Sold by Harley since 1957 under the official moniker XL, about 55,000 Sportsters are leaving each year the mother factory for the city streets and fresh boulevard cruising, and then for multiple pit stops in custom shops and private garages for personalization. I don’t know of any style of bike which was never tried with success on a Sporty, from turned-rigid chops to Café Racers to Scramblers to Trackers to your own unclassifiable one.
Pick your attitude. Show the streets what you are made of… Bar hoping is a favorite because lots of Sporty owners already own a much more comfortable bike for pleasure riding. 
Client’s briefing could not be more concise. Yes, like so many others, he ordered a stretched-out, uncomfortable, mean but so cool bike. It was accomplished in big part with the custom fabrication of a complete rigid rear section in a 6″ stretch and 4″ drop geometry. On most of its projects DP Customs is influenced by some GP Racing detail, and in this case it’s the design of Honda’s twisted spokes MotoGP bike wheel with the addition of a lip for an extra stockier look. A 19” front and 17” rear wheels machined by Thomason Performance define the bike final stance.
The donor bike being a 2001 1200 model, engine was fully rebuilt with a few modern ignition add-ons and a strong induction hypercharger from Kuryakyn. Proving over and over that the H-D factory peanut gas tank can be kept or just slightly modified to fit and look nicely on many custom Sportsters, the Del Prado preserved it. An oil tank was sourced at Chassis Design Co. The rest of choice accessories is typical of many other Sporties: Tracker bars, Biltwell grips and Swedish ISR controls. For its owner, ’Eight Ball” could only by very dark black. And the best way was to emphasize “Sportster Dark Assassin” was to add strong contrast stripes in red and white. (photos courtesy @ DP Customs)
Cool with a simple aggressive paint job. Like it much.
100% right but deserve another ac,
The bros should do a body kit like that for all young tinkering in their garage,
Love it!
Great Sporty
Tough look, nice workmanship and overall a winner. However, I just don’t get a bike without a chain guard and that’s where this one loses points with me.
I have a Sportster Hugger, I guess now they call it Low. Great bike but lacks a lot when it comes to suspension and I live in FL. where the roads are smooth. Just looking at a hard tail gives me a back ache. Perhaps a better name would be Opioid.
Chain drive and a rigid frame — no thanks.
i like it.
i agree
about the lack of chain guard.
i don’t like the way the battery sits and flat black is the new boring. but its a solid bike.
nice.
Real men do not need chain guards….
I’ve always wondered why HD hasn’t released another rigid again, maybe based around the Sportster given how many people still build rigid bikes, or hardtail existing swingarm bikes.
Yes I understand that it would not be a huge volume seller like the rest of their range, but might have been worth while in limited numbers under the CVO banner to test demand.
Seems like there is a sizable market for out there for aftermarket rigid frames and hardtail kits that HD is not trying to cash in on.
like the stretched read. just a hint of drag bike.
My 2-BALLs are itching to ride this little number.
I see the Del Prado Bros are dressed for icy cold weather in Arizona – must be down to 100 degrees…
I like the aggressive stance. Needs a more original/custom intake IMHO
All that work on a nice build and you put a garbage looking aircleaner on it
Love love love this bike. Great job!