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Hageman Harley-Davidson Sportster Was Inspired by Decades-Old XLCH

The Sportster moniker has been around in Harley-Davidson’s portfolio for ages now. Born in 1957 with the XL, the line continues to be offered today as the “great American freedom machine,” with the Iron and Forty-Eight leading the charge.
2004 Harley-Davidson Sportster by Greg Hageman 12 photos
Photo: Mecum
2004 Harley-Davidson Sportster by Greg Hageman2004 Harley-Davidson Sportster by Greg Hageman2004 Harley-Davidson Sportster by Greg Hageman2004 Harley-Davidson Sportster by Greg Hageman2004 Harley-Davidson Sportster by Greg Hageman2004 Harley-Davidson Sportster by Greg Hageman2004 Harley-Davidson Sportster by Greg Hageman2004 Harley-Davidson Sportster by Greg Hageman2004 Harley-Davidson Sportster by Greg Hageman2004 Harley-Davidson Sportster by Greg Hageman2004 Harley-Davidson Sportster by Greg Hageman
Like most other Harleys, the Sportsters are favorites of the custom industry. Most of the time, shops go about modifying them with modern touches and high-tech hardware, but there are sweet exceptions to this rule. And the motorcycle we have here is part of that select group.

If you are a custom bike enthusiast, you might be familiar with the name Greg Hageman, including from our past coverages of his work. And you might also be aware of the fact he usually goes about modifying Yamahas.

From time to time, though, the man indulged in reshaping Harleys too, and this here 2004 Sportster is one of the two-wheelers that came out of Hageman’s shop. It was completed some time ago, and work was not focused on giving it an extreme appearance but rather be a nod to the XLCH.

That would be a variant of the Sportster born in 1958 and often seen on the tracks of various competitions. And it was exactly that image that the tuner wanted to convey with this here build.

He did this by going for the paint scheme of the 1958 XLCH, red with white applied on the fenders and fuel tank. To be reminiscent of the racing pedigree of its line, the wheels have been wrapped in enduro tires and fitted under shortened fenders. The handlebars were modified too to give the entire machine a racing appeal.

We are not told anything about any mechanical upgrades on this bike.

This Sportster is presently for sale, waiting for a buyer to come along next week during the Mecum auction in Las Vegas. No estimate is made on how much it is expected to fetch, but for reference, such Hageman conversions cost at least $8,000, not including the donor motorcycle.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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