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If you’ve ever ridden a motorcycle on the narrow European roads and streets, you know how important it is to ride a machine that handles well in tight situations. I clearly remember a few situations when my full dresser felt like I was navigating with a full-size pickup truck, especially in rush-hour traffic. I also remember wishing that I were riding a smaller bike.

When it comes to customizing a stock Harley-Davidson motorcycle it doesn’t make a lot of sense to purchase one with all the bells and whistles, because many of those extra features will be replaced with custom parts, and sometimes even that two-tone custom factory paint job will get a full makeover. I highly recommend sticking to the basic and cheapest models when you plan to customize, depending on the extent you are going to change the bike.

When the owner of this Sporty brought his bike to Aldo Querio Gianetto’s (AQG) shop, it was a stock 1200cc H-D Sportster Custom in the vivid black color. When Marco C returned a couple of months later to pick up his new customized Sporty, a sharp looking metal flake acid green with violet flame colored bike was sitting on AQG’s showroom floor. He didn’t know that this was his bike, and found himself standing there drooling and wishing this was his. When Aldo walked out and said, “Marco, how do you like your bike,” he was an immediately happy customer.

Marco C is like many bike owners who buy stock motorcycles, and then drop them off at their favorite trusted bike builder, and give a brief description of what they want customized, but give the builder full authorization to do things his or her way. This Dannata Verde custom Sporty is a prime example of that scenario. Aldo Querio Gianetto knew the profile, and the likes and dislikes of Marco C, and he customized his bike to fit his lifestyle and personality. It’s like walking into an unfamiliar barbershop. A good barber can look at the shape of your face, head, and physique, and cut and style your hair based on those features.

“Most of my customers walk into my shop and give me a general idea of what they want in a custom motorcycle, and I do all the rest. I have a list of questions I ask the customers, not too personal, but enough for me to learn some things about their lifestyle. I also build bikes with certain type of customers in mine, and they all sell quickly,” said Aldo.

AQG normally runs an S&S engine in most of his custom-built machines, but on occasion he runs the stock H-D engines. “The Harley-Davidson 1200cc engine is a great motor with lots of power, so there were no need to replace it, but I did use an S&S super E carburetor,” stated Aldo. AQG also used the stock H-D 5-speed transmission on the Dannata Verde custom. See technical data information for a full list of customized parts on this machine.

For more information on AQG, log on to www.aqg.it