Customizing is an integral part of the Harley-Davidson culture, which has birthed several exciting builds. While we’ve covered a lot of them from around the world, there’s equal - if not more - talent right in the States too. New York-based A&J Cycles is an apt example of this, and the shop has numerous projects under its belt. One of the finest ones, however, is a custom Harley-Davidson Sportster that can smoke Japanese superbikes on a drag strip.
Custom Harley-Davidson Sportster By A&J Cycles
The custom motorcycle is built around a 2007 Harley-Davidson Nightster but looks anything like it. This is thanks to a plethora of upgrades, the most notable being the tail section. A&J Cycles has chopped the Nightster’s subframe and replaced the stock swingarm with a 6-inch longer unit. The custom swingarm makes way for a 180-section rear tire and houses longer 14-inch shock absorbers to raise the tail end.
Like the tail, things are quite fancy at the opposite end too. The Nightster has ditched its telescopic forks and flaunts beefy upside-down units, alongside bigger, double-disc brakes clamped by Tokico calipers – all borrowed from a Suzuki GSX-R1000. Since all this will be no use with the Harley’s tall handlebar, A&J has also thrown in a custom triple-clamp and clip-on handlebars that wear a Brembo RCS19 master cylinder.
Now, all these performance components might feel like overkill for a 57-HP Nightster, but we’re happy to report this Nightster is anything but stock, engine-wise. This is because the Harley packs a turbocharger and free-flow exhaust that bumps the output to over 100 horsepower. In addition, you also get custom sprockets to boost acceleration. Couple all this with the abundant bottom-end torque from the 1,200cc V-twin, and we’re pretty sure you’ll smoke a Japanese superbike on a drag strip.
Finally, the build is brought together by subtle design tweaks, such as the custom livery with blacked-out engine-related mechanicals and a bright orange-yellow fuel tank. You also get custom lights - mostly LEDs - and a sleek rear fender.
Can You Buy This Custom Harley-Davidson Sportster?
Sadly, it doesn’t look like it. Firstly, this is an less recent A&J build, and secondly, we’re pretty sure it found a taker in no time. But you should get in touch with A&J either way, as the shop is taking orders for future projects. So even if this isn’t up for grabs, the shop can surely recreate a modern iteration for you to go gaga on.