Gone is the Harley’s standard belt drive, making room for a premium chain mechanism complete with a chromed rear sprocket. Last but not least, the final part of ZEN’s makeover involved some tasty modifications in the powertrain sector. Braided brake and clutch lines run down from the control levers, and you will spot tiny Kellermann turn signals and a classic-looking headlamp attached to the forks. The chromed handlebar itself is a bespoke unit fabricated from scratch, featuring underslung mirrors and minimalistic switches besides the aforementioned brass grips. A gold flake effect can be seen lower down on the spark plug wires, while brass plating is laid atop accessories like the filler cap, handlebar risers, and grips. On the other hand, the flame graphics were done in gold leaf and outlined with light purple pinstripes. Interestingly enough, all the original bodywork is still present, but it’s been cloaked in a groovy colorway better suited for the retro chopper theme.Įven though the base hue may appear to be black from afar, a closer examination will reveal that it’s actually a very dark shade of purple. The Sportster got treated to a Mustang leather saddle and an aftermarket sissy bar, courtesy of Lowbrow Customs once again. Performance Machine supplied a chrome-plated caliper, which bites a new stainless-steel rotor from Russell.Īt the back, the transformation was relatively straightforward by comparison. With the modified forks delivered back to ZEN’s headquarters, the Seventy-Two saw its front-end running gear finished off with a few upgrades to the braking hardware. He really went to town in order to make this work in an organic manner, and his efforts certainly paid off. To be exact, the ABS module had to be retained and somehow adapted to the springer setup – a task outsourced to Edi Buffon of Machine 1867. and secured them in place via bespoke triple clamps, but reinforcements were needed for the more complex part of the job. They got these from Lowbrow Customs over in the U.S. While they were taking the Sportster apart, the guys decided that springer forks were the way to go for the front suspension. As soon as the donor arrived at the shop in Sydney, it was game on. Its 73-cubic-inch (1,203cc) Evolution V-twin offers up to 71 pound-feet (91 Nm) of low-end torque for you to play with – more than enough for the ZEN squad and their customer.

Tons of chrome, a peanut-style fuel tank, and chopper looks are all available straight from the factory, so picking a Seventy-Two for this sort of project is a bit of a no-brainer.

If you’re familiar with this model, then it should be pretty clear why that was the case. Naturally, chrome had to be plentiful, as well, and the whole build criteria pointed to a 2015 Harley-Davidson Sportster Seventy-Two as an ideal starting point. Indeed, the departure of air cooling from the Sportster range marks the end of an era for The Motor Company, and it deserves a proper farewell.Īlthough ZEN’s client deemed the classic appearance to be a must-have, he wasn’t willing to sacrifice modern-day reliability and performance. The bike shown above these paragraphs is a homage to both vintage Harley choppers and the recently discontinued line of air-cooled Sportsters. Of course, this is precisely what we’re here to look at today, so buckle up and prepare yourselves for some blingy, old-school chopper vibes. Regular maintenance and quick fixes take up most of the time these Aussies spend in the shop, yet they’ll always leave a bit on the side for a good old custom project. The Australian firm acts as a dealership, wearables outlet, and workshop all at once, eager to serve the local bike-loving community down in New South Wales. As you might expect, ZEN specializes in a wide array of things to do with two-wheelers.

Harley chopper sportster