Quartermile: custom Harley Davidson heritage softail
This year in Prague, Harley Davidson celebrated its 115th anniversary. Several craftsmen were invited to the celebration, each of whom presented their own custom Harley. The most notable was the creation of Julian von Oheimb, who stood on the podium at the World Customization Championship three times. A master from Germany runs a custom studio called One Way Machine. His main passion is transforming Harley motorcycles into original, sleek customs.
Harley Davidson Heritage Softail
The custom Harley Davidson Heritage Softail, which he built for the company’s anniversary, is a clear confirmation of this. The minimalist, dark-colored bobber is named Quartermile. But don't let the austere design and slick tires fool you: this is not a race bike at all. Once upon a time, Julian saw a custom Knucklehead with slicks built by Billy Lane (William David Lane is an American custom motorcycle builder, owner of Choppers Inc. in Melbourne, Florida). This motorcycle sank into his soul, many ideas were born in his head, which were embodied in Quartermile. In fact, the Quartermile became a motorcycle that simply should not have been born.
When Harley Davidson invited craftsmen to their celebration, they gave them a choice: present an existing custom or build a new one. At the time, the event was only four months away, with One Way Machine typically taking over a year to create a custom. Still, Julian decided to put together something new. All he needed was a suitable donor.
As luck would have it, Julian's father owned a 2007 Harley Davidson Heritage Softail that had once been imported from the United States. Once the donor issue was closed, it was time to think about the design. Julian pulled out old blueprints from the depths of his desk. He selected the best design elements, then tailored them to the Heritage Softail so it was road-legal. Julian explains that One Way Machine's customers are usually serious businessmen who are only willing to invest in perfectly designed and practical motorcycles. For this reason, it is extremely important that all laws and formalities are followed, so that after the show the slick tires are replaced with Avon tires.
The history of Harley-Davidson: how the motorcycle brand created fashion for custom
Harley and Davidson
William Sylvester Harley and Arthur Davidson began creating a motorized bicycle in the American town of Milwaukee in 1901. The place for inventions and test drives was an ordinary garage. The young people worked for three years before they realized that a bicycle without pedals could not conquer America. Therefore, it was decided to engage in more serious development and create a motorcycle.
The first motorcycle was released in 1903 and was called the Milwaukee Merkel. It had a 405 cc engine and weighed approximately 13 kg.
But the name Harley-Davidson went down in history in 1904. Then the motorcycle of William Sylvester Harley and Arthur Davidson raced and finished fourth. From that moment on, the friends began mass production of bikes in their garage.
By the way, later this same garage was moved to, where it stood for many years, as a memory of the first years of the life of the great brand.
A couple of years after the founding of the brand, the factory was producing 50 motorcycles a year, in 1907 150 models were produced, and between 1908 and 1909 motorcycle sales increased from 450 units to 1,149.
World War I
The British Army ordered 500 motorcycles from Harley-Davidson at the start of World War I. And in 1917, the US Army already placed a large order from the motorcycle brand. Thus, we can say that the military of England and America rode through the First World War on Harley-Davidson bikes, which were able to prove themselves at their best during this difficult time. During the entire war period, more than 20 thousand motorcycles were produced.
The rise of the brand
Harley-Davidson became the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world in the 20s of the 20th century. In 1921, a Harley-Davidson driven by Otto Walker won the race for the first time, averaging over 100 mph (160 km/h).
In the same decade, motorcycles were improved and the 74-inch V-Twin engine appeared for the first time.
In 1925, the teardrop-shaped gas tank appeared for the first time. It became one of the distinctive characteristics of the brand and is still found on most modern motorcycle models.
In 1928, front brakes appeared on Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
The origins of customization
Customizing is the improvement and modification of a motorcycle according to the customer’s individual design. Customization originated in the 30s of the 20th century. Back then, buyers of Harley-Davidson motorcycles could order an art deco graphic design of an eagle on the gas tank.
“Motorcycles have always been something unique. They have never been and will never be a mass product. A motorcycle is a product that its owner, in his quest for self-expression, can take to its most extreme forms,” the quote belongs to Will G. Davidson.
The First World War was followed by the Second World War. At this time, Harley-Davidson continues to produce motorcycles for the military. The Liberator model, translated as “liberator,” has gone down in history. Motorcycles were supplied not only to the American army, but also to the USSR, where they were supplemented with a sidecar and a rear seat.
It is believed that the fashion for customization came after the Second World War. According to one version, motorcycles became very popular among the military and after the end of the war they continued to ride their favorite bikes. Since the design of all Harley-Davidson motorcycles of that period was in military style, the owners began to independently change the appearance of the bikes.
«Harley-Davidson continues to support this passion for customization to this day and produces a wide range of additional equipment and spare parts that can become a source of inspiration for you,” says the Harley-Davidson Ekaterinburg website.
All brand motorcycles are customized to suit the client and his needs. This applies not only to design, but also to technical characteristics: the height of the pedals, the distance between the seat and the handlebars, as well as means for caring for the motorcycle, since many owners prefer to take care of their Harley themselves.
Harley Owners Group (HOG)
Over its 118-year history, the brand’s lineup includes several dozen models. Today Harley-Davidson is not about motorcycles, it is about a lifestyle and attitude towards it.
All brand models have a unique, recognizable style and status, be it a chopper or a cruiser. Many people dream of a Harley as a symbol of freedom and speed, while others value the brotherhood that the brand has created over its hundred-year history.
Today, Harley-Davidson is chosen by politicians, rock stars, and businessmen. For like-minded people, the Harley Owners Group (HOG) was created in 1983. It brings together Harley owners and is a club of interests. Club members organize races, wear club paraphernalia and organize motorcycle festivals. The organization is global and has its own charter and rules.
By the way, the Harley Owners Group has a branch called Ladies of Harley.
© Online magazine “Global City” Svetlana Tsyganova
Neoclassic: Sportster Seventy-Two XL1200V
The Harley-Davidson Sportster 72 XL1200V is a classic chopper, at first glance, more like a custom from the 1970s-1980s.
The motorcycle first went on sale in 2012, but one glance at it is enough to understand that this is a return to the roots, the embodiment of a real “biker” motorcycle, which the “right” motorcyclist should have assembled himself.
The next redistribution of the motorcycle market in the United States began in 2010. Realizing that something urgently needed to be done, Harley-Davidson engineers and marketers decided to produce motorcycles in the classic design of the 1970s, and a Sportster modification called the Seventy-Two became just such a bike.
What does 72 have to do with it?
Many bikers believe that the words “Seventy-Two” in the name of the motorcycle characterize the era of the global custom movement among US bikers. In the early 1970s, custom motorcycles with certain features were built on the basis of classic Harley-Davidson motorcycles:
- high steering wheel;
- miniature drop-shaped tank;
- thin front wheel of large diameter;
- rear wide wheel;
- small single seat.
Such motorcycles were made to suit their owner; they were clumsy and only rode well in a straight line, but they looked stylish, unusual, and attracted a lot of attention.
But in fact , the manufacturer included in the name not the year, but the number of the highway near Los Angeles - Route 72, because it was in the state of California that mass-produced motorcycles began to be redesigned en masse.
Features of the Sportster 72 XL1200V
Without further ado, the Harley-Davidson company took the standard Sportster 1200 as a base, and remade it “according to the traditions of the old customists”, changing:
- steering wheel;
- front wheel;
- gas tank;
- exhaust system;
- seat; and many more minor improvements.
The motorcycle turned out to be airy and pompous, but the Evolution XL engine with a displacement of 1,200 cubic centimeters and a power of 65 hp. hints that not everyone can ride a bike.
Moreover, this engine does not have a balancer shaft, which gives that famous Harley vibration even at idle, despite the abundance of silent blocks.
Appearance
For a long time, independent American customizers worked on the principle “let’s put together something extraordinary from the best.” So they took a standard Harley and transformed it into something exclusive. A lot of money was spent on the alteration, especially if the owner gave his iron horse to famous tuning workshops.
Seeing that sales were falling, the Harley-Davidson company decided to take an interesting step - releasing special modifications of its own motorcycles (i.e., already tuned according to the laws of the genre). The Sportster Seventy-Two, which debuted in 2012, became just such a project.
At first glance, the motorcycle looks like a custom model, suitable only for rare trips around the city and participation in exhibitions. The high, ape-hanger-style handlebars seem awkward, the riding position is awkward... but once you get on this bike, everything falls into place - the seat is comfortable, the riding position is relaxing, and the high handlebars are easy to turn.
Not only does the bike sparkle in chrome, as was fashionable in the 1970s and 1980s, but it also comes in a range of exclusive pearlescent colors (along with the standard solid colours).
First driving impressions
Once you start the Harley-Davidson Sportster Seventy-Two XL1200V, you immediately understand that this motorcycle is not for beginners. The large-displacement engine begins to shake in the frame with a clanging characteristic of Harleys, and turning the throttle causes a hellish roar from the depths of the engine.
The first ride brings the understanding that the engine is capable of accelerating this rather fragile-looking motorcycle quite dynamically, but the bike slows down frankly weakly - one disc at the front and calipers in the spirit of the 1970s cannot provide confident braking at high speeds. In general, “the brakes were invented by cowards!” – this was clearly the motto of the manufacturer’s engineers.
The shock absorbers on this motorcycle are quite flimsy and it is unpleasant to ride on bad roads. In general, it is more for the city... and the small tank, which has enough gasoline for 100 km if you drive in dynamic mode, hints that it is better not to drive it far from gas stations.
Specifications
The performance characteristics of this motorcycle will not impress a connoisseur of modern technology, but it’s worth riding a Harley-Davidson Sportster Seventy-Two once - it immediately becomes clear that the bike’s traction is “locomotive”, and the ride will leave a lot of impressions (especially when at high speed you realize that this “beast” stops reluctantly
