The Harley-Davidson Sportster Roadster broke cowl simply six years earlier than The Motor Co. unceremoniously pulled the plug on the getting older Evolution Sportster. Geared up with upside-down forks and an atypical (for Harley) 19F/18R wheel combo, its aesthetic fell someplace between café racer and road tracker, with out leaning both method confidently. Nonetheless, it was a good-looking sufficient bike, and one of many bolder Sportster variations obtainable in direction of the tip of the V-twin’s life cycle.
After all, none of this issues significantly a lot to Winston Yeh—the person behind the Taiwan powerhouse customized store, Tough Crafts. That’s as a result of when he and his assortment of trusted collaborators get their grubby paws on a Harley Sportster, many of the inventory bike results in the bin. Due to Taiwanese rules, Tough Crafts isn’t recognized for elaborate body or engine mods—however they nonetheless handle to eke ridiculous quantities of favor and swagger out of dead-ordinary Harley donors.
Tough Crafts’ newest launch echoes this sentiment with confidence. Dubbed ‘Vantage Velocity,’ it’s primarily based on a 2017-model Harley-Davidson Sportster Roadster. However you’d by no means be capable of inform by taking a look at it, as a result of each half that units the Roadster aside from its stablemates is gone.
The fee got here from a shopper who was enamored with Tough Crafts’ AMD World Championship-winning ‘Stealth Bullet’ Sportster, however wished one thing just a little extra geared to on a regular basis driving. Winston admits that referencing his older work is sort of like dishonest—however that’s one of many pitfalls of growing a signature model that’s so fascinating.
The temporary known as for a low-slung café racer with bobber leanings, so Tough Crafts set about swapping out the Harley Roadster’s working gear. A set of blacked-out Öhlins FG621 forks went onto the entrance, held in place by new Tough Crafts yokes. Öhlins HD757 shocks have been put in out again, slamming the bike’s stance to inside an inch of cause.
A recent set of seven-spoke rims went on subsequent, equipped by Rick’s Bikes. Winston maintained the 18-inch rear wheel measurement however bumped the entrance as much as 21 inches. The tires are Metzeler ME888s; a thin 2.15 up entrance, with a fatter 4.00 out again.
Sticking together with his common suppliers, Winston specced the Sportster with a set of Beringer brakes. A six-piston caliper does responsibility up entrance, with a four-piston unit on the again. Roland Sands Del Mar discs spherical out the braking bundle.
Tough Crafts transformed the Harley from a belt to a sequence drive too, speccing it with SuperSprox sprockets and an RK Takasago chain.
Working together with his fabricator of selection, MS Professional, Winston added a petite peanut-esque gas tank to the Sportster. It options the identical deep scallops which have develop into a Tough Crafts hallmark, and it’s deliberately mounted low and additional again, to create house across the steering neck. The tank’s completed off with Tough Crafts’ well-liked signature fuel cap.
A sculpted tail part sits additional again, hugging the rear wheel tightly. The crew trimmed the Harley’s body struts to accommodate it and topped it off with trendy perforated upholstery.
The Sportster’s cockpit is remarkably tidy—even by Winston’s requirements. Since they have been manufactured from scratch, the clip-on bars and prime yoke mount instantly to one another, eliminating the necessity for extra clamps. The OEM speedo continues to be in play, but it surely now sits flush with the highest yoke, due to a Roland Sands Design bracket.
The clip-ons put on Tough Crafts x Arlen Ness Grips, and levers and switches from Rebuffini. (Winston virtually all the time makes use of Rebuffini switches, as a result of they’ll interface instantly with Harley-Davidson’s fashionable CAN bus programs.) New rear-set foot controls from Sato Racing sit decrease down.
Winston handled the Harley’s iconic V-twin motor to a handful of tasty Tough Crafts dress-up elements. These embrace the ribbed air filter, rocker field covers, factors cowl, and explosive two-into-one exhaust. A typical Tough Crafts headlight lights the best way, whereas the tiny flip indicators and three-in-one taillights are Tough Crafts items designed and made by Koso.
As you’d anticipate from the Taiwanese outfit, Vantage Velocity is wrapped in predominantly black finishes. Simon Fiber Craft added carbon fiber inlays to the bodywork, whereas Rover Works Customized Paint dealt with paint and pin-striping. 2 Irregular Sides whipped up the standard Tough Crafts tank badges and pushrod collars, whereas CT-Storage lent a hand on meeting.
Is there something on this Harley-Davidson Sportster Roadster that we haven’t seen earlier than from Tough Crafts? No. However will we significantly care? Once more, no.
Hand us an appropriate Evo Sporty and a spot in Winston’s construct queue, and we’d most likely request the very same factor.
Tough Crafts | Fb | Instagram | Pictures by JL Pictures
