Sublime Harley-Davidson Sportster Flat Tracker Is Bespoke Artwork Made in Texas

One of this year’s top contestants was a guy named Colt Wrangler, who took first place in the “1200cc & Above” class. Sure enough, the BMW R 18 he received as a prize was great and all, yet what was more important is that his build caught the attention of Revival Cycles. The renowned Texas shop was thoroughly impressed with Colt’s work, so much so that they hired him as a lead fabricator.

Okay, but what made a reputed firm like Revival give this former professional bull rider a full-time job on the spot? The answer to this question can be found in the photo gallery above – a wild Harley-Davidson Sportster with looks to die for. At first, Colt intended to use the 1999 model as the basis for a scrambler build, though he quickly changed his mind upon learning about the Dream Build-Off competition.

With a new plan put together, the guy proceeded to take the Sportster apart and unleash his custom wizardry. The motorcycle’s frame was the first thing to get modified, receiving a much neater neck gusset built from scratch using tubular steel. Fresh engine mounts also contribute to cleaning up the hog’s skeleton, whose rear section is now connected to a premium Trac Dynamics swingarm.

In addition, Colt came up with a handmade aluminum oil tank, squeezing it low down in between the frame’s down tubes and the V-twin motor. By relocating the battery underneath the swingarm, he completely emptied out the subframe triangle. As for the rear frame itself, it was shortened and revised in preparation for some new garments.

A bespoke aluminum tail section was subsequently placed up top, bearing a simple foam saddle that’s just thick enough to keep the rider comfy. The electronics have been placed inside the tail, and an LED rear lighting strip got attached to its underside. As juicy as this whole setup may be, we’re infinitely more intrigued by the breathtaking fuel tank placed center-stage!

It, too, is a custom part fabricated through countless hours of painstaking labor, with a flush-mounted filler cap keeping its silhouette as tidy as possible. In true flat tracker fashion, this reworked Harley doesn’t actually have a front brake, so all the stopping power takes place at the back. There you’ll find a top-shelf rotor from Lyndall Brakes, and it’s mated to an old Ducati’s caliper and Brembo master cylinder.

Rear-end suspension duties are now taken care of by aftermarket shock absorbers with piggyback reservoirs, while the forks have been lowered to achieve the desired stance. A cool little detail can be spotted on the fork lowers, in the form of horizontal stripes alternating between polished and vapor-blasted matte surfaces.

The Sportster rolls on a pair of old (but previously unused) Harley-Davidson wheels, flaunting a seven-spoke design and measuring 19 inches in diameter. Their rims were enveloped in retro-looking Duro tires, and the wheel hubs came from Vulcan Engineering. As with most of this bike’s traits, minimalism is the name of the game in the cockpit area.

Colt tasked Silverback Moto with building a custom handlebar, because installing an off-the-shelf item simply wouldn’t cut it. The lack of a front brake eliminates the need for a control lever on the right, and the only buttons you’ll see here are for the starter, kill switch, and lighting hardware. As you would expect, Sir Wrangler did away with the instrumentation altogether.

We already talked about the LED strip that acts as the taillight, but you’ll probably dig the front setup even more. Mounted to the left fork tube are twin, vertically stacked headlamps from FNA Cycles – compact and unobtrusive, yet sufficiently bright to keep the way ahead nice and lit. Tailor-made triple clamps round out the front-end equipment, featuring a matte finish to really make the handlebar, forks, and headlights stand out.

As far as the powertrain sector is concerned, a thorough engine rebuild was followed by the installation of high-grade Lectron carburetion hardware. The inhaler is coupled with a Speed Dealer velocity stack to ensure ample airflow, and that ravishing exhaust system is a work of art in and of itself. To craft it, Colt Wrangler made use of some stainless-steel headers sourced from eBay.

He chopped up the pipes and then welded them back together in the manner he saw fit, ultimately finishing them off with dual slash-cut mufflers. Last but not least, the project’s author wanted to showcase the incredible metalwork that was put into it, so he refrained from covering the tank and tail in any paint. Instead, the bodywork sports a brushed finish we can’t seem to get enough of.