James Roper-Caldbeck is an Englishman who rebuilds old Harleys in Denmark. This bike is a 1947 Flathead, and over 62 years it has been though many transformations. When James bought it, he realized the frame, engine, gearbox and oil tank were original. “It came with the SU carb, then I added the Morris Magneto, chopped-down speedster handlebars, 19-inch aluminum rims and a Empi stinger exhaust for old time’s sake.” James wanted to keep the feel of a ‘working machine’, so he painted as few parts as possible: the metallurgy is what you notice on this motorcycle, rather than a Hot Wheels paint job. The tank is stained with Gun Blue, a chemical used to protect shotguns. You can see more of James’ painstaking work here. [Via Jockey Journal.]

Nikon D2X | 1/180s | f/5.6 | ISO 100 | Focal length 85mm