Speed & Craft: Harley-Davidson XR1200 “Speedster”

Class-Winning XR1200 from S.M.F. of Taiwan…  

Unveiled at the 2006 Intermot Show in Germany, the Harley-Davidson XR1200 was the sportiest Sportster ever produced. Originally, the bike was only available in Europe, but dealer demand soon brought the machine to North America, albeit in limited numbers. It was a far cry from your typical Milwaukee tractor…

“What differentiates a Harley-Davidson developed for Europe from models typically built for us? First and foremost, it can go around corners; we mean really go around corners! This bike is the product of extensive testing at Harley’s secret 530-acre Florida Evaluation Center near the Everglades. It consists of a 1.2-mile handling course, 2-mile-long high-speed straight and more bumps, potholes and bad pavement than a Sicilian autostrada…” –Cycle World

The XR1200 boasted a stiff chassis and corner-carving geometry combined with 43mm inverted Showa forks, twin four-piston Nissan front brakes, lightweight cast-alloy wheels, sporty Dunlop Qualifier tires, and more.

“We’ve been wanting to build [Sam’s bike] for a decade (around 2015). Finally we had some time to make it happen.” -Vince Chen, S.M.F.

The result is a Pikes Peak-inspired “Speedster” with loads of custom work. The fuel tank, tail section, and lower fairing / belly pan were all hand-built from aluminum, and the bold angular shapes are simply exquisite.

Another signature feature of the bike is the high-mounted dual-exhaust, built from titanium. Interestingly, the S.M.F. crew used flexible pipe in critical areas to keep the exhaust from cracking due to heavy vibration. As owners of a Sportster with a high-mounted exhaust, we can say that such breakage can be a real problem — good on the S.M.F. for addressing the issue ahead of time.

The wheels come courtesy of a Ducati Scrambler — much lighter than the originals, we’re told — and the front and rear suspension come courtesy of Gears Racing. The team designed and CNC-cut a set of yokes to fit the forks, and Vince reinforced the swingarm to use a single monoshock, leaving more room for the big titanium exhaust.

All in all, the bike is some 66 pounds lighter than the original, while a stage 1 chip brings the bike up to ~100 bhp. Vince says it’s like riding an 80s race bike — loud, proud, and just plain beastly.

The “Speedster” took top honors in the Modified Harley class at Speed & Crafts 2025 — Taiwan’s largest custom show, organized by Winston Yeh of Rough Crafts. Congrats and well deserved, guys! Below is our full uncut interview with Vince Chen of S.M.F., and stay tuned for more standouts from Speed & Crafts 2025.

XR1200 Speedster: Builder Interview

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

We’re S.M.F workshop from Tainan, the ancient capital of Taiwan.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the donor bike?

This is 2009 Harley-Davidson XR1200, which Sam bought a couple years ago.

• Why was this bike built? (Customer project, company promotion, personal, etc.)

This is Sam’s bike, and we’ve been wanting to build this for a decade (around 2015). Finally we had some time to make it happen.

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

This design concept is basically influenced by the famous Pikes Peak racing event.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

The first thing when you see the bike is the Titanium exhaust. When the engine starts, they will have a pretty obvious vibration, so we used flexible pipe to connect the header pipe and the mufflers. (To make sure we won’t snap the exhaust just due to the vibration.)

We hand-built the fuel tank, tracker tail, and the lower fairing from aluminum. We kept the intake system on the right side of the fuel tank. (The tank has a capacity of around 5 or 6 liters.)

The wheels are from a Ducati Scrambler (compared to the original ones, they are really light). Gears Racing suspension offered us the front forks and rear suspension. We use CNC to make the a triple tree to fit the forks. 

As for the rear suspension, I decided to put it on the left side to make more room for the dual exhaust. I also reinforced the swingarm for this change.

• Does the bike have a nickname?

We call it “Speedster.”

• Any idea of horsepower, weight, and/or performance numbers?

We have a stage 1 chip tune, adding around 9 hp. And we lost around 30kg of weight (from 255kg to 225kg).

• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride this bike?

It’s not easy to ride this one compared to a modern motorcycle. It feels like you’re riding an 80’s amateur racing bike in 2025. It’s not really fast, but the vibration of the engine and rest of it will make you feel like you’re fighting with the bike.

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

I would say the whole project =)

• Is there anyone you’d like to thank?

• AFS Custom did help us a lot during the metal fabrication.
• Gears Racing Taiwan. They offer fantastic front and rear suspension.
• Winston Yeh (Rough Crafts) who held the 2025 Speed & Crafts show in Taiwan.
• Vito Chen (Freebiker magazine) who gave us the credit for this project at the very beginning.

Follow the Builder

• S.M.F: @smf30678
• Sam: @smf7788
• Vince: @vnz19880306

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