Dark Custom adds a new rebel
By Pete Brissette
Harley-Davidson recently unveiled the Iron 883 as the latest addition to its phantom Dark Custom line. The Darks aren’t a separate model line, but more like a sinister club or collection of single models culled from Harley’s prolific arsenal of existing V-Twins: the Dynas, Sportsters and Softails.
The underpinning theme with a Dark is pared-down, no-nonsense styling, eschewing chrome and brightness in favor of muted, basic color schemes – namely black. And for a few of them there’s a decidedly deliberate chopped and bobbed influence.
As a theme, Dark Custom didn’t make an official appearance until the January 2008 introduction of a Softail Springer that received the chopped/bobbed/black-out treatment and the name Cross Bones. It was at this Hollywood premiere-style unveiling of the ‘Bones that Willie G. Davidson and son Bill told the moto-world about the birth of this new shadow series of motorcycles.
Long before its official coming out party, the development of the Dark line started taking shape when the Softail Night Train showed up, and then a VRSC model, the Night Rod Special, went bad-ass in black. Soon thereafter the 1200cc Sportster-based Nightster appeared in the first half of 2007. The Iron 883 marks the second Sportster model to join the Dark Customs and follows closely to the Nightster’s motif.
The underpinning theme with a Dark is pared-down, no-nonsense styling, eschewing chrome and brightness in favor of muted, basic color schemes – namely black. And for a few of them there’s a decidedly deliberate chopped and bobbed influence.
As a theme, Dark Custom didn’t make an official appearance until the January 2008 introduction of a Softail Springer that received the chopped/bobbed/black-out treatment and the name Cross Bones. It was at this Hollywood premiere-style unveiling of the ‘Bones that Willie G. Davidson and son Bill told the moto-world about the birth of this new shadow series of motorcycles.
Long before its official coming out party, the development of the Dark line started taking shape when the Softail Night Train showed up, and then a VRSC model, the Night Rod Special, went bad-ass in black. Soon thereafter the 1200cc Sportster-based Nightster appeared in the first half of 2007. The Iron 883 marks the second Sportster model to join the Dark Customs and follows closely to the Nightster’s motif.
To help jump start the introduction of the Iron 883 into the Dark Custom line, Harley-Davidson showcased the bike as part of an art gallery opening this past Saturday at the Robert Berman Gallery in Santa Monica, CA. The media got an early look on Friday, February 6th.
The theme of the gallery opening was “The Art of Rebellion,” and included 10 contemporary fringe artists, each creating a custom-painted Harley gas tank in conjunction with the gallery theme. Among invited creative types was street artist Shepard Fairey, most notable for his “Andre the Giant Has a Posse” sticker that later evolved into the “OBEY Giant” collection. Fairey recently resurged in notoriety by creating the now-iconic Barack Obama HOPE posters used extensively in the former presidential candidate’s successful campaign for the Oval Office.
The gallery of tanks as well as a piece from the artists own collections will be on display and available for purchase. Proceeds from the sale will benefit Art Matters, a charity that supports and encourages the exploration of new ideas and art. One hundred copies of a signed, limited-edition Shepard Fairey poster were given away at the event.
Keeping It Lo-Brow
By Fonzie
While many would argue that the established identity of Harley-Davidson motorcycles seems forever supplanted in the ideals and design regime of the 1950s, they occasionally take strides in more unique directions.
Friday's private art opening is just one such occasion, which publicly raised the collective consciousness of the underground and subculture known as the lo-brow art scene.
Finding a new motorcycle parked inside the stark-white gallery walls is nothing when compared to the juxtaposition of suit-clad connoisseurs and tattoo-sleeved artists, both sipping on another decidedly lo-brow adult beverage, tall-boys if you will, 24-oz PBRs flowed like the wine you might have expected in such a place. Instead, artists and their families, entourages and some lurking media folk milled about the charity event. All seeking a higher state of mind in the name of art and motorcycling.
Not dampened by the unusual week-long rains of Los Angeles, the party went on well into the night. Sighting such sub-famous artists as the Clayton brothers, SoCal's own Bob Dob and the Austin-dipped Spaniard Frank Kozik kept the otherwise subdued art opening spicy and full of life.
Proceeds from the custom-painted tanks and wall art went to artist-supporting foundation Art Matters. Kozik's piece sold almost immediately. Shepard Fairey unfortunately wasn't in attendance due to a retrospective show opening on the East Coast.
Harley chose the gallery theme to mirror what it calls the “modern rebel culture” that was emerging around the time of the original introduction of the Sportster line in 1957. Indeed, H-D was clearly drawn to the original bobber style when it first penned the Iron 883. Though the bike is essentially a Sportster 883 Low, Harley was able to shorten overall length by three inches and shave 18 pounds off the Low’s claimed running order weight of 583 pounds.
Harley chose the gallery theme to mirror what it calls the “modern rebel culture” that was emerging around the time of the original introduction of the Sportster line in 1957. Indeed, H-D was clearly drawn to the original bobber style when it first penned the Iron 883. Though the bike is essentially a Sportster 883 Low, Harley was able to shorten overall length by three inches and shave 18 pounds off the Low’s claimed running order weight of 583 pounds.
The Iron 883 not only advances the Dark Custom line, it also reflects a trend toward bobbing in the bike culture that’s now moving into the mainstream. Makes us wonder if at that point it’s still rebellious?
The theme of the gallery opening was “The Art of Rebellion,” and included 10 contemporary fringe artists, each creating a custom-painted Harley gas tank in conjunction with the gallery theme. Among invited creative types was street artist Shepard Fairey, most notable for his “Andre the Giant Has a Posse” sticker that later evolved into the “OBEY Giant” collection. Fairey recently resurged in notoriety by creating the now-iconic Barack Obama HOPE posters used extensively in the former presidential candidate’s successful campaign for the Oval Office.
The gallery of tanks as well as a piece from the artists own collections will be on display and available for purchase. Proceeds from the sale will benefit Art Matters, a charity that supports and encourages the exploration of new ideas and art. One hundred copies of a signed, limited-edition Shepard Fairey poster were given away at the event.
Keeping It Lo-Brow
By Fonzie
While many would argue that the established identity of Harley-Davidson motorcycles seems forever supplanted in the ideals and design regime of the 1950s, they occasionally take strides in more unique directions.
Friday's private art opening is just one such occasion, which publicly raised the collective consciousness of the underground and subculture known as the lo-brow art scene.
Finding a new motorcycle parked inside the stark-white gallery walls is nothing when compared to the juxtaposition of suit-clad connoisseurs and tattoo-sleeved artists, both sipping on another decidedly lo-brow adult beverage, tall-boys if you will, 24-oz PBRs flowed like the wine you might have expected in such a place. Instead, artists and their families, entourages and some lurking media folk milled about the charity event. All seeking a higher state of mind in the name of art and motorcycling.
Not dampened by the unusual week-long rains of Los Angeles, the party went on well into the night. Sighting such sub-famous artists as the Clayton brothers, SoCal's own Bob Dob and the Austin-dipped Spaniard Frank Kozik kept the otherwise subdued art opening spicy and full of life.
Proceeds from the custom-painted tanks and wall art went to artist-supporting foundation Art Matters. Kozik's piece sold almost immediately. Shepard Fairey unfortunately wasn't in attendance due to a retrospective show opening on the East Coast.
Harley chose the gallery theme to mirror what it calls the “modern rebel culture” that was emerging around the time of the original introduction of the Sportster line in 1957. Indeed, H-D was clearly drawn to the original bobber style when it first penned the Iron 883. Though the bike is essentially a Sportster 883 Low, Harley was able to shorten overall length by three inches and shave 18 pounds off the Low’s claimed running order weight of 583 pounds.
Harley chose the gallery theme to mirror what it calls the “modern rebel culture” that was emerging around the time of the original introduction of the Sportster line in 1957. Indeed, H-D was clearly drawn to the original bobber style when it first penned the Iron 883. Though the bike is essentially a Sportster 883 Low, Harley was able to shorten overall length by three inches and shave 18 pounds off the Low’s claimed running order weight of 583 pounds.
The Iron 883 not only advances the Dark Custom line, it also reflects a trend toward bobbing in the bike culture that’s now moving into the mainstream. Makes us wonder if at that point it’s still rebellious?
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