Hazan Motorworks Ironhead Sportster
A boat builder based in Brooklyn, New York, Hazan initially toyed with motorised bicycles, before building his first 'proper' custom motorcycle in 2013.
Six unique creations have rolled out of Hazan Motorworks in less than twelve months, based on such diverse foundations as a Royal Enfield single, Ducati Monster, Suzuki LS650, and Yamaha XS650, along with a Ducati-based turbo. All blur the lines between art and science, but that's the way Hazan likes it.
Each new machine is different from the one that preceded it, thus making it difficult to categorise Hazan's style. There are elements of streetfighter in one creation, café racer in another, but a distinct 'veteran' look to recent builds is best evidenced by this Harley Ironhead-engined creation.
"I start with a motor that I find aesthetically pleasing, put it on the table, and build the bike around it," Hazan says. "The Ironhead has been on my list for a while, and when I also came across some car tyres from the 1920s, I got the idea for this bike."
Wheels and motor aside, virtually every piece of this Harley was made from scratch, with Hazan machining components from junk-metal objects, hand-forming tinware like tanks and guards, and even casting parts to suit his vision.
"I love to build from scratch," Hazan reveals, "although it entails a lot of menial work and time. It allows me to build without compromising the design: every piece goes exactly where and how you want it."
That how-you-want-it ethos means Hazan builds bikes to suit his own 6'2" frame, combining a degree of practicality with clean lines and good proportions. That in turn means frames are built from scratch. In this instance, 7/8-inch and 1-inch steel tubing houses the oil, wiring and electrical components (the bike is electric start, and has a lithium battery in the fuel tank), giving the bike a clean, minimalist look.
It may not look it in these images, but those wheels measure 30 inches at the front and 31-inches at the rear, with the entire bike measuring in at over eight feet (2.5 metres) from nose to tail.
"I didn't want it to look like a clown-cycle, which is usually the case when the seat is right on the back tyre. I have found that my bikes tend to shrink 15 percent once you take them off the building table …"
Despite the weighty Harley motor, which Hazan described as the "heaviest brick" he's had to work with to date, the finished article weighs just over 300 lbs.
So why an Ironhead? "I always loved the heads on the Harley 1000s," Hazan explains. "So I bought an '81 with the idea of running two front heads and dual carbs.
"I was ready to really get my hands dirty on this one, but after getting into the motor I realized it wasn't that difficult at all. Everything was symmetrical—including the studs, oil passages, intake and exhaust cam lobes, and the valve cutouts in the pistons.
"The only invasive work was to cut off the stock intake and exhaust ports, and reposition them so that carbs and pipes cleared each other."
Hazan tried a few different carbs, but ultimately a pair of Amals suited the rest of the bike's aesthetics, and allowed for the splitting of the rocker covers. There are no notable performance gains with this (power is estimated to still be around 50 to 60hp), but as already mentioned, Hazan's creations are as much about looking good as they are about going well.
"Like most Ironheads, it sounds much faster than it goes. But since I spend three-quarters of the time riding with one hand while shifting gear in the city, that's not such a bad thing."
Custom cast and machined parts sit alongside found objects and 'junk', like the frosted shot glass that acts as a taillight cover, and the porcelain doorknob repurposed as a gear shifter and mounted on a linkage cut from truck leaf springs.
"With every bike I try to make a suspension setup that I have never seen before, and this front end is pretty far out there."
Simple, yet elegant, the suspension is a unique touch, using dual springs mounted under the fuel tank for the front suspension, with a similar set-up for the seat springing. Each delivers around 4cm of travel; not much, but not bone jarring for the limited distances this bike gets ridden.
The art-meets-science approach seen in this Ironhead Sportster will make Hazan Motorworks a builder to watch in the future, but one question remains: do Max's creations belong in a garage or a gallery?
Further details: www.hazanmotorworks.com.
Source: Bike Exif
Images:David Hans Cooke.
