Culture Behind Garage Doors: Winston Yeh of Rough CraftsRough Crafts' Iron Guerilla Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster has become one of the most copied Sportster customs.
- Words Michael Hilton
- Images Courtesy of Rough Crafts
- Illustrations Justin Page
While it’s often the machines that take center stage on Bike EXIF and Iron & Air, often overlooked are the creative and ingenious builders from around the globe who demonstrate the dedication, tenacity, and broad vision to bring these creations to the world. Here, in this installment of our Behind Garage Doors series, we spotlight Winston Yeh of the revered Rough Crafts in Taiwan.
Winston Yeh of Rough Crafts
After a friend bought a Yamaha SR150 that had custom handlebars and a headlight, Winston Yeh decided to get a motorcycle for himself. But when it came to customizing it, he didn’t stop at the handlebars — the whole bike underwent numerous stages and styles, and Winston got himself an education in how the components of a bike work together. In 2005 he received a scholarship to study at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, which is where he met Roland Sands. Yeh started working for Sands as a graphic designer, and watched how Sands uses his builds to market his parts; he figured he could do the same back in Taiwan. His Iron Guerilla Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster is now one of the most copied Sportster customs and is the backbone of the Rough Crafts parts line.
Yeh has won numerous world custom bike contests and shows, and has collaborated with manufacturers like Yamaha, BMW, MV Agusta, and Royal Enfield to create one-off bikes. He says, “Balance is one thing I always push for in my builds; I want them to have an almost factory look and not just try to go over the top and over-customize them. I’m always open to new stuff, new materials, new ways of making things…I keep an open mind and embrace what’s coming.”
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(3) Rough Crafts is located in Taipei, Taiwan.
Balance is one thing I always push for in my builds; I want them to have an almost factory look and not just try to go over the top and over-customize them.
