Harley-Davidson Envy Is a Modern Board Tracker Unlike Anything You’ve Seen Before

As far as motorcycles are concerned, the kind of racing we see today is however extremely different from the racing that took place at the dawn of this industry. And I don’t mean that necessarily in terms of machines used.

You see, back in the early 1900s race tracks did not have the surfaces we now know and love. Because of the technological limitations of the era, people had to come up with ideas that may seem a bit peculiar today. Like, say, covering a track’s dirt surface with wooden planks.

Cheap to use, these board tracks spread like wildfire throughout the 1920s, allowing the daredevils of the era to race each other on solid surfaces that didn’t raise clouds of dust every time a wheel passed over them.

This idea was first and most successfully deployed in motorcycle racing, and as a result, the bikes used for these purposes came to be known as board trackers. Very successful in their day, the surviving board trackers are highly collectible today, and subject to such adoration that from time to time even modern motorcycles are transformed in ways that are reminiscent of them.

Perhaps the most insane such transformation of a modern ride comes in the form of something called Envy. It was first shown back in 2016, when it entered the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building in Germany, and it was originally a… 2001 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy.

The build is the work of a Spanish custom garage we know as Lord Drake, and after 2016 went on to snatch awards almost every year at specialized shows. And for a good reason, as the work is simply stunning and not something that crosses our screens every day.

Blending modern entrails with vintage board tracker looks, the Fat Boy shines its beautiful, white, and highly decorated body with a force not often seen in tribute bikes.

Starting from the ground up, we get custom wire wheels painted in gold. That’s not a color I usually enjoy, but on this build, it looks just right, especially because it matches the hues used on several other parts of the bike, especially on various elements of the engine.

The wheels are sized 21 inches at the front and 18 inches at the rear, and they’re backed by a revised suspension system that’s doubled at the back by a lowering kit. The chassis has been modified a bit to allow the installation of a custom-made, unique fuel tank, and a seat in brown leather - that's a material used for the front fork mask (another unique element of the Envy), footrests, and handlebar as well.

All of the above combine with parts painted in red, the number 76 featured on the front headlight mask and on the side of the frame, the black on the tires and main body of the engine, but also small chrome elements, to transform the Envy into a literal visual overload.

Strangely though, it’s not a disturbing kind of visual overload, but a rather pleasing one. It probably helps that the view of the custom motorcycle is not hindered by wiring, as that’s been hidden inside parts like the handlebar and chassis itself.

The engine of the bike is still the original Fat Boy one, gifted in this application with a new exhaust and air filter. It is protected by transparent covers to make it look a bit more special.

The Harley-Davidson Envy was clearly built as s show bike, and the number of awards under its belt is ample proof of that. But you should know Lord Drake can have this design replicated for you as well, if such an impressive design is something you fancy.

Although a 2001 Fat Boy was used for this project, Lord Drake says pretty much all kinds of Softails could be converted into impressive board trackers. And that can happen quite fast, with the shop saying it shouldn’t take more than 90 days.

There is one aspect of the Envy that we do not know because, just like many other similar crews out there in this business, Lord Drake is not willing to share: the cost of the build.

You should know though that the Envy is presently for sale, listed on Cycle Trader with an asking price of $15,000. Or should we say just $15,000, considering the number of modifications that went into this build? Just to have a reference point, consider the fact that a brand-new but stock Fat Boy is priced at $20,199. And it’s not that often that we come across a custom bike that’s cheaper than the model it is based on.