Harley-Davidson Giotto 31 Is Fresh Out of Russia, Looks Pretty American Still

Harley’s grip on the minds and souls of riders from all across the world means that over the years the brand has been diluted to suit whatever desires the people mounting such machines need to be fulfilled. Sure, most of the time, the essence, or the base motorcycle, remains pretty American, but there are times when the look and feel of a finished custom project seem pretty foreign.

There is one Harley product that even after it goes through significant changes in dark garages still manages to keep in touch with its roots, both mechanically and visually. That would be the V-Rod, the most famous family of muscle bikes ever made by the Milwaukee giant.

In America, the V-Rod is not necessarily a go-to platform for custom shops, which are more fond of knuckle- and shovelheads, for instance, but, over in Europe, people are real suckers for this breed.

From Poland to Germany and Estonia to Russia, shops have tried their hand at giving V-Rods a more local look for years now. But, no matter how extreme a conversion is, the American-ness of the two-wheelers is still there.

Case in point, the V-Rod we have here. It’s the work of a Russian shop that goes by the name Box39, and it’s called Giotto. It’s the 31st one in a family we’ve featured before here on autoevolution, one you can study in full on the shop’s website, along with some other builds of theirs.

Presented at the end of November, the St. Petersburg-interpreted V-Rod is a masterpiece with the custom-massaged body parts wrapped in a brownish color not often seen on a two-wheeler.

Box39’s main area of expertise is the design and creation of custom wheels, and such pieces are used here as well. Sized 19 inches front and 18 inches rear, the gold-painted multi-wire bits perfectly fit the overall image of the build. The wheels are backed by a telescopic fork suspension up front and adjustable dual shocks at the rear.

The altered visuals of the V-Rod do not rob it of its American heritage, and the lack of significant modifications made to the engine further cements its belonging to a breed born to stars and stripes - the frame still holds the Revolution powerplant the bike was originally fitted with, working with a 6-speed transmission.

Like all other such products, the Giotto 31 was probably commissioned by a local customer, and that means in this case too we are not being told how much it cost to put together.