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.
We’ve seen our fair share of custom bikes that could be classified as works in progress. Some have been cobbled together crudely while waiting patiently for parts to arrive. Others look complete, until you scrutinize them and discover a lack of wiring—or the infamous ‘Bluetooth brakes.’ Richard ‘Mule’ Pollock operates on another level. This pristine…
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To say that Winston Yeh likes the color black would be a gross understatement. The man behind Taiwan’s Rough Crafts has a sense of style that would make Johnny Cash’s wardrobe blush, and seldom builds a custom motorcycle that isn’t swathed in various shades of black. We checked; a mere 10 percent of the Rough…
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You can often tell when a custom motorcycle has been built merely to gawk at, and when it’s been built to be ridden. This rowdy Harley Sportster flat tracker leaves little room for doubt. Inspired by the iconic Harley XR750, it hits all the right aesthetic notes, with a build spec tailored to daily abuse.…
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Motorcycles are fun, right? Having fun is one of the most important aspects of motorcycling. There really is no other excuse for throwing our fragile meat sacks atop a steaming engine with wheels and rocketing through space like a game of Galaga, sans lasers and no extra lives. It’s fun. That’s where Bixby Moto comes…
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Harley-Davidson may have dropped the Evo Sportster from its range, but that doesn’t mean it’s going away any time soon. The ‘old’…
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Australia’s Gasoline Motor Co. turns a Sportster into a fetching Harley XR750 replica, South Korea’s Crazy Garage transforms a Ducati Hypermotard, and…
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Richard Pollock has an enviable problem: a full order book. Just last week, we featured a stunning Harley Sportster street tracker in…
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Like most skilled craftsmen, Richard ‘Mule’ Pollock can turn his hand to myriad custom motorcycle build styles. But there’s one particular type…
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In 1965, Time Magazine sent photographer Bill Ray and writer Joe Bride to live and ride with the Hell’s Angels. It was…
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Even though the Harley-Davidson Evolution Sportster is no longer in production, it’s eons away from going extinct. There are plenty of second-hand…
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An outlandish new creation from Bandit9 rolls onto our pages this week, followed by a BMW K100RS from the heart of Bavaria,…
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Sci-fi-themed motorcycles are often a visual disaster, but we’re digging this Mandalorian-inspired custom Ducati Streetfighter from Jerem Motorcycles. We also feature a…
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