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Motorbike fanatics are most likely not as accustomed to NEIGHBORHOOD as fashionistas are, however the powerhouse Japanese streetwear model does have a powerful connection to motorcycling. NEIGHBORHOOD’s artistic director, Shinsuke Takizawa, is a big fan of bikes and the tradition surrounding them. Now he’s celebrating the model’s thirtieth birthday with a restricted version {custom} Harley-Davidson Avenue Bob, created by the one and solely Tough Crafts.
The seed for a NEIGHBORHOOD x Tough Crafts collaboration was planted a number of years in the past when Tough Craft’s frontman Winston Yeh met Takizawa-san on the Yokohama Sizzling Rod Customized Present. Given their shared love for bikes and streetwear, it was solely a matter of time earlier than their two worlds collided. And when NEIGHBORHOOD opened a flagship retailer in Winston’s hometown, Taipei, that was all of the excuse they wanted.
Winston picked a bike he’s effectively accustomed to—the Harley-Davidson Avenue Bob 114. He and his crew of native craftsmen have labored their magic on a number of Avenue Bobs, together with different bikes in Harley’s fashionable Softail vary. In order that they have a number of elements, methods, and shortcuts to make the Avenue Bob look higher with much less effort.
The plan was for Winston to construct a {custom} Avenue Bob in Tough Crafts’ signature type and for Shinsuke to contribute the bike’s graphics, whereas additionally engaged on a complementary NEIGHBORHOOD x Tough Crafts (NHRC) attire assortment. This bike is numbered ’00’—however Tough Crafts will likely be constructing 5 extra, to order.
“The inspiration behind this assortment stems from the idea of a road tracker,” Winston tells us, “sustaining the black aesthetic shared by NEIGHBORHOOD and Tough Crafts throughout each the bike and clothes whereas embodying the spirits of each manufacturers. The principle visuals for the gathering have been shot in iconic areas in Taipei reminiscent of Lungshan Temple, Nanjichang Evening Market, and Ximending, symbolizing the fusion of conventional Taipei allure with up to date parts.”
Since Winston plans to construct a small run of those bikes, he determined to maintain the finances in motive—by his requirements, anyway. Fortunately he’s a fan of the 2023-model Avenue Bob’s six-spoke wheels, so these might keep. Measuring 19” up entrance and 16” out again, they’re wrapped in fashionable/retro tubeless sawtooth tires from Unilli.
The braking system is one thing particular. Winston turned to his regular provider, Beringer, and specced the bike with a six-piston entrance and four-piston rear caliper. Beringer got here to the social gathering, engraving the calipers in-house with NHRC graphics, provided by Shinsuke and Winston.
It additionally helps that the ‘spokes’ of the Beringer rotors match the wheels completely, creating the looks of ‘hole’ brake discs from afar. As for the Avenue Bob’s suspension, that’s additionally inventory—however it’s been jacked up on the again, courtesy of a elevate package from Kodlin.
Transferring to the bodywork, the Tough Crafts crew whipped up a {custom} aluminum tank and a fiberglass tail part. They comply with the aggressive road tracker type that Winston has made his personal over the previous few years, with the kind of deeply scalloped sections that we’ve come to anticipate from him. The scooped seat is wearing a conventional diagonal-stitched sample.
The Avenue Bob’s new visage pulls its inspiration from flat observe racing. Winston designed a quantity board-style headlight nacelle, with fork protectors that mirror conventional flat observe guards by extending from the highest down, as a substitute of from the underside up. A grilled headlight is tucked tightly right into a cutout within the entrance plate.
The cockpit is conventional Tough Crafts fare. The Avenue Bob’s good little digital speedo has been remounted into an RC housing that doubles up as handlebar clamps; these maintain a set of RC hallmark ‘Fighter’ bars. The switches come from Rebuffini and are plug-and-play with the fashionable Harley’s electronics.
Tough Crafts x Arlen Ness grips end off the bars, whereas RC pegs adorn the inventory mid-mounted foot controls.
Tiny Rebuffini LEDs hand flip sign duties up entrance, whereas three-in-one RC LEDs mild up the rear. The derby cowl and fuel cap are from the RC catalog too, whereas the purpose cowl is a {custom} NHRC-branded piece.
The air consumption and rocker field covers all come from the Tough Crafts x Arlen Ness assortment, whereas the hydraulic clutch improve comes courtesy of Rebuffini. The Avenue Bob’s torquey V-twin mill exhales by way of a high-riding two-into-one exhaust, completed in an obnoxiously stubby ‘muffler.’
Unsurprisingly, the NEIGHBORHOOD x Tough Crafts Harley-Davidson Avenue Bob is completed in swathes of black. However the carbon fiber particulars, gold leaf pin stripes, and contrasting textures that often adorn Winston’s bikes are lacking. As an alternative, the bike is sharply wearing graphics sporting NEIGHBORHOOD’s typical aesthetic.
It wouldn’t be a Tough Crafts machine and not using a {custom} set of pushrod collars from common collaborator 2AbnormalSides; these bear the initials N, H, R, and C as a nod to the collab. Winston additionally credit the remainder of his common crew for his or her work; Rover Works Customized Paint for the finishes, MS Professional for fabrication, SFC Simon Fiber Craft for the fiberglass work, and CT-Storage for meeting.
In the event you’re a fan of both NEIGHBORHOOD, Tough Crafts, or each, it’s straightforward to see every model’s DNA on this perky Avenue Bob. And in the event you’re not fortunate sufficient to get a spot in Winston’s restricted construct queue, you may all the time seize one thing from the attire line—or stand in line for one in every of 50 custom-painted Shoei helmets that accompany the mission.
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