Tim Fiorucci's 1973 Harley-Davidson XLCH Ironhead
Tim is a good friend in Cleveland, Ohio who is known around town for his motorcycle, fabrication and machining work. Tim built this bike after work and in his spare time using parts he had laying around, parts he fabricated, and lots of parts he picked up from Lowbrow. We couldn't get many words out of him, so below is a build sheet and plenty of photos for you to enjoy of his sanitary Ironhead Sportster chopper.
General:
- Owner: Tim Fiorucci
- Year/Make/Model: 1973 Harley-Davidson XLCH.
- Fabrication: Tim Fiorucci
- Build Time: About 6 months.
Engine:
- Year/Type/Size: 73 Sportster 1000
- Carburetor: S&S Super E
- Exhaust: Gasbox Sportster Dual Exhaust with 1958-61 mufflers
- Air Cleaner: Gasbox Dog Dish
Frame:
- Year/Type: Stock 1973 XL frame.
- Rear is the Lowbrow Customs KR Style Bolt-on Hardtail frame.
- Rake/Stretch: Stock Rake, 4in stretch.
Front End:
- Type / Brand: Kyaba 35mm
Wheels:
- Front Size: 21in
- Rear Size: 18in
Finish/Paint:
- Paint by: Joe Koenigsmark at Jerry’s House of Kolors
- Plating/Polishing: Akron Plating
- Powder Coating: A&I
Accessories:
- Front Fender: N/A
- Rear Fender: Lowbrow Customs Manta Ray Fender
- Gas Tank: Fiorucci Fabrications one off Custom Aluminum Sporty style
- Handlebars: Lowbrow Customs Stainless T-bars
- Grips: Jackhammer
- Mirrors: N/A
- Turn Signals: Hand
- Controls: Drag Specialties Clutch lever
- Foot Controls: Fiorucci Fabrications Stainless Pegs
- Headlight: Stock Seal beam
- Taillight: Box tail light
- Turn Signals: N/A
- License Mount: Custom
- Seat: Solo seat for Harley Davidson
Many of the parts used on this build can be found linked below:
Lowbrow Customs - KR style Bolt-on Hardtail
Lowbrow Customs - Solo Seat Pivot
Lowbrow Customs - 2" Barrel Springs
Gasbox - XL Top Motor Mount
Gasbox - Brake Rod
Cycle Standard - Heat wrap
Gasbox - XL front motor mount plates
Gasbox - Bolt-on Sportster HorseShoe oil tank
Gasbox - stainless points cover
Lowbrow Customs - Weatherproof starter Ignition Key switch
Cycle Standard - Box Tail Light
Lowbrow Customs - T-Bars
Lowbrow Customs - 4-3/4 Manta Ray Fender
Gasbox - Dog Dish Air Cleaner
Cycle Standard - Choke Knob Enrichner
Gasbox - Dual Exhaust Header Drag pipes
Gasbox - 1958-61 Mufflers
Gasbox - Universal Battery Box
Cycle Electric - Regulator CE-540L
Cycle Standard - 22mm Petcock Round Body
Cycle Standard - Universal Motorcycle Brake Light Switch
If you are interested in getting fabrication work done hit up Tim directly at [email protected]
Photos by Mikey Revolt
Garrett Dittmer's 1967 Harley-Davidson Shovelhead
For as long as I could remember my dad would tell me that one day the bike would be mine and the gravity of the conversations would always excite me. When I finally turned 18 He told me “if you can start it, you can have it!” It fired right up and after I got back from some hot laps around the block I was told to park it in the garage. The next day we started the teardown haha. The terms were that I would tear it apart and rebuild it, this way when I ended up on the side of the road that broke down, I would have a fighting chance of getting back on the road. Fair enough. During the tear down process that summer, my uncle (dad's little brother) lost his life while riding due to an ignorant cager. Ultimately, the Shovelhead project was shelved…
General:
- Owner: Garrett Dittmer
- Year/Make/Model: 1967 Harley-Davidson FLH
- Build Time: 1.5 years
Engine:
- Year/Type/Size: 1967, Shovelhead, 74”
- Carburetor: S&S Super E
- Exhaust: Paughco
- Air Cleaner: S&S
Frame:
- Year/Type: 1967 with weld on hardtail
- Rake/Stretch: none
Front End:
- Type / Brand: Stock FLH Wide Glide
Wheels / Tires:
- Front Size:16” Bates Baja Tire130/90B16 73T
- Rear Size: 16” Bates Baja Tire130/90B16 73T
Finish/Paint:
- Paint by: Eastwood “patina preserver” over rust
- Plating/Polishing: none
- Powder Coating: Kerry Sayre helped me out with powder coating the frame, rims, fork lowers, and hubs
Accessories:
- Front Fender: N/A
- Rear Fender: Fat Bob
- Gas Tank: 5 gal. Fatbobs
- Handlebars: unknown
- Grips: Avon
- Mirrors: none
- Hand Controls: Kustom Tech Classic
- Foot Controls: Unknown
- Headlight: Stock Shovelhead with nacelle
- Taillight: No School Choppers 28-32 duolamp
- Turn Signals: N/A
- License Mount: Left axle mount license plate bracket
- Seat: hard luck designs slim solo
My dad bought this bike back in 1982 in Texas. Not long after that my parents moved to Florida and that's when he got really into the “biker stuff”, as he called it. At some point in the mid-late 80’s he was cut off by a car and had to replace the front end and decided to go with some longer fork tubes and a skinny front wheel. Then some time in the early 90’s the frame was hard tailed and it received a sissy bar with a tractor fender.
Eight years later I asked my dad to go with me to look at a bike I wanted to buy. It didn’t go so well, after a few exchanges and some terms and conditions we were unloading a pile of Harley parts into my garage. The next couple of months, I built a workbench in my basement so I could decipher the “what goes where, what do I have, what do I need” puzzle throughout the winter as I organized Harley Sportster parts needed for the rebuild. Spring came and by then I had a general idea of how to “wing it” and it started looking like a bike again.
I had help from Marcus Ellis at Terminal Speed with lacing/ truing the wheels and popping bearings in the hubs. He rebuilt the front end as well.
I did my best to keep the engine/trans hardware/parts the way that I received them from him, down to the mismatched tappet blocks and stripped trans case holes. Those little things remind me that there were some frustrating hard times he had with this bike, but he did what he could to keep his knees in the breeze.
Words by: Garrett Dittmer
Photos by: Mikey Revolt
Virginia Cagney's 1996 Harley-Davidson Sportster
Growing up, my mom had a photo of the steel unicorn she welded when she was 16 years old at summer camp. I never knew any other females who knew how to weld except for her, and it stuck with me. When I was 18, I took my first welding . I learned how to MIG weld and spent hours practicing in the shop. Around this time, I started dating Jay (now my husband), and he was riding 70’s Honda motorcycles. I didn’t know anything about motorcycles, but I knew I loved anything vintage, and working with metal.
General:
- Owner: Virginia Cagney
- Year/Make/Model: 1996 Harley-Davidson XL1200c
- Fabrication: Virginia Cagney
- Build Time: 6 months
Engine:
- Year/Type/Size: 1996 XL1200c
- Carburetor: CV
- Exhaust: Custom built
- Air Cleaner: S&S Mini Teardrop
Frame:
- Year/Type: 47 Industries
- Rake/Stretch: 2” stretch, 2” drop
"Haywood Jablome"
Wheels:
- Front Size: 21” - Rear Size: 16”
"Ride Motorcycles, Eat Ice Cream" - Americana Speed Shop
Front End:
- Type / Brand: 35mm, 6 over, Evo brake mount welded on.
Finish/Paint
- Paint by: Virginia Cagney
- Plating/Polishing: N/A
- Powder Coating: N/A
Lowbrow Customs Fish Scale Master Cylinder cover.
Accessories:
- Front Fender: N/A
- Rear Fender: Cycle Standard 5 inch wide Steel Flat Trailer Fender
- Gas Tank: Cycle Standard Axed Chopper Motorcycle Gas Tank 2.2 gallon
- Handlebars: Custom made
- Grips: Pangea Speed
- Mirrors: Unknown
- Hand Controls: Panhead-style clutch lever
- Foot Controls: Stock
- Headlight: Stock light, flipped and remounted
- Taillight: No School Choppers blacked out ford Dunlop Model A
- Turn Signals: None
- License Mount: Custom made
- Seat: Custom, Greg of Retrofit
Special Details or Accessories:
- Sissybar by Retrofit Cycleworks
- Ride motorcycles, eat ice-cream points cover by Americana Speed Shop
- Seat has a stash tube made from a ’66 Shovelhead exhaust pipe
- Oil bag is build-your-own from Bung King
Photo by Jay Cagney
The Gasbox's 1972 Harley-Davidson XL Ironhead Sportster - Fuel Cleveland Raffle Build
The latest build to come out of The Gasbox is this beautiful 1972 Harley-Davidson Ironhead. With Fuel Cleveland just a few months away the guys thought it would be a good idea to offer a chance for one lucky show attendee to win this one of a kind custom motorcycle and take it home on July 28th, 2018. With over $5000 into the motor alone this bike is one bad mofo; ready to get on the road and slay some miles all while looking good doing it. "How do I win?" you ask, all you have to do is purchase a Fuel Cleveland Logo Patch and you will receive a free entry ticket. YOU MUST BE PRESENT AT FUEL CLEVELAND TO WIN THE BIKE! Everyone who buys a Fuel Cleveland Patch will also be entered to possibly win a SQUARE WAVE® TIG 200 Welder, A POWER MIG® 210 MP Welder, and or a TOMAHAWK® 375 Plasma Cutter from long time Fuel Cleveland show sponsor Lincoln Electric. While having to be present to win the motorcycle, you do not have to be present to win any of the three Lincoln Electric prizes!
General Info:
- Owner: Could be you!
- Year/Make/Model: 1972 XL
- Fabrication: The Gasbox
- Build Time: six months
Engine:
- Year/Type/Size: 72’ XL1000
- Carburetor: CV
- Exhaust: Gasbox XLR Drags
- Air Cleaner: Gasbox Dog Dish
Frame:
- Year/Type: Custom
- Rake/Stretch: Stock
Front End:
- Type / Brand: Harley-Davidson 35MM
Wheels:
- Front Size: 19” HARLEY MAG
- Rear Size: 18” HARLEY MAG
Finish/Paint:
- Paint by: Jerry's House of Kolor
- Plating/Polishing: Perfection Metal Polishing
- Powder Coating: Precision Hot Rods
Accessories:
- Front Fender: Gasbox
- Rear Fender: Gasbox Fender
- Gas Tank: Cycle Standard Frisco Sportster tank - Narrow
- Handlebars: Harley-Davidson 883
- Grips: Harley-Davidson
- Mirrors: Harley-Davidson
- Hand Controls: Kustom Tech
- Foot Controls: Harley-Davidson
- Headlight: Harley-Davidson
- Taillight: Lucas
- Turn Signals: none
- License Mount: Gasbox License Plate bracket
- Seat: Biltwell Slimline Solo Seat
Custom & Special Details or Accessories:
- Custom one of a kind oil tank.
A complete engine restoration by Delzani Cycle with NOS Harley-Davidson Components, big $$$$!
Threepence Moto's 1981 Harley-Davidson XLH1000
Threepence Moto is a full custom and service shop located in Denver, Colorado. Threepence was started as a closed to the public custom shop in 2010 by founding owner Wesley Case. With Alex Krill coming on board in early 2015, the decision was made to open to the public to provide an unfilled niche in the Denver motorcycle scene. Being one of the few shops in Denver that works on most pre 1995 bikes, the customs and restorations coming out of the shop are eclectic and always changing.
Both Wes and Alex come from a culinary background but have always been fascinated and worked on anything with a motor since a young age.
General:
- Owners: Threepence Moto - Wes Case & Alex Krill
- Year/Make/Model: 1981 Harley-Davidson XLH1000
- Fabrication: Threepence Moto
- Build Time: 2 months
Engine:
- Year/Type/Size: 1981 XLH 1000
- Carburetor: Harley CV
- Exhaust: Threepence Moto
- Air Cleaner: Kim Boyle - BCM
Frame:
- Year/Type: Paughco
- Rake/Stretch: 3” stretch, 40 degrees rake
Front End:
- Type / Brand: Dual disk Narrow Glide Showa 39mm
Wheels:
- Front Size: 19” Lyndall custom
- Rear Size: 16” Lyndall custom
Finish/Paint:
- Paint by: Josh Allison
- Plating/Polishing: DGM Chroming
- Powder Coating: n/a
Accessories:
- Front Fender: OEM FXR
- Rear Fender: Fabricated and Molded in house
- Gas Tank: Wassel
- Oil Tank: Gasbox
- Handlebars: Andrew Haley
- Grips: Baxter
- Mirrors: Mirrors are for pu$$!es
- Hand Controls: Stock
- Foot Controls: Threepence Moto Jammer Pegs / stock mid controls
- Headlight: Speed Kings
- Taillight: Custom LED
- Turn Signals: Same as mirrors
- License Mount: Sill on the steel rack
- Seat: Threepence Moto / Billy “Mountain Dew” Murphy
Custom & Special Details or Accessories:
Molded tail section, 16 gauge steel leg fairings with mounts, 2 into 1 pipe with flat cone muffler, modified gasbox oil bag, modified cam and sprocket covers, custom oil cap, bottom 5 fins shaved off jugs, split rockers, Tokico front calipers, lace and sun ray gold and rainbow flake paint done by Josh Allison, port and polished heads, Andrew “Y Grind” cams, high compression pistons, Andrews aluminum pushrods, front mount oil cooler, Lyndall brake rotors, sprocket, hubs and wheels, points cover engraved by Fritz Haenel, custom race stand because….racing.
Here at Threepence we work mostly with pre 1980 metric bikes. The majority of our customs and restorations have been the ic Honda, Yamaha, and various Italian bikes, so the idea of building a chopper has always been in the forefront of our minds.
Alex acquired the bike with the idea to turn it into a dirty budget bike for himself, but after a case of beer and a trip to the strip club we decided to go a completely different route. As with all bikes that come out of our shop it had to be bitchin as f*ck but also something that can be ridden as a daily rider.
The bike itself is a 1981 Harley-Davidson Sportster. Purchased as just a motor and frame, the possibilities were endless in design. We ended up deciding on a FXR/Baby Dresser design that we hadn’t seen anyone do out of a Sportster.
Being a “Baby Dresser'' the bike needed a few things to really bring our idea to fruition. The Connoly’s quarter fairing and custom leg fairings were key to making this happen. Made from 16 gauge steel the hand shaped lowers were accented by the mustang style tail section on the bike. After 20 different ideas for paint design and color, the current black and gold was decided on. We brought the bike to a good friend Josh Allison of Crybaby Cycles to do the 70’s style paint and airbrush work. Even with a full plate and a custom build of his own, Josh managed to knock out the full scope of work in 7 days like a fucking champion.
As good as the bike looks, it has to run right as well. The Harley Ironhead has a reputation as the worst motor they ever made. Because of this we decided to do our best to make it look as little like a Sportster motor as we possibly could. By splitting the rockers, shaving 5 fins off the jugs, and cutting the cam and sprocket covers, we changed the initial response to the bike. The two into one pipes were made in house, and the coffin style cone was a happy accident. We decided on high compression Wiseco pistons, Andrews Y grind cams and pushrods, as well as a port and polish. With the work done to the motor as well as shaving the jugs we decided to angle the lower fairings inward as well as add an external oil cooler for any heat issues we faced.
A 39mm dual disk Showa front end is balanced by a 19 inch billet wheel and floating rotors, and in the rear is a 16 inch with custom sprocket all by Paul Lyndall at Lyndall Brakes.
We went with a stock Harley CV carburetor for reliability and an air filter sent out the next day by Kim Boyle to get us on the road the next day for the One Moto in Portland Oregon. LED brake lights and a Speed Kings headlight keep us legal. Billy “mountain dew” Murphy was used for the stitching on the seat. The custom bars made by Andrew Haley and exhaust were nickel plated by DGM Chrome in Pennsylvania. Lots of “oh sh!t I forgot” parts were gotten at Blacktop Choppers from Matt Huntley. We couldn’t have done this build without the help of our friends, colleagues, families, and countless cases of beer.
Words by: Alex Krill
Photos by: Jay Cagney
Sarah Dixon's 2000 Harley-Davidson 1200 XL Sportster “Nova”
Sarah Dixon from Menifee California may be a newer rider but her custom 2000 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 is anything but the typical first bike. It’s pure badass. After passing her motorcycle safety course her friend at the time , now boyfriend, Jeff Tarver owner of 52 Cycles wanted to do something special for her achievement. Sarah says, “Unlike any normal guy who would’ve taken me to dinner, he found an old Sportster and told me he would customize it for me”.
General:
- Owner: Sarah Dixon
- Year/Make/Model: 2000 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200
- Fabrication: 52 Cycles
- Build Time: 1 year
Engine:
- Year/Type/Size: 2000 Sportster 1200
- Carburetor: Mikuni HSR 42 Exhaust:
- Iron Cobras Fabrication
- Air Cleaner: Joker Machine
- Frame: Stock
- Rake/Stretch: Stock
- Front End: Stock with Race Tech cartridge emulators and springs Rear
- Shocks: Race Tech G3-S 15”
Wheels:
- Front Size: H-D Thunderstar 19”
- Rear Size: H-D Thunderstar 16”
Paint:
- Gloss Black by Doug Starbuck, Copper Leaf & Red Pinstriping by Mike Lamberson
Powder Coating:
- Precision Powder Coat
Accessories:
- Rear Fender: 52 Cycles
- Gas Tank: Cycle Standard Blackbird
- Handlebars: Protaper
- Grips: Pro Grip
- Mirrors: Harley-Davidson
- Foot Controls: Joker Machine
- Headlight: Free Spirits
- Taillight: Custom Dynamics
- Turn Signals:Custom Dynamics
- License Mount: 52 Cycles
- Seat: Duane Ballard Custom Leather
The bike in it’s original condition was “The least sporty Sportster you could imagine” bemoaned Sarah. “It was outfitted with ape hangers, forward foot controls, a king and queen chopper seat, a dual gas cap tank and a horrible paint job. I grew up around the motorcycle and hot rod scene, working shows with my uncle, Pete “Hot Dog” Finland since I was 10 years old. I’ve pretty much seen every paint job there is and I can easily say this Sportster’s was the worst”.
The moment Jeff rolled the bike into his shop, he tossed the tins into the trash as there was literally no saving the appalling pieces. The rest of the parts that made up someone's previous dream chopper were rapidly ripped off and put aside. Once Jeff had the bike down to the frame he was able to envision the customizing needed that would put the “sport” back into this machine. A street tracker build was decided on.
The first thing to be done was sorting out the suspension. Since this would be a performance build, suspenders that looked and worked the part were in order. Jeff and Sarah drove out to Race Tech headquarters in nearby Corona to meet up with the Race Tech suspension experts. And experts they are, with the company providing over 30 years of high- performance suspension service throughout all forms of motorcycling. The Sportster forks were setup with Race Tech cartridge emulators and springs while out back a pair of 15” custom valved and sprung G3-S shocks would give it just the stance needed.
Jeff then started amassing the parts he would need to build one trick street tracker. A Cycle Standard gas tank was sourced as it was the perfect combination of form and function for this go fast machine. A café racer tail section was found along with a bunch of other necessary pieces to the puzzle. Sarah confesses, “ During the time we were building the sporty, which we named Nova, we were also in the process of opening a paint shop in Temecula for my uncle Pete. It took a lot of time, money, effort and stress to take on that kind of responsibility and the build was put on the back burner. Nova sat for months and months and the bare metal finish on the gas tank began to rust”.
This would prove to be a blessing in disguise at it gave Jeff more time to brainstorm about the build. He reworked the tail section by trimming it’s length and doing some fiberglass surgery on it in order to fit perfectly on the frame. Some Duane Ballard Custom Leather work was added for style and function points. The end result was much slimmer, shorter, sportier and appealing to the eye. Jeff really didn’t like any of the headlights he had laying around for use on this project so he started poking around on the mighty internet for a racier alternative. A snazzy number plate/headlight mask from Free Spirits in Italy was discovered and ordered. Harley-Davidson ThunderStar 5 spoke wheels were added to roll on and fit the bill for a more aggressive appearance. They were ready for action after a black powder coating and adorned with Galfer brake rotors. Iron Cobras Fabrication in Long Beach was commissioned to construct an exhaust. What Iron Cobras fabbed up is a true work of stainless steel art.
“Although it sucked to put everything on hold to make sure other stuff was taken care of, we are glad we had the extra time to upgrade our build”, said Sarah in a tone of revelation.
As the bike started to come together Jeff worked out some of the finer details that would add to the bikes racier nature. A sleek bracket to hide the gauges behind the number plate was whipped up along with relocating the ignition where it was out of the way and hidden. Sarah quips, “Jeff even designed his own paint job with absolutely no paint experience or artistic abilities for that matter. Sorry babe, but we both know it’s true”.
As the bike was taking it’s incredible form and being in the finishing stages, Sarah was gaining riding experience by riding a Honda Grom and a stock Sportster around town. She has yet to ride the finished street slayer as its construction was completed right before the photo shoot. One thing is for sure, everyone should be as lucky as Sarah to have such a kick ass machine as their first bike.
Words and Photos by: Ed Subias
Hillary Eickhoff's 1990 Harley-Davidson XL1200 Sportster Chopper
I bought the bike off craigslist 5 years ago with the intention of building a chopper. I wanted to do a lot of the work myself so I spent the first three years building my knowledge base, learning how to work on the bike, and gradually making modifications to it as a swingarm.
I love how cool the bikes were in Halfway to Berdoo – everything in that book is just so cool. I wanted build a Sportster that had a classic 60’s chop aesthetic with no bullshit. Two years ago I got a deal on a Paughco frame at a swap, so with some help from my awesome friends Anthony and Wes we tore the bike down and started the rebuild. I couldn’t have built this bike without Anthony and Wes – thank you guys so much.
We built the roller and dropped the motor in. We started mocking up the bike and made all the mounting tabs at my shop. I wanted all the hardware to be easily accessible so we used threaded bungs to mount the rear fender. I used a Paughco chrome half horseshoe oil tank since it fit the frame perfect and I could use a full size battery - I ride a lot and it’s just practical. Next we mounted the sissy bar, tank, and seat. I really wanted a nice Bates style seat and I was lucky enough to win a River Seat Company giveaway from Adam on Instagram. Once the mock up was complete we tore it down for some finishing welding courtesy of my homie Tomy aka Acid Daddy.
I decided on the pale yellow since my dad used to ride an old 60’s Sportster he had painted “Panama Yellow” which is very reminiscent of Coors yellow – easy choice. My buddy Jon refused to let me rattle can the tins and did me a solid and painted them at his shop. I had some vintage white “Wavy Gravy” flames pinstriped on the tank to top it off. Other than needing the extra muscle to drop the motor in, I did the final assembly and wiring by myself. I kept the wiring super simple with a marine ignition to start/stop the motor.
Since I took the time to plan and design it first, the whole build was pretty straightforward and took about 7 months. I am super proud of the way it turned out. It’s classic, clean, simple and tuff – I love my motorcycle. I was invited to show it at The Keystone Collective Show in 2019. It was really awesome to get to show off my build among so many amazing motorcycles. Big thanks to my buddy Mikey Revolt for and Lowbrow Customs for the feature!
Words by: Hillary Eickhoff
Photos by: Mikey Revolt
General:
- Owner: Hillary Eickhoff
- Year/Make/Model: 1990 Harley-Davidson XL1200 Sportster
- Fabrication: Myself with help from my awesome friends Anthony and Wes at Scummerset Garage
- Build Time: 7 months
Engine:
- Year/Type/Size: 1990 XL12000
- Carburetor: Mikuni HSR42
- Exhaust: basic chrome drag pipes, flat cut
- Air Cleaner: Lowbrow Customs Louvered Air Cleaner modified slightly to fit the Mikuni carb
Frame:
- Year/Type: Paughco S120EA
- Rake/Stretch: 35 degrees, no stretch
Front End:
- Type / Brand: 39mm Harley-Davidson, shaved lowers
Wheels:
- Front Size: 21” Harley spoke wheel, Avon Speedmaster
- Rear Size: 16” Harley fatboy wheel, Avon MKII
Finish/Paint:
- Paint by: My friend Jon painted the tins, Devin pinstriped the flames
- Plating/Polishing: n/a
- Powder Coating: Model Finishing Co.
Accessories:
- Front Fender: no way Jose
- Rear Fender: Lowbrow Customs Manta Ray 6”
- Gas Tank: Lowbrow Customs P-Nut Mid-Tunnel 1.8 gallon
- Oil Tank: Paughco chrome sportster oil tank
- Handlebars: Vee Mfg 8” pre unit style stainless
- Grips: Coke bottle, white
- Mirrors: A Frankenstein mirror I cobbled together from other mirrors
- Hand Controls: Slim line master cylinder and clutch, chrome
- Foot Controls: stock mids
- Headlight: Cycle Standard 5-3/4” Chrome Bottom Mount Halogen
- Taillight: Prism Supply Box Chopper tail light
- Turn Signals: my arms
- License Mount: Prism Supply
- Seat: River Seat Co bates style and p-pad
Custom & Special Details or Accessories:
- Points cover: custom “Herley Derbitson” shield
George Keeler's 1968 Harley-Davidson XLCH 900 Built by Terminal Speed
George brought this bike initially in just for some service a little while ago. On my first inspection, I noticed the rear motor mount was broken completely across and the timing hole was stripped. I would have to split the cases and do a crank pin up rebuild just to fix that. Also, the stock frame had a David Bird hardtail welded on that looked awful and in bad shape. The bike overall just had a really bad riding position to it too. So we decided to scrap the service plan and start from scratch doing a complete bike overhaul.
I’m so glad George was on board from the beginning with this service call that quickly turned into a complete rebuild. It was even better that he just kinda let me roll with it and do my thing. I work best that way. The bike took a little less than 3 months to get together and we debuted it at the Fuel Cleveland show in 2019 with a minute to spare on loading in. George digs it, I dig it, and I’m stoked on the way it came out. Also, pretty glad to say George and I became good friends over the whole ordeal. Big Thanks to: George, Jesse at The Gasbox, Lowbrow Customs, Evil Joe at Angel Dust Cycle Paint, Wes at Counterbalance, Mikey Revolt, and Tim Fiorucci
Words by: Marcus Ellis of Terminal Speed Photos by: Mikey Revolt
General:
- Owner: George Keeler Year/Make/Model: 1968 Harley-Davidson XLCH 900 Ironhead
- Builder / Fabrication: Terminal Speed / Marcus Ellis
- Build Time: 3 months
Engine:
- Year/Type/Size: 1968 XLCH 900cc w/ Magneto
- Carburetor: Super E Exhaust:
- Shotgun Drags Air Cleaner: Gasbox Dog Dish
Frame:
- Year/Type: Gasbox Full Rigid Frame for 1957-85 Ironheads Serial #001
- Rake/Stretch: 34 degree rake / 4" stretch & 2" drop
Front End:
- Type / Brand: 2 over 33.4mm
Wheels:
- Front Size: 21” Burger Drum w/ Avon Speedmaster
- Rear Size: 18” Stock Drum w/ Avon
Finish/Paint:
- Paint by: Angel Dust Cycle Pain - Joe Koenigsmark
- Plating/Polishing: Custom Chrome Cleveland
- Powder Coating: N/A
Accessories:
- Front Fender: nada.
- Rear Fender: Cycle Standard 5” Trailer fender.
- Gas Tank: Lowbrow Customs P-Nut Tank Mid-Tunnel.
- Handlebars: Shortened Lowbrow Customs Drag bars on extended 1-piece.
- Grips: Waffle Grips.
- Mirrors: Don’t need no stinkin’ mirrors.
- Hand Controls: Blade Style Levers.
- Foot Controls: Gasbox Footrest w/ Stock Controls.
- Headlight: 4 1/2” Waffle Headlight
- Taillight: M&M Mastercraft copy taillight with original lens.
- Turn Signals: Nope
- License Mount: Terminal Speed
- Seat: Counter Balance
- Sissy Bar: Gasbox The Classic DIY Sissy Bar Kit
- Oil Tank: Lowbrow Customs Horseshoe Oil Tank
Andreas Jonsson's 1992 Harley-Davidson XLH1200 Sportster
I'm a small towner who started skateboarding in the late 80's for fun, creativity and freedom. I loved every aspect of skateboarding and the feelings it gave me. Motorcycles and the motor culture came into my life when I realized that it shared many of the same freedoms and aspects of skateboarding. It became an extension of that love for me. When I’m not working with Black Lanes I teach wood crafting at a school here in Sweden. I have always loved crafting and especially wood carving. This made me start to mix wood into some of our builds. The seat under the leather is made in birch. This is the third build I've designed as a builder.
General:
- Owner: Andreas Jonsson
- Location: Stockholm, Sweden
- Year/Make/Model: 1992 Sportster XLH1200
- Build Time: 1000 hours, It took 1 year.
Engine:
- Year/Type/Size: 1992 V2, four-stroke, 1198.00 ccm (73.10 cubic inches)
- Carburetor: CV Keihin carburetor
- Exhaust: 2-1 from Paughco
- Air Cleaner: Cycle Standard Chrome Mesh Air Cleaner for CV carb
Frame:
- Year/Type: The frame is a rigid frame welded from the original frame
- Rake/Stretch: There is no rake
Front End:
- Type / Brand: Springer fork, taken from a 1988 Softail Springer
Wheels:
- Front Size: Avon AM6 Speedmaster 3.00-21
- Rear Size: Shinko 5.00-16
Accessories
- Front Fender: N/A
- Rear Fender: Fender, British Style Ton-Up Smooth, steel width: 14 cm
- Gas Tank: Bought at a swap meat. It's an old Triumph tank. Changed to fit the bike.
- Handlebars: Custom made in 1” stainless steel. It's a copy of a 90s BMX handlebar. We needed to make it on a bigger scale to fit the bike. The ic BMX roll is a must:)
- Grips: Biltwell Kung Fu Grips
- Mirrors: Clamp-on mirror
- Hand Controls: Kustom Tech Classic Brake & Clutch Levers in polished aluminum.
- Foot Controls: Custom made to look like ic dirt bike controls.
- Headlight: Mini 4-1/2" headlight
- Taillight: Kellerman with integrated tail, brake and turn signals
- License Mount: Custom made to give the bike a clean look as possible.
- Seat: The leather seat is handmade by Sandqvist, an old friend of mine. I also made a slick layer under the saddle from birch wood, stained with a grey shade, of course.
I wanted the bike to look stylish and clean, a bit sexy… Shiny but not too shiny. The grey colors were something that I wanted to use from the start. I wanted a mix between shades of grey and different types of metal finishes. Polished aluminum worked well with the grey and the white walls to cut things off a little bit and give a hint of that ic look. The flames were also decided in the early process. I dig the ic flames, but here in a stylish tasteful mix with the two grey shades used all over the bike.
The glass blasted engine cuts the shine off and ends with the polished rockers. The end tip on the exhaust is custom made, glass blasted and turned in aluminum. I also was looking for handlebars that could fit the bike. The ideas came to me while sitting in my garage one day just hangin around, there she was, the old bmx! The idea of a BMX handlebar was born. I wanted it to look exactly like an old school BMX handlebar with even the foam roll.
Words by: Andreas Jonnson • Photos by: Johan Rydberg
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