Hide custom Sportster

One of the few Japanese custom shops with an English-language translation website is Hide Motorcycle, also known as Hidemo. Since 2001, Hide has specialised in Harley custom motorcycles, and its latest venture is a range of Sportster conversions. (So new, in fact, that the product page is one of the few that have not yet been translated.) The machine above is Hide’s 'Traditional Style' bike, with new wheels, bodywork and engine ancillaries—plus that stunning restyled muffler. It’s a showcase for Hide’s mission to build bikes that are “rare, warm, natural and interesting”, reflecting old-style racing culture. Like most Japanese builders,...