With the release by Nightster, decades old Harley-Davidson Sports athlete has now completely passed on the torch to the next generation. But even though the ‘old’ Evo Sportster is starting to disappear from show floors, it’s still iconic and will remain a popular custom-built sponsor for years to come.
Yesterday, we introduced one of the first custom variations of new sport. Today, we’re shifting our focus to a scrambler based on one of the upcoming models: the Harley-Davidson XL1200CX Sportster Roadster. Built by Julian von Oheimb at One-way machineit’s solid proof that the classic Sportster is still in stock.
Julian’s client actually discovered the One Way Machine by accident. He was infatuated with an older person Sportster scrambler that Julian built, and had similar thoughts. So he bought one of the last brand new Sportster Roadsters from a dealer in Germany and sent it off to the OWM workshop in Staufenberg, north of Frankfurt.
“The goal is a sporty and powerful bike,” says Julian. “One that can really ‘go’ on the road, but can also operate off-road. All in all, it should be a typical OWM build — timeless design, distinctive sheet metal work, crisp details, and elegant finishes. ”
The first change was a classic Sportster mod — Julian took the bike down and removed the rear fender struts. Then he started sourcing the right parts for the build, including an aftermarket fuel tank that looked like it would work.
In fact, the tank had to go through a lot of test runs before it was fully equipped. The tunnel is too narrow, there is no flange to install the fuel pump, the mounting points must be redesigned. Julian ticks all of those boxes, then adds a custom fuel cap from Craft Choppers.
For the rear half, he built a steel tail section that can be loosely coupled with a flat track and rival aesthetics. It sits on a hidden mounting bracket and is upholstered with classic VP-Autosattlerei leather seats. The arrangement is very elegant – from the pleated design on the seat, to the way Julian ‘boxes’ at the rear end of the tail.
The taillights and turn signals are handled by a pair of LED combinations from Kellermann, mounted just behind the upper shock mount. The passenger pin is gone, and the license plate is now mounted lower, on a mounting bracket to the left of the swingarm.
Up front, Julian has donned the Sportster with a shorter front fender and manual number plate-style headlights. Sporting a drilled design, it features a pair of LED projectors behind a polished baking sheet, with a cutout for higher OEM speeds.
Behind it you’ll find a set of Biltwell Inc. bars, fitted with new grips from Speed Dealer Customs. Julian also installed a mirror at the top of the bar, and a complete set of levers and switches from Rebuffini. All wiring runs inside the railings, with a pair of Kellermann turn signals hidden under the levers.
Roadsters come standard with 19F/18R wheels, but they’re cast in alloy numbers and this project calls them spoke wheels. The new rims are glued back to the same size, then wrapped in Heidenau K67s; Trial-style tires also work on the street. Brakes are available, for new front discs from Zodiac and new rear discs from CCE.
The bike’s original upside-down front fork remains in use, but the rear fork has been raised with a new Öhlins shock absorber.
Julian has also converted the Sportster from belt to chain drive, with a single rear transmission for off-road use. Front sprocket guard and foot pins, are Roland Sands Design parts.
Delicious screwing bits are scattered throughout this build. The low-slope two-in-one exhaust comes from MCJ in Italy, and includes a lever-operated valve that varies the amount of noise it makes. And the ribbed air purifier is provided by our good friend Winston Yeh, at Rough handicrafts in Taiwan.
Julian chose typical OWM finishes for his client’s Sportster scrambler: lots of satin black, with subtle stripes. BK Missing handled the former, while Chikos Pinstriping handled the latter. The custom OWM badges on the tank add another unique touch.
Additional contrast comes from the ribbed cam and main flaps, and the interesting retro rocker box covers. Created by EMD in France, they add just a dash of vintage style to this 21st-century Sportster.
After the Sportster was buttoned up, Julian went through more than 120 miles of test drives, tuning and tweaking everything as it went. That’s because this bike isn’t a pony, and has been run by its cheerful owner (on both asphalt and dirt roads).
“The bike is a perfect everyday rider,” says Julian. “It drives well, brakes well and is completely reliable.”
So what’s next for OWM? Julian says: “I really specialize in the ‘big twins’ Harleys, but sometimes I go down that road. I’m currently working on a Pan America, which will be built in the style of the Paris Dakar race bikes. ”
This is the old school, and the new school!
One-way machine | Instagram | The picture of Hans Ostermann
