Kevan Cahyadi is the type of guy who has fully embraced the eclectic nature of Indonesia?s custom motorcycle scene. His shop, Solace Motorcycle in Jakarta, has worked on a diverse offering of bikes; from scooters to dirt bikes and everything in between. But this Sportster café racer treads more traditional ground.
Based on a 1994 Harley-Davidson Sportster and referred to internally as ‘Project7,’ it’s a low-slung café racer with compact proportions and a killer design. ?The genesis of this project stemmed from the challenge of transforming a V-twin cruiser into a café racer with a level frame structure,? says Kevan. ?The mid to rear frame has been reworked to align parallel with the gas tank, with smooth curves achieved through meticulous metal shaping.?
To get the build started, Kevan used his 3D design skills to carefully plan the entire workflow. From the beginning, he knew that the Harley?s proportions would be a major pain?but he?s always up for a challenge. With the 3D model, Kevan could see exactly what he needed to do to level out the Sportster’s cruiser silhouette.
He started with the wheels, swapping the front for an 18-incher and the rear for a 17-incher. Fitted with a classic tire up front and a huge Hoosier drag tire at the back, the chunky rubber helped set the tone of the build.

Next, Kevan lowered the front forks substantially with help from his friend, Juli Purwantoro, then swapped the top yoke for a new part that he designe...