Not the first time I publish the work of “Shaw Speed & Custom” the custom division of official UK dealer Shaw Harley-Davidson. Bespoke machines always interesting to feature because they are all modified recent Harley-Davidson factory models still retaining their titles and street legal on European roads. This one based on the Blackline FXS Softail, a model that was launched as a raw bike pared to the bone with visual elements of the original Bobber movement, a style that Harley-Davidson knew would be embraced by today’s young bike builders and riders.
On this project Dealer Principal Steven Willis could only go in the direction of “finishing” the Bobber job started by the factory, but he also knew it would not be enough to make it look like a pure one-off bike built from the ground up. Without betraying the authentic aspect of a Bobber Steven ordered his team to integrate visual elements popular with the young generation, in this case borrowed from the X-Games. The result is a custom with multiple personalities that you could see ridden to the beach, to the BMX park, to the motocross track, to the flat track arena or cruising along east Los Angeles Whittier Boulevard…
The bike owes its stance to a stock gas tank split into 2 pieces, mounted 2″ lower under a modified frame top tube curving around it. No other major modifications were made to the frame, mostly cleaned up of it’s unusable factory brackets. The front end was narrowed from the original using a mixture of Sportster fork parts. Using titanium nitrating, white paint, bike name in red block, this front end now looks like coming straight from the mountain bike scene. Performance Machine Spoked wheels (21″ front, 18″/200 mm rear) with the Black Ops rims were chosen to spin the bike along. Steven willis is a fan of Roland Sand Design engine and transmission “Coverline” parts and used them as beauty treatment for the 110″ Harley engine now breathing through a PM air filter. Tech sheet of modifications is below. Shaw Harley-Davidson.
Frame: HD Stock
Rear: Swingarm HD Modified
Front Forks: HD Sportster
Handlebar:s HD
Handlebar: Clamp Hope MTB
Brake master cylinder: PM
Brake/Clutch levers: PM
Throttle: Internal
Grips PM
Wheels:
Front PM 21
Rear PM 18 /200mm
Tires: Metzeler
Rear Sprocket: PM
Rear Fender: Shaw Speed carbon
Front Number board: Shaw Speed carbon
Seat: Shaw Speed carbon
Gas tank: HD Modified
Exhaust system: Shaw Speed
Engine: HD 110
Engine cases: RSD Anodized
Timer/Cam Cover: RSD
Primary Open: PM
Forward controls: PM
Oil Tank: Original HD modified
Air Breather PM
Oil lines: braided
That is a well balanced looking bike that I would love to ride around my town. Add some lights and do some hopping!
baggerdude, what additional lights beyond the five that are clearly there?
Mike
Nice looking build.
Pleased to see this style much more than the big-wheel baggers.
Boss Hawg
Sometimes gold anodize gets overdone. This one is just right. Nice build!
Sweet!
very nice – getting better all the time!
Great looking bike but curious . With racing plate and number what type racing is / was it intended to simulate
Ho-hum! Looks too much like an enduro, especially the fork doesn’t really fit the frame, neither in style nor color.
Too much colours and this gold hurt my eyes. White front forks with red stickers are from another planet….This is a bad mix of styles.
I like the style and color. Nice build!
I see three lights Mike. The rear two are too low to be legal in my State and frankly the headlight and number plate is not to my likeing!
baggerdude, front turn signals are mounted on the bottom of the handlebars beneath where the cables feed into the hand controls. As for the headlight, I would have to see lighting road coverage (beam spread, beam throw, etc.) before throwing it to the curb. Understanding UK lighting laws are different than USA, I like the effort, here, to offer a simple straightforward bike. Steven Willis and his crew seem to pay homage to HDMoCo and sanitize bike with all sorts of visual cues. Bikes are a blend of form, of function and of art. Color choices are just that, choices.
Mike
yawn. Boring.