It’s no secret that we’re suckers for a good dual-Sporty around here. The premise of turning a V-twin cruiser into a dirt-flinging scrambler is not only cheeky, but it proves the Sportster’s endearing versatility. And this Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 scrambler is a stellar example of the genre.
It’s the work of Ruler?a Japanese custom bike workshop headed up by Takeshi Mizuta. Mizuta-san racks up more mileage each year than most, commuting 75 miles by bike every day. So he’s all about building custom motorcycles that are fun and functional.

Ruler has a couple of Sportster scramblers under its belt already, but this project called for a little extra spice. ?The owner’s order was to create a style that no one else has,? Takeshi tells us. ?We received several images of custom bikes by overseas builders from him, so we started production using those as references.? A 2002-model Harley-Davidson XLH883 Sportster served as the donor for the build, so Ruler’s first job was to radically alter its stance to suit the requisite style. Then it was time to swap out its bodywork and kit it out with the right mix of aftermarket parts.

Takeshi gave the Sportster a boost by lengthening the OEM forks and swapping the stumpy rear shocks out for a set of longer RacingBros units. The stock hubs were re-laced to 19F/18R rims; a big step up from the bike’s bobber-like 16? rear wheel. Then Michelin Anakee Wild tires were fitted to ensure an ap...