Wow what a cool bike is it a triumph or a shovelhead?

I recently built an old Harley ironhead Sportster. It 's the first Harley I've built and even though I've owned a bunch of Japanese and Italian sportbikes this is first Harley I've owned. I've come to the conclusion that there is something to the whole Harley mystique, no I'm not talking about putting on an American flag and eagle doo rag with your leather chaps and suiting up for that 5 mile "run" to the local psuedo biker bar slash restaurant on your brand new "custom" $30,000 couch on wheels with $5,000 of extra chrome doo-dads that make it custom in your eyes, I'm talking about the sound, feel and pure mechanics of an old Harley Davidson that you put together with your own hands. When I got my bike is was a cobbled together POS and was a very uncool almost stock bike with a Krylon paint job(If they spent that much money!). The redeeming quality that this bike had was that it ran and was in the price range that I wanted to give. I brought the bike home and rode it around a little and almost immediately notice just how mechanical this thing is. The Japanese build good bikes and while the new Harleys are light years ahead of mine they are just too good ,they lack soul and character.

I took my bike to my shop and tore it down after only a ride or two and broke out the sawzall to cut the bike in half. After welding on a new hardtail rear section I added a 21" front wheel with a mini spool and period correct avon speedmaster tire. Then came the paint and only metalflake , lace and candies would fit the bill! A double white stripe tire for the rear and drag bars with a sprung bates style seat. Lots more fab work and parts went into the bike before I got to ride it for the first time but man was it worth it. The look was spot on, the sound was there and the ride.... well yeah it rides rough but it really connects you with the bike and the road. After taking off all the unnecessary crap it made the bike very quick and responsive and light and nimble. You just can't get that on a new stock 800lb Harley.What's funny is alot of the "Harley guys" don't know what it is. "Is that a Triumph or a shovelhead?"

There is nothing like going outside and kick starting a rigid frame chopper and blasting off through the night at a high rate of speed.... nothing.