H-D1 Part One | Meet Harley’s H-D1 Bike Builder

01. Okay, you’ve gone online, come up with your design, gone down to the dealership, and ordered it. After that, your plan goes off to the factory to bring your tailor-made Sportster Custom to life. It all starts with parts racks like this one. Each of these fenders was painted to customer spec and is waiting its turn on the assembly line.

01. Okay, you’ve gone online, come up with your design, gone down to the dealership, and

It’s a no-brainer that Harley will never launch a CVO Sportster, but with the company’s new H-D1 factory customization program, who needs one? The Sportster 1200 Custom (starting at $10,299) has lived in Harley’s stable for years, yet this incarnation is the first to fully live up to its name. Previous models were only custom in the sense that they came with a few different parts than other XLs. H-D1 factory customization lets prospective Sportster Custom owners choose from several options on seven aspects of the bike—wheels, handlebars, seats, paint, foot control position, security system, and engine finish. H-D1 factory customization is the newest element of Harley-Davidson customization that allows customers to build the 1200 Custom from a selection of options that are installed as the motorcycle is assembled on the line by Harley-Davidson’s factory workers. H-D1 factory customization enables personalized fit, function, and style. By selecting different wheels, seats, handlebars, paint, and engine finishes, the customer can dramatically alter the look of the motorcycle. Different combinations of foot-control location, seats, and handlebars can be selected to adjust the fit of the motorcycle to a rider’s stature. With H-D1’s factory customization Bike Builder tool, the customer will have the opportunity to order a 1200 Custom in more than 2,600 combinations.

02. Likewise with this 16x3-inch cast aluminum wheel. Its machine-cut finish is one of three options available for this year’s Custom. Also, this is the same one on our test bike.

02. Likewise with this 16x3-inch cast aluminum wheel. Its machine-cut finish is one of th

The H-D1 Bike Builder online tool is available on harley-davidson.com and as an iPad app. The customer can view the bike they are creating as different options are selected. The customer can then print out a description of his or her bike and bring it to a Harley-Davidson dealer to review the motorcycle with trained staff, select additional accessories to be installed by the dealer to further customize the motorcycle, and then place an order. You can expect to be riding one in as little as four weeks from the time an order is placed with the dealer. Delivery timing may vary depending on demand, and will be communicated to customers at the time of order. H-D1 factory customization is available only through Harley-Davidson dealers in the United States and Canada.

H-D gave us a Sportster Custom to play with that had gone through the H-D1 treatment. It’s a copy of one that was ordered and sent out to a dealership. The original had other additional Harley parts added to it when it arrived at the dealership; it’s just part of the whole H-D1 process that keeps dealerships involved in the customization process while letting customers personalize their iron even further. We’ll talk about the road test next issue, but first we thought we’d give you a little look into what happens after you place your order with H-D1 factory customization. HB

03. Our drivetrain was put together separately. Later on, a crane will set it inside our black frame where it’ll be bolted in place.
03. Our drivetrain was put together separately. Later on, a crane will set it inside our
04. Out on the line, black controls go onto the chromed handlebars. It would be cool if we could go with a black-on-black look. Hopefully, Harley will put more finish options into next year’s mix for more of a selection. Right now, you get whatever handlebar finish you want so long as it’s chrome.
04. Out on the line, black controls go onto the chromed handlebars. It would be cool if w
05. That crane we talked about earlier? You can see it at work as two workers guide it into the waiting Sportster frame. Assemblies like the handlebars/controls, frontend/front wheel, and the motor are mounted to the chassis as finished units instead of individual parts.
05. That crane we talked about earlier? You can see it at work as two workers guide it in

06. No, that ugly blue thing isn’t the rear fender. It’s a HardGuard protector. Harley put it over the painted sheetmetal to protect it while the bike is being constructed.
06. No, that ugly blue thing isn’t the rear fender. It’s a HardGuard protector. Harley pu
07. Much like with the motor, another crane comes into play for joining the frontend assembly to the frame neck. Afterward, the handlebar assembly, gas tank, and foot controls go on for final assembly…
07. Much like with the motor, another crane comes into play for joining the frontend asse
08. …followed by a test run in this sound-proof room. The bike passed muster and got shipped to our eager little hands for two weeks of prowling the mean streets of LA. More about that next issue.
08. …followed by a test run in this sound-proof room. The bike passed muster and got ship