The Harley-Davidson Sportster served as the American working man’s motorcycle for generations and became the Milwaukee marque’s most popular global model. Infinitely customisable, it inspired a whole industry based around the Evo-powered models. They have the classic HD look, the big torque, and the thumping sound that makes up for the lack of top end. Then Harley went and spoiled the fun with the new Sportster S, with its liquid-cooled engine and wonky styling. Thankfully, there is no shortage of old Sportys to play with, and when the guys at Angry Lane Customs were sent a 2011 XL883N to build, they settled on some classic hog mods to create their Hong Kong hauler.
It has been nearly a decade since we last heard from French brothers Guillaume and Ben Barras, who founded Angry Lane Customs to serve the custom motorcycle community in Hong Kong. Not only do they build beautiful bikes, but they also have an amazing range of high-end riding gear, helmets, and accessories. The Parisian natives were literally born for the job, with their mum working at the fashion house Courrèges and giving Ben the family sewing machine at twelve and their dad is a self-taught mechanic who had a shed full of tools and got the boys their first bike when they were barely old enough to go to school.
Now, all these years later, they have cemented their position in Hong Kong’s custom bike scene, using their lifelong skills to achieve amazing results. The trust their clients have in them is remarkable, with a repeat customer calling them to simply say, “I found a cheap Sportster for a custom project. I’ll send it to you, and you can do whatever you want with it, but I want an octopus on the gas tank.” Instantly, the bike had a name, Kraken, and the boys could begin to tear into the 2011 Iron and see exactly what they had to work with.
Close inspection revealed that the 883cc bottom end had been removed from the bike and a 1200cc kit had been fitted. It’s a common conversion, with the new pistons, barrels, and heads giving a significant boost to the powerplant. There was just one problem: the engine ran poorly! A big contributor to this problem was the lack of tuning that had been carried out, so the factory ECM was tossed aside and a ThunderMax unit was fitted. This piece of kit features the company’s AutoTune technology, which utilises data from the Bosch wide-band oxygen sensor to make constant adjustments.
Now the bike was running as it should, so to add even more horsepower and unleash that unmistakable Evo engine sound, a full Vance and Hines 2 into 1 exhaust system was added, and the intake received an upgrade thanks to an S&S high-flow air filter. The engine was then finished out with a custom-machined sprocket cover and the same for the cam cover, with the company logo added for extra detail. To feed fuel to the flames, the guys made a call to Winston at Rough Craft, who sent them the beautiful tank with neatly scalloped sides and a machined filler.
Winston also supplied one of his composite fenders, which drastically reduces weight, adds a heap of extra style points, and only required the guys to cut back the stock struts to achieve an uber-neat fit and finish. Over the new metalwork, a lightly flaked purple paint was laid down, with enough sparkle to catch the eye but not be too over the top. The requested octopus was laid down in metallic silver, and custom graphics finished out the look. Using his sewing skills, Ben then stitched up the seat in quality Italian leather, which came in a purplish-blue hue.
A set of colour-matching grips was found to go on the new bars, which are held in place by LSL short risers. The guys have gone to town decking the bars out in only the best pieces, with the brake master cylinder and throttle control housing made from billet. A quality set of levers was installed, and the switchgear is the beautiful push-button items from Australia’s Purpose Built Moto. Tom also sent them a PBM Black Box to operate the bike’s electrics, which have been neatly hidden under the tank. The ignition relocation further aids in keeping things clean, and a set of bar-end indicators from Motogadget starts a very tidy lighting package.
At the back of the bike, the left-side mounted number plate holder features a Motogadget 3-in-1 taillight setup, and the replica Electroline headlight from Japan gives that beautiful ’50s Hot Rod touch. To get the bike rolling, the boys had Jonich in Italy make a nice pair of aluminum-spoked wheels which are wrapped in classic Firestone rubber. Floating discs take care of braking duties, and then the bike was dropped to the ground with lowered front springs and new rear shocks. The owner, who had previously commissioned a Bonneville and Guzzi from Angry Lane, is so happy with Kraken, which will be sent to France to ride in the Alps, that he has just placed an order with them for a custom electric bike; New Sportys are out, but Angry Lane keeps rolling on.
[ Angry Lane ]