Written by Martin Hodgson
In a world filled with celebrities with no discernible talent and the scourge that is the social media influencer, there comes our favourite antidote. The incredible craftspeople and visionaries that from their humble locales ply their trade without ever seeking fame or fortune. It is in the back streets of any Japanese city that you’ll find many of these fine folk working their magic. And from the beautiful temple filled port city of Onomichi we meet another master, Yusaku Sato. Who presents to us his latest build, a stunning Shovelhead Scrambler from his house of handmade machines, Sato Marine Cycle.

The Harley-Davidson has a long history in Japan dating back to the 1920s, when they were built under license by Rikuo, primarily for the military and the police. Thousands of Flatheads were made but the cost of the licensing, political tensions and the threat they posed to the many small manufacturers around the country meant the agreement collapsed. But the love of the big V-Twin had become enshrined and to this day Showa who bought out Rikuo still supplies HD.
For Sato-san the Shovelhead is a particular favourite and makes up roughly 50% of the builds he puts together. Having been a Yamaha dealer for the past 30 years the other bikes you’ll see in the packed shop tend to be XS650s and other Yamaha twins. While his bread and butter is building some of the most stylish bobbers you are ever likely to see, the chance to mix things up and...