Last year, the Harley-Davidson Sportster turned 60. It?s an extraordinary milestone, with only the Royal Enfield Bullet having a longer unbroken model run.
Surprisingly, Harley didn?t make much noise about the Sportster?s 60th birthday. But the Spanish builder Efraón Triana decided to celebrate it in a most unusual fashion. With the blessing and support of Harley-Davidson España, he?s taken a 2016 model Sportster and reconfigured it to resemble a late 50s Ironhead (below).

Not an easy task, but Efraón had one factor in his favor: development of the Sportster has always been incremental.
Like Porsche, Milwaukee prefers evolution to revolution. Just as you can see the link between a 911 built in 1963 and one in the showroom today, there?s a clear lineage between a 1957 Sportster and the current model.
Efraón?s idea was to build a Sportster with all the charm of a 1950s model, but the reliability and functionality of a modern bike.
Because, as we all know, classic bikes are great?until you find yourself spending more time with your hands in the toolbox than on the grips.

Efraón had the skills to make this happen. He?s best known for his involvement in Cafe Racer Dreams, the Madrid shop that was setting the pace in the custom scene a few years ago.
CRD has since changed hands, and Efraón has now returned to his original solo workspace, UFO Garage.

The donor bike is a XL1200, and the brakes and suspension are untouched. They might not be as good as a Brembo ...