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Custom Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 Makes More Power Thanks to Larger Engine Capacity

There’s nothing too outlandish happening here on a visual level – just good old retro styling cues and sexy proportions.
Custom Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 12 photos
Photo: XTR Pepo
Custom Harley-Davidson Sportster 883Custom Harley-Davidson Sportster 883Custom Harley-Davidson Sportster 883Custom Harley-Davidson Sportster 883Custom Harley-Davidson Sportster 883Custom Harley-Davidson Sportster 883Custom Harley-Davidson Sportster 883Custom Harley-Davidson Sportster 883Custom Harley-Davidson Sportster 883Custom Harley-Davidson Sportster 883Custom Harley-Davidson Sportster 883
Born in 1962, Pepo Rosell has been riding, crashing, and repairing motorcycles ever since his teenage years, which were spent in a small commune located just outside Paris. His first bike was a Montesa Crono 350 acquired during the late seventies, and he’d since owned more two-wheelers than he can possibly remember.

Having moved to the Spanish capital city of Madrid at some point during his youth, Pepo went on to complete his studies in the field of biology. The following years were devoted to working in the fish farming industry, but it wasn’t long before the French expat’s love of two-wheeled machines surpassed his passion for researching the intricacies of living organisms.

Eventually, Rosell found an employment opportunity at a local Ducati dealership, which sparked his sheer fascination for Bologna’s desmodromic predators. More than thirty Ducs of all shapes and sizes have passed through Pepo’s ownership over the years, so there really shouldn’t be any uncertainty concerning this fellow’s brand of choice.

Custom Harley\-Davidson Sportster 883
Photo: XTR Pepo
As of 1996, he started flirting with the idea of establishing his very own garage, with a heavy focus on motorcycle customization. The man’s vision became a reality five years later in the form of Radical Ducati – a well-equipped workshop that stayed in operation up until 2013. Then, Rosell took a break from his beloved trade due to what he describes as some sort of mid-life crisis, but he returned with guns blazing in 2015!

Out of Radical Ducati’s ashes rose XTR Pepo, and its founder continued to solidify his reputation as one of the Iberian Peninsula’s most proficient moto artisans. With builds like this sublime Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 under his belt, it only makes sense for Rosell to receive so much positive attention. The project we’re referring to is based on a 1992 model from Milwaukee’s range, but little remains of the original bike besides its frame and V-twin mill.

In fact, not even the engine is standard any longer because Pepo and his crew installed a myriad of higher-spec internals to increase its displacement to 1,200cc and boost power by about 60 percent. These components include high-compression pistons, an aftermarket camshaft, and a brand-new carburetor from Mikuni.

We can probably all agree that the Sportster’s OEM exhaust is quite a stunner, but it didn’t quite fit the scrambler-slash-cafe aesthetic the XTR team was aiming for. As such, they deemed it necessary to have it deleted in favor of a bespoke two-into-one item, which ends in a slash-cut muffler. The stock drive belt setup was swapped with a Tsubaki chain, and there’s an auxiliary ECU keeping the powerplant’s behavior in check.

Custom Harley\-Davidson Sportster 883
Photo: XTR Pepo
Following these upgrades, the titan’s power output has grown to approximately 80 ponies, and they’re engaged by means of a quick-action Domino throttle. To handle the additional oomph, the bike’s chassis got beefed up with the repurposed forks of a ‘92 MY Suzuki GSX-R750, which was also kind enough to supply its Tokico front brake calipers.

These bad boys are mated to drilled NG rotors, and they’re accompanied by top-grade Brembo calipers at the opposite end. Furthermore, Pepo had the donor’s rear suspension converted to a monoshock arrangement featuring state-of-the-art Hagon hardware. In terms of bodywork, we find a Yamaha SR500’s fuel tank taking pride of place center-stage, along with custom fenders and retrofitted side panels from a Triumph Legend TT.

Before sending a part of the Sportster’s new attire to a local paintwork specialist known as Artenruta, Rosell had its cockpit area garnished with a single Motogadget gauge and a Rizoma handlebar that sports Gonelli grips. Lastly, one may find a full suite of fresh lighting modules drawing power from a lithium polymer battery via revised wiring.
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About the author: Silvian Secara
Silvian Secara profile photo

A bit of an artist himself, Silvian sees two- and four-wheeled machines as a form of art, especially restomods and custom rides. Oh, and if you come across a cafe racer article on our website, it’s most likely his doing.
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