Here it is mocked up, ready for paint, wiring, hoses, etc. Because
this is the original frame, it will retain its Harley title. This isn't really
my style of bike, but I build what the customer wants. It will un-
doubtedly win trophies and rack up most of its miles on a trailer.
 
It started as a '95 Bad Boy, with embarrassingly low miles. I
had done motor work on this bike a couple of years ago. Ex-
cept for that, and some bolt-on doodads, it's basically stock.
Parts is parts. The pile you see here is what gets painted. Motor
and tranny were black (Bad Boy), and if you think engine paint
comes off too easily, that's only when you want it to stay on. I
didn't want to split the cases, so that paint was removed with
stripper and a brass brush (not a job for the easily discouraged).
Hard to believe this was once black, eh? Notice the similarity
to the Shovelhead cases. The most obvious difference is the
four cylinder studs, as opposed to five short ones on the
Shovel, and the VIN on the Shovel gear case. Did you
know your Harley has numbers inside the motor?
Those rectangular vents by the spark plugs go straight through the heads,
and there's another one on top that bottoms out on the roof of the com-
bustion chamber. But other than the gearcase (where the cam is), all OHV
Big Twins are basically the same. The exception, of course is the new Twin
Cam motor; it's a distant cousin to the rest. Notice special instructions for
the painter (kind of like writing "stop" on the top rung of a ladder).
This Jesse James fender was not designed to work on a Springer.
I reinforced the inside of the right "flap", since that's all that stabilizes
the fender, which has to float with the wheel's movement. Compare
this side to the other. I wanted it to be close to the tire, you think I got it?
Rear fender is also from Jesse James. The vertical slot is the taillight with
LEDs. This seat is a leather Danny Grey, but it will probably be changed.
The billet grips are ones the owner had made up special, needless to say,
they're getting replaced. For what it's worth: a fat rear tire will not make
your bike go faster, stop faster or handle better. They do, however cost
more and wear out quicker. And moving the drivetrain over an inch to
make room for it throws the bike off balance. That's tape on the pulley.
There's that fender view. Although the frame is raked, it isn't
stretched. This bike will be very difficult to steer at low speeds;
on the highway, it'll be very stable. Notice the shock absorber
is missing from in front of the fork springs; that's because now
there are two smaller shocks inside the springs (my execution,
but not my invention). Yes, that's the headlight, but believe it
or not, it's as bright as a stocker. It's made by Lazer Star.
This view shows the added sections on the fuel and oil tanks. The
oil tank skirt is removable for access to the starter, and contains
the ignition switch. I'll end up doing my air filter trick on this bike,
as well as hiding all wiring in the frame. These exhaust pipes are
temporary, for fitment only. I installed the foot controls on it when
it was still a Bad Boy. A personal note: I've always been a little
embarrassed to tell people I ride a Fat Boy, because I think the
name sounds silly. But I have to admit, I felt the pressure lift when
Harley came up with an even sillier name. I picture little kids
with a skull and crossbones painted on their clubhouse door.
I shot this before removing the front shock brackets. The spoiler
is removed here; it will house the regulator, rear master cylinder
and the dual horns. The dual coils are hidden under the gas tank.
Ignition and coils are Crane as are the cam, valve springs and
pushrods. Front and rear calipers are six piston Harrisons.
This is kinda trick: I used two master cylinders on the handlebars
(clutch & brake), and you'll notice an elbow fitting on each one.
There will be a hydraulic line from each going right into the handlebar,
leaving no lines, cables or wires at all. Here you can see the shocks
inside the springs. Forks will be painted to match sheetmetal.
I'll post more pix as I make new progress.
The sheetmetal is finally painted. Against my advice, the owner
had these graphics added (that's what the delay was all about),
but now that I see the finished product, I realize I should have
been more insistent; I really think it would look better without them.
The paint is a gold pearl from Lexus, a bit darker than it appears here.
And except for the graphics, it's a quality paint job. The rectangular
holes in the plate behind the neck are where the factory wiring harness'
multi-pin connectors normally go. I won't be using them, as I always
do all wiring from scratch (much of the OEM wiring is redundant, but
eases assembly at the factory). Item at lower right is the chin spoiler.
Here's a closeup of the frame, offering a better view of the under-seat
area. The notch behind the frame post is for the new center-fill on the
old oil tank. Tab jutting right from backbone will hold twin coils. Entire
drive train (except for engine) will be shifted 1" to the left.
Here the motor's mounted, minus the heads, rocker boxes and
carburetor. The black object under the pulley is the oil tank bracket.
This left view shows the new Pro-1 outer primary. Notice the chromed aluminum
cylinder sleeves. The lower fins have to be ground off for this bit of sparkle.
Here you see the gearcase with the gears and one of the tappet blocks installed.
Both tappet blocks are mounted in this shot. The bracket in front of the
motor will hold the regulator, rear master cylinder reservoir and horns.
The motor's completed in this shot. Above the carb is the dual coil mounted to the
backbone. Also notice I've changed the tranny end cover to a Joker Machine hydraulic
unit. That bag in the back is just a fraction of the peanuts and packaging waiting to be tossed.
A closer view of the outer primary cover. Here you can see the
chromed intake manifold and the license plate bracket (wired internally).
The threaded rod with the wrench on it is a tool I made for compressing the
springs(necessary to assemble the forks). The reason for the special tool is that a
stock springer is compressed by drawing the (now missing) shock mounts together.
A closeup of the Lazer Star headlight. The risers have a cover that
hides the internal wiring, brake and clutch lines and throttle cable.
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