{"id":6999,"date":"2018-08-08T10:00:53","date_gmt":"2018-08-08T10:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hotbike.local\/basic_content\/jeremy-cupps-monster-harley-davidson-sportster\/"},"modified":"2022-01-02T17:53:22","modified_gmt":"2022-01-02T17:53:22","slug":"jeremy-cupps-monster-harley-davidson-sportster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/jeremy-cupps-monster-harley-davidson-sportster\/","title":{"rendered":"Jeremy Cupp\u2019s Monster Harley-Davidson Sportster"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jeremy Cupp comes from a long<\/strong> line of builders and machinists. Years ago, he founded LC Fabrications in Grottoes, Virginia, to satisfy his love for tinkering and old bikes, mainly Triumphs and Sportsters<\/a>. LC Fab makes beautiful customs, but this superb trail-ready Sportster grew not out of a desire for art but from a need to decompress.<\/p>\n

The idea was simple: a stock Sportster with knobby tires and Stiletto shocks. Before long, the bike got pushed to a corner of the LC shop in favor of paying gigs, as personal projects do. But the Sporty in the corner kept catching Jeremy\u2019s eye.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d seen a few Sportster dirt bikes floating around Instaface, but I hadn\u2019t really seen one done proper,\u201d he says. \u201cBeing a guy who typically makes everything from scratch, I wanted to see a modified Harley<\/a> that actually looked like a modified Harley.<\/p>\n

2018 harley-davidson monster sportster<\/p>\n
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Custom swingarm and monoshock suspension on LC Fabrications\u2019 dirt Sportster.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Adam Scott<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI decided to redo the entire subframe and make a billet swingarm so I could convert to a monoshock rear suspension,\u201d he says. \u201cI hadn\u2019t seen anyone do a true modern rising-rate linkage setup, so I set out to be the first.\u201d After a couple of tries, Jeremy sorted the linkage setup so that it both fit the frame and worked properly. By then, there was no turning back.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy simple, quick dirt bike had grown into an actual custom project<\/a>!\u201d he says, laughing. And the rear end was just the beginning. Note the front suspension\u2014that\u2019s a Showa fork from a Yamaha YZ250 motocrosser, chopped 3 inches.<\/p>\n

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Harley-Davidson Sportster details<\/p>\n
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So many killer details\u2014like the way the side cover flares out around the pipe, or the custom air cleaner designed to look like one of H-D\u2019s old ones but slimmed up.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Adam Scott<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

With the suspension dialed in, it was time to address the bodywork. After checking out Indian\u2019s FTR750<\/a> at the International Motorcycle Shows and noting its carbon-fiber setup, Jeremy had a revelation. \u201cI never cared much for carbon fiber, but after seeing that Scout flat tracker, it occurred to me that I\u2019d been looking negatively at a process I knew nothing about,\u201d he says. \u201cSo I decided to learn.\u201d Again, several attempts were made, and screwed up, before he finally got it right. \u201cI have a new appreciation for well-done carbon fiber.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next came the power plant. With limited resources for his pet project, Jeremy did what independent builders do: He scoured the shop. \u201cThe only engine that matched the frame was nothing more than an empty set of H-D cases,\u201d he says. \u201cBut I was also able to come up with a nice Keihin CV carb, Buell flywheel and heads, and a pair of S&S 1250 cylinders.\u201d Jeremy\u2019s Sportster had suddenly morphed into a monster.<\/p>\n

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2001 Harley-Davidson Sportster rider<\/p>\n
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Jeremy Cupp with his monster Sporty.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Adam Scott<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI had no intentions of building a performance engine!\u201d he says, laughing. \u201cIt\u2019s just what I had to work with.\u201d Not wanting to half-ass anything at this point, Jeremy completed the conversion by clipping off the starter nose while the cases were split and hooking up a Led Sled kickstarter unit he had lying around. He then machined a custom primary drive from billet and incorporated a hydraulic clutch slave, using the Rotax internals from a Buell 1125R. Jeremy made the exhaust himself as well, from 1-3\/4-inch stainless, and even constructed a handmade muffler using the guts from a Harley exhaust.<\/p>\n

While its intricacies are many and its details spectacular\u2014the hand controls are off a freakin\u2019 Ducati\u2014it\u2019s the Aermacchi\/AMF-era paint scheme that really brings the Sportster together as a complete package. It took more than three years, but the final result is a dirt bike that\u2019s a showstopper and, yes, looks like a Harley-Davidson. You can check it out this summer at Fuel Cleveland in July and at the Brooklyn Invitational in September.<\/p>\n

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Harley-Davidson gas tank<\/p>\n
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This ain\u2019t AMF, this is LCF.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Adam Scott<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Specifications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/th>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
General<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Owner<\/td>\nJeremy Cupp<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shop<\/td>\nLC Fabrications<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Website<\/td>\nlcfabrications.com<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Year\/Make\/Model<\/td>\n2001 H-D XL883<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fabrication<\/td>\nLC Fabrications<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Build Time<\/td>\nOn and off over three years<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Engine<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Year\/Type\/Size<\/td>\n2001\/Sportster\/1250cc<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Builder<\/td>\nLC Fabrications<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cases<\/td>\nH-D<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cylinders<\/td>\nS&S<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Heads<\/td>\nBuell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rocker Boxes<\/td>\nH-D<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cams<\/td>\nH-D<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Throttle Body<\/td>\nCV carb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Air Cleaner<\/td>\nLC Fabrications \u201cmini ham can\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Exhaust<\/td>\nLC Fabrications\/Cone Engineering<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Transmission<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Year\/Type<\/td>\n2001\/five-speed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gears<\/td>\nStock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Clutch<\/td>\nBarnett<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Primary Drive<\/td>\nH-D<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Frame<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Year\/Type<\/td>\n2001 Sportster<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rake\/Stretch<\/td>\nStock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Suspension<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Front end<\/td>\nShowa\/YZ250<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Length<\/td>\n33.5 inches<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Triple Trees<\/td>\nLC Fabrications<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Swingarm<\/td>\nLC Fabrications<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rear Shocks<\/td>\n2015 Triumph Tiger monoshock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wheels, Tires, and Brakes<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Front<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Builder\/Size<\/td>\nLC Fabrications\/21-inch<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tire\/Size<\/td>\nKenda Big Block 90\/90\/21<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Calipers<\/td>\nYamaha random sportbike<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rotors<\/td>\nV-Rod\/LC Fabrications centers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rear<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Builder\/Size<\/td>\nLC Fabrications\/18-inch<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tire\/Size<\/td>\nKenda Big Block 150\/70\/18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Caliper<\/td>\nGSXR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rotor<\/td>\nV-Rod\/LC Fabrications center<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pulley<\/td>\nLC Fabrications<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Finish\/Paint<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Manufacturer<\/td>\nDuPont<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Colors<\/td>\nRAL Grey<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Paint\/Graphics<\/td>\nLC Fabrications<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Powdercoating<\/td>\nDefensecoat, Richmond, Virginia<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Accessories<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Front Fender<\/td>\nLC Fabrications, carbon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rear Fender<\/td>\nLC Fabrications, carbon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gas Tank<\/td>\nLC Fabrications, carbon over steel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dash<\/td>\nLC Fabrications<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gauges<\/td>\nMotogadget<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Handlebars<\/td>\nLC Fabrications<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Grips<\/td>\nOury<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hand Controls<\/td>\nDucati\/Motone switches<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Foot Controls<\/td>\nStock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Headlight<\/td>\nHella<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Taillight<\/td>\nLC Fabrications<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Seat<\/td>\nLC Fabrications<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Misc.<\/td>\nOne-off billet monoshock swingarm with true rising-rate linkage; starter removed permanently; Led Sled kicker conversion; one-off billet primary cover with hydraulic clutch actuation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jeremy Cupp comes from a long line of builders and machinists. Years ago, he founded LC Fabrications in Grottoes, Virginia, to satisfy his love for tinkering and old bikes, mainly Triumphs and Sportsters. LC Fab makes beautiful customs, but this superb trail-ready Sportster grew not out of a desire for art but from a need […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":77,"featured_media":45125,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5043],"tags":[3470,247,13,4,120],"motorcycle_parts":[],"motorcycle_models":[5076],"motorcycle_builders":[],"motorcycle_gear":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6999"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/77"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6999"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6999\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6999"},{"taxonomy":"motorcycle_parts","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motorcycle_parts?post=6999"},{"taxonomy":"motorcycle_models","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motorcycle_models?post=6999"},{"taxonomy":"motorcycle_builders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motorcycle_builders?post=6999"},{"taxonomy":"motorcycle_gear","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motorcycle_gear?post=6999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}