his is one we’ve been waiting for. Those new rubber-mount Sportsters are great motorcycles. They continue that snappy, street-hero heritage of XLs from Day One but give it all just a little more refinement, a little more wheelbase, some genuine hot-rod hardware straight from the factory–and a whole lot less vibration. These bikes are fun to ride. Sound like we might have a thing going for Sportys here? We’re not alone. The most economical two-wheeler in the Harley lineup has plenty of fans, including none other than master-builder Don Hotop.
     “I’ve been waiting for this one, too,” Don says, and he got his chance. The latest bike in the FatBook bolt-on build up series just came off the tables at Don’s Speed & Custom and it’s a beauty. True to the intent of all the bolt-on customs we’ve featured, the idea here was to demonstrate just how cool a motorcycle could be made using nothing but FatBook hardware. While Don admits that he would have really loved to slice and dice this thing and make a full-on custom out of it, he held himself in check and stayed with the game plan. “I didn’t rip and strip at all,” he says. “Basically, this bike just got the warm-up treatment and it cleaned up nicely!” We’ll agree to that, and so did everyone who watched this bike go together. Don’s wife even threatened to steal the thing and bring it home!
     True to form, the first thing Don did was set the stance and bolt on the wheels and tires. He brought the bike down to a level he calls respectable, “definitely not nosebleed stock!” All told, Don lowered the XL a couple inches front and rear. He used a Progressive Suspension Front Lowering Kit and a set of Ohlins Type 36E 11.5-inch rear shocks. For wheels Don went with Carriage Works Thrashers, a 19-incher in front and a 16-incher in the rear. The rotors are matched, the calipers are HHI, the tires are Avon Venoms. With those basics covered Don put the Sportster up on the table and just stared at it for a while, deciding what to change and where to do it. And he didn’t change much.

Don used a custom Danny Gray Scorpion Double-Time Stitch seat. Its low-profile look really slims the XL’s lines.

The Sportster’s exhaust is a Drag Specialties Python 2-into-1. Hotop sprinkled around just the right amount of chrome, too, like these Drag Specialties Swingarm End Cap Adjusters.

Those good-looking mirrors are Drag/Hotop Ovals. The bike has one of the new Drag/Magura Hydraulic Clutch Kits, too, the chrome model. The rubber grips are Yaffe.

     He did install a raked set of trees, choosing an HHI 5-degree 39mm Narrow set. “That kicked the front end out just enough,” Don says. “It got the wheel away from the frame so it doesn’t look like the bike just hit a wall.” Don says the handling is great, too, “probably better now then it was stock.” The OE front fender got the heave-ho, too, replaced with a Russ Wernimont piece trimmed for a racy profile. The gas tank and rear fender, however, are pure Harley-Davidson. So is the taillight. Don left all that just as it came from the factory. Mike Robbins’ Light Teal Pearl, a House Of Kolor blend, makes it all look just fine, too.
     For sparkle Don poured on just the right amount of chrome, for snap he bolted on Python’s new 2-into-1 exhaust, for control he installed one of those new Drag/Magura 56-inch Chrome Hydraulic Clutch conversions, And for a little extra on-the-road entertainment–like a snappy little number like this needs much enhancement in that area–there’s a 2 Wheel Tunes Universal Sound System on the bike. That little chrome box down low on the front of the frame is the amplifier. Up top underneath the Flanders Narrow Clubman Handlebar are the two speakers facing the rider.
     “I tried to make a few special parts for this one, too,” Don concludes. “I wanted to clean up some of the ugly areas.” He made some motor mount covers in the front and some swingarm pivot covers in the back. There’s a new top motor mount cover on the left side, as well, and you can look for that one to become a product in the FatBook pretty soon. And that’s it. It sure looks a lot better than any stock Sportster, too, and it wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg to duplicate this bike, either. That’s a good thing around the Hotop household. To keep the peace in the family Don is going to have to duplicate this bike for his wife, and do it soon!

(A) Ohlins Shocks are a performance favorite. They’re available for Harleys in a broad range of styles and sizes. These Type 36E models are just 11.5-inches long.

(B) Flanders’ Narrow Clubman handlebar has been a favorite for years. Hotop uses plenty of them. Something new, though, is the 2 Wheel Tunes Universal Sound System. Those are the speakers under the handlebar. The Baby Moon gas cap is from Ness.

(C) Those are Carriage Works “Thrasher” wheels and rotors. An HHI 4-Piston Front Dual Disc Brake Kit looks good, too. So does that Avon Venom front tire.

(D) Don kept the engine work to a minimum. That’s a Kuryakyn Hyper-Charger Air Cleaner, and behind it there’s a chromed Drag Specialties CV-carb top cover.