Yearly, over the primary weekend of October, scores of classic bikes and sizzling rods descend on Wildwood, New Jersey, USA for The Race of Gents. The occasion is dripping with nostalgia and adrenaline, as contenders go head-to-head throughout the sands of Wildwood’s sprawling seashore.
This beguiling Harley-Davidson seashore racer appears to be like precisely like the kind of bike you’ll discover at T.R.O.G. till you see the beefy powerplant sitting at its middle. It’s truly a contemporary Harley-Davidson Milwaukee-Eight Softail—masterfully redesigned by Gasoline Motor Co. to resemble a classic machine and nicknamed the ‘Wildwood Seashore Racer,’ as a nod to the enduring seashore race.
The Milwaukee-Eight Softail cuts a stunning silhouette in inventory kind, however the Australian customized store’s imaginative and prescient for the bike referred to as for greater than only a gentle makeover. In order that they tore the bike all the way down to its bones, minimize up the body, and fabricated a brand new inflexible tail part. A springer fork provides basic fashion to the entrance finish.
The bike now rolls on matching 16” laced wheels, geared up with chunky five-inch-wide seashore racing tires from Allstate.
The bike’s new braking system warrants nearer inspection. Gasoline wished to make use of disc brakes, however wanted a setup that might gel with the construct’s basic vibe. In order that they turned to Beringer, who delivered an impossibly compact twin-disc entrance brake setup that matched the dimensions of the entrance hub.
The rear brake is even stealthier. It sits on the sprocket aspect with an inboard caliper, so it appears to be like like a standard drum brake hub from a distance. Gasoline and Beringer went via a number of CAD designs and 3D-printed prototypes to get the design excellent.
The theme of mixing trendy and classic particulars is carried all through the Softail. Solid your eyes to the cockpit, and also you’ll spot Beringer controls and trendy switches mounted to a set of handmade break up handlebars.
Additional again, the unique speedo console floats above the bike’s new twin gas tanks. The dual tanks have been formed by hand, taking inspiration from previous Knuckleheads, and embody lodging for the OEM gas ignition system.
The tail finish of the bike sports activities a beneficiant solo saddle, mounted on a pair of burly chromed springs to mitigate the impact of the inflexible rear. A home made blank-off plate protects the electronics beneath the seat, whereas an abbreviated fender hovers above the again wheel. The fender holds the license plate, whereas tiny LEDs built-in into the fender stays act as taillights.
Gasoline dressed the Harley’s modern V-twin motor with a set of finned engine covers to assist it mix with the retro-styled components surrounding it. It additionally wears an artwork deco-like teardrop air filter, plus a pair of chunky ceramic-coated exhausts.
Ending the bike off is a smorgasbord of well-judged finishes. The period-correct livery is pre-aged, as is the powder-coated body. And the seat wears heavy-duty leather-based, expertly stitched by a standard horse saddler. Classic Harley-Davidson tank badges drive the purpose dwelling.
Customized bikes with fake patina can so simply fall into pastiche territory, however the impact works right here. The Wildwood Seashore Racer is an excellent homage to the golden days of seashore racing—however we’d simply as rapidly decide it as our day by day runner.
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