Daily Slideshow: Shaw Speed & Custom's Nightster Custom

Shaw Speed & Custom

Shaw Speed & Custom is fresh off an AMD Championship win and, by the looks of this custom build, it's setting itself up for another one at the next AMD championship. This is yet another custom Harley-Davidson Sportster build. Although the Sportster has been the base of countless builds, Shaw found a way to make this Nightster-based custom stand out from the crowd. The guys at Shaw have named this bike the 'F1-XLR' and, if the paint looks familiar, that's because it's the same paint scheme as the one Mclaren Formula 1 team has used on their cars. 

1920s Inspiration

This custom Sportster was inspired by 1920s Harley-Davidson board racers, but there's a lot more to it than just classic style. In true Shaw fashion, there's a modern meets contemporary style to this build. Take the digital speedometer and metallic blue bars lined with three orange buttons on each side, something which wouldn't look out of place on a light cycle from Tron. The smokey grey paintwork too is very crisp and modern, but you would expect nothing less from the paint used by McLaren's Formula 1 team. The racing theme continues on the tank where an emergency stop button sits dead center.  

>>Join the conversation about this Nightster turned F1-XLR right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum.

New Venture

This custom Nightster prototype is coming straight out of the Shaw workshop in England, but there's an Aussie influence on this bike that isn't evident at a glance. This comes from the Australian businessman who has teamed up with Shaw for this new project. The aim of the project is to incorporate vintage racing influences into the modern Harley-Davidson Sportster platform. And, if this build is anything to go by, the project should be a huge success. 

>>Join the conversation about this Nightster turned F1-XLR right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum.

Performance Upgrade

This Nightster may be inspired by Harley-Davidsons from the 1920s but it will outperform almost anything it meets on the road today, thanks to some performance upgrades from Shaw. The 1200cc V-twin engine in the F1-XLR breaths more easily thanks to a set of custom pipes and a ram-air intake. Bigger pushrod tubes, a shortened cam cover and modified Covington rocker covers have also been fitted. The split-design gas tank now also houses an oil reservoir. Although to be fair, this was done more for aesthetic reasons than performance.

>>Join the conversation about this Nightster turned F1-XLR right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum.

All About Handling

Yes, the F1-XLR looks great and, from the previous slide, we know it goes like stink too but, does it handle? Well, the upside-down forks taken from a VRSCF V-Rod Muscle will certainly help things in the handling department. Attached to these forks are clip-on bars which will do a good deal to get the rider into an aggressive riding stance too. At the rear, WP suspension takes care of the dampening and the Sportster's belt drive has been replaced by a chain. Adding to the broad track feel are 21-inch Performance Machine wheels front and rear. Up front, braking is taken care of by duel 13-inch rotors and six-pot calipers, while an anodized master cylinder from Performance Machine gives the rider all the feedback they could ask for at the lever. This writer, for one, hopes Shaw finds success with this project and keeps producing 1920s inspired Sportsters like this.

>>Join the conversation about this Nightster turned F1-XLR right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum.

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