We have seen countless builds based on Harley-Davidson’s ubiquitous Sportster, some of which are, obviously, more distinctive than the others. Take this project by LA-based JSK Custom Design for instance; dubbed Ivory Comet, the motorcycle is inspired by a modern retro theme, hence the traditional café racer looks mixed with modern elements. While several fairing designs were considered, it was finally decided to leave the engine completely exposed.

For fabricating the bodywork, JSK Custom Design used traditional methods by having the front cowl, fuel tank, and rear section handmade from raw steel. In order to do this, a wooden mold was used before the metal fabricator got to work. The front shock absorbers, rear single-sided swingarm and brakes come from a Ducati 916, while the delicate wire rims were crafted all the way in Europe. Finished in white, and accented with red, black and gold, the Ivory Comet went on to win Best Café Racer at the 2014 Born Free Motorcycle Show, as well as Pro Builder 1st Place at the 2014 LA Motorcycle Calendar, Best Café Racer at the 2014 VVMC Motorcycle Show and MOD Custom Class Champion at the 2014 J&P Cycle’s Ultimate Builder Award.