CUSTOMISING has always been a big part of the Harley-Davidson experience.
There is an old joke which says that the Milwaukee firm’s parts and accessories catalogue is a bigger read than War and Peace.
Personalising your bike, making it unique to you, whether for extra comfort, improved performance or simply for looks, is all part of the ride.
This includes everything from simple add-ons such as a different seat or changed exhaust to chopping and altering the frame, changing the bodywork or adding a huge, fat rear wheel.
Tucked away in the deepest East Sussex countryside is one of the most successful motorcycle dealers in the UK.
Shaw Harley-Davidson has been trading since 2002, when owner John Shaw decided to swap lawnmowers for a different type of machinery.
And a fortuitous move it proved to be, with sales and turnover booming.
But stroll around the back of the showroom, past the high-tech and pristine workshop, and you’ll discover a real treasure trove.
This is where the other side of the business is located – the custom operation.
Shaw Speed and Custom has been operating since 2009.
The firm had been customising for some time, but it was at that time that it was decided to take this part of the business to “another level”, as Team Principal Steve Willis explains.
Steve says: “It all started in 2009, when we created a bike called the Strike True II, which really stretched our imaginations and our abilities, and allowed the guys in the workshop to show what they could do.”
This 1940s-style machine, based on a Crossbones FLSTSB, took first place at the London International Motorcycle Show in the Modified Harley-Davidson category.
This win gave the bike an automatic entry into the most prestigious and important international custom competition – the World Championships at Sturgis, in South Dakota, USA.
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