Ask any official Harley dealer around the world who has participated or is currently competing in the mother factory organized “Battle Of The Kings”. For this very successful yearly 4th edition, exactly 274 dealers from 21 countries will all tell you that they badly want to be voted the “Custom King”. Evidently it’s a powerful way to attract lots of new clients looking for custom work and to sell them tons of genuine H-D parts. And of course, for H-D Milwaukee, a marketing tool to polish its image as “Home Of The Custom”…
But 2018 is a very different game. Not only because of the new budget allowed to each commissioned dealer ($7,400 of which at least half of it must be must be spent on choosing amongst 10,000 official H-D accessories), but because competitors choose their customization platform among a wider rage of models: Iron 883, Forty-Eight Roadster, Street 750, Street Rod, Street Bob and Fat Bob.
Shaw Speed And Custom picked the already popular Softail Street Bob, a brand new model featuring a reinvented frame built to harness the massive power of the Milwaukee-Eight® 107″ (or 114″), an all-new easily adjustable mono-shock rear suspension, a new front Showa® suspension technology forks and a blacked out look. A great choice to differentiate yourself from a majority of other dealers building again from one of the Sportster models.
Inspiration for this project is from one of their oldest creations built in 2009 and called Strike True II, a bike show project so successful at the time (Best Modified Harley iClass n World Championship of Bike Building), that they had to duplicate it with different paint jobs to clients in each corner of this planet… Second, not forgetting that this year is Harley’s 115th Anniversary, and consequently adding to the project some touches of nostalgia, somewhat Bobber influenced.
Shaw Speed And Custom started this project last October and submitted it before the year 2017 ended. Head custom builder Neil Sefton stripped down the bike, of course kept the Milwaukee Eight 114″ intact (with the 117″ the most ever powerful engine installed in a Softail frame), and immediately switched the factory wheel for a new 10 inch-wide accepting a 200mm tire. Front forks were lowered 2″ and a new 21 inch front wheel was bolted on. The new gas tank is slightly wider than stock and a very nice rear fender was formed and cut at the shop. The spring solo seat put in evidence the new generation Softail mono shock, with a custom plate covering and hiding the in-oil tank battery. Some “holing” were performed on this oil tank and mimicked on the front forks. Paint job in silver and fluorescent green was inspired by a sport car. Shaw Speed And Custom.
I like it!
Good looking bike with some very nice touches.
Boss Hawg
Nice, I’d like to see it with a sportster tank and mini apes
Yes! Now we’re talking customs I’d like to ride! Personal preference would be street tires on som CF wheels, and a small front fender, but I really dig this.
I though Sycamore h-d won the comp? in on of your previous articles you said they were the winners not shaws????
Nice machine. But the farkle air cleaner needs to go back on the jewelry counter!
Nice bike.😊
Not to be overly pedantic, but smooth rear tire with a knobbly front? The useless headlamp will light those spokes until it fails from vibes. Superb paint quality. So far, best in the contest!
I mostly like it. Tastefully done. The headlight placement and knobby front tire look out of place and it needs a mirror and license plate bracket. I’m assuming the brake and signal lights are well hidden in this age of tiny LED lights. Maybe under the seat? A winner overall!
Very Very Cool and innovative with the headlight position and the knobby front
Well done!
Very cool, I like it !