When Old Meets New: One Builder's Dream Harley-Davidson Sportster
Many of us often dream about leaving our boring desk jobs and taking off on two wheels to pursue some hidden desire buried deep down in our soul. Some seek the exploration of two-wheeled travel, while others take their soul searching inward and reflect on what they really want to do in life. Efraon Triana Lopez is one of those people. At age 38, after starting his own graphic design company in Spain, he decided to leave it all and reinvent himself and his understandings of making a living.
He didn’t know where he was going to go, but he did know he still wanted to express his creative juices. Expressing them via motorcycles seemed fitting then, as what better symbol of freedom is there? This put Lopez down the path of building custom motorcycles from his shop, UFO Garage, but while building customer bikes is one thing, Lopez wanted to create his perfect motorcycle: the 1957 Harley-Davidson Sportster.
Except Lopez’s vision was to blend old with new, because as much as 60 year-old motorcycles drum up thoughts of nostalgia, there’s no getting around the fact modern technology is far more superior. As such, Lopez set out to recreate the exact silhouette and image of a ’57 Sportster while underpinning it with a modern day version. Lopez’s story is a fascinating one, and the product of his craftsmanship is a beauty. Check out his story in the video below, and if you don’t speak Spanish, be sure to click the closed caption button for subtitles. You can also see more pictures of the bike, the build, and the builder, on Petrolicious.
Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.
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It sounds like a tractor.
I’m sure we will see a 2019 Sportster “57.”
Willie G is facepalming as we speak. “Why didn’t I think of that?”