The Harley-Davidson Sportster was introduced in 1957 to compete against the best-selling British bikes that were invading the United States market. The 2021 Sportster S is the third major design in the series, and belatedly drags the Sporty into the 21st century.
The Harley-Davidson Sportster’s original 40 hp Ironhead V-twin engine gave a top speed of approximately 100 mph and stayed in production until 1985, when it was replaced with the 1986 Evolution motor.
There is a vast market for spare Sportster parts and accessories, and many owners transform their bikes into something else—whether a chopper, cafe racer, or scrambler.
In our extensive coverage of Sportster customs, you’ll find bikes that are tuned up (and dressed up) by the world’s top custom Harley builders. Dig in, and get inspiration right here for customizing your own Harley-Davidson Sportster.
It’s all about café racers this week, with a Harley Sportster from Thailand, a Triumph Thruxton from Hong Kong and a BMW boxer from the UK. Plus, a stock standard Ducati MH900E with one mile on the clock is up for sale.
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We continue in our quest to bring you the most diverse Speed Read selections we can. This week includes a Honda Monkey inspired by a train, a Suzuki Freewind scrambler and a rocket-powered Harley. Staying with the Motor Co., we finish things off with sad news about the Evo Sportster.
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Building the perfect custom bike is a lot like the science of baking. You’re combining ingredients in the correct ratios to produce something special—and if you get those ratios wrong, your recipe flops. Judging by this ‘Harton’ café racer, Stile Italiano are master custom motorcycle bakers. For a small European motorcycle workshop, Stile Italiano has…
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A sleek frame, a mechanical aesthetic, a distinct lack of plastic and a lot of polished metal. This Harley-Davidson Ironhead Sportster café racer must be from Craig Rodsmith. Based just north of Chicago, the Australian ex-pat’s mastery over the dark art of metal shaping is evident in everything he builds. A few years ago, Craig…
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If we had a stock Harley-Davidson Sportster and a hankering for a top-shelf street tracker, we’d probably call Richard Pollock. Better known…
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With the release of the Nightster, the decades-old Harley-Davidson Sportster has now fully passed the torch on to the next generation. But…
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Harley-Davidson expands their new Sportster line with the 975cc Nightster. Plus we profile a BMW R18 from Canada, a Ducati SportClassic from…
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The market for modified Sportsters is crowded. Most builders of repute in the USA know their way around the venerable platform, and…
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There are a million ways to customize a Harley-Davidson Sportster, so it’s tempting to look to those that have gone before for…
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You know you’ve been building custom motorcycles for a long time, when a bike you built two decades ago makes its way…
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There’s a staggering number of aftermarket Harley-Davidson Sportster parts on the market, and nobody knows this better than Jimmy Chou. His father…
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Not all scramblers are created equal. Some wear high pipes and knobbly tires, but may never go off-road, while others are made…
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