A stunning new retro custom bike has been revealed by Harley-Davidson – the Sportster 72.

The 72 is based on the Sportster XL1200 series, but with more of an emphasis on styling from yesteryear, including spectacular flaked paintwork and slim, whitewall tyres.

It harks back to the glory days of the 1970s ‘custom chop’ style that originated from Whittier Boulevard, a street in East Los Angeles otherwise known as Route 72.

The paint, called Hard Candy Big Red Flake, is created by applying a black base coat, followed by a polyurethane system that carries hexagon-shaped flakes that are more than seven times the diameter of metal flake used in typical production paint.

Each flake is coated with a thin aluminium film and thentinted red. Four applications of clear coat, combined with hand-sanding, create a smooth finish over the flakes for an amazing finish.

“In creating the 72, we were very much inspired by the vibe of the early chopper era,” Frank Savage, Harley-Davidson manager of Industrial Design, said.

“Those bikes were colourful and chromed, but also narrow and stripped down to the essentials. You look at period examples and they are almost as simple as a bicycle. The 72 reflects the creative urge of riders from yesteryear in a thoroughly modern package.

The 1200cc, fuel-injected V-twin engine is familiar from existing Sportster bikes.

The two staggered, chromed exhausts are beautiful, adding to an extremely well-proportioned bike. The fuel tank is as small as it looks, however, measuring just 7.9 litres. That means fill-ups cost little over €15.