This Dude Modified His TVS XL100 To Resemble A Harley Forty Eight

It surely took a lot of elbow grease and creative thinking.

By: Enrico Punsalang

May 13, 2021 at 12:03am ET

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Top-shelf motorbikes like the Harley-Davidson Forty Eight can be pretty expensive. With its retail price in the U.S. pegged at $11,299 USD, this price is dramatically inflated in certain markets, thanks to taxes, import duties, and a slew of other variables. For instance, in India, the Forty Eight fetches a price tag of Rs 11.75 lakh, or the equivalent of $16,000 USD.

So, what do you do when you really, really want a Harley, but don’t have the cash to burn just yet? Well, you build one yourself, of course! This is exactly what an Indian motorcycle enthusiast who goes by the name of Rakesh Babu did. What’s interesting is the fact that the base bike which he chose for this project is quite possibly the furthest thing from a Harley-Davidson Forty Eight: the TVS XL100. This tiny little commuter moped has clearly gone through a massive transformation.

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Rakesh posted a video on his channel called Sudus Customs, giving us a detailed walkaround on his bespoke creation. And while it’s clear to see that this bike is clearly a replica, with some details being just a bit rough around the edges, there’s no denying that this build took a lot of creative thinking, not to mention elbow grease, in order to achieve. After all, the TVS XL100 was designed to be one of the most practical and affordable two-wheelers in the market, so neck-breaking styling was probably at the bottom of the list when it came to designing this bike.

The way Rakesh totally redesigned the moped’s chassis, and integrated all the cruiser elements found on the Forty Eight is nothing short of impressive. As you can see, the H-D Forty Eight replica sports completely bespoke bodywork, with a matching paint job with the actual American cruiser. It even comes with a faux rear cylinder, to make the bike look like it’s sporting a tiny little V-twin motor, when in reality, it really only comes with a 99.7cc single-cylinder which pumps out 4.5 ponies.