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Harley-Davidson Makalu Is a Short and Stubby Softail, So Not a Mountain

Although in some places on this Earth, people might use it to designate some other stuff, for most of us the name Makalu means only one thing: a mountain in the Himalayas. Not just any mountain, but at 8,485 meters (27,838 feet) high, the fifth-tallest in the world.
Harley-Davidson Makalu 17 photos
Photo: Nine Hills
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Given all that one would immediately assume every time someone decides to name something Makalu, that something would be grandiose in nature, impressive in size, or in some form or another spectacular. This 2018 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail, despite wearing the name, is anything but.

The Makalu name was slapped onto the Softail post-customization by a crew from Poland called Nine Hills Motorcycles. We’ve featured some of its work before, so we’re used by now to the Nine Hills way of doing things.

In the case of this here motorcycle, the goal was to “create an interesting, fully functional motorcycle,” while at the same time “not breaking the factory form.” What resulted is, according to Nine Hills’ own admission, a bike that may not make a very great impression, but does stand out through its enhanced classic looks and lowered stance, much more so than in stock form (check the gallery for a before shot of the Heritage).

The exact parts used for the modification of the motorcycle are not listed by the shop, so it’s impossible to get a sense of how much putting it together cost. The detailed pics though show how much the bike changed from stock, starting with the removal of the windshield up front and ending with the fitting of redesigned bags at the rear.

Now boasting dark paint with chrome accents here and there, the Heritage does look short and stubby, to a greater extent than when in stock form, but still seems to have that Harley vibe to it that makes it alluring and worth a weekend mention here on autoevolution.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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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.
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