2LOUD Custom’s latest build is a 2014-model Harley Sportster Forty-Eight street tracker with mixed elements and a performance bend.
Harley-Davidson’s new-generation Sportster S is a cocktail of ideas that, despite the Motor Co.’s best efforts, misses the mark. It has the bodywork of a flat tracker, the wheels of a bobber, and the slammed stance of a hot rod—but instead of harmonizing, those elements clash.
This tasteful Sportster from Taiwan’s 2LOUD Custom is the antidote. Based on the older Evolution-powered Harley-Davidson Sportster Forty-Eight, it oozes flat track style without completely shedding the donor bike’s inherent bobber-ness. And it works.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Forty-Eight, it was (and still is) one of the more popular Evolution Sportster variants. Named after the era when the bobber was conceived, it came stock with bubbly 16” wheels, a peanut tank, a single seat, low-slung handlebars, and forward pegs. The later Forty-Eight Special added mini-ape bars and AMF-inspired graphics.
2LOUD frontman Ma ‘Max’ Yicheng started with a 2014-model Forty-Eight, painstakingly transforming it into a flat tracker for the street, with an emphasis on both style and performance. Max has repeatedly shown his ability to customize any make, model, and style of motorcycle, and has a burgeoning catalog of bolt-on parts to back him up.
Starting at the front, Max swapped the Harley’s stock yokes for CNC-machined items, while rebuilding the front forks with Öhlins parts. Flat trackers typically roll on 19” hoops, but Max took this build in a different direction by retaining the Forty-Eight’s 16” rims. They’re sporting powder-coated hubs, stainless steel spokes, and matching 150-section Pirelli MT60RS tires.
A custom-made fork brace hovers above the front wheel, while new shocks from the Taiwanese company GJMS do duty at the back. The setup also includes stainless steel axles from 2LOUD’s performance parts sub-brand, 2SPEED.
The cockpit features a set of bespoke handlebar risers, gripping a set of 2LOUD tracker bars. They’re fitted with Motogadget grips, bar-end turn signals, and mirrors, and a 2SPEED throttle housing. The controls and switches levers are from Rebuffini.
Perched behind the bars is a stunning handmade fuel tank. It’s a stunning piece, featuring a perfectly flat foundation, a subtle rib across the top, and a custom filler and venting system. The Harley’s OEM speedo sits just in front of it, cradled in a handmade bracket to the left of the steering neck.
The fuel tank’s matched to a FRP tail section, modeled after classic flat track designs. Max modified the subframe to accommodate it and had the seat pad covered in stylish Alcantara.
Take a closer look at the upper shock mounts, and you’ll spot machined bolt covers that hold multi-functional Motogadget LEDs. It’s a very tidy, and clever, detail.
Moving to the motor, Max replaced the valves, seals, and gaskets, and machined the valve seats to optimize performance. He also installed a custom velocity stack intake with a built-in filter, and a Tera Moto crankcase pressure release valve. There’s also an aftermarket oil cooler, a transparent RSD clutch cover, and a Lithium-ion battery.
Then there’s the exhaust system—a burly, high-mounted twin-pipe affair that snakes its way behind the back of the right-hand side shock and out the back. Max ceramic coated the pipes black and finished them off with a carbon fiber heat shield.
Other upgrades include a chain drive conversion, CNC-machined foot pegs, and an upgraded ECU to ensure that everything runs smoothly. High-end Beringer brake calipers and discs provide ample stopping power for the now-livelier Sporty.
As we’ve come to expect from 2LOUD, the Forty-Eight wears tasteful finishes from top to bottom. Most of the hard parts were powder-coated in either gloss or matte black, while the tail was painted silver to match the brushed aluminum tank.
