Build request is fulfilled in a more gnarly fashion than expected.
Color Request
The brief from Sailor Jerry was pretty straightforward—build a tough, vintage-style machine. The issue was that the popular beverage brand also wanted the bike to carry its trademark red, green and beige colors. Gasoline Motor Co. had other plans and decide to fulfill the request in a much more gnarly fashion.
Photos courtesy of Moto Feelz.
Tough Homage
Owner Jason Leppa stated outright that he was not keen on the color request. He exclaimed, “Call us safe, but we like black!” Having done a previous commission for Sailor Jerry, the Australian-based custom shop decided to flex some creative muscle and satisfy the design call by creating a tough image, while paying homage to the rum company's namesake.
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Best Era
Born 1911 in Reno, Nevada, Norman Collins earned part of his nickname after a stubborn mule that his family owned. 'Sailor' was added after Collins joined the Navy in 1928, at age seventeen. Settling in Honolulu, Hawaii, he plied his tattoo trade as Sailor Jerry until his death in 1973. He is regarded as one of the best tattoo artists of his era.
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Stock Touches
Sailor Jerry, owned by Scottish distillers William Grant & Sons, have partnered with Harley-Davidson before, giving away a number of custom painted bikes in 2018. It seemed only fitting then, that Leppa chose to build on a 2005 Iron 883. Inspired the XL1200N Nightster, and still on offer today, the Iron comes stock with aggressive styling, blacked-out finishes and cool nostalgic touches.
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Vintage Vibes
Dubbed 'Thirsty Spice,' the Iron also fit Leppa's short timeline and tight budget with its lack of chrome and urban appeal. Like most 'theme' builds, the overall rational gets a bit muddied. Leppa calls the reworked Iron a brat-style Frisco chopper, meant to exemplify the vintage Caribbean-cool vibes of the American rum brand—without actually being a vintage machine.
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Satin Paint
Whatever the intent, Thirsty Spice is still a pretty neat little 'bar-hopper,' but range is definitely not a strong point. The gallon and a half, high-mounted, peanut tank also houses the EFI fuel pump and an inset Motogadet speedometer—placed vertically. The tank sports a 'backyard' sponge-splattered charcoal satin paint job, emblazoned with both Gasoline Motor Co. and Sailor Jerry logos.
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Bold Promotion
Operation of the customized Iron gets a little help from known suppliers. Upgraded shocks are from Progressive Suspension, and the mid-controls are from Roland Sands Designs. Tapping into a salt flats racer aesthetic, the rear wheel was fitted with a Mooneyes-style disc, lettered with the statement 'bold and smooth as hell,' presumably a reference to the spiced alcohol being promoted.
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Complete Background
Plucked from a 1970s FL, the upended rear fender carries a nautical-themed good wish to all those bringing up the rear. Kellermann dual-function lights and a custom license plate bracket satisfy the legal requirements. The build took Gasoline Motor Co. about three months to complete. Highlights and a bit of background information can be found in this short YouTube video.
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