Photo: Nine Hills
As you're reading this, Harley-Davidson's official lineup of motorcycles includes something described as the "quintessential American cruiser," or, if you like, a motorcycle with "showstopping vintage details and pure rock and roll style." It's of course the Heritage model I'm talking about, a nameplate that's been around in various forms ever since the end of the 1980s.
It's not every day we see a Harley model stay in production for so long, but the Heritage easily does this. And it can only be a testament to how important the bike has become for the average Harley motorcycle rider and lover.
Being so long-lived and appreciated has however not shielded the Heritage from the passion some people have of modifying the stock Milwaukee machines and turning them into something else entirely. So plenty of them are out there wearing the signature of more or less talented garages. And it's exactly such a modified Heritage that we bring before you this Monday.
This custom was born as a stock Heritage back in 2012. It was modified to its current form by Polish garage Nine Hills, and slapped with a new post-conversion name, chosen in honor of a Molson Coors-made type of beer: High Life.
The bike is described by Nine Hills as "a project unlike any other." Although it largely still displays the general design lines of the Heritage it is based on, the bike now comes with no bags at the rear, no large fender up front, and no chrome on it.
The bike's original wheels, multi-wire spoked and heavy-looking, have been replaced with much simpler ones, in a five-spoke design. Their exact dimensions are not disclosed, but the effect they have in altering the look of the Heritage is dramatic.
Up on the bike, the fuel tank comes in a new design, with no Harley-Davidson markings but wearing the High Life name. The seat, supplied by Roland Sands Design, comes in black and brown and it is the element that inspired the overall paint job for the rest of the bike.
At the time of writing Harley is offering the Heritage with a 114 engine in its frame, but back when this particular one was made the 103 was all the rage. The High Life still has that engine to power it, enhanced by means of Roland Sands Design accessories and with a Vance & Hines bass exhaust system fitted to one side.
The High Life is an older build of the Polish crew, and its current whereabouts are not known. And so is the price of the finished product. Just to get your bearings though, remember that presently Harley is selling a brand new but stock Heritage for $21,999. And the custom one we here is most definitely more expensive than that.
Being so long-lived and appreciated has however not shielded the Heritage from the passion some people have of modifying the stock Milwaukee machines and turning them into something else entirely. So plenty of them are out there wearing the signature of more or less talented garages. And it's exactly such a modified Heritage that we bring before you this Monday.
This custom was born as a stock Heritage back in 2012. It was modified to its current form by Polish garage Nine Hills, and slapped with a new post-conversion name, chosen in honor of a Molson Coors-made type of beer: High Life.
The bike is described by Nine Hills as "a project unlike any other." Although it largely still displays the general design lines of the Heritage it is based on, the bike now comes with no bags at the rear, no large fender up front, and no chrome on it.
The bike's original wheels, multi-wire spoked and heavy-looking, have been replaced with much simpler ones, in a five-spoke design. Their exact dimensions are not disclosed, but the effect they have in altering the look of the Heritage is dramatic.
Up on the bike, the fuel tank comes in a new design, with no Harley-Davidson markings but wearing the High Life name. The seat, supplied by Roland Sands Design, comes in black and brown and it is the element that inspired the overall paint job for the rest of the bike.
At the time of writing Harley is offering the Heritage with a 114 engine in its frame, but back when this particular one was made the 103 was all the rage. The High Life still has that engine to power it, enhanced by means of Roland Sands Design accessories and with a Vance & Hines bass exhaust system fitted to one side.
The High Life is an older build of the Polish crew, and its current whereabouts are not known. And so is the price of the finished product. Just to get your bearings though, remember that presently Harley is selling a brand new but stock Heritage for $21,999. And the custom one we here is most definitely more expensive than that.
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