While Harley Davidson tries to attract a younger buyer during their struggle to recover from the slow sales of big twin cruisers, they might want to talk to some guys who are creating customs like this one, the XR124, built by Mike Wilson of Dyno Mike’s Dynamic Chassis and Sandy Kosman of Kosman Specialties. Instead of building another bagger or Softail, why not kick up the performance and handling a notch and make the styling a bit more racy.
This bike is called the XR124, built in the XR style and powered by an S&S 124 cubic inch Evo engine. The frame is a twin shock rubber mount with a Buell XB12 front end, using the upside down fork, front fender and Buell 6 piston caliper. Mike built the exhaust, Sandy Kosman did the wheels and Evan Wilcox hammered out the aluminum tank and rear fender.
The whole bike comes in under 500 pounds, not bad for a big twin Harley, and a lot of that weight is in the engine.
I think this a great looking custom with the appearance of a factory model. There nothing really radical here and HD could turn out something like this without any huge investment while appealing to a younger rider.
It’s just one idea the Motor Company could follow up on and it might be a better direction than adding more jackets or boots.
If you would rather not wait for Milwaukee to catch on, you could always contact Mike Wilson to see if he would put one together for you.
You can also see a series of in progress photos as the pair (yes, they built two of these) were being built over a period of seven years!
Link: IronWorks
Link: Dyno Mike’s Dynamic Chassis
links are no longer active
Peter says
Hmmm! I like the bike,but please change that big and too heavy engine to the natural choice for that kind of bike.A sportster engine! It looks much better and it is not so heavy.Well,others might not agree,but imo this is not a cruiser.Its a sport bike and a good looking bike in search of a much better engine.
Just an european point of view!
Brian Zooom says
I think this could be an easily marketable option with the builders for Harley to move/sell some Sportsters like Chevrolet used to do with Lingenfelter for Corvette’s.
Wuwei says
Isn’t Harley already trying to do this idea with the XR1200? It’s not like they haven’t tried this. I like it, and it’s a good idea, but I think they need to branch out a bit more. And, I hate to say it, but despite the slowdown in V-twin cruiser sales, they are still by far the biggest segment and they are still dominated by Harley. I’m not sure the cruiser market has been hit any worse than the sportbike market.
jaxl650 says
Buell perimeter brake + spoke wheel = sweet.
Wuwei says
A follow up post. On one site I saw that overall streetbike sales were down around 41% for 2009, but Harley’s sales were only down 27%. Apparently, the big V-twin cruiser market is not as bad as some others. It’s not my thing, but a lot of folks keep buying them.
kneeslider says
@Wuwei: it’s not that big twin cruisers are down more or less than other bikes, it’s just that Harley doesn’t have much else, except for Sportsters. This is a variation on a big twin that gives it a sportier stance and ride, a nice option without a huge investment from the company, if they chose to go that route.
@jaxl650: “Buell perimeter brake + spoke wheel = sweet.”
Yes it is, Sandy Kosman does nice work.
John S. says
Dang this is cool! Well Harley is kind of doing this with the XR1200 but that bike is just too slow. Something like this would be great. But we all know where Milwaukee thinks the future is. Just ask Eric Buell.
todd says
Juvenile concept with professional execution. Interesting.
-todd
hoyt says
jaxl650 – agreed. Those are great wheels
bndgkmf says
Needs rearsets.
Tin Man 2 says
The XR1200 is very competitive with comparable bikes, Its a great adult sporty Sportster. Instead of a whole new bike like this, Harley should just put the XR on a diet. (never happen). Every time HD brings out a”performance”bike it bombs in the U.S.. Sport Riders dont buy it and HD guys dont either.
Mule says
The whole bike is beautiful! I like the proportions much better than an XR1200. The factory just can’t seem to get it right.Usually not even close. Sandy makes nice stuff and has since I was a wee one.
"W" says
What do I think?
Harley’s management knows what we want and tells us so. It doesn’t want to be bothered with details like us telling them we want.
I like this bike. Harley won’t make it.
SteveD says
I agree with Mule. These lines flow better than the XR1200. I’m not sure you really need that big engine, however. A regular HD 96 inch in a Sportster-sized frame would be plenty of power, especially once the new owner did the usual performance mods.
Of course, I’d like to ride this one. 😉
FREEMAN says
Very nice!
johnny says
I love this, they’ve styled it really nice, and you’re right , it does look a bit factory.I’m not a huge fan of the Buell perimeter brake, but it probably looks amazing in the metal. I’d buy one.
Jack says
i like it, always have been the crusier lover with some high performance thrown in. But this one has a bit of a sports bike look and i bet feel to it. I’d buy one for thos days some of the bro’s and i just want to go toolin around racing eachother. good job fellas….
Richard Gozinya says
Wonder why they went with an Evo, since S&S does have that spiffy X-Wedge. Probably wanted to keep it more traditional looking, or something. Heck, all they’d have to do is get rid of the Harley name on the tank (And move those foot controls back), and they could sell it themselves. I think for something like this, the Harley brand is more a hindrance than a help. Your average Harley type doesn’t want sporty, and people who want sporty tend to not want a Harley.
David/cigarrz says
I like it it’s a pleasing example of 10lb in a 5lb sack, just the way I like my women.
steve w says
They didn’t have to use the Big Twin. When Tom Henline was at S&S he did a 124 on S&S Sportster cases in a Sportster. Over 140 mph quarter miles and 9.70’s if I remember. But the bike looks good. Sure HD is giving everyone the XR1200 but with no power. They need to step up with more inches and put the sport back in a Sportster. It really is pretty easy and cheap for them to do and they don’t have to go that far on cubic inches to make it fun again.
David R says
Why not put the new buell engine in it and save a lot more weight…. better yet just build the new version buell that was slated for production.
Thom says
I think if Harley REALLY cared about luring younger buyers to the brand, they’d have let Erik Buell do what he wanted instead of watering down his designs, and, ultimately, closing Buell down. Oh, and maybe they’d sell something that a younger person can actually AFFORD- that isn’t “designed for shorter people.”
Reffect says
I think they did the right thing by putting the larger engine in it. No one in America is going to take it seriously if there were no big HP gain.
JustJoe says
Somehow, this looks “right” aesthetically, while the XR 1200 looks awkward, while not having the kind of power or handling to make one overlook the ugly. I’m sure they could save a bunch of weight with modern wheels, but spokes with a perimeter brake is sweet looking and unique.
joe says
Nice looking bike,but why call it a Harley Davidson when it has an S&S engine, Buell front end and custem made gas tank ? What about X124 Wilkos
Carbon-arc says
So big cruisers aren’t selling, and they want to get into a younger market. They just killed their innovative sister company who could design for the younger market.
Kenny says
As a Harley hater I will say this. It’s a pretty looking bike but it needs rearsets and hence better exhaust routing, and a beefier swing arm. Seriously I think my 30 year old twin shock scrambler has a bigger swinger.
kneeslider says
Some of you say HD is already doing something like this with the XR1200. As a few others have already mentioned, this bike has very different proportions and, at least to my eye, looks much better, the XR1200 is a bit off in styling, this one flows very well.
There’s no reason to downsize the engine, either. Sure it’s big, that’s the whole point, big displacement, lots of power and still a fun bike. It’s a different way of building a big twin. Instead of focusing on cruising it focuses on a more aggressive posture.
Like so many bikes, it may not appeal to everyone, but I like it a lot and I bet more than a few of you do, too.
PeteP says
The footpegs are still waaaaay too far forward. Why?
Bigshankhank says
I too prefer these lines better, a lot smoother than the more angular factory XR1200. However I still don’t see why they went with such a giant engine. Why not lever a rotax 1125 engine into it for some real power with less weight? They’ve got to have a few of them lying around. Nice execution for what they used, and of course not being bound to the EPA like H-D is they can get away with saving huge weight on things like pipes so a comparison is unfair, but I don’t agree with some of the component choices. To each their own.
SteveD says
If a private group builds it then by all means keep the 124 engine. For the hypothetical question of whether HD should build something like this, then they will obviously use their own engines, maybe the 110 at best. The Revolution engine would also work, but they would need to do something with that pesky radiator. Still the Revo might find a home in something like this. Not only can a private builder play looser with EPA regs, but they can charge more and sell a relatively small number. HD would have to keep the price down (well) below $20K and would want to sell thousands (at least).
kneeslider says
My whole point for highlighting this bike, besides showing a very nice high quality build, was to show a pretty straightforward way to shift the target for a Harley Davidson big twin. This still isn’t a sport bike, obviously, but it looks like it would be a lot of fun to ride. If all of your friends ride GSX-Rs, something else would be a better choice, but I could ride this all day and probably get a lot of grins in the process.
Even if Harley didn’t want to go after the twenty-something market, there are a lot of us older riders who would consider a bike like this even if we have no desire to buy a full dress bagger. It’s an option for those looking for something a little different. Maybe it’s a better opportunity for an aftermarket company but I think it’s an opportunity for someone, even if Harley has no interest in anything like this.
SteveD says
Let me ask a real question, i.e., not a comment disguised as a question. 😉 Is there really a serious market for this? The “kneeslider” comment made me think that in some ways this bike is neither fish nor fowl; people would go for a real sport bike or a real Harley. What are the market analogies to this bike and how do they sell? My first thoughts are the V Max, some of the Guzzis, and maybe the retro Ducatis. Do any of these have a sizable or at least young market?
kneeslider says
SteveD, your comparison to the VMax, some Guzzis and Ducatis is pretty accurate. Just because a rider has been around a while and doesn’t want a razor sharp sport bike, doesn’t mean he wants to tour on a Gold Wing.
nortley says
The right side looks kind of bare with the pipes on the left. A kicker could add both static and kinetic interest here.
Mule says
This is just a very cool bike built by a guy with a vision. It’s not a marketing exercise or the answer to the question that nobody asked. It’s just a bike a guy built. Period. Appreciate it for what it is. A huge motor in an upright bike that makes the guy that built it happy. Is there a market for it? For what? A giant motor in a heavy bike thats fun to ride? Maybe, maybe not. Who cares? It’s a very nice looking peice and knowing Sandy, the engineering of it will be pretty fricking well thought out and executed damn near pefect. Not to be compared with anybody’s “Chopper” build. This thing will actually function. I bet it’s a handful to ride and no, it’s not built for the PC masses to consume. This is pushing the design envelope in a little bit different direction.
The only reason I mentioned the XR1200 earlier was becuase of the lines of this bike and the quirky looks of the XR1200. One would think a company the size of Harley or Triumph could produce something this clean and seamless. A bike with these lines and a stock Sportster motor would make a really nice standard bike, but Harley has decided what we want so you’ll never see it.
JeCo says
I have seen this bike several times and its very cool in person. The pics really do it no justice. The bike is really short which is why I think it looks so much better then the XR1200 as well there are no gaps in its lines. The exhaust.. WOW.. just WOW..
Produce this with a sub 7k price tag and you will have the next honda dream on your hands. It would make an amazingly fun daily commute bike.
Phoebe says
Wow, I’ve never seen a perimiter brake on a spoked wheel before. Way cool! Excellent execution overall. Just looking at the pics, I would have never guessed it to be a Big Twin. I’ll bet it cuts an imposing figure in person.
Mule says
JeCo, not to burst your bubble, but a production bike, even anything that “Looked” like this, not to mention with a fraction of the complonents would be closer to $25K if a run of these were built. Maybe with a 250 motor and built in China. Hey wait a minute, I think we already beat that Chinese horse to death a few days ago! Seriously though, while we’re in Disneyland, why not bikes just like this for $5K? Or $3.5K?
John says
Like a bunch of TV journalists, “why didn’t they do this?” “why don’t they do that?” “I hate Harleys so I wouldn’t want one.” So what, the guy built the bike HE wanted to build and if you people don’t like it so what. All most of you do is critisize.
SteveD says
It’s the nature of any internet forum. You put up a picture, you say “What do you folks think”, and someone will tell you what they think. Besides, most folks like the bike just fine. Most of the comments have concerned the possibility of something like this going into production, which is the only way many of us might ever afford to buy one.
Jim Flower says
I like it.
Hats off to the builders.
I have one idea though, that could be cool and really enhance this project.
Something I have toyed with for years.
Same S&S 124 engine, but with two front heads. (Resembles a Vincent.)
High scrambles pipes on the right side, with two carbs pointing back.
Redshift Cams has a big cam grind for the two front head setup, so everything but the pipes are off the shelf.
Not to take anything away from the build, (it is lovely.)
Just thinking out of the box here.
Jim
Greybeard says
It’s well past time Harley went all the way to making that a unit engine.
The primary is anachronistic, heavy and too aesthetically dominant.
Totally screws a nice design.
American-V says
Interesting concept but too heavy, too low and too long. An XR1200 would lose it in the bends, and there’s more than enough horses to release from the Sportster/XR/XB motor to give it a run for its money on the straights, adding a 6-speed that it would make more use of than the lazy tourers can, and which will also more readily support proper rear-sets, twin front heads – like Vincent and XR750/1000 – and is only free-breathing and a minor styling tweak or two away from being a truly excellent real-world motorcycle.
David/cigarrz says
I got to agree with Mule and Kneeslider Its one mans wonderfully executed idea. Please take your 7000.00 build us something of yours to admire. I am really amazed that cyclist have pigeon holed themselves to the extent that we see today. Your grandfathers don’t recognize most of you.
steve w says
I own 2 bikes with S&S 124’s and if anyone thinks they aren’t a total blast to ride, well you haven’t sat on 140+ ft lbs of torque. Sure I own to old Classic Triumph Bonniville and others but this bike would be a real hoot. I still would rather have seen a 124 Sportster engine but the fact is the bike is really neat.
JR says
I was just wondering how these guys get away with having the Harley name on the tank. I would think Harley would kick up a fuss.
Richard Gozinya says
JR, I don’t think they’re selling it, just showing off something spiffy they did. If they were selling it, then it’d have their own company’s name on it.
Yeti says
This is a nice looking bike. I’d enjoy a ride on it. But then again… I ride a Buell, you know, the production motorcycle for around 10k that would attract twenty somethings to the Harley brand. Even though I’m 46.
BigHank53 says
The foot controls can’t go any further back because your foot will foul the clutch. It’s one of the biggest drawbacks of the big twin motor. “Cop bike” is about as aggressive a position as you can create, unless you want to spend 10k on a transmission with the output shaft on the right side of the bike.
Harley….well, let’s see if the albatross of their financing arm drags them under or not.