FEATURE – One Way Machine ‘Singapore Sun’ 2003 Harley-Davidson Softail

It’s a reflection of the reputation that Julian von Oheimb of One Way Machine has built up that the German custom bike builder was chosen by a customer half a world away for the project you see here.

Based in Staufenberg near Frankfurt, One Way Machine has only been in existence for a few years, but Julian has proven to be an exceptionally talented and sought after two-wheel craftsman. As evidenced by past creations, he has a good eye for design and a keen appreciation of the aesthetics of custom builds, too.
That being said, the “look” of a One Way Machine (OWM) build never outweighs its practical function. Being a qualified engineer, all Julian’s bikes are made to be ridden, so practicality and usability are key drivers behind each creation. 
Julian specialises in custom Harley-Davidsons, and each year, he turns out a signature build to showcase his talents at European bike shows and custom competitions, where he’s scored an impressive swag of trophies. For example, One Way Machine won the Modified Harley-Davidson category in the prestigious AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building in 2014 with the ‘Brougham’ (featured in JUST BIKES #308 – January, 2015) and was runner-up in the same class at AMD World Championships in 2013 and 2016, with the ‘La Salle’ and ‘Iron Riot’ builds, respectively.
The bike shown here, known as ‘Singapore Sun,’ collected silverware at competitions in Edersee, Rudesheim and Cologne in 2016, and was also a multiple trophy winner at this year’s Art of Speed custom event in Malaysia.

Making Good out of Bad
Singapore Sun has its roots, unsurprisingly, in Singapore and started as a stock 2003-model Harley-Davidson Softail. The owner, a Mr. Ang, bought the bike new in Singapore, but wanted a custom ride, so had it modified locally. Those modifications, including a wider rear tyre and raked front end, weren’t done to Ang’s satisfaction and made the bike so hard to ride it was parked up for several years.
Later, Ang decided to revisit the project, but looked further afield to find someone to do the job right. Searching online, he found the Brougham, and it was that creation that convinced Ang to use One Way Machine to resurrect his project.
“Asians prefer German engineers,” said Julian. “But Mr. Ang wished for a one-on-one meeting to have a look at the bikes in person.”
Of course, that meant a flight to Germany and a visit to the OWM workshop in Staufenberg, so it’s a measure of how fair dinkum Ang was about getting his Softail rebuilt to a high standard.
“When he set his eyes on the Brougham for the first time, he was impressed,” Julian recalled. “He really liked the workmanship and was even more convinced that he had picked the right partner for his project.”
With a contract signed, the ’03 Softail was shipped from Singapore and work got underway as soon as it arrived.

Tear Down, Build Up
Ang wanted his bike to look like OWM’s La Salle, the hillclimb-styled, retro-look trophy winner from 2013. But Julian says he doesn’t build the same bike twice, so this creation, while inspired by the La Salle and featuring similar styling touches like the chunky tyres, perimeter rear brake and springer front end, would differ from it in a number of areas.
Julian started by completely disassembling the bike and modifying the Softail frame and swingarm, undoing the chopper-like styling that had been done previously. 
Singapore registration rules meant that the bike needed to be modified in a way that wouldn’t impact its road legality, so this was a driving force behind the project, too, and centred primarily around keeping the engine and drivetrain in stock spec. You’ll notice the addition of a pair of Ness Custom heads, as well as bespoke fuel and oil lines, but engine internals are unaltered. Aside from the custom pipes, which were created in-house at OWM, other cosmetic engine touches include parts from Performance Machine and Biltwell.
The transmission is unaltered, too, barring the addition of the Hydroclutch (a German-developed hydraulic clutch system that improves clutch lever operation) and a chain final drive conversion. 

The Triumph Touch
While unmistakably a Harley-Davidson thanks to the v-twin, the origins of the bike are blurred a little via the addition of a non-Harley fuel tank. Julian has form here, with tanks from a ’30s-era DKW used in other builds. 
In the case of Singapore Sun, the tank came from an old Triumph, but this needed extensive modification, especially to the underside and mounting points, to fit onto the Softail frame. An old automobile radiator mascot was modified for the fuel cap (another OWM signature feature), with a new plug and fuel tap also fitted.
The custom-made solo saddle comes from German firm, Spirit Leather, and features ‘drilled’ flaps that pick up on similar treatment in other areas of the build, like the pedal brackets, fuel tank tabs and oil tank.

Front and Back
While the factory Softail back-end has been left largely unaltered, the bike’s forks were replaced with a springer front end from W&W; a German aftermarket parts specialist. Being such a key part of the build, this fork was mulled over for some time and tested to ensure it would work as good as it looked. 
Connecting this distinctive front end to the frame is a top yoke from Easyriders in Japan, while the handlebars are Julian’s own creation – and one that he’s recently added to the retail range of OWM custom products. 
A compact, retro-look speedo from Motogadget sits in a custom bracket attached to the headstem. The switchgear and levers are Beringer, while the grips come from Speed Dealer Customs in the US.
Apparently, those aforementioned Singapore road rules don’t mandate a head light, as none has been fitted! There is a tail light, though, despite appearances to the contrary. The tail/brake light is actually incorporated into the indicators.
Also at the back, an aftermarket mudguard was trimmed to shape and attached to the swingarm with custom brackets and brass-look wingnuts that are used in other areas of this build.

Brakes and Brass
The wheels at both ends are 21-inch Harley factory units, shod with Continental TKC80 Twinduro rubber for that off-road look. Bringing those wheels to a halt are high-quality (and high cost!) braking components from Beringer. The front brake looks puny, but with three pistons, its stopping power belies its size.
At the rear, the perimeter brake and compatible caliper is of OWM’s own design and manufacture (one of a number of bespoke parts used on this build) and has become something of a signature touch with Julian’s builds, being used on both the La Salle and Iron Riot projects.
Julian can never be accused of half-doing his builds, or settling for “good enough,” so there’s quality of finish and attention to detail everywhere you look on Singapore Sun.
Of those detail touches, you can’t miss the wingnut fasteners. With a finish that’s somewhere between brass and rose gold, they add to this bike’s old-school vibe – part Art Deco, part Steampunk, we reckon!
Continuing the theme is a similar colour treatment on the oil tank cap, air intake and the end caps of the custom exhaust system. A rose gold coachline on the fuel tank keeps the theme going, while a more subtle touch is the tank logo, whose “wings” pick up on the tank cap.

Show Star
Following Singapore Sun’s completion, Julian presented the bike at various European bike shows before it was shipped back to Mr. Ang in Singapore at the end of 2016. As already mentioned, it continued its trophy-winning ways there, too.
“Mr. Ang was more than happy when he got to see his ‘new’ bike for the first time,” Julian said. “He sent more than one thank-you note and quite a few pictures, on the road and on tour, with his remodelled bike.”
Julian said that building – or more correctly, rebuilding – Singapore Sun was an enormous task, taking time, effort and money to produce a custom that not only met the client’s needs, but also matched his own standards. Given that Ang is more than satisfied with the finished product, Julian says it was all worthwhile.

More info on other One Way Machine builds can be found at: <a href="www.onewaymachine.com">onewaymachine.com</a>
More imagery from Steffen Theis can be found at: pixelfetisch.de <a href="www.pixelfetisch.de">pixelfetisch.de</a>