In 1997, the Evolution engine was solid, oil tight and reliable, but by the late 1990s, in stock setup and some 12-years after Harley introduced it as the Shovehead replacement, it was not a convincing powerplant for a ' Dragstyle ' custom. In a short period of time, as Harley recovered from its 1984 ' near death experience ', plowed through its 1986 IPO and started to see serious growth and a firmer establishment and network in Europe in the 1990s, the aftermarket also started to grow. Having previously been largely restoration and derivative, especially of US ' West Coast ' trends, European builders started to leave their own mark on the V-twin industry. However, power remained an issue and the next generation " Twin Cam " engines couldn ' t come soon enough for styles such as Europe ' s ' Fat Rear Ends ' and ' Dragstyle ' customs. Offering more ' punch ' and better pickup, the Twin Cam soon became popular for powering the radically low and stretched ' Dragstyle ' rolling

chassis- especially with the newfound availability of seemingly ever wider rear tire option. A dedicated long-time specialist for creating radical ' Dragstyle ' custombikes in Europe, Erich ' Ete ' Weber has now presented a ingenious solution for the adaptation of ' Dragstyle ' to stock Harley- Davidson frames: the new RWT- Power Single Side swingarm allows the installation of a 280-rear tire. Riding a powerful Harley-powered Dragster on public roads has always been somewhat of the ' Holy Grail ' for European custom bike riders- with lots of torque from the lowest rev-range and top-speed at the end of the quarter mile. Among a certain hardcore of European custom bike riders this remains a higher rated endeavour than ground clearance and riding fast on twisting country roads. Brutal acceleration, and immediate throttle response are the hallmarks of ' Dragstyle ' and riders in Europe have been embracing the options that the

modern M8 offers in increasing numbers in recent years. For a long time, authentic ' Dragstyle ' meant a complete rolling chassis, low stretched frame and wide rear tire with minimal fender coverage. ' Dragstyle ' specialists like Walz, Habermann- Performance, HPU, SCS, Augustin, Thunderbike and Black Steel Choppers served the market while the tires on stock Harley-Davidson ' s also grew in size. For the duration of its 2001-2017 production run, the V-Rod served the needs of " Dragstylers " perfectly. Enthusiasts who wanted a stock or modified ' Dragstyle ' Harley have been well served with Custom Chrome

Europe providing the fitting accessories for the V-Rod and aircooled V-2 rides of the last 25 years. With Harley-Davidson ' s own M8 ' Dragstyle ' experiment- the short lived 2019-2021 FXDR / FXDRS- didn ' t catch the public ' s imagination in sufficient numbers. Described at the time as a ' Power Cruiser ', neither did the nomenclature.

At the 2025 ' Customs of Slovakia ' bike show in Bratislava, Black Steel Choppers introduced three(!) stunning ' Dragstyle ' custombikes, of which the ' Gulf ' themed performance Lowrider won ' Best of Show '. RWT-Power Belt Drive, wheels and single side swingarm were already available and in production, with other RWT-Power parts and product variations in development. To eliminate the need for an expensive, handcrafted and time-consuming new frame, ' Ete ' Weber has now started the construction of a ' stock Dragstyle ' concept based on the popular M8 FXBR ' Breakout ' frame. The target- a fast and stylish ' Dragstyle ' custom option for a considerable reduction in costs. Authorized HD dealers and experienced customizers would be able to ' Dragstyle ' a ' Breakout ' without even taking the drive train out of the frame. As the wide FXBR frame already holds a 240-size rear rubber- extended to 260 by some specialists- the