General Harley Davidson Chat Forum to discuss general Harley Davidson issues, topics, and experiences.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Harley Custom ideas

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old May 27, 2019 | 03:35 PM
  #1  
TominAlaska's Avatar
TominAlaska
Thread Starter
|
Stage IV
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Anchorage
Question Harley Custom ideas

Looking for ideas.

I sold my ultra glide and am looking for ideas on what me and my grandson (12 yo) can build this winter. Mostly body, handlebars, paint, exhaust and everything outside the engine.

Here's some basic info.
we are in the beginner to medium skill set.
I'm looking for a daily driver, 10 or so miles each way.
I'd like to stay between the years 2009 and 2015.
I'm 6' + so I'm going to stay away from the sportsers.
I don't have enough knowledge to do a complete basket case build.

We'd love to hear some ideas from your experience.

Thanks,

Tom and Brayden.

 

Last edited by TominAlaska; May 27, 2019 at 06:34 PM.
Reply
Old May 27, 2019 | 04:23 PM
  #2  
0maha's Avatar
0maha
Seasoned HDF Member
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 6,554
Likes: 4,795
From: Omaha
Default

Sounds like a wonderful thing for you and your grandson to do together! Bravo!

Your question is completely open ended, so I'd start with a few considerations:

- Do you want the bike to be a rider? Something you could reasonably put hundreds of miles on at a time? Or is this more about the build experience, and an "around the block" machine is all you want?

- Have you considered looking for a basket case and putting it back together? Those can be fun.

- Sportsters (and about everything about them) are cheaper than big twins.

- You will inevitably end up needing to do some fabrication (mounting brackets, etc) so think through a plan for that stuff.

Just a few thoughts. Good luck and have fun!
 
Reply
Old May 27, 2019 | 04:32 PM
  #3  
wandrur's Avatar
wandrur
Cruiser
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 218
Likes: 67
From: Fredericksburg, Virginia
Default

Another suggestion on the affordability of building a Sportster, especially a basket case one.

Sounds like a great idea! I hope you'll give us a thread on the progress once you decide something.
 
Reply
Old May 27, 2019 | 06:29 PM
  #4  
TominAlaska's Avatar
TominAlaska
Thread Starter
|
Stage IV
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Anchorage
Default

Originally Posted by 0maha
Sounds like a wonderful thing for you and your grandson to do together! Bravo!

Your question is completely open ended, so I'd start with a few considerations:

- Do you want the bike to be a rider? Something you could reasonably put hundreds of miles on at a time? Or is this more about the build experience, and an "around the block" machine is all you want?

- Have you considered looking for a basket case and putting it back together? Those can be fun.

- Sportsters (and about everything about them) are cheaper than big twins.

- You will inevitably end up needing to do some fabrication (mounting brackets, etc) so think through a plan for that stuff.

Just a few thoughts. Good luck and have fun!


This is why I posted it here, the questions a great and I'm going to reword mine now.

Thanks,

Tom
 
Reply
Old May 27, 2019 | 08:13 PM
  #5  
moparnut72's Avatar
moparnut72
Tourer
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 485
Likes: 84
From: Quincy, Ca
Default

+1 on the Sportster. I know you said no on a Sporty. I am 6' and rode one for two years. You will fit on one just fine. I went to a Big Twin for touring purposes but I love Sportys. I would love to have one in addition to my Slim but not going to happen due to finances. An excellent design and easy to work on.
kk
 
Reply
Old May 28, 2019 | 09:04 PM
  #6  
wandrur's Avatar
wandrur
Cruiser
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 218
Likes: 67
From: Fredericksburg, Virginia
Default

^^What he said.

I'm 6'2" and rode Sportsters for 13 years. But totally understand wanting to build something you know you'll want to ride.
 
Reply
Old May 28, 2019 | 09:09 PM
  #7  
TwiZted Biker's Avatar
TwiZted Biker
Club Member
15 Year Member
Loved
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 10
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 66,110
Likes: 51,394
From: Niles Canyon Ca.
Default

If you are planning on doing real custom work and not just bolt on trinkets do you really want to keep all the electronic complexity the model years you targeted? EFI alone really boxes you in, finding an older carbed bike will open many more doors for simplicity, parts selections and playing with things without all the extra crap to hide or deal with.
 
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
TominAlaska
Custom Models
1
Jun 5, 2019 09:59 PM
NVFD740
Sportster Models
11
Feb 22, 2013 06:21 PM
Mrwad3
General Topics/Tech Tips
0
Nov 12, 2012 12:01 PM
Thundercloud
Touring Models
15
Feb 10, 2008 08:14 PM
BuckeyeFanInFL
Ironhead
6
Dec 5, 2006 11:15 AM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:03 AM.

story-0
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-1
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-2
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-3
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-4
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-5
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-6
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-7
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE