Bringing a really distinctive type to the scene just isn’t a straightforward process, and it’s much more spectacular if you may make it stick. Winston Yeh began Tough Crafts in Taiwan greater than ten years in the past, and each bike he builds is a recent tackle his signature type. With a listing of standard collaborators helping with fabrication, meeting and paint, Tough Crafts is a crowd sourcing of expertise, so to talk—however Winston’s eye for design is obvious in each bike.
Blacked out paint schemes with a pleasant utility of carbon fiber are hallmarks of a Tough Crafts machine, along with trick suspension, devilish particulars and imaginative monikers. Winston’s type has been exercised on Ducatis, Yamahas and extra, however there’s one thing particular a couple of Tough Crafts Harley.
Asphalt Glider Tough Crafts’ ‘Stealth Bullet’ Sporty set the web ablaze years again when it received its class on the AMD World Championship, so it comes as no shock that one in all Winston’s prospects would request one thing related. However for ‘Asphalt Glider,’ the shopper needed one thing extra excessive, extra exaggerated, and that’s precisely what they obtained.
To go well with the construct’s extra excessive proportions, Winston began with a Softail Breakout mannequin and dropped it on the bottom with a rear air shock from Legend Suspension and a girder fork. The latter was constructed by Italian FG Racing, an organization that focuses on efficiency girders, and the entire thing is constructed from billet aluminum.
The Glider rolls on a considerably unlikely wheel mixture, creating a lot of its visible impact. Out again, is a stable metal wheel from HD Designs wrapped in meaty 230-section rubber, whereas the entrance is a slender 23” Arlen Ness. Whereas the 2 couldn’t be any extra completely different, the entire thing works, and Winston chalks it up as the suitable “bizarre stability of visible weight.”
With one final request, the shopper specified that the bike wanted to be completed ‘shrimp type,’ that means long-reach drag bars and ahead foot controls. That places the rider low over the quintessential Tough Crafts gas tank, kind of folded over the bike like a cocktail shrimp. If ya didn’t know, now ya do. [More]
Tarmac Raven Ever since Winston first check rode the brand new Milwaukee Eight Softail, he couldn’t get the concept of a scorching efficiency Softail out of his head. With an amenable buyer on the road, the concept got here to life as ‘Tarmac Raven’—a Road Bob that’s so daring, you wouldn’t consider it’s on a inventory body.
With its core geometry unaltered, remodeling the Softail required vital suspension work, beginning with beefy 48 mm Öhlins FGRT301 forks—initially designed for the Ducati Diavel. Subsequent, Winston contacted Florida-based Roaring Toyz, who designed an all-new, single-sided billet swingarm. “They really purchased an M8 Softail to develop an entire new billet single-sided system,” says Winston, impressed.
To match the aggressive stance, Winston opted for a set of trick carbon fiber wheels from BlackStone Tek. To finish the bundle, Winston put in Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V3 rubber, Beringer four-piston brakes up entrance and a modified Ducati Panigale brake package within the rear.
With the Softail on positive footing, Winston phoned phoned S&S Cycle, who supplied their newest 124 ci Energy Bundle for the Milwaukee Eight, to the tune of 124 hp and 135 lb-ft of torque. Winston completed the engine off with an array of Arlen Ness, 2AbnormalSides and Tough Crafts’ components, and a customized titanium exhaust with a SC-Venture Titanium S1 muffler dominates the aspect profile.
No Tough Crafts’ undertaking can be full with out the requisite black shades and carbon fiber, and a closely modified Sportster tank and carbon-wrapped tail part full the cockpit. [More]
Thunder Chaser How do you rejoice a decade of constructing customized bikes? For Tough Crafts, it was about getting again to fundamentals, all whereas placing a brand new spin on issues. With roots firmly planted in retro-modern bobbers, Winston had a number of concepts, and his buyer’s immediate gave him the chance to shake up the script a bit.
Winston was a giant fan of the brand new Softail after constructing Tarmac Raven, and his unofficial tenth anniversary bobber, dubbed ‘Thunder Chaser,’ can be a totally completely different tackle the platform. “The ultimate reply was to return to our roots: bobbers with retro traces and trendy finishes, however with completely different silhouette that we haven’t completed earlier than.”
Beginning with stance, Winston ditched the manufacturing facility 19F/16R wheels in favor of 18” Arlen Ness wheels and retro rubber from Coker. Progressive Suspension equipped an uprated rear shock and a reducing package up entrance, and Winston added black interior tubes from TopLineTubes and Arlen Ness ‘Sizzling Leg’ lowers.
Cosmetically, Thunder Chaser follows Tough Crafts’ signature type, with ample use of carbon fiber and black paint with silver pin-striping. The aluminum tank was fabricated by MS Professional, and is barely extra rounded than Winston’s traditional scalloped design. A big diversion, the tilted rear fender was formed from fiberglass over a 3D mildew and completed off with a carbon fiber overlay.
The upswept exhaust was additionally a Tough Crafts first, and the entire system was customized fabricated and completed with black ceramic coating. [More]
Raging Dagger You are able to do absolutely anything with a Harley Sportster, and Tough Crafts has various genre-bending examples to its credit score. However when it got here to ‘Raging Dagger,’ Winston had some fascinating design constraints to work with.
“So I went over and discovered that the shopper had already ordered a model new Forty-Eight, and was ready for me,” says Winston. “All he advised me was: ‘I like the appear and feel of American V-twin engines, however I need one thing excessive. One thing that you simply received’t acknowledge as a Harley, however continues to be straightforward to experience’.”
Impressed by Buell, Winston elected to remodel the Sporty right into a avenue fighter, prioritizing lightness, and preserving the engine and body as inventory as attainable. Suspension, brakes and weight financial savings can be the main focus to maximise the Forty-Eight, all with out sacrificing rideability.
Like Tarmac Raven, Winston used trick suspension to supercharge the Dagger’s geometry, beginning with the Öhlins AG629 shock. He additionally added a light-weight Trac Dynamic swingarm with a customized oil reservoir, and put in modified Öhlins FGRT206 forks (initially made for the Yamaha R1). Retaining issues mild, the bodywork is a mix of carbon fiber and aluminum, and MS Professional fabricated a customized titanium exhaust for the Dagger.
With the addition of carbon fiber BST wheels, Tough Crafts managed to shave 90 kilos off the Sporty. [More]
Obsidian Fighter The thought of a ‘trendy efficiency Frisco bobber’ appears like a troublesome promote, however one take a look at Tough Crafts’ Obsidian Fighter has us saying ‘after all.’ Proof that it’s all within the execution, this Sportster Roadster combines conventional Frisco cues with Tough Crafts’ signature look, and a great deal of customized components.
Born from necessity, Winston’s buyer for this construct was a fan of conventional chopper period styling, however already had a 2019 Sporty XL1200CX in hand. “The principle query,” says Winston, “was: ‘How will we mix a Roadster with chopper type, wrap it in a Tough Crafts bundle, and nonetheless shock the proprietor?’ The reply is a ‘Frisco’ Sportster bobber with race affect.”
Altering up the Roadster’s stance began with a brand new set of wheels from Gale Velocity, 19F/17R, with a pair of customized carbon fiber covers added to the rear. Subsequent, Öhlins supplied a set of barely shorter-than-stock FGRT 206 forks with blacked out lowers and a single disc conversion. Blackline HD 757 rear shocks hold the rear slammed, accentuated by the carbon fiber, nearly tracker-style, tail part.
To nail the Frisco vibe, the Sporty tank sits excessive and pulled again from the bars, and it’s completed in Tough Crafts’ type with carbon inlays and customized badges from 2AbnormalSides. One other of Winston’s trusted companions, MS Professional dealt with the fabrication on the undertaking, together with constructing a customized slash-cut exhaust with a slight industrial twist.
With no scarcity of customized particulars, Obsidian Fighter is completed with Arlen Ness foot controls, Rebuffini switches and an array of Tough Crafts’ components, together with the headlight, risers, gas cap and engine covers. [More]
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