Harley-Davidson is a name synonymous with cruisers and bobbers. It was only in the last few years that Harley decided to go bold. Or is it? Well, we know that the Harley-Davidson LiveWire and the Pan America off-roading motorcycle are two great machines from the Milwaukee-based automaker that is considered to be conservative. But we were wrong in thinking so.

You see, Harley-Davidson has been trying to think bold and out-of-the-box ever since the 80s. And one of their earliest bold moves was called the Harley-Davidson VR1000. This was a motorcycle that was built for the track. A tubular frame, carbon fiber body parts, and an aggressive riding position made it unlike any other Harley of the time. While it was a cool move, this supersport Harley fell hard.

The timing of its reveal was off and people just couldn't digest the sudden change in character from a motorcycle with "Harley-Davidson" on it. The VR1000 might have been a black sheep for Harley, but it sure has amassed fans over the years. And one such fan happened to own a custom motorcycle shop. He took it upon himself to do a homage build for the Harley that couldn't be. And he had a Buell motorcycle to help create this "two-faced" ode.

Giacomo Galbiati's "Double Face" uses a Buell S1 to pay homage to the Harley-Davidson VR1000.

"Double Face" Is A Tribute To A Flawed Harley-Davidson

The Harley-Davidson VR1000 is a black sheep in the Milwaukee-based motorcycle makers' proud lineage of cruisers. During the late 80s, Harley decided to take a road less traveled and build a fully-faired supersport machine. Yes, they did that and the result was a cool yet gravely flawed Harley-Davidson VR1000. It was a carbon-fiber clad fully-faired machine made to compete in the AMA superbike series. But despite great names like Erik Buell, Cosworth, and Roush behind this project, it failed big time!

However, it did manage to make a few fans over the years, for its bold character and aggressive take on Harleys. One of them is Giacomo Galbiati, an Italian custom motorcycle builder. He creates cool bikes under the banner of GDesign. And with "Double Face" he pays homage to Harley-Davidson's black sheep from the 90s.

GDesign Uses A Buell S1 As The Canvas

Paying homage to such a bold machine is special in itself. But Galbiati decided to spice things up by using a Buell S1 as the canvas. The Buell S1 (Lightning) was built from 1995 to 1999 and shared its chassis with yet another interesting motorcycle - the Buell S2 Thunderbolt. It was technically a Harley-Davidson reprogrammed to be a nimble streetfighter. The donor S1 used for this project happens to be a 1999 registered unit, which makes it one of the last S1s to be built.

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A Story Of Black And Orange With Italian Flair

The coolest part of this custom motorcycle is that it depicts a dual personality. And that has been artistically showcased with the right side being painted in Harley's racing orange and the left painted in black, hence the "Double Face" name. The two sides are split across the length by a silver paint strip that goes all the way up to the front fender.

There is a unique red pin-stripe going along the length as well, and not in a straight line. It is weird but looks cool. Another interesting side to the visual appeal here is that it is more Italian than American. The front fairing is straight off a beaten Benelli 500 and the custom tank, which is technically a fiberglass cover on the original one, has been derived from a 1980s Ducati 750 SuperSport. All these bits were given a custom touch to fit well with the Buell.

All The Cool Mods On This Custom Buell

Giacomo is a man who is obsessed with aesthetics. And he has also focused on the visual drama first, on this VR1000 tribute. It gets a double headlight layout with the high beam unit being yellow. It is an ode to the night endurance races of the 90s. The custom tank gets garlanded with 3D printed badged that fuse together both "Harley-Davidson" and "Buell". The custom tail assembly which houses a very 80s seat design is also made from fiberglass.

Adding more Italian flair are tank pads and seat upholstery custom-made by L.R. Leather Goods. The brakes have been upgraded to custom double discs and calipers from Discacciati. It gets Tommaselli clip-on handlebars that add to its sporty appeal. The stock S1 rims have been retained and look cool in the gray-ish chrome shade. It also gets a smartphone holder with a USB outlet.

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An Old But Fierce V-Twin With Dialed-Up Drama

The 1203cc air-cooled V-twin engine was taken off a 90s Harley-Davidson Sportster. In stock form, it churned out 101 hp and a healthy 95.14 lb-ft of torque and is coupled to a 5-Speed gearbox. While we don't have the exact figures, GDesign has done bits to boost things for this raspy motor. It gets a DynoJet control unit which possibly bumps up the horses.

Adding to this "boost" is a custom-fitted SuperTrapp exhaust which was originally made for the Harley-Davidson XR1200. This along with a foam air filter is sure to spice things up on the saddle. The oil cooler has also been repositioned under the fairing to help the engine manage the heat better.

The Power Of Custom Motorcycles: Turning Around Failures

If not for this sinister-looking concept, it wouldn't have tickled us common folk to even look towards the Harley-Davidson VR1000. Custom motorcycles like these manage to put forth a different perspective on classic machines that are considered failures. But in this case, we now know that the VR1000 wasn't a failure, and Giacomo is here to counter the past with his "Double Face".

Sources: Instagram.com/giacomo_gdesign