Tips for Building a Basic, Original Custom Harley Sportster

Harley Davidson Sportster custom motorcycles are one of the most easily modified Harley Davidson Motorcycles you can buy. fitted with a hardtail frame, sprung seat, and ape hanger handlebars, the Sportster Custom is a bike that, while being small and nimble, projects a hot rod image that mild customization brings to the fore.

With your Harley Sportster, look for inspiration in the past, but remember to be original. Just because everyone's riding a blacked-out Sportster hardtail doesn mean you've got to ride the exact same bike they do! Take a chance and do something different.

Harley Davidson Sportster Custom Parts

The Harley Sportster is the most customizable motorcycle in existence. The Harley Catalog is literally packed with custom parts that fit the 883 and 1200 engines, from the first year they were produced all the way to 2012. These parts range from chrome parts to performance parts and everything in between. You can buy a raked out front end or even air shocks if you want.

For your first foray into customizing the Harley Sportster, though, stick with the tried and true- Start with pullback handlebars, an exhaust, and a custom seat. These are the most easily installed custom parts for your motorcycle. You should be able to bolt them on in about a day.

Building Your Custom Harley Sportster

Start by removing the fuel tank, side covers, and fenders from the bike. These you'll need to either have painted, or do the paint work yourself. If you've never painted a motorcycle tank before, you might be in for a surprise as to how difficult it can be. The Harley Davidson Sportster might utilize a relatively small number of parts overall that will need to be painted, but putting paint on any bike can be a challenge. Make sure you're up to it before you begin.

Choose a theme for the bike based on a decade, and you'll have a better idea of what you're up against. If you choose the 1980s, for instance, the big theme was for cafe racers. You'll want to use solid colors or two-tone paint jobs in this case. If you choose the 1970s, on the other hand, be prepared for some bass-boat sized metal flake paint in wild secondary colors. Purple, Green and Orange are all good choices combined with gold flake paint.

Finding a paint shop in your region is easy. Most auto repair shops will gladly take on your custom Sportster project, and you'll save money by removing parts and prepping them yourself. To prep the parts, remove all the trim from the parts such as chrome pieces or badges. This will make the painter's job much easier, and your bill for the work much lower.

After you receive the parts back from the painter, install them and make certain that you try to avoid getting scratches on the paint. You might be surprised how easy it can be to scratch the new parts.