Built around a 1959 Harley-Davidson Sporster, this Saber (or Sabre) Tooth Tiger project was one of three builds created in a series (alongside a Bengal Tiger and a Dragon). Interestingly, the (in this case literal) bodywork on the Harley is all made of wood.
Working under the “Dream Themes” moniker, this Sabre-toothed two-wheeler is the work of artist Daniel Meyer — a Chicago native who studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, the American Academy of Art, the College of DuPage, and the Naguib School of Sculpture. In addition to having his work featured in an Absolut Vodka ad, Meyer has pieces currently on display at corporate head offices and international airports.
To “Tigerify” the Sportster, Meyer added a tail onto the bike’s rear fender, as well as a set of legs posed mid-sprint. The tank’s seemingly been left alone aside from the addition of a tiger-stripe paint job. A wooden head was tacked on up front, with a custom headlight being fitted above it. There’s also a cool neck body piece that hangs down from the headstock and provides anchor points for the Tiger’s front legs — which feature little claws and other cool minor details. The aforementioned wooden body pieces were all supposedly hand-carved by Meyer, too.
It’s unclear why exactly these three builds were produced (then again, why is any art made?), but once completed, the trio was featured in a multi-page spread in a magazine. The seller also makes mention of this example winning several awards but doesn’t elaborate further. Eventually each bike was sold, with one supposedly ending up at a Hard Rock Cafe, another with a private collector, and the last, the Sabre Tooth Tiger bike, winding up in an art gallery in Naples, Florida. According to the ad, the gallery’s owner passed away a few years back, leading to this wildly unique two-wheeler going up for sale once again.
While there appears to be a V-Twin in the bike, the ad states “the engine had been taken out”, (as have the front brakes) so I’m not sure if the one in the bike is a dummy unit or what. The instrumentation has also been covered up with a “Le Sabre” sticker. The seller also says they have all the necessary documentation, registration, certificate of authenticity from the artist, additional photos, and a copy of whatever magazine this thing was featured in.
You can find this 1959 Harley-Davidson Sportster-based “Le Sabre” for sale here on Craigslist in West Palm Beach, Florida with a price of $55,000.