This year American bike maker Harley-Davidson is celebrating 120 years of existence. Out in the open since 1903, the brand has had its ups and downs over the years, masterfully navigating through two world wars, the Great Depression, and a number of other challenges that would have definitely buried some other, less determined company.
The most recent turmoil over in Milwaukee took place in 2020, when the bike maker’s then-CEO Matt Levatich left Harley (or was let go, depending on how you look at it) after 26 years on the company’s payroll. The departure came at a time when a new plan for the businesses was being drafted and could have spelled doom if not properly negotiated.
But Harley-Davidson survived that too, and it seems it is now in a good place. A bunch of new models has been released on the market, 2023 is filled with all sorts of celebratory events, and everything seems to be on the right track. So, no rallying cry the likes of Hang-On! are needed.
True, when hearing that phrase, the mind can’t stop linking it to some kind of verbal support for a company in need, but that’s not what we have here. In fact, we’re talking about a custom Softail motorcycle, named Hang-On post conversion by its maker, Japanese garage Bad Land.
Bike number 69 in the shop’s 155-strong lineup of altered American motorcycles, the Hang-On is, as usual when talking about Bad Land builds, a beautifully crafted piece of engineering, meant to stand out at any enthusiasts’ gatherings.
Wearing black on most of its body, but with a much shinier front end that sticks out like a sore thumb thanks to the wealth of chrome used there, especially on the fork assembly, the bike is an older project of the Japanese shop, but not less relevant for our quest to uncover unknown custom Harley from all over the world.
Photo: Bad Land
The bike is propped on Rick’s Motorcycles-sourced wheels in the usual shuriken-style design we’re used to seeing on Bad Land creations. The front one is sized at the usual 21 inches for such a piece, while the rear one comes in at just 18 inches (and wearing a tire 300 mm wide) to give the machine the proper stance.
We’re used by now to seeing a long list of Bad Land-made parts make their way onto custom Harleys, and the Hang-On is no exception. The Japanese crew made in-house a wealth of elements for this ride, starting with the front and rear fenders and ending with the handlebar and air cleaner.
More important parts in the overall functioning of the Softail, meaning things like the exhaust system (the only major change performed on the otherwise stock engine) and the swingarm, are also of Bad Land make.
Being a major project, other shops contributed to the creation of the two-wheeler. Performance Machine supplied the front and foot controls, Legend is responsible for the air suspension system, and Ken’s Factory name is all over the various covers that went into the build.
Like it happens with many of these older yet impressive custom Harleys, the current whereabouts of the Hang-On are not known, and we also have no indication of how much it cost to make. None of that makes it less impressive, though…
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. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News