Torsten Sasse is the main man behind the Fischbach, Germany-based custom motorcycle shop called Sasse van Essen Custombikes. Even though this custom Harley Softail was built about five-years ago, needless to say it’s still a relevant custom today. Matter of fact, if I didn’t mention when it was built probably nobody would know from the finished product which still looks fresh today. One thing I did notice taking a look at the photos is that there appears to be a lot of Roland Sands and Performance Machine stuff used throughout the build. Roland should take that as a big compliment that someone would use his design pieces (although modified) to create an award winning custom motorcycle.

 

   I couldn’t read the VIN number to find out what the exact model was to begin with, but I think it’s safe to assume it was a Springer Softail of some sort. I do know it’s a 2003 Harley and there’s a mildly hopped-up Twin Cam still taking center stage. An RSD Venturi Contrast Cut air cleaner and an RSD Tracker 2-into-1 exhaust lets the dogs out a bit brawnier and louder than stock and that’s a good thing for most of us. As most of you already know, it doesn’t take much to liven things up a bit when it comes to Twin Cams. European countries can have some ungodly inspection programs to make sure things stay relatively stock if you’re going to actually drive it on European roads legally and the key phrase here is legally. No surprise with the RSD connection already established that Torsten chose a Performance Machine open belt primary as a means of hooking thing up while looking contrastingly good doing it.

 

   Oh there are some other immediately noticeable RSD tidbits like the RSD vintage gas tank and frame cover for the crap around the headstock and the RSD sprung saddle conversion. Roland does make some dandy stuff and if you gotta pick somebody with his finger on the pulse of what’s happening, Roland is a good choice and a safe bet if you’re a betting man. RSD stuff isn’t cheap, but then it’s not cheaply made either.

 

    Torsten modified the tank with a visible fuel gauge running down the right side along with a gas cap right off the good ship Steampunk. Same goes for the seat too as there’s some leatherwork on there that’s up with the best I’ve ever seen. It’s really realistically beautiful in every way and I’d swear Skull Racer’s owner, Bernard Goebel, must have thought he was going to break those left-behind-on-the-seat goggles with his behind. The turned-over bars with European bar end turn signals give it a racy view looking out over the modified springer and low-mounted headlight. The foot boards are a nice touch and showcase the bent open-end wrench that now serves as a brake lever. On the left, the rocker-style shifter remains but with brass pegs to spruce things up while blending in with the other brass pieces like the large wing nuts on the fork and the brass decoration bits on the shift linkage.

   Where this bike really shines is what everybody notices first ─ the paint. The cream, tan, and brown paint with skull graphics are what sets it apart from most mildly customized Softails. What makes this work interesting is that it was done by a tattoo artist who apparently does a bit of dabbling in custom motorcycle paintwork. Ralf Nonnweiller of NoArts Tattoo in Neunkirchen, Germany, did an exemplary job of creating über-realistic graphics that have a bit of patina built right in. At least that’s the way I see it. I did see an explanation of what they’re all supposed to mean as far as life and death goes, but I will spare you. They just look cool and taken for face value, they look scary in an entertaining way like an old pirate map.

 

   So, this bike has finally made it out of our Picasa site after hanging around in there for five years with nobody coming forth to claim it. Whoever took them, thanks for the pics and we hope you enjoyed them too.

 

  For more information on Sasse van Essen, please click on www.sasse-vanessen-custombikes.de.