Daily Slideshow: 1999 883 Becomes a Scrambler

Year of the Scrambler

2015 became the Year of the Scrambler. In recent times, some manufacturers have realized that this is becoming the governing category in the alternative philosophy arena. Originally, Triumph produced a factory Scrambler, then later Ducati offered one. More recently, Moto Guzzi put out on the market a kit to convert their V7 into an enduro, suited to explore off-road expeditions.

Character of a Scrambler

What generally characterizes a Scrambler is the adaptation of a road bike into an all-terrain motorcycle. As these bikes try to get from point A to B as quickly as possible, it is important that they are lightweight, powerful, and reliable. Some key characteristics of the Scrambler are; A higher mounted exhaust for ground clearance • A shorter, padded seat • Torque over top end power • Visual simplicity • Lightweight components • Smaller tanks • Mini-gauges, and a tucked-in light. • Chunky off-road tires with spoked-wheels. Aesthetically, the bike appears as though all unnecessary features have been taken off, stripped down - the Scrambler was born out of the desire for lighter, faster bikes that could handle well in rough conditions.

Meet Benjie

The Harley-Davidson motorcycle offers the largest selection and certainly the most varied items to allow accessorizing on a ride. The manufacturers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin will not be in competition with the European Scrambler-makers anytime soon, but that doesn’t stop creative customizing to occur by talented bike builders targeting conversion of the Sportsters. Benjie Flipprboi of Edison, New Jersey, owner of Benjie’s Café Racers, had an old ‘99 Sportster 883 just sitting in his shop. He said: “It was a small, beat-up bike with a chromed-out engine and mismatched wheels. For a long time, we didn’t know what to do with it.” He considered making it a “bobber”, which originated as the 'Cut Down', which appeared in the late 1920s, and which was based on the Harley-Davidson 'J' series v-twin. By removing the front fender, shortening the rear, and removing all excess accessories, the motorcycle was significantly lightened. Benjie also considered turning the Sporty into a Café’ Racer, but although he had made plenty of those, it wasn’t what he really wanted to do with the beat-up old bike. He chose to convert it into a machine that could be ridden everywhere. He decided to call his creation the “American Scrambler”. He borrowed some Suzuki forks, added some of his own custom modifications and he was on his way.

Benjie's Creation

He fit the machine with longer shocks, lightweight aluminum wheels, and knobby tires. He ran into a barricade when he realized that a typical Scrambler tank wouldn’t fit on the Harley frame, so Benjie fabricated a custom tank that would follow the shape of the cylinder heads. He finished the overall look with bare, but polished aluminum and topped it off with black flames painted on the tank.

Nice Curves

Next, they tailored a leather seat that contoured the motorcycle starting at the shape of the tank and curved it up in the rear, while making the seat so skinny, it barely exposed the rails of the frame.

The Next generation

Riders from Benjie’s generation aren’t usually fans of chrome engines, so he sandblasted all of the bike’s original chrome, as well as the number plate, the fenders and the front skid plate to get a “pitted” matte finish. For more power, he upsized the 883 with a 1200cc piston kit.

Not the Usual Sportster

The standard Sportster belt drive was even removed as well as the side cover to expose the sprocket and make way for a gold chain.

The Defining Element

According to Benjie, the defining element of any Scrambler is its exhaust pipes. He fabricated a 2 into 2 stainless steel exhaust and raised them to capture the look of the “old school” scramblers.

Looking for Adventure

Benjie decided he needed to add one more detail: a leather bag for long off-road runs that could be removed at his whim (he matched it with the seat). He added an aluminum plate to keep the mud off the bag while on one of his excursions.

Functional and Fun

I owned a 2009 Custom 1200XL Sporty. That was a fun bike to play on. It handled quite well around curves and was a blast to simply be able to go out and play on the road...but the American Scrambler was built to handle the terrain or the asphalt.                                 

RIDE ON!                                            

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