

If Harley-Davidson needs any more guidance on how to create Sportster range extensions for the future, this beautifully detailed XL 1200 custom from Nice! Motorcycles should help. Nice! MC (their exclamation mark, not mine) is headquartered 500km west of Tokyo, and a well-known name on the Japanese custom scene. For this new bike—revealed in latest issue of Hotbike magazine—they’ve taken a 2002 Sportster and revolutionized its looks with several well thought out changes. The tank and seat unit are new, along with the wheels, brakes and Gold Wing-spec Dunlop Elite II tires. The side covers are gone and the bike has been lowered, with new shocks at the back; there’s what appears to be a new triple clamp at the front, along with clip-on bars, a bobbed fender and a smaller headlight. The result completely transforms the look of the XL1200, giving it a racier stance and a classic 70s vibe. There’s no word on engine upgrades, other than an air filter—but power junkies can get up to 100hp out of Harley’s 1200 twin-spark lump with the help of specialists such as Zippers Performance. Could this be the kind of Harley that people who don’t like Harleys might buy? [Images via Bike Bros Japan.]



