The Harley-Davidson Sportster was introduced in 1957 to compete against the best-selling British bikes that were invading the United States market. The 2018 Sportster range starts with the base model SuperLow, and then rises in price and specification to include the Iron 883, 1200 Custom, Roadster and Forty-Eight bikes.
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.
Let’s all gawp at the latest oddity from Curtiss Motorcycles, and then drool over a fabulous retro kit for the Kawasaki Z900 and a killer Sportster scrambler. We’ve also discovered the obscure Honda QA50 KO Minibike and the Royal Enfield Indian.
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Technology moves at a relentless place—and the motorcycle industry can’t escape it. Just the other day I was riding an electric motorcycle with a sophisticated electronics package that even integrates with smartphones. But future tech isn’t for everyone, and we need the occasional lo-fi hit to keep us grounded. And it doesn’t get much better…
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We’ve got a Harley-heavy selection this week, with a cafe racer from Italy, a scrambler from Japan and a tracker from the UK. Rounding out the selection are a rally-style Royal Enfield, and a jaw-dropping cafe/streetfighter Ducati Panigale.
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Despite being steeped in the custom scene, Harley-Davidson doesn’t often donate bikes to custom builders. So this Sportster Iron 1200 from Prism Supply Co., dripping with early 80s style, is something of a rarity. It’s a Sporty with an impeccable pedigree: brothers Zach and Jake Hindes built it with input from Dean Micetich of DicE…
Read more »Deus cracks the style code for a Sportster cafe racer. Plus a custom Ducati Paul Smart owned by the principal of a…
Read more »Harley’s global dealer custom competition launches with a fusillade of very tasty European builds. We’ve also got a Kawasaki KX450 with amazing…
Read more »Squeezing two Harley engines into one chassis is a special form of lunacy, most commonly found in the drag racing scene in…
Read more »Trends ebb and flow in the custom world. And with them, the fortunes of bike builders. It might be tough at the…
Read more »Quite a few bikes have quirks that can trap the unwary builder. The strange frame curvature on the Honda CX500 is one…
Read more »If you love the wall of torque delivered by a Harley V-twin but not the laidback handling, the Sportster XR1200X is the…
Read more »We always love featuring the latest builds from the big names in the custom world, but there are a few lesser-known workshops…
Read more »Harley-Davidson owned the internet yesterday. Unless you live under a solid aggregate of minerals, you’ll know that the Motor Co. teased its…
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