Photo: Melk
The Harley-Davidson Sportster range is one of the most acclaimed to ever roll out the American bike maker's assembly lines. Born all the way back in 1957, it's still alive and kicking in the form of the Sportster S and two Nightsters.
With decades of life behind it, the family has had plenty of models come and go, some more successful than others. For the purposes of our story here, we'll focus on the Forty-Eight.
Alternatively spelled 48, it came about in 2010 as the XL1200X, betting on dark styling over classic lines to appeal to a new range of customers. It's still around, selling as a 2022 model year for $12,299, an ideal price for those just beginning to venture into the motorcycle world.
There are some however that, while still wishing to retain the classic lines and the dark appearance of the original, try to give Forty-Eights new looks that speak more to their interests, aspirations, and life vision. And this is where custom garages the likes of French Melk come into play for the transformation work.
The Forty-Eight that brought us here today was modified in a way that kind of makes us wish Harley itself would provide the bike in this guise from the get-go. It has the look of the new Sportster S, the vibe of a classic Harley, and just enough custom touches to make it unique.
The ride, unnamed in this modified form, is based on a 2017 model year and comes across as a fine collection of custom bits and pieces gathered in one place from all sorts of suppliers.
A crew called Rick's Motorcycles, for instance, supplied the swingarm, rear wheel (which now has a width of 240 mm), fender, and pulley. Metzeler is responsible for the front and rear tires, while Melk itself threw minor but important elements from its own portfolio, including the 3-in-1 taillights. Finally, Arlen Ness signs stuff like the handlebar and front and rear foot gear.
The bike uses the original Forty-Eight engine, remapped to undisclosed levels of performance and equipped in this application with a Screamin' Eagle air filter and a Vance & Hines exhaust.
Because Melk is a paint specialist first and foremost it's in this department that its experience shows best. The bike is painted pretty much all over in Vivid Black, but its fuel tank is decorated with a highly appealing red line and writing. And it's not just any kind of red, but the famous Rosso Corsa of Italian carmaker Ferrari.
Whereas a stock, 2020 Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight starts from $12,299, this one is more expensive, more than double the price, even. Melk sells such conversions from €24,990, which in American dollars translates at the current exchange rates into almost $27,000.
Alternatively spelled 48, it came about in 2010 as the XL1200X, betting on dark styling over classic lines to appeal to a new range of customers. It's still around, selling as a 2022 model year for $12,299, an ideal price for those just beginning to venture into the motorcycle world.
There are some however that, while still wishing to retain the classic lines and the dark appearance of the original, try to give Forty-Eights new looks that speak more to their interests, aspirations, and life vision. And this is where custom garages the likes of French Melk come into play for the transformation work.
The Forty-Eight that brought us here today was modified in a way that kind of makes us wish Harley itself would provide the bike in this guise from the get-go. It has the look of the new Sportster S, the vibe of a classic Harley, and just enough custom touches to make it unique.
The ride, unnamed in this modified form, is based on a 2017 model year and comes across as a fine collection of custom bits and pieces gathered in one place from all sorts of suppliers.
A crew called Rick's Motorcycles, for instance, supplied the swingarm, rear wheel (which now has a width of 240 mm), fender, and pulley. Metzeler is responsible for the front and rear tires, while Melk itself threw minor but important elements from its own portfolio, including the 3-in-1 taillights. Finally, Arlen Ness signs stuff like the handlebar and front and rear foot gear.
The bike uses the original Forty-Eight engine, remapped to undisclosed levels of performance and equipped in this application with a Screamin' Eagle air filter and a Vance & Hines exhaust.
Because Melk is a paint specialist first and foremost it's in this department that its experience shows best. The bike is painted pretty much all over in Vivid Black, but its fuel tank is decorated with a highly appealing red line and writing. And it's not just any kind of red, but the famous Rosso Corsa of Italian carmaker Ferrari.
Whereas a stock, 2020 Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight starts from $12,299, this one is more expensive, more than double the price, even. Melk sells such conversions from €24,990, which in American dollars translates at the current exchange rates into almost $27,000.
Google News