Bear's Babylon Flyer

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Bjørn Henning Larsen from Rasta in Lørenskog likes it "low, mean and clean" to say the least. He builds bikes that are a little out of the ordinary, something The Harley his is a rolling testimony to. Bjørn Henning is no novice in the motorcycle world, but a connoisseur who enjoys high respect for his knowledge and creative abilities. So it is perhaps not so surprising that he is the man who selects a large proportion of the motorcycles exhibited at the Oslo Motor Show itself. The needle's eye is narrow, to say the least.

"One of a kind"

Bjørn Henning and I met each other on a Wednesday evening at Tyrigrava, almost by chance. Luck, you could say, because you have to have a little "luck". This summer evening, the barracks at "Grava" were packed, with over 400 motorcycles, most of them of a recent vintage. I spotted Bjørn Henning's bike and went to take a closer look at it. Just then, Bjørn appeared, getting ready to go home for the evening. If I had arrived a few minutes later, I would not have met the biker and his amazing motorcycle. Because this two-wheeler stands out in the crowd of converted motorcycles. It is a bit like "One of a kind".

Rasta and Rastafari

As mentioned, Bjørn Henning lives in Rasta, and for those who are familiar with Rastafarian culture and Bob Marley's reggae world, the name of his Harley will probably make some sense. Bjørn's sense of creativity does not only apply to the design and lines of the bike, it also applies to the name he has given it, which is painted on the gas tank. The name Babylon Flyer is inspired by the Rastafari movement that originated in Jamaica in the 1930s, its ideas and ideals that became a counterweight to Western culture, referred to as Babylon, a symbol of oppression and materialism. Talk about creativity when it comes to names!

More machines from Milwaukee

The Babylon Flyer, which is, or rather was, originally a Harley-Davidson Pan Head from 1952, has been modified beyond recognition. The stucco is raw, and the detail is extensive. The base is a rigid frame from Calles Chopper in Sweden, fitted with a combination of new custom parts of the highest quality and a large portion of parts from our own production. The mix is perfect. Describing such a motorcycle with words would be a poor journey, so I'll let the pictures speak. When asked by Bjørn how many hours of work are behind the bike, I get the answer that "Considering how many hours I've spent, I have no idea. It's been a project I've worked on now and then over a number of years". In addition to the "Flyer", Bjørn Henning has several machines from Milwaukee, and they are used, not only between Rasta and Tyrigrava.

10,000 km during the season

This fall he took out his Harley chopper with a long fork, more specifically a 1969 Shovelhead, and set off through Europe, over to England and back. When he returned home on Rasta, he had covered 5,000 km. If he adds up the distance from this trip with other trips at home and abroad this season, he can record a total of 10,000 km. I also had the pleasure of following Bjørn Henning's journey through Europe, which he shared on Facebook. In one of the photos, the Harley chopper is parked on the shoulder of the autobahn in Germany, waiting for the floodgates of heaven to close. The road was more like a riverbed, but Bjørn Henning was just as gentle. As the conversation goes on, I realize that the man standing in front of me is a real biker, a man who builds uncompromising machines for uncompromising trips.

Thanks for the chat, and last but not least the inspiration, Bjørn Henning. I have an old Harley sitting around that I have done some custom work on myself, to the best of my ability. Now I'm going to do even more during the winter. It's okay to be inspired!