When it comes to high-end Sportster customs, the weapon of choice for most builders is the Forty-Eight. Winston Yeh of Rough Crafts knows the model well: his Bomb Runner from six years ago is still a stunning example of the genre, and he?s built several more since.
This new Forty-Eight is one of the sportiest Harley rebuilds we?ve seen, with the stance (and geometry) of a sportbike, and a weight drop of 40 kilos?almost 90 pounds).

The brief for ?Raging Dagger? came from a most unusual direction. Winston got a call from a sales person at Harley Taiwan, who said he had a customer who wanted to meet up.
?So I went over and found out that the customer had already ordered a brand new Forty-Eight, and was waiting for me,? says Winston. ?All he told me was: ?I like the look and feel of American V-twin engines, but I want something over the top. Something that you won’t recognize as a Harley, but is still easy to ride?.”
On the spot, Winston decided to build a street fighter with the best performance and ?rideability? possible. It would also stay true to the hugely popular Rough Crafts style, without serious modifications to the frame or engine.
?Making the Sportster more rideable has to come from work on the suspension, weight, and brakes,? says Winston. ?My biggest inspiration came from Buell motorcycles, which have close proportions to the Sportster?but with race bike influences.?

The Öhlins AG629 shock caught Winston?s eye straight away. ?It was made for t...