Canadian Ben Boyd, who operates under Escape Velocity Cycles, has owned his 1989 Harley-Davidson Sportster since 1994. He inherited the bike from his grandfather, Fred Boyd, upon his passing, choosing not to modify it initially.

“Fred died when I was seven and I inherited this little Sporty," says Ben. "I’d been riding and racing MX since I was five, and used to sneak Granddad’s bike out well before I had a license. Heck, I even rode it to my first date!”

Since deciding to implement his own touches on the Sportster, Boyd has slowly turned his grandpa's Harley into a colorful flat track racer.

“I’ve always worked on my own bikes and built customs,” Ben adds, “but they’ve usually been scrappy street fighters and such. I thought I’d make this one pretty, and see what happens.”

“The original motor was a hot-rodded 1200 cc four-speed,” notes Ben. “It snapped its crank, on a road trip across America that didn’t get very far. Once it needed a motor swap, I kind of went wild on the build.”

Now, the bike boasts a Buell X1 unit with Andrews cams and S&S roller rockers, in addition to a Mikuni HSR45 carb, Twin Tec ignition, and Hammer Performance intake. Ben then equipped the ride with a set of Yamaha R6 forks in custom Weiss Racing adjustable triple trees, upgraded with with Öhlins internals. The 19-inch wheels then derive from another Sportster.

“In bright sunlight you can see the subtle rainbow flake in the rich black of the zebra pattern," Ben concludes. "Being an old school sign writer by trade, AJ also hand lettered the text and number plates that bare Granddad’s number. But there are some scrapes and dings. It’s a true race bike. She ain’t no show pony.”

Scan through the gallery above for a detailed look at this incredible custom Harley Sportster.

Now let Black Bear Brand take you on an American motorcycle journey in this epic short film.