Alp Sungurtekin's Sportster - The Whip

Low, lean and mean, Alp Sungurtekin's raw Sportster is a fine example of creative, owner-built machinery. He calls this bike The Whip because the location and function of his shifter/clutch set-up is similar to that of a jockey's whip. Here's what Alp has to say about this chop in his own words.

I am an industrial designer specializing in transportation design, I used to  work for the naval industry but now I’m spending my time on motorcycles. I built this bike especially for Jalika, my girlfriend, who always wanted to have an old-school bobber. We both love the raw look of industrial components. I designed the Whip with the unusual jockey shifter and clutch set-up.

My goal was to achieve a clean look where all the components on the bike look smooth and balanced. I ran all the wires and brake lines inside the frame to achieve that clean look. For me the most important aspect is the stance: if there’s one thing most of my cars or bikes have in common, it’s that they’re slammed. The Whip is no exception.

One of the major features that contributed to the overall low-as-possible-stance is the pipes. I fabricated them with 2-inch OD stainless steel. I designed the oil tank so it surrounds the frame tube and fills the gap evenly between the rear fender and engine. I also used an aftermarket single-fire ignition system and eliminated the huge stock ignition module which couldn’t be fitted onto this bike.

The seat is forged out of one piece of metal connected with hairpin seat springs to the frame, which adds weight to the overall look;  the gas tank is a pre '80s Sportster peanut tank and the handlebars are custom fabricated and welded onto the top tree to keep them as low as possible. I am pretty happy with the outcome and pleasantly surprised to see the bike on blogs, forums, news sites etc. in different countries around the world. It’s a pretty cool way to end a build.

You can see more of Alp's world here:

Alp's website

Video of the Whip

Alp's blog