RSD’s outstanding ventures earned them a reputation as a force to be reckoned with, an accomplishment that led to a great deal of successful (and often unexpected) collaborations. For a clear demonstration of their abilities, let’s take a closer look at one such exploit, shall we? The project in question was commissioned by none other than Technics, a revered producer of audio equipment. They requested that Roland Sands converts Harley Davidson’s ferocious 883 Sportster into a tribute to their iconic DJing gadgets. While that may sound a little odd to some, the team gladly accepted. To give you a better idea as to how far their undertaking has come, we’ll start by reminding ourselves of the donor’s main characteristics. The 883 Sportster is powered by a brutal Evolution V-twin engine, with two valves per cylinder and a humungous displacement of 883cc. At 6,000 rpm, this nasty piece of air-cooled machinery is capable of generating up to 51 hp, along with 54 pound-feet (73

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