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COLT WRANGLERF E AT U R E D B I K E

“I got bored riding bulls...it just didn’t do it for me any more. And then I got on a motorcycle...”

WORDS Jason Paul Michaels IMAGES Matthew Jones

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Back in April, we attended the Handbuilt Motorcycle Show in Austin, Texas. The house we had rented for the weekend quickly became the designated crash pad for many friends new and old visiting from all over the country. Sitting at Ranch De La Moto, as it quickly

became known, I spotted a gleaming Harley Sportster café racer outside the window.

“That’s him. That’s his Sporty,” said our buddy Ian Halcott (of Twinline Motorcycles fame), mo-tioning to a stranger sitting at the bar top in the kitchen. Totally unaware of his commanding presence sat a young man sporting a wiry mustache with long hair pulled back, dressed in jeans, and in boots that showed legitimate wear. He looked like a cowboy. I had to inquire.

“Yes sir, that’s my bike. It’s a Harley Sportster. My name is Colt Wrangler. It’s nice to meet you.”

I started to ask about the build and somehow the story took a hard left turn towards the rodeo. We talked about Colt riding horses, cows, bulls, and just about whatever else he did to get an adrenaline fix. Then he made a comment I’ll never forget, as it made sense in the purest of ways regarding motorcycles:

“I got bored riding bulls. It was fun and dangerous, so that part about it was exciting, but it just didn’t do it for me any more. And then I got on a motorcycle…”

Having grown up in Texas, Colt was the genuine article. His parents, both rodeo riders, raised Colt with Southern hospitality. He was quiet and reserved, extremely polite, and totally unaware of the potential he possessed.

The polished and proper Sporty was built on a budget so small that if I told you, you you’d call me a liar. So I won’t even indulge you. Let’s just say that Colt is one of the most resourceful builders I’ve ever met.

He worked at a local motorcycle shop just so he could be around bikes. They didn’t pay him anything. He cleaned toilets, swept the shop, organized bolts, and did whatever they would let him so he could learn.

“I just had to be around bikes,” he told me.

With some time in a shop and only two grand in the bank, he had to make a choice between buying a van and touring with his band, or buying a motorcycle.

“When I rode the Sportster for the first time, it was dark and the headlight stopped working in the middle of nowhere. I offered the guy two grand and he took it. On the way back, I pulled away from a stop light and the seat came right off the bike, and my ass with it.”

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This little 1200 Harley has come a long way since then, with more blood, sweat, and tears invested than anything else. Colt would find parts at the

shop he could reuse and repurpose to suit the build.

A wrecked Sporty fuel tank from the trash became the seat cowl, along with rebar he found at a construction site to make the frame for the pan. He used deconstructed sliders from a sport bike for the trim rings around the fuel site tube. And of course, concho’s from his own rodeo belt (the cross guns and Texas outline) fill the voids in the top triple tree from where the bars once sat in it’s previous life.

Sure, there’s no major body work or amazing suspension or chromoly frame modifications. But what there is, is heart. And it’s the size of Texas.

We talked about the bike more and why he went with so much chrome and a 21" front wheel. His answer couldn’t have been better.

“Because I couldn’t afford to get rid of the chrome. I didn’t even have money for spray paint and primer so I just de-cided to go with it. Also, I feel like black is the new chrome

and I wanted to do something a little different than what everyone else was doing.”

As for the wheel: “It was left over from the bobber build the guy had started on. At first I hated it because I didn’t have the money to replace it. But then it started to grow on me and now I love it.”

I asked Colt if he would change anything on the bike. He said, “Nothing major. I love it the way it is. But I sure would love to put some rearsets on it. I feel like a praying mantis when I ride it!” he laughed.

Colt said he would “absolutely” like to build another bike, and went on to tell me of his plans to move into an old abandoned warehouse which he would make into a shop and living quarters.

But as I listened, I realized it wasn’t about business to him. It was about passion.

Be on the lookout for this kid. He wrangled me and I’m sure he’ll get you too. Expect to see some good things from Colt in the future. n

Year/Make/Model: Harley-Davidson/1200 SportsterEngine: Stock | Carburetion: Stock | Exhaust: Custom polished exhaust and baffles with heat wrap

Transmission: Stock | Frame: Shaved and painted subframe | Forks: Shaved & polished forks/triple tree and lowering springsHeadlight: Aftermarket chrome headlight with custom tinted glass | Lighting: LED taillight and signals | Seat/Pan: Custom

Handlebars: Chrome clip ons and solid brass grips | Hand Controls: Aftermarket chrome controlsFuel Tank: Polished steel tank with sight glass, chrome fittings, and custom brass covers

Front/Rear Wheel: Retro-fitted chrome spoked rear wheel with custom spacingBrakes and lines: Steel braided cables, hoses, and brake lines

@coltwranglerco

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