Brit team builds super-cool Hog

Updated: 20 November 2014

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Shaw Harley’s dirt-style, Sportster-based “XLST3” is without doubt the coolest motorcycle I’ve ever ridden.

Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder but if I had a spare £25,000, I’d have myself one of these in the blink of an eye. Never have I wanted to own a bike I’ve tested so badly, let alone a Harley – and that says a lot from a dyed-in-the-wool sports bike fan like me.

All the machines built by Shaw Speed & Custom near Brighton (part of Shaw Harley-Davidson) are given a meaningful name. In “XLST3” the XL is a prefix for Harley’s Sportster model range and ST3 is for “Strike True 3”, the third in the line of “Strike Trues”, built for a customer and influenced by his graddad’s Air Force days.

It carries big knobbly Metzeler MCE Karoo tyres and dinner-plate sized Roland Sands Design brake discs as well as modified Termignoni XR1200 race pipes…

Read the full story in this week’s MCN, on sale now.

By Michael Neeves

MCN Chief Road Tester - Neevesy’s been an MCN Road Tester since 2002. He’s reviewed everything from mopeds to Rossi’s Yamaha M1, and plenty in between He covers tens of thousands of miles a year on the world’s roads and racetracks in his role with MCN, and when he’s not working he’s still on two wheels, racing both modern and classic superbikes for a variety of teams. To cement his position as one of the most influential motorcycling journalists on the planet, Neevesy spent many years as an Elite Instructor at the Ron Haslam Race School, based at the famous Donington Park race circuit. He regularly presents videos on riding tips and road safety, working alongside the likes of Highways England to deliver a strong and consistent message.