Photo: Bundnerbike
Generally speaking, motorcycle custom shops outside the United States go for the path of least resistance. It means that, instead of building something from scratch or going for extreme transformations of existing two-wheelers, most of these garages limit themselves to visually altering stock bikes to the specifications of the customers.
There are exceptions, of course, like the Germans from Thunderbike, who have an extensive collection of rides built around custom frames. Or the Swiss from Bundnerbike, who from time to time take stock Harleys and really go nuts in modifying them.
One example of that insanity is this thing here. A closer look will reveal some elements Harley uses on the Softail machines it makes, but other than that, this thing is truly unique.
The Swiss call it the Giraffe, for the obvious reason it comes with a really long neck. That would be the extra-long front fork, stretching no less than 20 inches (50 cm) more than a normal one would and ending in an 18-inch wheel carved from an aluminum monoblock, just like the rear one.
Further back, the stock Softail frame is no longer its former self either. It too has been stretched, this time by 10 inches (25 cm). It cradles a Harley engine and holds up top a sweeping, long fuel tank, made entirely by hand.
The photos in the attached gallery show the bike like it's dragging its belly on the ground, but that’s owed to the air suspension that could easily lift it if need be. Why lift it? Because this thing was not made just to be admired, but also ridden.
We are not being told how much the Giraffe cost to put together, but we do know it took the Bundnerbike crew a full year to put it together, before showing it for the first time at the Swiss Moto show back in 2020. The bike’s current whereabouts are unknown.
One example of that insanity is this thing here. A closer look will reveal some elements Harley uses on the Softail machines it makes, but other than that, this thing is truly unique.
The Swiss call it the Giraffe, for the obvious reason it comes with a really long neck. That would be the extra-long front fork, stretching no less than 20 inches (50 cm) more than a normal one would and ending in an 18-inch wheel carved from an aluminum monoblock, just like the rear one.
Further back, the stock Softail frame is no longer its former self either. It too has been stretched, this time by 10 inches (25 cm). It cradles a Harley engine and holds up top a sweeping, long fuel tank, made entirely by hand.
The photos in the attached gallery show the bike like it's dragging its belly on the ground, but that’s owed to the air suspension that could easily lift it if need be. Why lift it? Because this thing was not made just to be admired, but also ridden.
We are not being told how much the Giraffe cost to put together, but we do know it took the Bundnerbike crew a full year to put it together, before showing it for the first time at the Swiss Moto show back in 2020. The bike’s current whereabouts are unknown.
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