Photo: Kodlin
America may be the world's main supplier of stock Harley-Davidson motorcycles in stock form, but there is no question about it the Germans lead the pack when it comes to modified American two-wheelers.
The European country is home to perhaps the largest collection of custom Harley shops in the world, many of them so successful that they have greatly expanded their reach to cover the globe. And one has only to look at what one of these crews, Kodlin, is doing, to realize there's no way to hide from that reality.
The crew wears the name of Fred Kodlin, one of the planet's most talented customizers, a guy so successful at what he's doing he became the first non-American to be inducted into the International Master Bike Builders Association (IMBBA) Hall of Fame.
We've been covering Kodlin's work for a while now, and we've seen some incredible projects come to life during this time, but none of them speaks to the influence Germany has on the custom Harley-Davidson scene as the Duesseldorf bike we have here.
Duesseldorf is a city in Western Germany famous for being the fashion capital of the country, but also a place of gathering for artists and musicians. Like most other such centers in the nation, it has its own Harley-Davidson dealership.
It's for that business that Kodlin built the Duesseldorf, starting out from a Breakout model of 2020 lineage. It was part of a limited-edition program run there, and it is, for better or worse, the pure definition of how the Germans spell cool custom motorcycle.
The Breakout was at the receiving end of the usual visual modifications. Up on the frame a custom tank was fitted, feeding fuel to the stock Milwaukee-Eight engine sitting in the frame.
A wide steel fender at the rear does its best to shield the rider and the ones behind them from whatever the wheel may throw up and away. At the same time, it supports the custom seat, and it is equipped with bullet-style lights.
Up front the car got special handlebars fitted with Avon grips, but also risers for a more upright riding position. A fender also made of steel can be seen over the front wheel, while a chin spoiler down with a mesh grille on the frame takes care of the aggressive look of the ride.
The build is rather simple, but it's in simplicity that the Germans find comfort. Just enough custom parts to make a Harley-Davidson look unique is most of the time all it takes.
Kodlin does not say how much money went into the Harley-Davidson Duesseldorf, nor what happened to it after it was made. Chances are though that, like many of its kind, it still spins its wheels in Deutschland.
The crew wears the name of Fred Kodlin, one of the planet's most talented customizers, a guy so successful at what he's doing he became the first non-American to be inducted into the International Master Bike Builders Association (IMBBA) Hall of Fame.
We've been covering Kodlin's work for a while now, and we've seen some incredible projects come to life during this time, but none of them speaks to the influence Germany has on the custom Harley-Davidson scene as the Duesseldorf bike we have here.
Duesseldorf is a city in Western Germany famous for being the fashion capital of the country, but also a place of gathering for artists and musicians. Like most other such centers in the nation, it has its own Harley-Davidson dealership.
It's for that business that Kodlin built the Duesseldorf, starting out from a Breakout model of 2020 lineage. It was part of a limited-edition program run there, and it is, for better or worse, the pure definition of how the Germans spell cool custom motorcycle.
The Breakout was at the receiving end of the usual visual modifications. Up on the frame a custom tank was fitted, feeding fuel to the stock Milwaukee-Eight engine sitting in the frame.
A wide steel fender at the rear does its best to shield the rider and the ones behind them from whatever the wheel may throw up and away. At the same time, it supports the custom seat, and it is equipped with bullet-style lights.
Up front the car got special handlebars fitted with Avon grips, but also risers for a more upright riding position. A fender also made of steel can be seen over the front wheel, while a chin spoiler down with a mesh grille on the frame takes care of the aggressive look of the ride.
The build is rather simple, but it's in simplicity that the Germans find comfort. Just enough custom parts to make a Harley-Davidson look unique is most of the time all it takes.
Kodlin does not say how much money went into the Harley-Davidson Duesseldorf, nor what happened to it after it was made. Chances are though that, like many of its kind, it still spins its wheels in Deutschland.
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