Photo: Bad Land
It's been a while since the Springer name has been included in the official lineup of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. But that doesn't mean we don't have more than enough reasons to bring this Softail variation in the news every now and then.
Produced by the Milwaukee company between 1988 and 2003, the Springer was meant to remind people of the 1948 models. They were the last ones to wear the bike maker's original springer forks, replaced back then by a newer technology called the Hydra Glide.
Part of the Softail family in its newer incarnation, the Springer had that retro look customers appreciate when it comes to Harley two-wheelers, wrapped around the time's most modern technologies. For some of Harley's customers, though, as it often happens, the stock form and tech of the ride were not enough, so they had them modified.
One of these changed Springers now sits before us. It's unclear when exactly it rolled off the lines in Milwaukee in its factory form, but we do know that back in 2012 it crossed the path of Japanese custom garage Bad Land, which turned it into this apparition here.
The bike is now called, in this form, the Massane. The origins and meaning of the term for the build were not explained by the shop or the bike's owner, but that matters little in the grand scheme of things. What matters is the way the bike looks now, and that would be, simply put, amazing.
Still maintaining its overall gait, the Massane lost several of the body parts that made the Springer stand out, including (or more specifically) the two rather large stock fenders. Both of them have been replaced by much sleeker elements made in-house by Bad Land.
Up front, the same kind of rounded headlight as on the original is featured, only now it sits much lower on the fork. Higher up we get a unique kind of handlebar.
The connection to the ground is made by means of Performance Machine wheels whose exact size is not disclosed, but which don't look much larger than what Harley originally fitted on. At the rear, the license plate holder has been moved to one side to allow a clean look at the wheel.
What catches the eye the most on this ride is the brown-coppery paint used on the custom fuel tank and fenders, highlighted by a discreet airbrush that depicts flames, and sparkly inserts that shine in the sunlight.
No modifications seem to have been made to the Springer's original engine, and although the exhaust system is clearly aftermarket, we get no additional info on that.
The current whereabouts of the Harley-Davidson Massane are not known, and neither is the full price of the build.
Part of the Softail family in its newer incarnation, the Springer had that retro look customers appreciate when it comes to Harley two-wheelers, wrapped around the time's most modern technologies. For some of Harley's customers, though, as it often happens, the stock form and tech of the ride were not enough, so they had them modified.
One of these changed Springers now sits before us. It's unclear when exactly it rolled off the lines in Milwaukee in its factory form, but we do know that back in 2012 it crossed the path of Japanese custom garage Bad Land, which turned it into this apparition here.
The bike is now called, in this form, the Massane. The origins and meaning of the term for the build were not explained by the shop or the bike's owner, but that matters little in the grand scheme of things. What matters is the way the bike looks now, and that would be, simply put, amazing.
Still maintaining its overall gait, the Massane lost several of the body parts that made the Springer stand out, including (or more specifically) the two rather large stock fenders. Both of them have been replaced by much sleeker elements made in-house by Bad Land.
Up front, the same kind of rounded headlight as on the original is featured, only now it sits much lower on the fork. Higher up we get a unique kind of handlebar.
The connection to the ground is made by means of Performance Machine wheels whose exact size is not disclosed, but which don't look much larger than what Harley originally fitted on. At the rear, the license plate holder has been moved to one side to allow a clean look at the wheel.
What catches the eye the most on this ride is the brown-coppery paint used on the custom fuel tank and fenders, highlighted by a discreet airbrush that depicts flames, and sparkly inserts that shine in the sunlight.
No modifications seem to have been made to the Springer's original engine, and although the exhaust system is clearly aftermarket, we get no additional info on that.
The current whereabouts of the Harley-Davidson Massane are not known, and neither is the full price of the build.
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