Photo: AJ Moller Photography via Ellaspede
There are countless ways to customize a Sportster, but you don't have to go down an overly complex route to make yours a true one-off. Ellaspede and their client Andy were fully aware of this, so the specimen pictured below still uses a good chunk of OEM equipment while looking a lot groovier than its stock counterpart.
When it comes to the owner of an MV Agusta F4, whose relatives have been involved in the North West 200 race, you'd be forgiven for presuming that his custom ride is some sort of convoluted sport bike. However, this isn't the case for Andy, as he'd chosen a 2013 Harley-Davidson Sportster Forty-Eight to act as the basis for the commission we're about to cover.
Searching for a workshop that would turn his vision into reality, the lad eventually picked Ellaspede of Brisbane, Australia to carry out the transformation – a very wise decision, indeed! Andy deemed suspension upgrades to be of utmost importance from the get-go, so that's where Ellaspede's overhaul was to begin.
At the front, the Sportster got fitted with a set of upside-down forks co-developed by Storz Performance and Ceriani. Top-shelf hardware is the name of the game out back, too, as the original shocks have been ditched to make way for Ohlins units with progressive springs and piggyback reservoirs. Besides providing a significant improvement in the handling department, these bad boys also raise the motorcycle's rear end by about 35 mm (1.4 inches).
With the new forks in place, a handmade bracket had to be crafted in order to mount the stock front fender back where it belonged. Its rear counterpart was shaped out of the factory item, but it now looks a lot sportier and devoid of visual clutter. The license plate sits nice and low on a swingarm-mounted bracket, and the OEM turn signals were relocated near the upper shock mounts.
Opting to also retain the Sportster's front-end lighting modules, Ellaspede simply had them repositioned to bring about a slammed aesthetic. The rear wheel got swapped with a beefier aftermarket part whose width measures 5.5 inches, and both hoops were subsequently wrapped in Avon Cobra tires. Their dimensions are 130/90 up north and 180/65 at six o'clock.
In the cockpit area, the Aussies installed a one-piece speedometer bracket and handlebar clamp. The inscription engraved into it may seem like gibberish, but it's said to hold some undisclosed significance for Andy. Rounding out the equipment in that area is a low-rise handlebar, which bears Roland Sands Design control levers, underslung mirrors, and stealthy grips.
The creature's ergonomic package is completed by fresh foot pegs and an aftermarket saddle from LePera's inventory. As far as the powertrain mods are concerned, we find a premium air filter developed by Performance Machine, along with a D&D two-into-one exhaust system at the other end of the combustion cycle. Lastly, fuel mapping is optimized via a Daytona control module, and that scalloped color scheme is the original factory option from Harley.
Searching for a workshop that would turn his vision into reality, the lad eventually picked Ellaspede of Brisbane, Australia to carry out the transformation – a very wise decision, indeed! Andy deemed suspension upgrades to be of utmost importance from the get-go, so that's where Ellaspede's overhaul was to begin.
At the front, the Sportster got fitted with a set of upside-down forks co-developed by Storz Performance and Ceriani. Top-shelf hardware is the name of the game out back, too, as the original shocks have been ditched to make way for Ohlins units with progressive springs and piggyback reservoirs. Besides providing a significant improvement in the handling department, these bad boys also raise the motorcycle's rear end by about 35 mm (1.4 inches).
With the new forks in place, a handmade bracket had to be crafted in order to mount the stock front fender back where it belonged. Its rear counterpart was shaped out of the factory item, but it now looks a lot sportier and devoid of visual clutter. The license plate sits nice and low on a swingarm-mounted bracket, and the OEM turn signals were relocated near the upper shock mounts.
Opting to also retain the Sportster's front-end lighting modules, Ellaspede simply had them repositioned to bring about a slammed aesthetic. The rear wheel got swapped with a beefier aftermarket part whose width measures 5.5 inches, and both hoops were subsequently wrapped in Avon Cobra tires. Their dimensions are 130/90 up north and 180/65 at six o'clock.
In the cockpit area, the Aussies installed a one-piece speedometer bracket and handlebar clamp. The inscription engraved into it may seem like gibberish, but it's said to hold some undisclosed significance for Andy. Rounding out the equipment in that area is a low-rise handlebar, which bears Roland Sands Design control levers, underslung mirrors, and stealthy grips.
The creature's ergonomic package is completed by fresh foot pegs and an aftermarket saddle from LePera's inventory. As far as the powertrain mods are concerned, we find a premium air filter developed by Performance Machine, along with a D&D two-into-one exhaust system at the other end of the combustion cycle. Lastly, fuel mapping is optimized via a Daytona control module, and that scalloped color scheme is the original factory option from Harley.
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