Take this ground-up build for instance, the fabrication especially the welding is muy perfecto and the cleared-over, in-the-raw finish lets any warts show. Although I may not be a medical professional, I’d know a fabricated wart one I see one and there’re none to be found anywhere. Even where you can’t easily see. The build photos hide no lies and this bike is telling the welding truth. Rows of dimes as the weldy people say. Plus, the frame not only has a nice hot rod stance, but Pat and crew did a marvelous job of making the tubes become part of the design. Tubes bend and twist and go where Led Sled thinks they look good. And damn it if it doesn’t.

 

  Oh, and how about that I-beam springer that looks like the drilled-out solid front axle on an old hot rod Ford roadster? Cool or what? I’m going with cool like there’s any other choice. Led Sled likes to build things and I mean really build things. Don’t bother looking it up in the Paughco catalog or whatever, that’s Led Sled all the way. Come to think of it, they probably don’t have any aftermarket catalogs in the shop. If they need it, they just build it.

 

   Same goes for the wheels which are a remarkable piece of kit welded up from as many pieces as you can see. Look for the welds in Jack’s photos and you’ll see how many pieces are involved. They’ve just got a bad ass look I’ve never seen anywhere else especially the mirror-spoke rear wheel carrying a six-piston Buell perimeter brake. Getting everything perfect with all the brake/sprocket/hub variables of welding up a wheel consisting of many parts is a work unto itself. If Led Sled had just called it a day with a complete, ready-to-go rear wheel and nothing else, I could have been satisfied with just seeing that. The choice of a perimeter brake with a lot of pistons helps to quell fears about going brakeless up front. But, if I did have a quibble with this bike, it’s only because I’ve had bikes with only a rear brake and while it looks cool as hell, I’ll always take one up front too especially with a hand shifter and foot clutch. I live where there are hills and lots of traffic and the more brakes the better.

 

   And it’s not just about arty fabrication that makes this bike special, but the lines and the resulting sleek hot rod feel you get from the flow of the design end-to-end is simply gorgeous. Three’s not much bodywork, but what there is, is just right. The underslung Sporty-style tank keeps things low and extremely tight over the engine jutting down where there’s an opening while the top of the tank matches the curvature of the top tube. Clean incorporation of two entirely different, but now harmonious pieces of the puzzle. Other than the dished-ends, cylindrical Led Sled oil tank sitting under the seat, the only other piece of tin is the rear fender which is about as clean and simple as you can get. Where Led Sled took this up a notch were the delicate double fender stays which accentuate the lines of the fender itself.

 

   Of course you can’t talk about Sporty love without bringing up the engine, in this case a late model running a classically-cool magneto and one of those ancient mechanical carburetor things sucking air through a beautifully machined aluminum stack. On top of that, there is a pair of header-wrapped headers with simply beautiful formed tips just floating through space to get around the mag and carb before letting loose with complete disregard on any ears within a quarter-mile radius. I like the sound of that even if I lost my hearing temporarily.

 

  What can I say about the whole fabbed-up hand shifter/mid-controls that doesn’t sound like Led Sled sent me five-bucks in the mail (I’m cheap) and I had to gush over it before I could spend it? Okay, they did an exceptionally clean setup that blends in with the build, but with a distinct flavor of its own. Like porn, you know something right when you see it and we’re seeing it here. Same goes for the low bars that look comfortably aggressive and have possible the only aftermarket piece, the Scotts rotary steering damper, mounted on top of the fork. Smart choice by somebody who wanted to make sure they could use every last horsepower the Evo Sporty could put out. If set up correctly (which is pretty easy), you never even notice this rotary damper (or stabilizer as Scotts calls it) except when you absolutely need it.

 

   Where Pat and the crew took this bike to a level of finish I can’t get enough of is letting the mechanical rawness come through loud and clear. There’s not a lick of paint on it as long as you don’t count the protective clear coat finish Led Sled covered this ride in. This is truly a case of what you see is what you get. The only bit of unnecessary frivolity are the absolutely charming hand made badges featuring the Harley #1 skull logo and the all-important, especially to the boys from Ohio, Made In U.S.A. badges mounted proudly on the sides of the tank.

 

   If you love the look of all things mechanical like I do, this could be the perfect dream bike for you. You could try building something like this yourself, but you better be a hell of a draftsman/craftsman to pull it off. In case that’s above your pay grade, you just might contact Led Sled Customs and see what they can do for you at www.ledsledcustoms.com/ or visit their Facebook page.