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Doers Builders and Positive People

Harley Davidson Seventy-Two – Looking Back on the Early Days of Customs

By

Harley Davidson Seventy-Two
Harley Davidson Seventy-Two

If you understand the words “factory custom,” you’ll understand everything you need to know about Harley Davidson. The just introduced Sportster Seventy-Two is a perfect example of what the Motor Company does, it builds factory customs; not new motorcycles, not racers, not cutting edge technology machines, it builds custom versions of every standard model in their lineup. The Seventy-Two will not appeal to anyone not already considering a Sportster, however, among that group, it will attract quite a few buyers.

Harley Davidson Seventy-Two

Harley knows its customers and their sales are steadily, albeit slowly, rising. Many readers here will look at this metal flake and ape hanger equipped Sportster and shake their head, they’ll refer back to the Storz SP1200RR and ask, why can’t they build something like that? The simple answer is, they can, and if their customers were crying out for a cafe racer, you would see one in their showrooms, however, the Seventy-Two has a lot more in common with the Storz special than you might think.

Harley Davidson Seventy-Two

Step back a bit, park this bike next to a Storz SP1200RR and what do you see? I see two Sportsters dressed for different occasions or just trying to hang out with two different crowds. Is one better than the other? Nope, unless, of course, you’re trying to hang out with the wrong crowd. The performance of both bikes will be amazingly similar, the Storz might handle a bit better and be more comfortable for riding in the twisties because of your seating position, wheels and tires and the upgraded shocks, but the engine is the same. The body work on the Storz won’t make it go any faster.

Take the comparison a little further and you’ll see both bikes appeal to the same customer. Wait, … what? Yep. Who is going to buy the Seventy-Two and who is going to bolt on the pieces to turn his Sportster into an SP1200RR? In both cases, the customer is someone who wants his bike to stand out from the crowd a little bit, or even a lot, yet doesn’t have the time, skills or inclination to shape metal, machine parts and lay down custom paint. In the case of the Harley, he writes a check and rides a bike, with the Storz he will have to spin a few bolts, too, and in both cases, there’s nothing wrong with that.

Harley Davidson Seventy-Two

Harley ran for years on the doctors and lawyers who bought their customs ready made, pulled on their leather jackets and became someone else, after all, they had no time to build their own bikes or learn how. There might be less of that right now, but even the guys who buy these bikes are doing something very similar. The ability to do major surgery on their own bikes isn’t as widespread as the custom bikes you see might make it appear, but having something that appeals to their own particular tastes and rewards them with an enjoyable ride is reason enough to buy one or the other and that’s why Harley builds bikes like this, because more of their customers want this than a cafe racer. I’ve seen very similar bikes before, and so have you, Harley just made it a little easier for more riders to have one.

So look at the Seventy-Two and appreciate what it is, for that matter, look at every bike in the Harley lineup the same way. Think of the Seventy-Two as you would one of the hundreds of craft beers available today. You might like a stout, someone else an IPA or maybe you prefer to sip an imperial. Who’s right? Everyone. Choice is good and each one appeals to someone. The Seventy-Two just gave everyone another choice.

Available in Black Denim or Big Blue Pearl for $10,499; Hard Candy Big Red Flake $11,199.

Harley Davidson press release:

MILWAUKEE – The Harley-Davidson® Seventy-Two™ motorcycle is a metal flake dream machine, a Sportster® on a trip back to the days when the cool kids rode a Sting-Ray and the big boys parked choppers in a row on the curb. Those motorcycles were long and lean; candy-apple color and gleaming chrome shimmering in hazy summer sunlight. From its Hard Candy Big Red Flake paint and ape bars to its narrow whitewall tires, the Seventy-Two is a respectful nod to that era, and to the influence of the custom culture that still percolates today along Whittier Boulevard, the legendary cruising street in East Los Angeles also known as Route 72. A new generation of custom builder is tapping into that era and making a fresh statement, not just in California but in garages across the country, even around the world.

“In creating the Seventy-Two, we were also inspired by the vibe of the early chopper era,” says Frank Savage, Harley-Davidson Manager of Industrial Design. “Those bikes were colorful and chromed, but also narrow and stripped down to the essentials. You look at period examples and they are almost as simple as a bicycle. It’s a custom style that’s very particular to America and that California scene.”

Metal flake, an iconic design element of the ’70s, appeared in everything from dune buggy gel coat to vinyl diner upholstery, and on custom motorcycles. Harley-Davidson brings the sparkle back on the Seventy-Two with Hard Candy Big Red Flake paint. This new finish is created by applying a black base coat, followed by a polyurethane system that carries hexagon-shaped flakes that are more than seven times the diameter of metal flake used in typical production paint. Each flake is coated with a thin aluminum film and then tinted red. Four applications of clear coat, combined with hand sanding, create a smooth finish over the flakes.

“The final touch to the Hard Candy Big Red Flake paint is a logo on the tank top and pinstripe scallop details on both fenders,” says Savage. “Each was originally created by hand, and we recreated that art in a decal for production, so they still have the appearance of hand-applied graphics in that they are not exactly perfect. The graphics are then covered with a final clear coat application.”

A solo seat and side-mounted license plate bracket leave much of the chopped rear fender – and more of that paint – exposed on the Seventy-Two. The powertrain is finished in Gray powdercoat with chrome covers and a new round air cleaner with a dished cover. A classic Sportster 2.1-gallon “peanut” fuel tank adds a final period touch to the motorcycle.

Key features of the 2012 Harley-Davidson® Seventy-Two™ include:

  • Air-cooled Evolution® 1200cc V-Twin engine with Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI), rated at 73 ft. lbs. peak torque at 3500 rpm.
  • Powertrain is finished in Gray powdercoat with Chrome covers.
  • Paint color choices include Hard Candy Big Red Flake with period pinstripe details on fenders and fuel tank, Black Denim, and Big Blue Pearl.
  • Classic 2.1-gallon peanut fuel tank.
  • Dunlop® white side wall 21-inch (MH90-21) front and 16-inch (150/80B16) rear tires.
  • Chrome Laced wheels.
  • Ten-inch mini-ape handlebar mounted on a two-inch high riser.
  • Chrome, eight-inch round air cleaner cover with center screw mount.
  • Chopped rear fender exposes rear tire.
  • Side-mounted license plate bracket.
  • Chrome, staggered, shorty dual exhaust with slash-cut mufflers.
  • Solo seat with black textured vinyl cover.
  • Handlebar-mounted speedometer with chrome cup.
  • Chrome rear fender struts.
  • Chrome coil-over pre-load adjustable rear shocks.
  • Forward foot controls.

Posted on Filed Under: Motorcycle Business, Motorcycle Design

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Comments

  1. Your last line before the press release is the real answer. I should be able to buy either Sportster for the same price. Unfortunately, I’d have to spend a lot more than that for the Storz special.

  3. The best thing I can say about this “new”Sporty is at least its not all Flat Black!! The shame of it is the “72” will out sell the XR1200X by a factor of 4 to 1 .

  4. Harley Davidson has always tried too hard to figure out what the next hot seller will be . There five years
    to late on this one . They were five years to earlyW/ eric and co . I hope they keep it up though , I love
    buying and selling there old stock a reduced prices …. 100 th anv. sportster 6.125 mi $1995
    Take off’s sold for 725 on ebay New plastic jap parts installed 125. cool street tracker sold for 3000.
    thanks to the motorcompany for making so many , thanks to mule , storz and kneeslider for the ideas.
    my buell st3 has 75,675 now , It’s not for sale ….. ride safe FE

  5. I try to treat everyone on two wheels like a teamate, but I hate the cruiser attitude that I seem to run into in SoCal. When I roll up to a custom bar-hopper I don’t mention what a useless bit o kit it would be for any real riding, but look for something cool and comment on it. There’s always soemthing that’s interesting if you are looking for an icebreaker. Anyway, about a third of the time I get ripped on for my BMW (K1200r). It’s all I can do to suggest some riding class (track or street) to see what a decent bike is capable of… Or that I have twice the HP, better gas milage, better suspension and brakes and can ride year round.

    • In some ways that’s surprising. In others not so much. Be happy and ride what you like.

      FWIW, I’d take the K1200R over just about any cruiser.

    • You may not know this, but there are a lot of people who regularly ride serious miles, like coast to coast or around the world, on their “barhoppers”, with rigid frames, springers, hand shifts, spool f. wheel hubs, and other “unrideable” set-ups. Read The Horse sometime. I set my ’88 Sportster up very similar to this “factory custom” back in 1995, but with lower drag bars, straight pipes, and lots of polished aluminum. With my self-built 1200 10.5:1 engine, your crotch rocket will hurt itself trying to catch me on a twisty road. Whitewalls are for cars, dressers, and pimps.

      • Fair enough, I did see a guy commuting on an OCC hardtail for a while, and I snickered about the hardtail on these crappy freeways but he was (I assume) loving it. If it’s been away from the curb enough to get some stories it’s all good.

        And in San Diego, I’m not the twisty threat~ Watch out for greybeards on GS’s with knobbies. Seriously- I have a hell of a time keeping up with them at all!

      • “Hurt itself trying to catch me?” They’re are probably hangin’ back so as not to get gathered up in the impending carnage!

        Your bike may run a lot better than a stock 883, I’ll buy that one. Runnin’ away from the crotch rockets in the twisties on a hardtail? I’m thinkin’ NFW.

        • Nah- GS1200’s are the big offroad BMW’s. They are running around with those semi-knobbies and know the roads like the backs of their hands. I image it’s like following a pro around a track~ every line perfect, and so used to the bike that they make it look easy as they slide a big offroad bike around at crazy speed…

          • Mule’s post was in reply to Aichbe. I know what you mean by the GS’s. Even the old guys on the 650 GS’s are ex race winners I think. There was even a time I had the hardest time keeping up with a woman on a Ninja 250, I was on my Super Motard. I figured I’d stop while I was still living.

            I’ve never seen a Harley in the twisties that wasn’t severely limited by its lean angle. Who knows how good the rider was, it was the bike that was slowing him (and everyone else behind him) down.

            -todd

  6. I agree with you Paul…I work for a dealership and what I see on a daily bases is that younger guys are buying irons and nightsters. The people that bought our XR1200’s were older gentleman. If “72” evokes someone to buy a motorcycle then its a win for motorcyclist .

  7. Extend the fork a few degrees and lower the frame so it sits level, and they’ll have a nice update of the classic 60s chopper that won’t break in half like a lot of those old homebuilts did. A good bike for cruising down the highway as long as you plan the trip around fuel stops to fill the peanut tank.

  8. As dismal as I consider H-D’s currentl line-up, I think this is a good looking bike. Now if they’d give it some better heads and brakes ( like the XR1200 ) . . . DWolvin my Buell is sneered at as well, but usually from the rear : )

  9. For $10,500 US, this seems like a bargain to me. It very much resembles a Sportster my friend had in the early ’60s.

    Jim A., Tucson, AZ

  10. I really don’t see how this Sportster is any different than any of the other Sportsters (XR1200 excepted) other than I think it’s the only one with the 21″ front wheel. That’s the problem, not the cruiser style. It would be nice if they offered something a little different to choose from other than color, tank capacity, and wheels.

    Again, the XR1200 is the exception but Harley only offers one genre of bike to choose from. Really only 2-1/2 different bikes; the air cooled cruiser twins (in barely perceptible different engines) and their water cooled cruiser twins. If that ain’t a fully painted in (albeit roomy) corner I don’t know what is.

    Regardless, it looks like a nice bike for what it is and they’ve been bringing their quality up lately. I’m glad that at least one segment of the American motorcycling market is being addressed. It just seems like H-D is contented avoiding me as a customer and many others like me. It’s a shame because I want to buy a Harley but not anything they are currently selling.

    -todd

    • Why do you want to buy a Harley specificaly?. You don`t like their bikes. You say you want them to build one that you like, so you can buy it. If other mfgs. build bikes that you like, why don`t you buy one of those?. Why would it be better for you if Harley built it ?. I don`t understand. Is it because you want to be able to say that you ride a Harley?. If other mfgs. don`t build a bike that you like, why wouldn`t you want them to build one that you like so you could buy it?. Wouldn`t it be the same?. I find it all very confusing !. You say there are many others like you, so there must be some explanation. When I want to buy a bike, I just find one I like & buy it. It doesn`t matter to me who made it.

  11. This is really more in line with what I think a lot of people wanted the 50th Anniv. Xl to look like, at least I know I did. And it is heaps better looking than the “48”. Being a child of the 70’s, I look back on the styles of that time in both cars and bikes and really appreciate it, so I like this bike. It is, sadly, not enough to get me to overlook the behemoth frame and rubber mounts because I liked that raw feeling my Ironhead bikes had, but I guess that makes me a luddite of sorts.
    Now, I would really be interested if they made something similar to the old K-bike desert sleds…

  12. All HD is doing is adding a few accessories and a paint job and calling it a new model. Same is true with the latest softail they came out with . Seems the last bike that was truly a new design was the Switchback and even that was just a mini version of a Road King. After that it has been remakes of the same ole thing. Have all the designers and engineers left HD ? From what is looks like the Beancounters are now in charge of design. I believe HD is capable of coming out with a completely new platform if a real investment in R&D was made instead of looking at the bottom line. I love my Harleys, but I call it like I see it.

    • The Switrchback..the bike that came out 6 months ago. You are complaining that the last new design came out a whole 6 months ago?

      • It is realy not a new design, just a dyna platform with hard bags. All you have to do is look at all the variations of Sportys, not a lot of innovation going on. The bikes that recently came out could be built by anyone, with just a handful of part available at the parts counter, not innovative. Come on if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it IS a duck.

  14. They need to do a version called “The Barger”( since Sonny rode a Sportster for awhile) and pay him some royalties. They owe him and all the other 1%’s for all the bad-boy wannabes that have made their market.

    • Lot`s of people rode Sportsters, myself included. So what!. But I`ve never belonged to an organization that forces me to ride a certain brand of bike. But since Sonny & the 1%ers do, maybe you`re right!. A bike that you`re forced to ride should be called “The Barger”.

  15. Its kinda cool.

    the only Harley Ive ever ridden was a Sportster 48, and I really liked it.

    I’m not in a position to have two streetbikes presently, but if I did, the other one would very likely be an H-D.

  16. Agree with all the comments – here in England the younger crowd are buying the Iron and 48 and customising them and this will appeal
    Its the Frisco style though (again) about 3 years late?? but will still sell especially when glistening in the sun out on the forecourt – will have to drop the whitewalls though
    Remember the sun? its -5c here now on the south coast of England and with the Siberian wind giving a wind chill of -10c/-15c brrh!!!! Yes, I took the car to work….

  17. Great read. I agree with the need for the front end to be lowered about an inch or so. Cool looking bike. I still feel like they are way overpriced though. If they want more riders and customers they should really think about making the 1200 cost closer to the 883 and the 883 be a real budget bike. I haven’t met a guy on a foreign cruiser yet that hasn’t wanted a Harley but couldn’t drop the coin on one. It seems like with the foreign bikes you’re getting way more for your money. That’s where Harley needs to look. Dollar for dollar what are they giving their customers? Is that 72 really worth the 10.5k? If anything it probably costs less to build than a regular sporty 1200. Just my .02.

    • Fair point but they did sell $40K+ Sportsters last year. Price points are a weird thing. Sometimes pricing something higher than the competition actually helps to sell it. Think iPod or designer jeans.

  18. A well written article. And it would be easy to buy the hook line and sinker except for one thing.

    Bikers, even the posers/bar hoppers, express far more personal identity and commitment to their machines than to their choice in beer, women or career.

    Personally, I’ve done about every stupid mod to a bike that can be imagined, including slapping apes on a Sporty. And having done that and been there, I know from both personal experience in riding such an atrocity and from gaining the insight of the model history and intent, why a Sporty is a Sporty and not a Big Twin. Easy Rider ain’t the same as Cheap Rider or Modest Rider or Almost a Rider.

    Therein lies the heat of the rub for the Harley zealot. To be proud of both the machine and it’s many personalized incarnations, and it really torques off the “wrong factor” of adding apes to a Sporty. You can, however, properly fit a set of clubmans on trimmed down/stroked and poked Dyna. Knowing the why one and not the other is what keeps the posers riding to Applebees and staying the hell out of biker bars.

    I’ll concede that point of view is to the extreme. So is the defining difference between a cafe racer with a kick start and a street cafe with an electric. The one major point that I would argue against is the boring and flaccid politically correct attitude of “be nice, say nice, act nice” mentality. Damn it, if you’re a human being with any concept of what you really like, and any constitution and self worth whatsoever, any actual faith in what you think…then say it! You don’t like the bike I’m ridin? Then as a biker, have a brew with me but be friggin honest and above board and have a real conversation with me. ‘Cause I’m telling you that I don’t like pink on a bike and moped riders need to stay on the far right of the road.

    Because if we all “just want to get along”, then the true path is to appreciate not the machine, not every machine, but the rider’s/buyer’s/builder’s interpretation of presenting that machine and be able to be accepted ourselves for expressing the opinion to like or dislike of a bastardation.

    I’ve got respect for someone that has a real opinion. I have contempt for everyone else. And what I have for those that preach having no opinion other than false praise … utter condemnation.

    • Good comment.

      I believe strong opinions are best in those parts of life that define you, the parts where you’re willing to say, “This is who I am.” It coincides with the admonition to “pick your battles,” because no one has unlimited time or energy to fight every one, so make sure it’s important enough to dig in and give no ground before you open fire.

      For some, motorcycles come up to that standard, for others, not so much. It’s why there’s such a contrast in reactions here to the same things, where one person will say, “both are fine,” while another will say, “this one is right and that one is wrong.” Those reactions can say as much about the person’s choices in life as they do about his stand on that one issue.

      • Agreed on all points, even to the finer grains of distinction without conceding mere cliches. While I know from our history that you (Paul Crowe, the blog maven) and I disagree on more than one issue, you demonstrate heads-up in this reply that a differing opinion actually does have a place.

        I won’t call that back stepping on the your secondary apparent original premise. More of an acknowledgement that there’s room to agree to disagree.

        And certainly in respect for your needs as a writer vs journalist, entertainer and informer rather than professor, I also understand your position to not offend those that support your efforts in the form of sponsorship (or the pursuit thereof).

        I, on the other hand, don’t have to condone the dumbing down of America or the passion in my life from motorcycles to my enrollment in MIT’s Open University of Physics. I, even though no longer a Harley rider, don’t have to enable the poser mentality just because it is used by any brand to hawk merchandise to anyone that can swing a bank note.

        But if this were just about Harley, I’d also say that they are spot on as a builder of “Factory Customs”. There can be no denying that anyone walking into an HD Stealership shouldn’t be impressed with the paint, the chrome, the fit, the final product.

        But in case anyone missed it, the battle I choose to fight, as a biker, isn’t about brands, or styles, or poser vs hard core. It’s about being true to yourself, as a biker or bike rider, to insist on the right to say “it sucks” as well as “that’s cool”. Because the politically correct attitude of only saying good things or keeping your mouth shut is all about manipulation of opinion; and opinion is the little twin sister of free speech; and those are the darlings of the American Way.

        And every biker, bike rider, and bike wannabe on this side of the pond, whether riding American Iron, Brit Steel, or Asian Aluminum, damn well better insist on the right to express an opinion.

        Even a half baked one.

        See ya, gotta get to wrenchin.

    • Seconded (thirded?). I don’t care what you are riding, if you love it and are riding the wheels off it, or at least doing what you enjoy, it’s all good. Hell, I see dudes riding nondescript 70’s generic japanese bikes out here and sometimes wonder how many stories are in those few hundred thousand miles…

  19. I will say that I disagree that these two bikes have more common than one might think. The only commonalities I see are few bits and pieces, like wheel, V-Twin mill, etc. Other than that these two bikes are very far apart. Is it bad? Nope. It’s good actually, because if they were I’d be scratching my head …. there’s no way one person would like both, other than being a split personality. If you like the Storz you like well-handling/lighter bike. If you like the other one, you like the bling, customs look or whatever would be the definition. You don’t care about handling.

    I have friend who’s buying a new bike every month … like to talk about it, kind of. Should I buy a Victory Hammer or Aprilia Dorsoduro??? Are his questions. I always go home and make up your mind …. these two are like a day and night.

    • You missed my point. It’s not one and the same person wanting both bikes, because they are VERY different bikes for very different riders, it’s the idea of making it simple for either rider to get a Sportster modified to his particular needs and desires, even if he doesn’t have the time, skill or inclination to do the work on his own.

      Both bikes do have a lot in common, both begin as a standard Sportster, one swaps out bodywork and suspension pieces to create a cafe racer and the other goes for bling and forward controls. No engine mods involved. A few hours with a wrench and you can change either one into the other.

      • In that case yes, you are correct. I did manage to miss your point.

        The problem is the companies out there never offer Storz version of the Sportster. It’s always the chrome bling version, never the handling one. Any theory why? Except for … “The bling sells more units …”.

  20. Harley got one thing right on this bike, the name. This is almost exactly what we were doing to old Triumphs in ’72, bobbing the rear fenders,removing the front, extending the forks, cutting off the rear frame section, solo seat, small tank, different bars, side mount license plate, etc. We could buy a used ’50’s 650 for $300- $400, and were able to afford the mods and could either sell off the stock pieces, or (more likely) just throw them in the trash ( a total shame, as now I’m paying big $ for original Triumph parts because of this trend). The problem learned from all this is that these mods made a good bike work TERRIBLE in comparison to what we started with. Harley also needs to realize that we would rather have written “FAG” on our t-shirts than put WHITEWALLS on our bikes. Back then, total cash outlay for the whole “custom” was about $600. Would I ride a bike like this Seventy-Two? Maybe if I was 20 years old. Would I own one if I WAS 20? Only if the price was lowered to $4000-$5000, as the market is still flooded with excellent used bikes and $5000 will buy a heck of a bike. Would I buy one now? NO.

    • I remember well a sweet little BSA A10, 16″ automotive bias ply rear tire, 21″ front with no brake (very clean look). The balance in the aesthetic was a bike that didn’t accelerate turn or stop well also wouldn’t go very far between repairs/tunings. It was cool!
      In nearly 40 years of biking though I’ve learned that the wind in my face is only one small part of the motorcycling experience. Crisp acceleration sharp deceleration and deep lean at high speed combine to help an amusement ride become a lifestyle.
      To pick one nit with Paul though, riding with your arms in that comical bogey man pose will make the 72 slower than the XR.
      Long before the fatigue of holding yourself upright without the support of your legs sends you back to the bar your worst possible aerodynamics will have assured that you will be buying the beers.

      • I’ve only thown my leg over two Harley’s in my life. One of them had illegal ape-hangers that made me choose between sitting and holding on. Surprisingly, the old Pan-head was a blast. The rediculously long handle-bars provided great leverage to thow the bike around a bit. Not too much…just a bit.

        • The first Harley I ever sat on was a late 60s sportster set up like a real honest drag racer except for buckhorn handlebars and a little too much chrome that had been re-plated in brass(or maybe copper). The rear shocks had been removed and replaced with solid metal struts. The rear tire was a bias ply narrow “square” racing slick. Kick start only, manual advance magneto, no air cleaner, and straight pipes…and I’m pretty sure the gear shifter was “on the wrong side”.

          I didn’t know what a sportster was at that point in time. I didn’t even know it was made by Harley. Nor did I know how fast the bike actually was when I sat on it. But I fell in love with it immediately when I sat on it. Not for the look or the style but for the way it felt. It was very narrow, very solid, very low, and felt like a moped with a HUGE motor.

          I was stunned and speechless when I was told I was sitting on a Harley Davidson, and even more stunned when told how fast the sucker was in a quarter mile.

          I was crushed when I found out the asking price. It would be roughly a quarter century from that day before I would own my own sportster.

  22. I’m a Harley Master of Technolgy Tech, the last thing HD needs is another non selling Sportster. Our show room is filled with Sportys, and I think we still have a ’10 XR up there. HD needs to cut production, cut 1/2 their model line and drive demand back up. And get rid of that 500 page accessory catalog. I didn’t get into this career to fix GPS, heated grips, fuel gauges and radios. Geez.

  23. I like them both, but I like any bike. If its got two or three wheels I like it. I guess I just went long enough without to appreciate them all. I grin every time I ride, 60cc Yamaha RD, 1100 Moto Guzzi Griso, Honda CF230L I don’t care. I wave to everyone on two wheels. I ride in the rain, not because I have to. Be happy you’re not stuck in a cage! Make your bike yours and enjoy all the freedom it provides. Any way to get another bike on the road and a person out of their car even for a few sunny days is good.

  24. If I were to get a harley it would be this one, I think. It’s a nice looking bike and not loaded up with 500 lbs of extra junk. It’s clean looking.

    However, my current fantasy is a british triple will surely win out 🙂

  25. Whilst this isn’t really my cup of tea, I can see the appeal for long highway rides across the US. I still think you’d be better off buying a stock Sportster and building your own custom though.

  26. I gotta say that I think HD has been missing the boat for a very long time by not making a modern Sporty that has styling cues from an XLCH. Keep the eybrow over the headlight, sit the tank a little lower on the frame, dual saddle that is NOT stepped,18 or even a 19″ rear wheel and a 19″ 0n the front. Use the suspenders off their XR looking thing and decent rubber, with chain drive ( it gives young guys something to do that is hard to screw up and encourages learning to perform simple maintenance. Sit up stance and good lights and they would have something to sell. Put a Buell spec 1200 in it as an option and they could reignite the war with Triumph. Good fun for all and everything is in their parts bin so there is no tooling expenditure.

    • “reignite the war with Triumph”
      Triumph would win hands down. They are a company that is nimble and fast on its feet. Adept at the salami slicing of it’s range. Quick to develop new models that will sell. And the fact the Bonnie is made in Thailand has not affected sales one iota.

  27. I’ll take the one 72 and one Storz 1200. I’m a bit eclectic and have friends in both crowds. Hell, we ride together no matter what we ride.

  28. Well, I guess if this is a custom then we are redefining the word custom. Factories have been doing that for years, I had a ’65 Ford Custom in back when I was in high school.

    If there was a such thing as a factory custom there wouldn’t be a model of it, the customer would sit down with the salesman and say I want this frame, this motor, that seat, red paint with purple flames, etc.

    • No, no. It’s not Your Custom, it’s the Factory’s Custom. Most people have no clue what they want until it’s plopped down in front of them.

      -todd

  29. One of the participants in this debate – “mxs” – has said that you can’t appreciate a bike like the Storz SP1200RR and the Seventy-Two at the same time. I beg to differ. I currently run an ’05 Triumph Thruxton. It’s black, dirty (I often suffer from the “mañana, mañana” syndrome when it comes to washing my bike) and proudly bears various knocks, dents, scrapes and slight traces of corrosion from seven years and 110,000 km (68,350 mi) on the road, all year round, come rain, shine or – occasionally – snow. A complete antithesis to the scene that the Seventy-Two evokes.

    Yet if I had some spare coin to throw around I’d be very tempted to buy this new iteration of the Sporty, because it refers to a scene that has always fascinated me: the over-the-top candyflake paintjobs, extravagant lashings of chrome, apehanger ‘bars… relaxed cruising with your fists in the air, a pudding basin lid on your head and a pair of Ray-Bans hiding your gaze from the mere mortals in their cages and on the sidewalks versus head-down, ar$e-up ton-up hooning, picking the right line to get that corner just right, visualising braking and turn-in points, accelerating out of the corner just at the right moment so not to lose too many revs and keep the flow going…

    At the end of the day, the café racer and chopper scenes are just the two sides of a same coin, two different but equally valid answers to the same conundrum: having a bike that stands out from the crowd, draws people’s attention and makes a statement about who and what you are.

    As the saying goes, “F**k this, let’s ride”. Whatever you ride.

  30. The xlh I put together looked lots like this ‘cept for a hardtail and fatbob tanks. I really enjoyed it for 96000 mi, offed it for what I had in it, and moved on. 1100 kaw. shaft drive w/the works was fun- as was the gold wing. Now I’m on a h-d flh classic, thats ok too, but I worry about dropping it and not being able to pick it up. What a boat anchor, but fun. Slow, underpowered, corners like a semi, but its still “it” right now. By the time we get back from a ride she(my girlfriend) is eager! Long live h-d vibrators!!!!!-FRED-

  31. I love Sportsters but I have this to say about factory customs. Go ahead and buy one but don’t be suprised when someone rides up next to you on the exact same bike. So go ahead and buy and not build a custom but is it custom? Kind of like when all V rods were silver and there were 4 parked in front of the shop. You walk out but don’t know which one is yours. (I forgot you didn’t buy one)

  32. Beautiful.

    Too bad it probably won´t be offered here in Brazil. I would get one for me if it was available here.

    I agree with steve W , however. If it is a factory custom it is not a custom after all. It is for customers which have nor the time nor the skills (or the ca$h whatsoever – aftermarket accessories are EXPENSIVE!!!) to get a bike really “custom made”… and I consider myself one of those… LOL

  33. Then you where oblivious to the customer base of H-D dealerships. As for your university degree in H-D technology, that`s about equal to a class in basket weaving compared to being a tech for most manufacturers, who change their product significantly from year to year, not decade to decade.