Harley Davidson and Bell & Ross
Combination of expertise: A cult watch for a cult motorcycle
Bell & Ross Watches and Shaw Harley-Davidson – current world champion of custom Harley-Davidson® motorcycles – have teamed up to create a unique motorcycle: the Bell & Ross-inspired Nescafe Racer.
Shaw Harley-Davidson is the UK's leading dealer and has been named Best Dealer in the UK for the sixth time. Shaw Harley-Davidson approached Bell & Ross with a motorcycle design project inspired by the watchmaker's vision of performance, precision and technology. The same technical precision that Bell & Ross has mastered has also been taken into account when building this unique motorcycle.
The way in which the watch brand Bell & Ross develops and manufactures its watches is reflected in the work of Shaw Harley-Davidson's top technicians in building the project motorcycle, which is based on the Harley-Davidson® FXSTB Softail® Nightrain. One of the most radical Softails - long, low and naked and named after Willie G. Davidson.
The bike was completely disassembled down to the last screw at the dealer's Speed & Custom workshop in East Sussex, England, and every detail was taken into account during the rebuild.

The Shaw Speed & Custom team mounted the BR 01 Carbon – the iconic instrument from Bell & Ross – in a handcrafted aluminum center console. The watch is in a perfect place for its actual function as a professional instrument for the driver. A combination of anodized blue, carbon and a matt black special paint reflects the color of the watch.
“ We wanted to present the Bell & Ross watch on the motorcycle while ensuring that the important instrument is never compromised by unnecessary design or objects,” says Steve Willis, Shaw Harley-Davidson Sales Director and Head of Speed & Custom Design.
“We were immediately excited about this project,” explains Bruno Belamich, designer and co-founder of Bell & Ross. “We have identified with the values that Harley-Davidson represents – shared values such as the search for extremes, adventure and precision”
The Bell & Ross brand statement says that every detail has its purpose and function. This technical precision is expressed through clean lines and timeless elegance, which inspired the Shaw Harley-Davidson team to build this custom motorcycle.
The bike was a huge hit with the public when it was presented at the American Motorcycle Dealer (AMD) World Championship – in the Harley-Davidson custom-built class – at the London International Custom Bike Show in Alexandra. The motorcycle was also shown at other events:
- The Dublin International Motorcycle Show
- Custom Chrome European Show Mainz
- St Tropez Harley-Davidson Euro Festival
- Bournemouth International Custom Motorcycle Show
Bell & Ross now hopes that this partnership will enable Shaw Harley-Davidson to qualify for and retain the world title in Sturgis USA in August 2011.
Text & Images: PINK + PURPLE Public Relations