This bike started as a 1993 Fat Boy that I bought new, but was mostly destroyed in '97 in a head-on total wreck (with me on it) that twisted the frame from the neck back to the seat post and broke the front cylinder off. I straightened the frame and rebuilt the entire bike into what it is now, though I've been making improvements all along.

The only parts remaining of the original Fat Boy are the frame and motor case. Except for the paint, which my friend Al did at his body shop, all the work was done by me. In over 200,000 miles this bike's never been in any shop but my own, including when under warranty.

I wired the bike from scratch (no harness) for reliability and to eliminate redundant factory wiring, also to facilitate many unique wiring changes. For example, activating the high beam switch makes the headlight go from low beam to both beams. The front turn signals are built into the detachable passing lamps and momentarily kill the passing lamps when they flash. The rear (amber LED) signals and (red LED) running lights are built into the detachable saddlebags and plug into receptacles on the underside of the fender struts, which are unseen when the bags are off. The speedo face incorporates LED instrument lights (turn, high beam, oil pressure, neutral). All LED lighting assemblies are homemade, including the super-bright tail/brake light.

I molded the dash in fiberglass reinforced with aluminum rods for strength. It's modular and incorporates the speedo, tach, oil pressure gauge, ignition switch and LED alarm light. Combined with the quick-disconnect front fuel crossover line, removing the 5.2 gallon gas tanks is fast & easy.

The saddlebags are 1977 Shovelhead bags that quick-detach leaving no brackets behind. The original OEM saddlebag hardware was replaced with homemade latches, locks & hinges that are completely internal (no hardware shows on the outside). The rear crash bars are bolted to the bags and detach along with them, because the bike looks odd with rear crash bars and no bags. There are separate docking grommets on the saddlebag brackets that accept a detachable passenger backrest. Each bag has its own white LED interior light for night loading/unloading.

Instead of a frame-mounted tool box, I designed one that mounts in the tail section of the rear fender. It's actually made from an FLST rear fender for a perfect fit. It's hinged to open from the bottom and holds as much as a teardrop tool box.

The front crash bar doubles as an oil cooler and has its own separate hand-operated drain to make extra-quart oil changes simple. On the right side of the frame, tucked behind the muffler, is the main oil drain valve, also hand-operated.

The windshield is detachable but also incorporates the passing lamps and homemade Lexan lower wind deflectors, so they all lift off as a unit. The wind deflectors are slightly larger than the steel ones Harley sells and offer good wind & rain protection. They're designed to mate closely to the bottom of the windshield.

I modified the S&S Super E's backing plate to accommodate a 1956-style 6" Harley air cleaner cover (one center screw to access the filter). The choke lever is relocated to underneath the rear head's breather outlet and is all but invisible. I designed a flexible extension for the idle speed screw for on-the-fly adjustments (years before Mikuni came up with their awkward version). The main jet is also adjustable and the air filter is a K&N.

The handlebar controls are homemade. They're intended to resemble Knucklehead controls but incorporate switches for turn signals, horn, high beam and starter, all without conventional switchboxes. Wiring and throttle cable are internal.

There's no front master cylinder on the handlebar, it's located behind the headlight, completely out of view (my own invention). It's fully adjustable for throw & leverage and has been in continuous trouble-free use since 1995. It incorporates an adjustable brake light switch.

The hand levers are wide-blade versions of the 1965 type mounted on custom perches that bolt directly to the handlebar instead of using the customary clamps. Very clean looking.

The shift linkage is another area I felt needed to be cleaned up. Instead of a straight rod leading from the front shift lever to the tranny lever, I designed a "stealth" linkage that closely follows the curve of the inner primary cover, and shortened both the shift lever and tranny lever by one-third each to further minimize them, then painted them all wrinkle black to blend with the motor. Throw and ratio remain unchanged, in fact it feels exactly like the stock setup when shifting.

There are many, many other less obvious modifications, but that's the whole point. This bike doesn't jump out at you like a wild custom, it's simply a very roadworthy daily rider that converts from boulevard cruiser to capable tourer in seconds and (I think) looks good doing either. Most people don't give it a second glance (because it isn't a wild custom), but those who do end up scrutinizing it from top to bottom.

I guess I should list some performance mods, too:

Motor:
Heads: Screamin' Eagle
Rockers: Crane rollers
Rocker boxes: CCI
Pistons: Wiseco flat top (9.5:1 CR)
Rods: S&S
Lifters & Blocks: S&S
Pushrods: Crane Timesavers
Cam: Andrews EV27
Ignition: Crane HI-4 single fire

Transmission:
Ultima six speed w/30-tooth pulley

Drive:
BDL compensator (24-tooth)
Barnett Scorpion clutch (37-tooth)
Hayden M-6 chain tensioner
Tsubaki primary chain

Suspension:
Front: Stock H-D, chromed
Rear: Custom Cycle Controls air suspension

Brakes:
Front: 13" Lyndall floating rotor w/RevTech 4-piston caliper
Rear: Braking 11.5" Wave rotor w/PM 4-piston caliper
Charging system:
Compu-Fire 40-amp, Three phase

Wheels:
DNA 3.5" x 16" 60-spoke tubeless


-------------------------------------------------------

Non-stock parts & features (* indicates custom fabricated part or application):

3-step Ford Laser Red paint (OEM code E-9)
High-output motor with all high-performance internals, 9.5:1 compression ratio
S&S Super E carb with 1956 H-D air cleaner cover*, K&N filter, adjustable main jet & hidden choke lever*
Crane HI-4 single fire ignition with dual Crane coil & Accel 8.8 plug wires
Barnett Scorpion clutch
BDL compensator
Oil run through crash bar for cooling*, which also has separate drain*
Custom oil filler cap*
5.2 gallon gas tanks with '47 H-D tank emblems
Chrome 3.5" x 16" DNA 60-spoke tubless wire wheels with polished stainless spokes
Dual crossover Kerker fishtail exhaust with modified baffles*
Bubba's billet oval footboards
Extended (5") H-D passenger pegs
H-D shifter pegs with chrome caps
Custom-made "stealth" shifter linkage*
Ultima six-speed transmission, 2.94 close-ratio first gear and .86:1 sixth gear, 3.13:1 overall ratio
Quick-detach* '77 fiberglass H-D saddlebags internally illuminated and with integral amber LED turn signals* and red LED running lights*
No external hardware on saddlebags* (hinges, latches & locks all internal) plus no mounting brackets*
Integral rear saddlebag guards (crash bars) that quick-detach along with saddlebags*
Custom tool box hidden inside rear fender*
Custom handmade fiberglass dash* with modular instrumentation* (speedo, tach, oil pressure gauge, ignition switch)
LED dash lights built into custom speedo face* (neutral, high beam, oil pressure & turn indicators)
Odometer reset knob hidden under front of dash*
Speedo driven off of rear wheel (hidden cable)
Custom Cycle Control Systems SAS rear air suspension, electrically controlled
Front brake: 13" floating Lyndall Racing rotor with 4-piston RevTech caliper
Rear brake: 11.5" Braking brand Wave rotor with 4-piston Performance Machine caliper
Custom rear master cylinder cover*
Doss nostalgic shifter cover
Re-angled custom rear brake lever* (rotated forward & contoured to gentle "S" shape) with Bubba's billet pedal pad
Chrome H-D headlight nacelle (1960 style)
7" H-D halogen H-4 headlight with reflector optics; matching passing lamps
Detachable "unitized" windshield with custom Lexan lower wind deflectors and passing lamps as all one unit*
Front turn signals built into passing lamps*
No master cylinder on handlebar (hidden behind headlight)*
Custom Knucklehead-style hand controls* with no switchboxes, yet switches for starter, turn signals, high beam & horn*
Internal throttle and handlebar wiring*
1965-style hand lever perches bolted directly to handlebar (no clamps)*
Nostalgic H-D grips
Nostalgic H-D round mirrors
LED tail/brake light* with laydown lens
Stebel Nautilus air horn (139db) mounted in round nostalgic horn cover
Tool-less frame-mounted oil drain valve*
Illuminated cigarette lighter
'59 front fender tip w/chrome spears, National Cycle rear fender tip
Compu-Fire 40-amp 3-phase charging system
Polished stainless custom lower nosecone cover*
H-D Badlander saddle, modified Badlander solo saddle* or LePera Sorrento saddle
Aritronix alarm with Doppler radar perimeter protection & pager
All visible fasteners either chromed, chrome covered or polished stainless steel

Note: All the above is subject to constant & ongoing change.