Harley-Davidson Sportster Racer by DanMoto
Daily Slideshow: DanMoto has an established name in the aftermarket business. But by building this beauty from scratch, they are showing off exactly what they are capable of.
Showing Off Dan Moto
With 10 years of experience in the industry, and having built a reputation as one of the top aftermarket parts suppliers out there, the DanMoto crew decided to build a little more than just an exhaust. They chose to display their craftsmanship by building a complete bike. The Sportster they have created shows off their expression of sheer quality, as well as sportiness.
Harley of Choice
And of course, the Harley model that comes to mind for the purposes of this project has to be the wonderful Sportster. They went with the Sportster for its engine and the fact that it is one of the most accessible in the industry. They wanted to build around the Sportster base to show their fabrication skills. The DanMoto manager Wei Liya wanted to be sure to build every part using the same equipment they use in their everyday production.
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Only the Heart Remains
So, when they got their donor Sportster, they knew that the only thing they really needed to keep intact was the engine. Everything else around it has been replaced and fabricated specifically for this build. The guys went to work designing their new structure around the engine.
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Building it Back Up
The team CNC'ed the majority of the parts out of billet aluminum for the Sportster. They put the frame together and powder coated it. Then, it was time to build the suspension. They used front forks from a GSXR1000 and mounted it to a modified lower triple tree and top tree which they also built. They grabbed the wheels from a GS1200SS and a rear shock from a Ducati Monster.
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The Dan Moto Touch
Examples of DanMoto brilliance can be found spread around throughout the different parts of the bike. There are parts that came from their production line, and there are also a variety of items that were machined and built from scratch for this project.
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Carbon's a Bitch
Wei would tell you just how much of a bitch Carbon-fiber is to make. The team hand-crafted all the carbon panels and fitted them perfectly. "[it] was a pain in the ass" to put everything together, as he put it. But judging by the results, I think it's safe to say he'd be happy to do it again.
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The Finish
The amount of hard work that went into getting this beauty looking as good as it does cannot be overstated. The guys at DanMoto had to filler and sand the fiberglass for multiple days to get it up to their quality standards. All told, considering the fact that a lot of the parts had to be built from scratch for this project, the fact that it took them four months to put this Sportster together sounds pretty impressive. If this one is any indicator as to what DanMoto is capable of producing, we sure hope they keep on building more Harleys in the future.
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For maintenance and repair guides for your Harley, browse our technical How-to articles right here on HDForums.com!
