I am not a replica fan, for motorcycles, cars or anything else. But I easily admit that the positive feelings of riding a classic or vintage vehicle is most often overwhelmed by the worries and time spent fixing the damages caused by miles and time. In 2017, when Harley reached a continuous 60-year run with the Sportster the factory could have released an anniversary model inspired by the first XL in 1957. But it didn’t happen…In Madrid, Spain, UFO Garage got the good idea to pay tribute to the Sportster with this replica built from a 2016 XL1200. Saving the reliability of the modern Sportster meant keeping the frame, engine, tranny suspension and brakes. All efforts to go 57 style were made in adapting and fitting a new retro bodywork, wheels and main accessories.
To begin, an original 1957 gas tank and 2 modified reproduction fenders. Wheels (19″ front, 18″ rear) are reproducton of the original ones but dressed in Firestone Deluxe tires. Bars were custom bended to also look like the original sets. A headlamp sourced at Hella was recessed in an old nacelle. Air filter covers an authentic vintage Sportster item and of course required a modification to be adapted to the modern EFI system. Exhaust system is a one-off and a 1957 tractor-style seat was fitted to the frame. UFO Garage
It’s good they stayed with disc brakes. Those mechanical drum brakes never did work all that well for me. The juice drum brakes worked ok.
The bike looks fantastic ! It has a great classic look. I would ride it anywhere!!!
Heritage Sportster!
Bring back the turtle tank!
A beautiful bike. I would take that over a big wheel bagger any day.
Sweet!
Well Done
I dig it, great job!
Good job getting the look … In my book nothing could beat the look of an old K model powerplant…
……….. Domino Dave…………
Too for the turtle tank. If it only weighed 450 lbs. like the 57
Very well done……waaayyy nicer than the ’16 it started out as. Too bad H-D doesn’t come out with a limited run of like models, Sporties and the baggers. I’m quite sure they would sell better than the models they’re trying to sell now.
Why do people spend so much time ,money, and effort trying to replicate something that already exists?
As a lover if the XL series I was disappointed in the MoCo’s 50th anniversary model. This is what I expected them to come up with.Just as the Heritage Springer Softtail is a nice tribute to a 48FL this could have been a tribute to the Sportster. I say well done!
I would like to see a ’57 FLH with tank shift and foot clutch replica…. I miss mine!
I didn’t want to like it, but I do. Not sure what i would do with it, but it was well executed and looks like a nice bike.
Nioe sportster very nice
2 Hubbard, the article answered that quite well IMHO
I love that gas tank, but I think it would look better if it was shrunk down twenty 30%. Overall, I would be proud to ride that anywhere, it’s a really good look
Very Cool
Nice.
Thumbs up
Beautiful look!
I love it and I love the interest in a Icon in motorcycling. Only one thing, I lowered my 67 but this is too low to mimic a 57. Its almost a hammered look compared to the original.
I like it. I should, as I built one a few years before this one 🙂 One thing. The Gold bike in the Museum, which is what I copied for mine as well, was the last ’57 Sportster made. The Gold was a ’58 color, not available in ’57.
The build looks of a very high standard, I am a Brit and I just don’t get the Number plate position as the obvious space for it is below the rear light and where it is now spoils the lines of machine! Is the seat sprung, wasn’t this so on the original?
Drum brakes would have been better aesthetically too and you cam get good ones or modify originals.
But a major thing that concerns me is the increasing sophistication of the technology, driven by dubious concerns a petrol engine isn’t perfect but it had a great advantage in that it was simple to keep running and maintain, now This is no longer true!
Motorcycles are being turned into 2- wheeled cars. This means potential new blood will not be able to afford to take part in motorcycling, through prohibitive buyer and maintenance costs, safety gear, road test training costs and now over here we have super dangerous pot-holed roads too!
Then there is now all that Corporate Lifestyle Bullshit thing going on and to manufacture even a Nut and Bolt in the West seems cost prohibitive!
If the jobs are going East, then where does the money come from, plus there is the rise of the Bureaucrat as we have seen this in Europe, through the meddlesome EU!
John H