Kevan Cahyadi is the type of person who fully embraces the eclectic nature of the custom motorcycle scene in Indonesia. His shop, Solace Motorcycle in Jakarta, sells a variety of bicycles; from scooters to mountain bikes and everything in between. But this Sportster cafe racer has a more traditional path.
Based on a 1994 report Harley-Davidson Sportster and is internally called ‘Project7’, it’s a low key project racer cafe with compact proportions and beautiful design. “The origin of this project stems from the challenge of turning a V-twin cruiser into a cafe racer with a flat frame structure,” said Kevan. “The mid-to-rear frame has been reworked to align with the tank, with smooth curves achieved through meticulous metal shaping.”
To begin construction, Kevan used his 3D design skills to carefully plan the entire workflow. From the beginning, he knew that the Harley’s proportions would be a big problem—but he was always up for the challenge. With the 3D model, Kevan could see exactly what he needed to do to accentuate the Sportster’s cruiser silhouette.
He started with the wheels, swapping the front for an 18-incher and the rear for a 17-incher. Equipped with classic tires at the front and massive Hoosier traction tires at the rear, the chunky rubber helps set the car’s tone.
Next, Kevan lowered the front fork significantly with the help of his friend, Juli Purwantoro, then swapped the upper yoke with a new part that he designed and machined himself. The clip-on handlebars provide a very planted riding position, offset by heavily revised rear-mounted foot controls. The cockpit also features bar-end mirrors and turn signals as well as repro Lucas P700 headlights.
Kevan spent a lot of time looking for a fuel tank that would fit the bike. Many options were tested, but none were suitable without significant modifications. So, to get the right fuel tank, Kevan turned to his friends at Brilliant Motorcycle.
The team at Brilliant hooked up Kevan with a custom fuel tank, oil tank and seat assembly, making Kevan’s digital dream a reality. While there, Brilliant also fabricated new front fenders and custom side skirts. The seat is covered in black leather to match the paint—again done by Brilliant.
At the rear of the bike, Kevan cut and beveled the rear of the subframe before installing the new seat. He then raised the rear seat height by lengthening the lower shock mount. With the stock rear suspension fixed, the rear of the car is now nice and level.
With aesthetics and ergonomics taken care of, it’s the engine’s turn to receive attention. The bike starts life as one Sportster 883 but quickly increased to 1,200 cc. The factory belt drive has been converted to a chain drive system, giving Kevan wiggle room with gear ratios.
The intake has an elbow suction velocity stack and the stainless steel straight exhaust system is a custom part. Sportsmen are already loud enough, so we can only imagine how these big-bore short tubes will sound at full tilt.
While Solace Motorcycle has been paring down its skillset for some time, they also have a tight network of craftsmen and suppliers they can rely on. “Many individuals have played key roles in the development of Project7, including Brilliant Motorcycles, Juli Purwantoro and General mechanics. Their contributions were indispensable to reach this stage and the improvement journey continues!”
Long, low and mean, Solace’s Sportster cafe racing car seems impractical at all—but since when did cafe racers become so about practicality?
