Noted custom motorcycle outfit from Japiur, Rajputana Customs is all set to become the first ever Indian custom shop to customize the Harley-Davidson Street 750. This Rajputana Street 750 will be on display at Harley Rock Riders – Season V on November 15-16, 2014 in Mumbai.
The H-D Street 750 build taking shape at the Rajputana Customs facilities in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
We speak to Vijay Singh, founder of Rajputana Customs regarding this build.
Motoroids : Hi Vijay, we at Motoroids are purveyors of your style. Coming straight to the point, tell us something about the theme surrounding the upcoming Harley Davidson Street 750 Custom.
Vijay : The objective of the build is to show customization possibilities of the new Street 750. Although there won’t be any major fabrication work involved, the initial idea behind the build would revolve around an old school, bobber theme, with Rajputana adapting and improvising as the build progresses- in fact, as we speak things are slightly veering towards a “bratty cafe racer with a minimalist aesthetic approach” . The frame will be left mostly untouched and structural changes will be fairly limited. Although the build would involve bolt-on updates with parts sourced from other Harley-Davidson motorcycles, the slightly commuter-centric stance of the Street 750 is set to change into something cooler.
Motoroids : How will it be any different from your regular style? Will we see a change from the meticulously painted motifs and period styling elements, or do you intend to refine this very style?
Vijay: Regarding the lovely, intricate motifs and intense Rajasthani mural etchings that featured in a handful of Rajputana builds- I fail to see it as my trademark style. Though we take pride in the aforementioned elements, those were on customers’ preferences and the new Street 750 build will feature none of that. Instead, the revised stance and the old school bobber/bratty cafe-racer look is going to take centre stage here.
Beautifully and painstakingly etched murals on the Rajmata, a H-D 48 based custom.
Motoroids: Harley calls the Street 750 as the blank canvas of customization. What do you think?
Vijay : It’s true to a great extent and the same holds for other Harley-Davidsons as well. Regarding the Street 750, the opportunities are endless, with the stock bike leaving room for a lot of customization work. The Street serves its purpose well, but it is also felt that the whole visual character of the bike calls for more.
Motoroids: How much time will the build approximately take?
Vijay: The build will be completed in about a month, right in time for the upcoming Harley-Davisdson Rock Riders Show on the 15th and 16th of November this year (2014).
Motoroids : Will it just be cosmetic enhancements or performance oriented modifications?
Vijay : Apart from the obvious, and thorough cosmetic changes there won’t be any major performance upgrades, except perhaps a bolt-on Screamin’ Eagle exhaust for shouting it’s brains off, and some mild engine re-mapping for that extra shove.
Whether it be simple pin-striping and minimal, classy body-work (left) or an full-blown custom motorcycle like the 2014 Harley 883 based Jordaar (right), Rajputana has built ’em all.
Motoroids: Since you’ve already worked on a Harley-Davidson before, will it be easier to approach this build?
Vijay : Although we have worked on a couple of Harleys before, including the 48 based Rajmata, and that expertise would definitely help, but in recent times things have changed as downloadable service modules, build tutorials and other details about parts are readily available online. Customizing Harleys in a certain matter is not too much of a chore these days, especially when compared to previous Harley builds.
Motoroids: How far do you think Indian customization culture has come along and where do you think it’s headed?
Vijay: Both consumer awareness and demand has gone up, and people in the know are willing to part with money for quality results. But we’re still a good 3-4 years away from establishing a proper custom motorcycle culture here in the country.
The stunning H-D 48 based Rajmata, the cherry of the Rajputana portfolio.
Motoroids : Where do you see yourself stand today in the global customization scene?
Vijay : I am glad that Rajputana Motorcycles have made a small mark for themselves in the fiercely competitive and crowded global customization scene, having been featured on notable customization websites like PipeBurn and Bike EXIF. But India still has a lot of catching up to do to match the well-oiled machinery that the global customization industry is. With labor issues, lazy work ethics, and general lack of exposure, India’s young scene can’t match the West’s well established customization culture that have dedicated generations to it.
The Rajputana Street 750 will be on display at Harley Rock Riders – Season V on November 15-16, 2014 in Mumbai.
how are the golden designs drawn on H-D-48 based rajmata???????
how are the golden designs drawn?????????
Good work.. Vijay