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Harley-Davidson Sportster Bobber Is Black All Over and Custom Where It Matters

Spain is not particularly known at a global level as a major player in the car and motorcycle segments, at least as far as production is concerned. When it comes to the good-old cars, there is of course that SEAT brand we hear about from time to time (and its offshoot, Cupra), but at the moment, it mostly sells in Europe. When it comes to motorcycles, a long list of companies can trace their roots to the Iberian Peninsula, but none of them have a global reach.
Harley-Davidson Sportster Black 21 photos
Photo: Lord Drake
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What the country does not lack, though, is an abundance of garages specializing in customizing all sorts of vehicles. They do seem to have a soft spot for two-wheelers, and it’s thanks to names like ROA, Tamarit, or El Solitario MC that Spain comes under a global spotlight from time to time in this industry of ours.

Another one of the most famous Spanish garages, and with a solid presence in the U.S. as well, is Lord Drake. We've been following what these guys are up to for a while now, and we'll probably continue to do so for one reason above all others: unlike many of the other Spanish custom shops, which choose to modify BMW and Japanese motorcycles, these guys have a soft spot for Harley-Davidsons, but also for turning them, more often than not, into unique bobbers.

For today we chose to look at this one, a once-stock Sportster 883 dating all the way back to the 2005 model year that is now standing before us in modified shape, with the attitude of a bad boy ride, and wearing all-black overalls.

And by all-black I mean exactly that, with not a single trace of anything else. Between the powder coating used on the chassis, engine covers, and even wheels (which were sourced from a Sportster R for this build) and the gloss black deployed on pretty much everything else, but most visible on the bodywork, it would seem not a single element of the bike escaped with wearing some other color.

Harley\-Davidson Sportster Black
Photo: Lord Drake
And this dark appearance of the ride suits it more than right, especially given how it is accompanied by a bobber look achieved after careful modifications were made in the places that matter the most.

The bike now sits closer to the ground, thanks to the rear being dropped a bit, and pairs that more aggressive stance with a more spartan-than-stock appearance. This was achieved by letting go of many of the parts the bike originally came with, and replacing them with custom bits and pieces. For instance, the usual seat is no longer there, having been replaced with a single spring seat, while the fenders, large and some would say inaesthetic as they roll off the assembly lines, have been swapped for handmade bits, shorter and much more in tune with the stripped-down machine now standing before us.

The fuel tank is the original one, but it now sticks out like a sore thumb because, for one, it’s located a bit higher than before, but also because it is no longer connected to the rest of the bike by the stock seat that usually meets it halfway up the frame.

Said frame still holds the original 883cc engine, but to the left side of it there is a new exhaust system, of undisclosed provenance, to help it breathe better.

Harley\-Davidson Sportster Black
Photo: Lord Drake
The foot controls and front fork have been tampered with as well, and LED lights can be spotted both at the front and the rear of the bike.

This particular example was put together by Lord Drake for a customer residing in the Canary Islands, meaning it was more or less of a local affair. Unlike some of the custom Harleys we usually feature here on autoevolution, which are one-offs and likely never to be replicated, this one can be multiplied over and over, says Lord Drake, both for the European market and for the American one, thanks to the shop’s presence in Florida.

We’re told this conversion is suitable for both the Sportster 883 and the 1200, provided you have one of those lying around and plan to give it a second chance at life and a new look. Conversions can be performed both in Spain and the U.S., and the finished product can be shipped, at no extra cost, to anywhere in Europe and America.

And that brings us to the price of the Sportster Black, as it’s called in Lord Drake speak, and as usual when it comes to the bikes these guys (and many others across Europe, for that matter) put together, that's sadly unknown, and likely a secret between the shop and its customers.

We do know how long one has to wait in order to get possession of a modified machine such as this, and that would be up to 90 days, depending on the exact specifications requested by the customer.
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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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