Photo: Bad Land
The hardest thing a custom motorcycle shop can do is not create a project based on an existing two-wheeler, but go for a full custom build. That would be one together from scratch, or by using parts that don't come as a whole from somewhere. And that's exactly what the Achilles is, a full custom, despite the name Harley-Davidson boldly written on its fuel tank.
The project is the work of a Japanese custom garage going by the name Bad Land, and the oldest reference to it we were able to find dates back to 2011. Back then it went mostly unnoticed, so we thought to bring it back into the spotlight a little, for it to be able to enjoy its proper 15 minutes of fame once again.
As said, this is a full custom, meaning the frame, engine, and every other component have been sourced from different specialists.
We'll start with the element that holds the entire bike together, the frame. The metalwork was assembled by a German talent in the field of frames and swingarms, a crew called Habermann Performance. It's a choice of a skeleton that allowed Bad Land to go for a Harley-Davidson heart for this ride, in our case a Twin Cam engine that was all the rage back in the days when the Achilles was put together.
The engine is probably the same as it was in stock form, meaning no actual performance upgrades, but we do get a Kuryakyn air cleaner and an AS Industries exhaust system to help with breathing.
The wheels holding the bike upright on the ground come from a crew called Custom Wheels Solutions (CWS), but we are not told exactly how large they are in this application. We do know the one at the front is held in place by a Goldammer fork, while the one at the rear, 250 mm wide, is supported by a Habermann swingarm.
Both wheels are shielded from the elements by Bad Land-designed fenders, the likes of which you'll find on no other motorcycle. A Legend air suspension makes the ride sit high or low, depending on whether the rider wants to move or just show off.
The most visually impressive element of the build has to be the fuel tank. Appearing to stretch all the way on the upper side of the frame, abruptly diving down toward the lowered seat, it is an impressive piece. This element is the work of a supplier called Parker, and it's so sleek it makes you wonder why we don't get more of them on custom bikes.
Given how long it's been since the Achilles was put together it's impossible to know where the black and chrome bike presently resides. The cost of the project is also not known but, as usual, we'll keep an eye out for the bike from now on, and update this story if we learn anything new about this Japanese build.
As said, this is a full custom, meaning the frame, engine, and every other component have been sourced from different specialists.
We'll start with the element that holds the entire bike together, the frame. The metalwork was assembled by a German talent in the field of frames and swingarms, a crew called Habermann Performance. It's a choice of a skeleton that allowed Bad Land to go for a Harley-Davidson heart for this ride, in our case a Twin Cam engine that was all the rage back in the days when the Achilles was put together.
The engine is probably the same as it was in stock form, meaning no actual performance upgrades, but we do get a Kuryakyn air cleaner and an AS Industries exhaust system to help with breathing.
The wheels holding the bike upright on the ground come from a crew called Custom Wheels Solutions (CWS), but we are not told exactly how large they are in this application. We do know the one at the front is held in place by a Goldammer fork, while the one at the rear, 250 mm wide, is supported by a Habermann swingarm.
Both wheels are shielded from the elements by Bad Land-designed fenders, the likes of which you'll find on no other motorcycle. A Legend air suspension makes the ride sit high or low, depending on whether the rider wants to move or just show off.
The most visually impressive element of the build has to be the fuel tank. Appearing to stretch all the way on the upper side of the frame, abruptly diving down toward the lowered seat, it is an impressive piece. This element is the work of a supplier called Parker, and it's so sleek it makes you wonder why we don't get more of them on custom bikes.
Given how long it's been since the Achilles was put together it's impossible to know where the black and chrome bike presently resides. The cost of the project is also not known but, as usual, we'll keep an eye out for the bike from now on, and update this story if we learn anything new about this Japanese build.
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