Custom 1993 Harley-Davidson FXR; Project Popo
“What you want is a FXR. It’s the best handling bike Harley ever made.” That’s the pitch Kirk Taylor gave to Dave Murray when Murray hit him up about building a Dyna. It makes sense; the main reason the Dyna supplanted the FXR was because FXR frames cost more to make than Harley-Davidson cared to spend manufacturing them, not because the FXR sucked in the handling department. When Murray started the talk with a diehard FXR owner like Kirk Taylor, you could bet the bank Taylor was going to hip him to that fact. The Custom Design Studios bossman was well into his love of the FXR long before they were as popular as they are now. Murray wanted big fun to ride, had the deep pockets to do what he wanted, and Kirk was more than happy to build him the ideal FXR for the job.
Kirk Taylor sought balance throughout the bike and he damn well succeeded…
John Zamora
Sourcing an old cop FXR out of Texas, Kirk Taylor got it into the shop, tore it down to the bones, then gave it all the love and attention it needed for its resurrection. Lots of carbon fiber, the best in suspension, and a perfect balance throughout the entire bike were the overall design goals going in. “We didn’t want to get too flashy,” Kirk says. “We wanted something that was going to be exemplary, eye catching, yet aggressive. That would go as good as it looked.” Murray stepped up, opened up the wallet, and Kirk made it happen: “It’s great when a customer has got the vision and money’s not an issue. ‘I can give you something as good as any bike you see in the magazines’ I told him. Now I’m working on his Dyna for him for Born-Free.
…from the carbon fiber rear wheel to the killer chin spoiler and all points in between.
John Zamora
Out of all the hard work that went into this bike, Kirk loves the color combos: “I love gold leaf. Always have since the early days as a kid in the `60s. Loved the funny cars with candy panel fade for gold leaf. I wanted it to look good but didn’t want it all to get lost in the design. It’s gotta flow and have rhythm. You don’t want any one thing to overpower the other. You want to something that draws the eye in. This paint is what Johnny Chop used to call it an East LA sunset.”
Taylor, Murray, and badass bike.
John Zamora
The technical side of the paint job to get that balance was pretty challenging but what might have been the mid-90s Evo motor in it. That meant either replacing parts or restoring them. Where possible, Kirk kept the integrity of the old parts intact with the resto treatment.
Gold forks carry the aesthetic from the fairing to the front wheel.
John Zamora
As for the rest of this bike, most it was much simpler than the work in the motor and the paint. I guess it all balances out in the end.
Kirk Taylor leaned as much toward function as form. Although the paint is killer, this machine’s a stone blast to ride.
John Zamora
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Owner | Dave Murray |
| Shop | Custom Design Studios |
| Shop Phone | (415) 382-6662 |
| Website | customdesignstudios.com |
| Year/Make/Model | 1993/Harley-Davidson/FXRP |
| Build Time | 6 Months |
| Engine | |
| Year/Type/Size | 1991H-D/96 in. |
| Builder | CDS |
| Cases | H-D |
| Cylinders | SRC Billet Aluminum |
| Heads | Patrick Racing Billet |
| Rocker Boxes | Ness |
| Cams | Woods .635 lift |
| Air Cleaner | S&S |
| Exhaust | Sawicki Speed Shop |
| Transmission | |
| Year/Type | 1993/Baker |
| Gears | 6-speed |
| Clutch | Pro Clutch |
| Primary Drive | H-D |
| Frame | |
| Year/Type | H-D |
| Rake/Stretch | Stock |
| Suspension | |
| Front End | Kraus Kit Öhlins Universal |
| Length | 31 in. |
| Triple Trees | Kraus |
| Swingarm | Trac Dynamics |
| Rear Shocks | Race Tech 14-in. Nitrogen |
| Wheels, Tires, and Brakes | |
| Front | |
| Builder/Size | BST/19 x 3.5 in. |
| Tire/Size | Pirelli Night Dragon/120 x 19 in. |
| Calipers | Beringer Radial |
| Rotors | Brake Tech 320mm |
| Rear | |
| Builder/Size | BST/18 x 4.2 in. |
| Tire/Size | Pirelli Night Dragon/150/70-18 |
| Calipers | Beringer Radial |
| Rotors | RevTech 11.5 |
| Sprocket | RevTech |
| Finish/Paint | |
| Manufacturer | PPG |
| Colors | Kandy Orange/Black/Gold Leaf Panel job |
| Paint/Graphics | Kirk Taylor/Pinstripes by Courtney |
| Plating/Polishing | Meclec/Pilgram |
| Powdercoating | RS Performance Coatings |
| Accessories | |
| Front Fender | Carbon Fiber |
| Rear Fender | H-D |
| Gas Tank | H-D |
| Dash | H-D w/ hydrographics and engine turned inserts |
| Gauges | H-D |
| Handlebars | Todd’s Cycles |
| Grips | Todd’s Cycles |
| Mirrors | Todd’s Cycles |
| Hand Controls | ISR |
| Foot Controls | H-D mid controls/CDS mid-control inspection cover |
| Headlight | Rivera LED |
| Taillight | Custom Dynamics |
| Turn Signals | Rivera (in the headlight) |
| License Mount | Laydown curved |
| Seat | Clancy’s Upholstery/Mustang Pan |
