Photo: Riders Eyes Photography
To be fair, calling it a custom bike doesn’t tell the whole story, because this bobbed masterpiece was pretty much built from the ground up.
Operating as MB Cycles in Eppelheim, Germany – not very far from the famed Hockenheimring – Martin Becker has been tinkering with American V-twins for more than two decades. Needless to say, the man is a true master of his craft and each project he tackles turns out to be spectacular, so it should come as no surprise that a German TV show named Handwerkskunst! is preparing to feature MB’s work.
The episode will air on March 24 and appear on YouTube shortly after, taking viewers through the build process for this striking Harley Panhead from start to finish. Handwerkskunst! literally means “craftmanship” in German, and the show looks at how various things are fabricated by artisans of different trades. In this instance, it’ll be all about motorcycle customization!
While we wait for the new episode to be released online, let’s have a chat about the work Herr Becker performed on this gorgeous hardtail bobber. The guy kicked things off with the rigid Wishbone frame of a 1946 Harley-Davidson, linking it up to a classy set of springer forks supplied by W&W Cycles.
Down in the footwear sector, he installed retro-style drum brakes, stainless-steel spokes, and aftermarket rims. The front hoop is a Kustom Tech part and measures a hefty 21 inches in diameter, sporting the same vintage-looking Firestone rubber as its rear counterpart.
For the hog’s cockpit area, Martin sourced a new handlebar from his proprietary catalog of bolt-on goodies. Resting atop custom risers and a handmade triple clamp, this module is accompanied by LED warning lights, digital Motogadget instrumentation, and a single rear-view mirror mounted on the left-hand side. Moreover, a minute, fork-mounted headlamp tops everything off at the front.
Moving down the length of the frame, we find a Harley Sportster’s fuel tank and bespoke saddle upholstery. The seat features a circular cutout providing convenient access to a dipstick and the custom-built oil tank found beneath. Rounding out the motorcycle’s bodywork is a shiny rear fender supplied by Cooper Smithing Co. of Buckley, Washington.
The final pieces of its rear-end equipment are a small yet potent FNA Custom Cycles taillight and an all-new license plate holder fitted low down on the left. S&S Cycle hardware is the name of the game in the powertrain department, comprising a humungous 93-cubic-inch (1,524 cc) Panhead mill, modern ignition components, and a Super E carburetor. The oil pump is also an S&S part, while the regulator and charging system hail from Accel.
A six-speed gearbox sends the V-twin's grunt to the rear wheel, joined by an exposed BDL belt primary and a premium drive chain. There’s an FXR clutch cover and an electric starter unit too, with the latter obtaining its juice from a lithium-ion battery developed by Antigravity. Martin finished off the engine-related work with some fresh exhaust pipes that end in dual fishtail mufflers.
Last but not least, the machine’s colorway is a mixture of metal flake yellow, silver leaf details, and snazzy graphics. The paint job was handled by Chiko’s Pinstriping, while Polierservice Zwickau took care of the polishing and chrome-plating. We can’t be sure how much MB Cycles’ mastermind charged his client for this build, but the extent of the work he’d performed is sure to have demanded some serious dough.
The episode will air on March 24 and appear on YouTube shortly after, taking viewers through the build process for this striking Harley Panhead from start to finish. Handwerkskunst! literally means “craftmanship” in German, and the show looks at how various things are fabricated by artisans of different trades. In this instance, it’ll be all about motorcycle customization!
While we wait for the new episode to be released online, let’s have a chat about the work Herr Becker performed on this gorgeous hardtail bobber. The guy kicked things off with the rigid Wishbone frame of a 1946 Harley-Davidson, linking it up to a classy set of springer forks supplied by W&W Cycles.
Down in the footwear sector, he installed retro-style drum brakes, stainless-steel spokes, and aftermarket rims. The front hoop is a Kustom Tech part and measures a hefty 21 inches in diameter, sporting the same vintage-looking Firestone rubber as its rear counterpart.
For the hog’s cockpit area, Martin sourced a new handlebar from his proprietary catalog of bolt-on goodies. Resting atop custom risers and a handmade triple clamp, this module is accompanied by LED warning lights, digital Motogadget instrumentation, and a single rear-view mirror mounted on the left-hand side. Moreover, a minute, fork-mounted headlamp tops everything off at the front.
Moving down the length of the frame, we find a Harley Sportster’s fuel tank and bespoke saddle upholstery. The seat features a circular cutout providing convenient access to a dipstick and the custom-built oil tank found beneath. Rounding out the motorcycle’s bodywork is a shiny rear fender supplied by Cooper Smithing Co. of Buckley, Washington.
The final pieces of its rear-end equipment are a small yet potent FNA Custom Cycles taillight and an all-new license plate holder fitted low down on the left. S&S Cycle hardware is the name of the game in the powertrain department, comprising a humungous 93-cubic-inch (1,524 cc) Panhead mill, modern ignition components, and a Super E carburetor. The oil pump is also an S&S part, while the regulator and charging system hail from Accel.
A six-speed gearbox sends the V-twin's grunt to the rear wheel, joined by an exposed BDL belt primary and a premium drive chain. There’s an FXR clutch cover and an electric starter unit too, with the latter obtaining its juice from a lithium-ion battery developed by Antigravity. Martin finished off the engine-related work with some fresh exhaust pipes that end in dual fishtail mufflers.
Last but not least, the machine’s colorway is a mixture of metal flake yellow, silver leaf details, and snazzy graphics. The paint job was handled by Chiko’s Pinstriping, while Polierservice Zwickau took care of the polishing and chrome-plating. We can’t be sure how much MB Cycles’ mastermind charged his client for this build, but the extent of the work he’d performed is sure to have demanded some serious dough.
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