One Way Machine custom Harley-Davidson Softail
Art and Science rarely come together. Let’s be honest, they’re two very different things, so the distance between them is hardly surprising. That’s not to say the two can’t be successfully combined. For instance, some of the most technically-advanced motorcycles can also be the most artistically appealing (Ducati 916, anyone?), but such a happy marriage is more the exception than the rule. So, when anything appears that combines technical merit with artistic beauty, it not only stands out, but is worthy of special attention.
One Way’s History
In terms of the current crop of custom bike builders, One Way Machine (OWM) sits in the upper echelon. That’s not just our opinion, either. This custom house, based in Staufenberg, Germany, has scored three trophies in the highly-competitive AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building, with an outright win and two runner-up placings in the Modified Harley-Davidson class. That’s despite being in the business of building show-class bikes for little more than five years.
OWM is essentially a one-man band, with Julian von Oheimb responsible for the design and fabrication of every bike to bear the One Way Machine label. Just about everything comes from Julian’s own hands, including the manufacture of bespoke parts. Sure, there are aftermarket bits bought in and some elements farmed out, but Julian does plenty himself.
While he has the creative flair to handle the ‘art’ of a custom build, Julian’s also a qualified engineer, so he can do the ‘science’ side of the equation, too.
The cornerstones of each OWM build are a high standard of finish, a methodical, almost obsessive attention to detail and a commitment to making the finished product rideable and usable. More obvious trends to be found in Julian’s work are an adherence to just one brand - Harley-Davidson - and a distinct nod to the past.
OWM’s first AMD show-winner, ‘La Salle’, set the pattern for future creations with its Art Deco and vintage American hillclimber influences. There’s also a definite retro look and feel to the ‘Brougham’, ‘100 Years’ and ‘Singapore Sun’ builds that have followed.
One Way’s Riot
The bike pictured is OWM’s AMD Championship runner-up from the 2016 show held in conjunction with INTERMOT in Cologne. Dubbed ‘Iron Riot’, this Softail-based creation was first brought to our attention by Julian in 2017, but fell off our radar in the usual chaos involved with putting JUST BIKES together each month. Fortunately, Julian got back in touch and we’re glad he did, as the details behind Iron Riot and its creation should be shared with the JUST BIKES audience.
From the outset, Iron Riot was built to challenge for an AMD World Championship trophy. As such, each element had to be perfect and that extended to the base bike. If you’re wondering just how serious Julian was about this, he sent feelers out, with the ideal starting point found in the US three months later.
“It was a 2001 FXST Softail Standard that had run just 1,400 miles originally,” Julian explained. The fact this Softail was found in a hot rod and sportscar workshop may explain why it avoided detection for so long. Most would have searched Harley dealerships, second-hand bike shops and motorcycle wreckers, but remember, Julian is methodical!
Maybe Julian should have tried looking in Australia, as the FXST was a popular model here and continued to be offered locally long after it had been discontinued in other markets. Untouched and in perfect condition, the ’01 Softail was shipped to Germany for work to begin.
Industrial Influence
Julian describes the theme behind this build as “industrial”, so the technical details would be extensive and the colour palette specific in order to make the bike look like a “piece of industrial design”.
Stripping the bike down to the frame revealed no surprises and no need for repair, so it and the swingarm could be used as is, but the Softail’s profile and overall lines would be significantly altered by what was to be added. The most obvious of those add-ons is the fuel tank. Originally off a 1930s DKW, when we asked Julian how rare a tank like this is nowadays, he simply said ‘very!’.
The tank wasn’t just a simple bolt-on arrangement, either. It needed significant reworking of the tunnel to fit the Harley frame, as well as fabrication of new mounting tabs and modification to add a Motogadget speedo and new fuel filler cap. Atop this sits a radiator mascot from a ’20s-era Stutz automobile. Using old-style radiator mascots and bonnet emblems is a feature of past OWM builds and has been employed to particularly effective use here.
The horseshoe oil tank is stock Harley, but a compact battery now sits behind it, shrouded by a custom-made metal cover. The Softail’s 88ci Twin Cam v-twin is largely stock, but now wears retro-look rocker boxes from German parts specialists Thunderbike Shop, as well as a custom aircleaner and a Performance Machine ignition cover. Those 2-into-2 offside shortened pipes are Julian’s own handiwork and probably help extract a little more grunt than the Softail’s 46kW and 106Nm.
On the nearside of the engine, there’s just as much to see, thanks to the primary cover being artfully cut open to expose the primary drive. In showcasing the working parts of the bike, this unusual change continues the “industrial” aesthetic driving this build. As eye-catching as that is, the biggest bit of eye candy on the nearside is a jumbo-sized rear chain drive.
“I wanted an aggressive, industrial look, as well as a clean look to the rear hub from both sides,” Julian explained of his thinking behind this distinctive modification. While it was a great idea, making it a reality was far from simple: “It was easily the hardest part of the build,” Julian laughed.
Nothing off-the-shelf exists for a chain drive conversion of this size, so the sprocket, brackets and other parts all had to be designed from scratch, then laser cut from stainless steel. The fastidiously polished sprocket, which measures in at more than 16 inches wide, is fitted with a Delta chain lengthened by 50 per cent over standard, while the tensioner is a modified Lowbrow Customs unit.
The front sprocket is unaltered, as is the rest of the gearbox, bar the addition of a Performance Machine clutch cover. The 18-inch rear wheel is from W&W Cycles, with spokes supplied by TTS, while the hub is from Lowbrow Customs. Lowbrow should be a familiar name, but if W&W and TTS raise a query, they’re German parts specialists who have provided components for previous OWM builds.
At the front end, the hub is another Lowbrow Customs piece, while the rim is stock H-D with TTS spokes. Normally, Avon Safety Mileage MkII tyres reside at both ends, but when these photos were taken, a Firestone front hoop had been fitted, which Julian said he sometimes does for shows as it lends the bike a bit more of a vintage look.
Outer Rim, Uber Fork
The use of a perimeter rear brake was a signature feature on both La Salle and Singapore Sun, but Julian upped the ante on Iron Riot by adding a perimeter brake to the front wheel as well.
Both perimeter discs are bespoke, laser-cut pieces produced by OWM, matched to calipers and master cylinders from Beringer, with the braided lines courtesy of probrake. With their rim attachment lugs, these discs almost look like gearwheels, keeping the whole ‘industrial’ theme going. Also at the front end, the factory Softail forks were replaced with units from a late-model Sportster, but these have been substantially modified.
“I shortened them, added some progressive shocks inside and modified a set of Lowbrow Customs fork shrouds to suit,” Julian explained. The triple trees were cleaned up and smoothed off, too, while the bulky look of the forks was accentuated by compact clip-on bars from LSL and a tiny SDC headlight.
Silver Style, Silver Medal
Coating Iron Riot’s frame, tank, forks, tinware and selected engine parts is satin silver paint with a soft, almost liquid finish that looks like raw metal in certain light and evokes that streamlined Art Deco style.
A departure from previous OWM creations where black has been the dominant shade, this custom paint is the handiwork of Cocobreeze out of Frankfurt, who’s collaborated with Julian on previous builds. Breaking up the silver sheath over Iron Riot are a handful of chromed engine parts and black hand and foot controls. Supplied by Rough Crafts in Japan (who are OWM sponsors), the grips, pegs and pedals suit the old-school look of this weapon.
Finishing touches include the axle ornamentations, drilled pedal brackets, a custom number plate holder and the leather solo saddle, which is a one-off, Troxel-style unit from Antique Motosmith in the US. Not fitted at the time of the photoshoot were a pair of rear indicators that also incorporate the tail light.
As mentioned earlier, the completed Iron Riot made its show debut at the AMD World Championship in 2016 and scored the runner-up award in the very competitive Modified Harley-Davidson class. Just five points separated the OWM bike from ‘Milwaukee Mile’; an Evo-engined, custom-framed creation from German Motorcycle Authority.
While it had a high standard of engineering and finish, Milwaukee Mile arguably lacked the style of Iron Riot. But style, like art, is always a matter of personal taste and the taste of the judges that year went to Julian’s German rival.
Vindication, of sorts, came soon after, when Iron Riot scored the Editor’s Choice award at the Custombike Show in Bad Salzuflen. A ‘Best Custombike’ award and a string of three ‘Best of Show’ awards at German bike shows have followed.
While Julian missed the ultimate prize that he built Iron Riot for, he remains satisfied with what he created. “This OWM bike stands for a perfect design, maximum surface treatment and good drivability,” Julian stated. “In comparison with (my) former bikes, a lot more time and money was spent to accomplish the extensive details, like the perimeter brake in the front, big chain drive, and so on. Cost efficiency took a back seat and no cost-saving compromises were made.”
So, is this bike a piece of art, a showcase of science or a perfect combination of both? Everyone will have their own take, but either way, Iron Riot is impossible to ignore.
For more details on other One Way Machine builds, go to: onewaymachine.com More imagery from photographer Steffen Theis can be found at: pixelfetisch.de. Thanks to Julian von Oheimb for additional information supplied for this article.
Words: Mike Ryan. Photos: Steffan Theis
