Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson Marrajo Is How Two-Wheeled Metal Sharks Look Like

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com It’s Two-Wheeler Month here at autoevolution, and since the beginning of June we’ve tried to bring you not only the best, but also the craziest vehicles on two wheels. But never until now did we uncover something like the bike in the gallery below. Custom motorcycle shops, especially those usually handling Harley-Davidsons, have made a habit out of creating complicated builds meant to send whatever message the garage needs sending. We’re not sure what the message of this one is, but we still like it. The two-wheeler you can see in the gallery is called Marrajo; that’s the Spanish word for the shortfin mako shark. It’s in Spanish because the build belongs to a Spanish shop that goes by the name El Solitario MC. Sometime in its past, this motorcycle was a 1998 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200. El Solitario came across it at a time when it had just 10,000 miles on it (16,000 km), and decided to turn into a “Chupito but suitable for longer distance cruising.” For reference, Chupito is also an El Solitario creation based on a 1977 Ducati 350. Chupito is funky-looking too, but this Harley is a whole new level of funky, probably thanks to the shark snout-like nacelle fitted around the headlight, and the steel bars that rise from under the seat to form what is supposed to be a shark fin. There are tons of other custom parts fitted on the bike, ranging from the leather seat to the modified fenders. They all combine with one another and the colors chosen for the tank and exhaust to create an image the Milwaukee-based bike maker never had in mind for this particular 1200. El Solitario says because the engine had barely been used before they got their hands on the […]

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Harley-Davidson Titanium Is a Lower and Slimmer Breakout

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com German Harley-Davidson dealer/custom bike builder Thunderbike has been in the business of reimagining Milwaukee made machines for two decades now, and one of the favorite stock motorcycles it likes to tamper with is the Breakout. Part of the Softail family that presently includes no less than 12 models, the Breakout is described by Harley itself as a “muscular modern chopper that turns stoplights into drag strips.” For Thunderbike, the stock bike is more of a canvas to be remodeled at will. The Breakout conversion in the gallery above is called Titanium, and that name was chosen because almost all the aluminum parts fitted on the motorcycle have been polished in titanium – and there’s a long list of them, ranging from the tiny side mount license bracket to the more visible 21- and 23-inch wheels. Some of these parts have other functions than being just visual enhancements for the custom build. The air suspension, for instance, brings the two-wheeler much closer to the ground than in stock form, while the wheels, fork and custom fuel tank significantly alters the shape of the bike compared to the original Breakout. The engine remains the stock 114ci fitted from factory, only it breathes through a Dr. Jekill & Mr. Hyde exhaust system. Visually, the cold look of the Titanium-polished parts is enhanced by means of a custom paint job performed by one of Thunderbike’s favorite partners in this field, Ingo Kruse. The German garage says it took just a few weeks to put together, paint job included. The bike in this condition, which was first shown in public last year at the garage’s Jokerfest event, is listed by Thunderbie as for sale, but no mention of the price is given. Full details, as well as a way to

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Harley-Davidson Roar Packs Screamin’ Eagle Stage 3 Kit, Is a Quarter Mile Devil

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com During our Harley-Davidson month event back in April, we talked at length about this year’s Harley King of Kings competition, and over the course of a couple of weeks we got to see 15 incredible builds from across the world. But the bike maker’s customizing competition has been around for a while now, and stunning creations have been made in the previous years as well. The motorcycle in the gallery above is one of the older bikes entered in the Battle of the Kings in 2019 – that’s how the competition was called last year. It is the work of German garage Thunderbike, it is based on the FXDR 114, and is supposed to be “a deep and evil dragster conversion.” The official name of the bike is Roar, probably because that’s the sound it should be making thanks to the fitting of a Stage 3 tuning kit that increased the Screamin’ Eagle engine’s displacement to 117ci, but also added around 40 percent more power over the stock output. Because bikes taking part in this type of Harley build-off competitions need to be styled in a unique manner as well, Thunderbike did that by adding hardware from their rather large inventory. In all, 21 custom Thunderbike parts were fitted on the two-wheeler, accompanied by 9 custom Harley parts that are not usually deployed from the factory on the FXDR. To make a more fierce dragster out of the build, Thunderbike also lowered the height of the chassis by 50 mm and added a 260 mm rear tire to better make the connection to the road. As for the paint job, that is the work of Thunderbike’s usual partner in this field, Ingo Kruse, and is a mix of black, orange and white that makes the

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Harley-Davidson’s gyroscope patent app would help new riders not drop their bikes

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by Kyle Hyatt from https://www.cnet.com The system would fit inside a top case and be easily removable from the motorcycle. So, the thing is about motorcycles is that even the light ones are real damned heavy and that means that keeping one upright — particularly as a new rider — can not only be tough, it’s also intimidating. Harley-Davidson — makers of definitely-not-lightweight motorcycles — believes that it has a solution to this and it’s kind of ingenious. According to Cycle World, Harley filed a patent application for a type of gyroscope that would work at very low speeds to keep the bike upright and make the bike a little easier to sling up when dropped. The best part is that this whole gyroscope deal is designed to fit inside Harley’s already-existing top case, so you don’t need to build it into the motorcycle — something that would drive up cost and complexity — and which also means you can remove it once you feel more comfortable with your motorcycle. Like all gyroscopes, this one works by using an electric motor to spin a heavy weight around really fast (like between 10,000 and 20,000 rpm), and that motion imparts a stabilizing effect on the motorcycle at low speeds. The gyro would shut off at speeds over three miles per hour because as you begin moving faster, the motorcycle’s wheels start to offer their own gyroscopic stabilizing effect. Also cool is that this wouldn’t necessarily be limited to one bike. As long as you had a power source and a way for the unit to detect vehicle speed, it would work. Now, precisely what something like this would retail for is hard to say, but if it’s coming from Harley, we expect that it wouldn’t be especially cheap, if it ever

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Harley-Davidson Black Rebel Is a Full Custom Thunderbike

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com As one of the largest Harley-Davidson garages on the European continent, Thunderbike has a long list of custom parts at the ready for any build that is required of them. And with 20 years of customizing Harleys behind them, the Germans are not playing around. Usually Thunderbike builds come to the world as per customer request, but from time to time they do make a project or two just as a means to showcase that wealth of parts. The bike in the gallery above, called Black Rebel (alternatively spelled Blackrebell), has been made to fulfill the wishes of a customer. Based on a Softail FXDR, the build has been designed as the “full Thunderbike drone.” It comes with a long list of custom parts, ranging from the license plate frame to the exhaust system that swerves toward the rear. “The Blackrebell got the complete series of the new Thunderbike FXDR parts,” says the tuner, the most prominent of which being the front and rear fenders that cover the massive wheels. As most other Thunderbike builds, this one rides on an air suspension system also, which depending on the swing arm can vary the bike’s ride by 100 mm with the push of a button. The exhaust system is also of Thunderbike make, designed specifically to run with Milwaukee-Eight engines, and comes as a complete kit with header and muffler. The host of modifications made to the FXDR make it stand out quite a lot from the usual production version of the motorcycle. We are not being told how much the final product ended up costing, but if you’re curious about an estimate you can head on to the Germans’ official website and sum up all those custom parts – there are 21 in all, each

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Harley-Davidson Silverforce Is the FXDR Milwaukee Never Imagined

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Try as you might, there are slim chances you’ll find something in the long list of Harley motorcycle models that’s not customizable. No matter the class, model or variant of the bike, a shop somewhere more than likely has a thing or two in mind that could change the stock look into something more exciting. Take the FXDR for instance, one of the many versions available in the bike maker’s Softail lineup. The close- to-$19K motorcycle is not an unpleasant look on the roads in stock form, but that’s mostly because of the customizing potential the motorcycle has. A potential some custom garages like Germany-based Thunderbike have no problem in seeing. The Europeans are a force to be reckoned with on the global custom Harley front, and they are even awarded official recognition from Milwaukee from time to time. Their chopperized 1995 Sportster called Emperor, for instance, was one of the main builds of the bike maker’s King of Kings competition this year. The FXDR-based build here serves another purpose: to advertise the garage’s own custom parts, and how much they can change the appearance of a stock two-wheeler. As it happened countless times with their builds, this one too is a moving display of imagination. A long list of custom hardware (from elements as tiny as the turn signals to more prominent ones like the huge wheels) transformed the bike into a lower, meaner and more eye-pleasing machine. As usual, Thunderbike toyed with the stance of the ride by fitting an Air Ride suspension over two large wheels, sized 21 inches at the front and 18 inches at the rear. The custom paint, mostly gray, has been generously spread on the custom fenders and tank, and together with the silvery-look of the Kesstech exhaust

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Harley-Davidson Razorback Is a Sharp, Low and Loud Breakout

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Harley-Davidson describes its Breakout model as a “muscular modern chopper with pure stop you in your tracks attitude” and by all accounts they are right. But as is the case with most Harleys, the Breakout too can be much more than what stock has to offer. Usually coming to the road as a long ride with round lines, the Breakout was turned into something else, lower and sharper, by a German custom shop by the name of Thunderbike. The group has been in the business of selling both stock Harleys and customized parts for them for the past 20 years, and it is one of the most active such garages in the industry. Their Breakout conversion is named Razorback mostly due to the fact that the soft, flowing fuel tank and rear fender have been replaced with custom hardware, both designed with edges sharp enough to give the motorcycle a whole new shape. Aside from the tank and fender, the Breakout has been fitted with the usual Thunderbike styling kit, which includes anything from the headlight to the license plate mounting. New matte bicolor wheels, sized 18 inches rear and 21 inches front are of a special Thunderbike design, and to make sure anyone can admire the wheels in their full glory, a left side pulley brake system was fitted. Also, the shock at the rear was swapped for an Air Ride suspension that can bring the bike much closer to the ground than what Harley originally intended. Also at the rear, a new Jekyll and Hyde exhaust system has been included to make sure the motorcycle has enough decibels on its side. We are not being told what happened to the bike once the build was completed, but as with all other Thunderbike designs,

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Harley-Davidson Grand Prix 2 Makes Big Gold Wheels Great Again

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Whereas American custom motorcycle garages have a thing for choppers, with their extended front ends and lowered rear suspension, elsewhere in the world the focus is on something else: massive, intricately-designed wheels, fitted on custom frames that ride so low they almost touch the ground. One of the largest custom shops outside the U.S. is in Germany and goes by the name of Thunderbike. For the past 20 years, the crew there released a great number of customized Harleys, but also a long list of custom frames running Harley powertrains. The custom frame in the gallery above, complete with its Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle 110ci engine, is one of those special builds. Completed in 2017, it is part of a set of bikes the group calls the Racing Series, which also includes motorcycles like the Laguna Seca, Silverstone and Mugello. As with most other Thunderbike creations, this too has been made to be a display of custom parts the garage is selling. The focus, as admitted by the builders themselves, was on the wheels, elements that are not only big (sized 23 and 21 inches), but also complicated in design. What’s more interesting about them is that somehow Thunderbike managed to make the gold on the milled hardware look right at home next to the red, white and blue of the bike’s body. “Used properly, they can become the most important style elements and make a great impression on a bike,” Thuderbike says about the build. “It’s the combination of these powerful wheels, the radial brakes, the clippers and an extremely low seating position that make this bike look like a brutal racing dragster.” The very lowered stance of the bike as seen in the gallery above is supposedly the one displayed while the build is

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Harley-Davidson Iron 883 review: Head for the sunset

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by Fraser Addecott from https://www.mirror.co.uk/ Fraser says the iconic American brand’s ‘smaller’ V-twin Sportsters are the perfect entry-level way in to the wonderful world of Harley-Davidson I will confess straightaway that I have a bit of a soft spot for Harley-Davidson’s Sportsters and, in particular, the Iron 883. Years ago, back when global pandemics were merely the stuff of horror writers and even before David Cameron had considered holding a referendum on leaving the EU, the 883 was the first bike I reviewed for the Mirror. Harley’s Sportsters have been around and in in continuous production since 1957, when they were known as the XL range. For most of that time, this was the smallest-capacity machine produced by the iconic American brand, although that position is now taken by the Street 750. Nevertheless, the bike is still regarded as an entry-level model and has been the way into the world of owning a Harley for many riders. Some old-school Harley riders may give the Iron short shrift, but this bike is undeniably cool. It is part of the company’s Dark Custom range, so looks mean and moody with the frame, engine casings, exhausts and most other parts blacked out. The only colour on my silver test bike was on the rather groovy peanut tank and the two fenders. It may be a smallish version of it, but that V-twin motor is unmistakable and completes the look, showing this bike means business. With a seat height of 760mm or just under 30in, the Iron is low. I see this as a big advantage and one of the reasons it is popular for newish riders and women. The biggest Harleys can seem somewhat daunting in terms of size and weight. At 256kg (564lb) the Iron is not light, but with both boots

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Harley-Davidson Country Cruiser Comes with Two Rear Wheels

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com The European custom motorcycle industry is not even close in terms of size and reach as that in the U.S. but that doesn’t mean there aren’t shops on the continent that strive to keep this segment populated with constant new builds. German Thunderbike is one such shop, and this here machine is its latest customized Harley. Based on the bike maker’s Street Bob, the bike has been built to highlight what Thunderbike has to offer in terms of custom parts for Harley motorcycles. But it is also described as the perfect tool for riders to “clear your head and leave the stress of everyday life behind.” The first things that stand out when it comes to this Street Bob are the wheels. The garage decided to fit the motorcycle with two rear wheels for symmetry and more balanced proportions: the front one is a 3-inch wide wheel that usually goes at the rear, while the rear one has been replaced with a 5.5-inch wide one. Both are wrapped in Dunlop rubber, A long list of other custom parts made it onto the all-black build, most of them of Thunderbike-design. They range from the front and rear fenders to turn signals and exhaust – this last piece of hardware is from Dr.Jekill & Mr.Hyde. “To give the Country Cruiser more visual highlights we have installed our covers “Drilled” on the primary, ignition and grip ends. The flat torque handlebar with our Base Rubber grips offer good grip and a relaxed seating position that is already in the bobber style,” Thunderbike says about the build. As with most of the other project the garage is responsible for, the Country Cruiser as they call it uses the stock Harley engine. In this case, we’re talking about a 107ci

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