Daily Slideshow: Made in Taiwan Never Looked So Good
2Loud Customs in Taiwan built one beautiful, award-winning, custom Sportster bobber that has a style that crosses all international borders.
1. Modern classic
There used to be a time when we saw the label "Made in Taiwan" and associated it with cheap, low-quality products. Over the past couple of decades, however, the quality of Taiwanese merchandise has improved greatly and after seeing the beauty and quality built into this custom Sportster, it's pretty clear that, in the city of New Taipei City, 2 Loud Customs is intent on keeping that good reputation going.
2. A collection of beautifully crafted parts
Each piece that went into the design of this bike was touched in some way. Anything not crafted by hand was hand-polished and tweaked in some way. The custom gas cap, the taillights, the seat and even the tiny details like the choke knob and custom fabbed tank lines are a subtle collection of beautifully crafted parts that make this bike a rolling piece of artwork.
3. Polished details
The hand-polished springer front end shows the imperfections of the steel that is indicative of years of use. Polishing it by hand instead of grinding and polishing it with a machine makes for a beautiful representation of the history and the functional beauty of it. The polished rocker covers, the fuel sight gauge, and the custom gas cap can also be seen clearly here.
4. Details abound
Looking even closer, you can see that details abound on this custom machine: heavy walled exhaust tips; low-mounted rear marker lights; elegantly simple handlebar switch gear; custom cut air cleaner cover; redesigned oil tank; and custom trimmed engine case and drive pulley covers. The guys at 2Loud wanted to build a bike that was elegant, functional and powerful, with a custom design and classic undertones, and they achieved that goal ten-fold.
5. Mooneyes Pick
The judges at the 26th Annual Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show agreed, too, awarding them the Mooneyes Pick of the Show award, a justified win for the guys at 2Loud Customs. Their hard work, attention to detail, and artistic design that came from a plain, stock Harley-Davidson XL883C is evident in this build.
6. Made in Taiwan never looked so good
I'm a died-in-the-wool patriot. I love America, I love American designs, and I love seeing the label "Made in USA" on my stuff. I'm also a motorcycle enthusiast, almost certifiable depending on who you ask, and I appreciate any bike that has the right combination of form and function, regardless of where it was built.
I'll admit that as a kid I used to try to hide the "Made in Taiwan" labels on my stuff. I grew up in a single-income, working-class family. My parents did their best to provide for me, my brother, and my sister, and they did a good job of it. We always had food on the table, a warm clean house, and clothes on our backs. Even though the tags on those clothes sometimes said they were made in a tiny Asiatic country, far away from my beloved U.S. of A., at least we had clothes to wear, which is more than some other kids had.
One thing I've learned in my years of chasing two wheels is that you don't have to be an American citizen to build a beautifully crafted machine. The guys over at 2Loud Customs in Taiwan really aren't that different than the custom motorcycle builders over here on our soil. They love building things with their bare hands using the skills that were passed on from their forefathers, they love custom Harley-Davidson motorcycles and they love their country. This bike is a great example of the beauty and design that comes from collaboration, vision, and pride, and it is one that, if it were mine, I would proudly display a tag that said, "Made in USA, Custom Built in Taiwan."
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