American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 243 October 2019 | Page 27

A
Frame
Is
Born
meticulously precise and convincingly authentic
VG Motorcycle in the Netherlands
has been making frames for almost
thirty years. Owned and operated
by Guus Hoogland, the company's
specialty is authentic, near as
possible to exact replicas of
Harley's old frames, including the
castings and cast numbers - with
VG said to be the only vendor in
the world that supplies such
traceability …
Words and Pictures by
Onno "Berserk" Wieringa
Madness Photography
uus Hoogland had started out
as a custom bike builder and
started the business we now
know as VG Motorcycle in
1989 when he had the
opportunity to take over a
complete inventory from a Swedish frame
builder.
Guus seized the opportunity and soon started to
focus more on making his own frames in volume. In
principle, VG can make any style of frame and for all
brands, but the specialty has always been frames for
the older H-D models and for Trikes.
At that time the core business was Chopper frames,
and that remains a core competency with VG as one
of the principal 'go-to' Chopper frame engineers in
Europe.
The custom scene in Europe has always been a major
market for restoration, rebuild and new build older
Harleys, especially for Knuckle and Panheads (and,
more recently, Shovelheads too). Guus responded to
the demand from builders looking to restore and
(re)build to original condition, and as we find
ourselves staring at the third decade of the twenty-
first century, with the 'retro vibe' still in full swing
and desire for authenticity stronger than ever, VG
finds itself not just a survivor of the turmoil that the
custom bike industry has endured since it peaked in
volume terms around 15 years ago, but as one of the
few bona fide frame engineers left with the kind of
pedigree they have, VG is now thriving as the market
turns full circle back in their direction.
As demand for the kind of experience, expertise and
precision that VG puts into each frame grows, there
appears to be a solid future for the company as more
or less the only European manufacturer of replica
vintage frames that are perfectly recreated to the
original specifications.
VG is a team of three - Guus, his business partner
"Today we are allowed to build a 1937 Knucklehead
frame for a customer, for example, but it has to be
an exact replica. Sometimes a customer wants some
changes, a different steering head angle or a
different modification to the frame, but we have to
stick to exactly what was made back in the original
year," says Guus.
While every frame is handbuilt to order, the VG team
has been able to make big strides in speeding up the
process, adding technology, often of their own
devising, without compromising precision or quality.
Their warehouse carries a comprehensive stock of
pre-made parts so they can respond to every
customer order from their own-made inventory.
"In the past, H-D used different heads, which was
partly due to the fact that the forks in the thirties and
forties gradually got more rake. The differences are
sometimes imperceptible to the untrained eye, but
we have spent years learning, and we still do
sometimes. I've been working on motorcycles for
forty years. The regulations and the authenticity
requirements that customers have make this an
G
www.AMDchampionship.com
Guus Hoogland founded VG Motorcycle in 1989.
Herman and technician/welder Raymond - who
produced around 250 frames last year, all built to
meet the demanding TÜV requirements in Europe at
its 500 sq m. (5,400 sq ft) workshop at Hengelo in
the Netherlands. "We are prominent in the classic H-
D frames market," says Guus, "but we are still
constantly busy with details and finishing touches."
One of the biggest challenges facing any frame
maker in Europe are the homologation regulations -
especially tricky where building new-old frames is
concerned - but it is not all bad news as there has
been a settle-down, leaving an albeit very closely
defined space in which there is not much wiggle
room.
AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - OCTOBER 2019
27