JOHN DEERE build by CUSTOM-RANCH + SS Cycle

What do you think leads to the idea of building a two wheeled tractor?

Maybe the fact, that the Harley-Shop which build it is named Custom Ranch? For most of you this might seam a logical conclusion, but in the world of small Bavarian country villages a german proverb says "Was der Bauer nicht kennt, frißt er nicht - What a farmer doesn't know he doesn't want to eat" or you can't change the habits of a liftime. Selling a Harley-Davidson to a country lad will be a tough job for a customizing team... 
Bullshit! The truth is Didi, owner of the Ranch in Adelsdorf,Bavaria, needed a a showcase and testbed for their product: A softail-styled custom frame called "softass"! 
This frame is build with almost the same gussets, that Harley-Davidson used to have on the old rigid Panhead frames. From the headstock to the motor mounts there is no exception - even using old style gussets round the rear wheel spindle. This was the frame that chopper lovers in Germany has wanted for a long time; with its rear suspension (a legal requirement for new bikes) and TÜV approved for Harley lookalikes up to 1600cc, everyone now has a chance to build a legal chopper or bopper with this frame. 
The Custom Ranch crew has a special sense of humor, like the rest of people in their area, and remembered the teasing of rice-rocket-riders and the sound of the old Lanz-Bull-Dog tractors (nowadays under part of John Deere), so they created a bike for an advertising campaign in the appearance of an agricultural implement in traditional John Deere colours. 
And it works. The John Deere was a real eye catching show stopper from the first time it was shown at the Custom Performance bike show in Mannheim in 1996. It's true that the bike should have indicators and big mudguards in order to be legal on German roads, but nobody wants to see that on a Bobber like this. With bright green and yellow paint, wide green handlebars, extra large eighty spoke wheels (in stainless and yellow) from german custom wheel guru "Steve" Schneiderbanger of SSCycles, along with lots of other stainless parts throughout, the bike was the darling of the public on every event.
The totally naked front wheel wears a fat 150mm 15`` Metzeler while a handbuild flat fender is mounted very closely to the 200mm/15``rear Metzeler tire, moving up and down with the rear suspension. SSCyclesprovided other parts like the sproket brake to keep the right side of the rear wheel uncluttered and give you the chance to see all eighty of those stainless steel spokes. The front brakes are a co-production from SSCycles and Custom Ranch. Stainless is a essential word for these guys' vocabulary. Nearly every nut and bolt on the John Deere has been replaced for stainless items. To my astonishment the stainless handlebar clamps on this bike originates from a small production of clamps witch I had made in 1994 during a project bike build (the Low Monster) for the german custom bike magazine "BIKERS live!"! These small bolt on goodies for Harley-Davidsons new springer forks weren't the biggest hit of 1994 only sold two kits that year, but one of them find its ways via a customer to Didi Lotter. Didi and his Partner in those days Tom decided that they would use them on the Softass-Deere. And now they can't deliver them fast enough! Since the John Deere has been in magazines in Germany, Holland, England, France and Poland, they have become a bestseller for the Custom Farmers... sorry, Custom Ranchers, after the "softass" frames. 
Doing the right things to the right time at the right place is always right. The proof of how well the Custom Ranch are doing things right is that they were invited to display the John Deere Harley at the "Art of the Harley-Davidson" exhibition at the Barbican Art Gallery in London, Yes, you are right, the green eye popper is not the newest project of the Custom Ranch, but it's part of the history of custom Harley-Davidsons.
Direct from the Bavarian field, here it is... John Deere - tractor on two wheels!

Text Horst Heiler and Blue

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