Peter Ström of Stockholm, Sweden, is just a perfect example of a Swedish chopperbuilder/lover and has built bikes that have graced many American magazines. But when it came time to build a bike for a loved one, his young stepdaughter Janine Nikula, he took a different approach and frankly, I think it paid off handsomely in a bike that’s gotta be a relatively easy, fun bike to start out on that will hold its custom-bike own under any close examination. All I can say right now is that Janine, you are one lucky young lady.

Peter started this build with a wise choice , a dead stock 1995 883 Sporty, and began to make a bike that any young woman (or man) would be proud to call their own. “The idea was to build a clean, small and easy handling bike for my stepdaughter Janine. I wanted to show that I could build a good looking bobber from a stock Sportster. Her only wish that the color purple and have a crown somewhere on the bike,” said Peter. “I wanted to the combine ‘70s and a bobber style so I went for a paint job in purple mini-flake and gold leaf. The biggest inspiration was the engraving done by Andrea Gallinaro of Décor Custom (www.decorcustom.jimdo.com) in Albignasego PD, Italy. My favorite aspect of this bike was the engraving on the engine and fork by Andrea.”

The bike was built over a five-month period by Peter with fabrication help from his buddy, Kenta Falkered, owner of Ace Performance Cycles (www.aceperformance.se) in Upplands Vasby, Sweden. The 883 remained virtually stock other than a tasty set by Peter Strom/Ace Performance Cycles with a trumpet exhaust tips in brass from LOWBROW CUSTOMS. “I searched the Web for all the brass parts I could find so there are a lot of brass parts on the bike,” said Peter. He’s right about that as brass covers the levers, master cylinder cap, mirror stalk, pushrod tubes, oil and fuel caps, pegs, engine inspection covers, spoke nipples, and just about any bolt and nut possible.

It wasn’t all bolt-on, though as Peter said, “I took apart and cut off the rear frame and put some brackets for the turn signals there instead. Then I cut off on the front frame to make the frame look cleaner. I welded the risers to the handlebar and installed an internal throttle for a cleaner look.

The frame and all the black parts were powder coated while the Airbrush Studio sprayed on the mandatory, no=-questions-asked- purple paint. The also handled the exquisite pin striping and the Purple Queen moniker gracing the gas tank. Oh and the crown? Be sure to check out Andrea’s work on those Fuek and oil caps. Seems like he’s not fond of having to pay the prices for petroleum products in Sweden and at around seven bucks-plus a gallon, I can’t say I blame him.

All in all, Janine got a really sweet ride that looks like a million bucks and is still something you can fire up and just go for a nice ride on with reliability and comfort. Maybe that’s why she’s got such a happy look on her face in the lead photo. Keep up whatever you’re doing Janine as You’ve got a fine ride that anybody should be proud to call their own.

I wonder if Peter’s up for adopting an old guy from America who would be very thrilled with such a fine ride built by my new Swedish Dad. Hey, I’d take out the trash and maybe even cut the grass in exchange. Let me know if you want to work something out Peter, I’m right here waiting and I’ve owned Swedish cars, occasionally go to IKEA, owned Sandvik tools, love Swedish meatballs, and have had my share of Absolute, so I’m sorta familiar with the country. If loving ABBA is a necessity, well I guess the deals off.