Photo: No Limit Custom
In the world of motorsport the name Le Mans is always spoken with awe and respect. The place designated by it has for ages been home to one of the most important motorsport events in the world, the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.
Because of how important Le Mans is on the automotive scene, a number of carmakers have come out over the years with cars in one way or another meant to honor the track, either through name or through attributes.
Motorcycle makers did a lot less of that, despite the track hosting a similar endurance event for two-wheelers ever since 1978. In fact, it's very difficult to find a bike made with factory support in honor of the French circuit. Even more so when it comes tot Harley-Davidson, a name that was never part of Le Mans in any meaningful way.
But where Harley lacks, the custom shops that make a living from modifying its bikes more than make up for it. And we've seen plenty of that over the years, as we burned through the long list of modified Milwaukee machines hiding all over the planet.
One thing about customizers is that they are not bound by rules, so the most recent Harley Le Mans-related bikes we've discussed couldn't be more different. We've had, for instance, the GP S Le Mans, a Stage IV monstrosity put together by German crew Thunderbike using a Breakout as a base. More recently, we've come across the Sportster-based Racing Is Life, a tribute not only to the track, but also to Porsche and Steve McQueen.
The Daytona we're looking at now was made in Germany, just like the Thunderbike ride, only this time by a crew called No Limit Custom (NLC). This one started out as an FXDR Softail, and it was so extensively altered that it's a sight we'll not forget easily.
The bike is a collection of aluminum parts, just like the Full Billet Jacket we discussed on Saturday. The metal, twisted and bent to form the covers on the frame, the fuel tank, the rear fender, or the engine spoiler, adds a lot pf personality to the Daytona, but it also gives it a sculpted body that seems to fit the stock frame and engine just right.
The bike is propped on custom wheels front and rear, each of them seated under new fenders, and with the rear one held in place by a swingarm kit. It moves its blue, enhanced body under the power of the original engine, most likely unmodified in any significant way as far as performance is concerned.
If there is one thing we've learned about bikes named after race tracks is that they are never cheap. The changes made to the FXDR alone, for instance, are worth a staggering $22,000. And that doesn't include the base bike, the man hours, and the paint job, which most likely bring the total of the build to over $50,000. That's about the price of a Ford Mustang and a Chevrolet Camaro combined...
Motorcycle makers did a lot less of that, despite the track hosting a similar endurance event for two-wheelers ever since 1978. In fact, it's very difficult to find a bike made with factory support in honor of the French circuit. Even more so when it comes tot Harley-Davidson, a name that was never part of Le Mans in any meaningful way.
But where Harley lacks, the custom shops that make a living from modifying its bikes more than make up for it. And we've seen plenty of that over the years, as we burned through the long list of modified Milwaukee machines hiding all over the planet.
One thing about customizers is that they are not bound by rules, so the most recent Harley Le Mans-related bikes we've discussed couldn't be more different. We've had, for instance, the GP S Le Mans, a Stage IV monstrosity put together by German crew Thunderbike using a Breakout as a base. More recently, we've come across the Sportster-based Racing Is Life, a tribute not only to the track, but also to Porsche and Steve McQueen.
The Daytona we're looking at now was made in Germany, just like the Thunderbike ride, only this time by a crew called No Limit Custom (NLC). This one started out as an FXDR Softail, and it was so extensively altered that it's a sight we'll not forget easily.
The bike is a collection of aluminum parts, just like the Full Billet Jacket we discussed on Saturday. The metal, twisted and bent to form the covers on the frame, the fuel tank, the rear fender, or the engine spoiler, adds a lot pf personality to the Daytona, but it also gives it a sculpted body that seems to fit the stock frame and engine just right.
The bike is propped on custom wheels front and rear, each of them seated under new fenders, and with the rear one held in place by a swingarm kit. It moves its blue, enhanced body under the power of the original engine, most likely unmodified in any significant way as far as performance is concerned.
If there is one thing we've learned about bikes named after race tracks is that they are never cheap. The changes made to the FXDR alone, for instance, are worth a staggering $22,000. And that doesn't include the base bike, the man hours, and the paint job, which most likely bring the total of the build to over $50,000. That's about the price of a Ford Mustang and a Chevrolet Camaro combined...
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