Pepo Rosell of XTR Pepo continues to turn out stunning customs at a rate that defies belief, each strikingly unique yet bearing the signature, race-inspired style of the “master constructor.” One thing we haven’t seen very often from XTR very often is an American-made platform — not since 2015, with his striking Dyna build, “Gabrielle.” That Dyna build served as the inspiration for this astounding 1992 Harley-Davidson Sportster — completed in a blend of bobber, brat, and tracker styles.
Perhaps the most striking customization is the conversion to a monoshock suspension, which Pepo handled with grace and exacting detail. He then enlisted Hagon to make a special rear shock for this Sportster brat tracker.
1992 was one of the first years that the Harley-Davidson Sportster came with a belt drive. Pepo converted the bike back to a chain drive, allowing a wider range of gearing options while offering a more vintage aesthetic — especially with the with Tsubaki gold chain.
As always, Pepo gave particular attention to the front end of the bike, converting the stock narrow-glide Harley forks to 1992 Suzuki GSX-R750 forks, complete with 18-inch front rim and dual-disc brake setup — featuring GSX-R750 calipers, NG rotors, and Discacciati radial PR19 brake pump — making sure this iron horse comes to a very fast stop.
That’s good, because Pepo punched out the original 883cc motor to 1200cc, with ported heads, high compression pistons, and an Andrews camshaft. The overbored motor breathes through a Mikuni race carb and XTR air filter, and is fired by a Screaming Eagle ignition. All those spent gasses exit through a Supermario 2-in-1 exhaust system.
The bike is wired with a trick Motogadget M-unit and Lipo battery, running a Motogadget dashboard set over a Rizoma handler with Domino quick-open throttle and Gonelli natural caoutchouc (unvulcanized natural rubber) grips. The clutch is actuated with a Suzuki GSX-R600 lever paired with a Buell clutch cable. The headlight is a Mash 125 light, and the bike has Vicma LED blinkers and Lucas rear light.
The gas tank is actually a modified Yamaha SR500 unit with a Laverda gas cap, painted by Artenruta, along with a modified Triumph Legend left side panel.
The seat, pegs, brake/shift levers, rear mudguard, and license plate bracket are all XTR units.
Photography by Cesar Godoy.
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