Sportsters Of The 2017 Mooneyes Hot Rod Custom Show
Did you think we were going to ignore all of the Harley-Davidson Sportsters from this year’s Yokohama motopalooza? Of course not. There were lots of XL-based bikes in evidence at the Mooneyes event across the Pacific this year, and it would be a crime not to share ’em with you.
Harley-Davidson brought the Sportster into the world in 1957 as a midsize brother to the larger Big Twins. It was a reaction to increasing pressure from European imports after World War II. Since then, the bike has remained the longest-running production platform in The Motor Company’s history. Its lower price tag also makes it a good way to create a righteous custom scoot without murdering your bank account.
This year’s event in Japan packed an excellent cross section of the possibilities to be explored with Sportsters. Vintage restorations, dedicated racebikes, and choppers showed up in force, based on either Ironhead or Evolution motors. Take a look.