Project started May 2026,

For the last couple of years my partner Adele has been riding the 883 Sportster in the picture below but has been dreaming about having a chopper, and perhaps one with a bit more power... So after searching for months I found one with a hardtail, a 1200 motor, a Springer and a proper "eigenbouw" registration. This means that she can legally ride it on the streets here in the Netherlands which is nice to know, haha

 
 
 

So, we drove over to check out the bike, she and I both took it for a spin and a deal was struck. Once we got it back home we started making plans for some cosmetic changes to turn it into her bike! Since riding season had just begun I do not want to take it apart completely but do small modifications between rides and save the big stuff like repainting it for the winter. First thing that had to be changed was the handlebar, as she could barely reach this one.. Ofcourse I will also be doing a CAD model of the bike to try out different designs, which will be a challenge while the bike is still assembled but we will see how far I get.

 
 

I had a stainless steel Buckhorn bar in my stash that she liked so we decided to use that for the time being. Aad welded in one of my navigation inserts (available in the webshop at dbbpshop.com) and Adele took it for a ride. Much better! Next issue were the brass grips, these were so slippery she had to squeeze the throttle constanly to stop it from slipping in her glove. I tried it and agreed she was right so those had to go. We also replaced that whitewall front tire for a classic style Shinko, rear wheel will get the same treatment soon. The young man in the picture below is our youngest son Lars by the way, checking out how it sits.

 
 
 

Adele has already put the first few hundred kilometers on the "new" bike and is very happy with how it handles! Next I will change the rear tire, make a heatshield for those pipes, add a sissybar, change the fender etcetera... I have already started scanning parts of the bike, to be continued