I ordered the bike new in July 2005 and received it September 2005, it was a bone-stock Cobalt Blue and White Pearl Softail Deluxe. I thought I liked the color until I picked it up and they rolled it out into the sun and then I wasn’t really feeling it any more. I rode it for a few months until the weather got a little too nasty to ride and decided to change the White Pearl to Harley-Davidson Black Pearl. Over the next few years I added many new parts and accessories. I started out with beach bars then 12-1/2inch apes, then switched to16-inch apes. I added the saddlebags with a Cycle Visions Bagger Tail Kit as well as a bunch of other things. I liked the way the bike looked but never loved it, the bags were too short and it only looked good when the Hi-Lo Air Ride I installed was all the way down, and of course you can’t ride like that.
To help boost his audio output, Doug incorporated two tweeters into the custom top clamp cover. He controls it all with the wireless module mounted in the handmade dash.
To help boost his audio output, Doug incorporated two tweeters into the custom top clamp c
As everyone knows, the past few years our economy has really sucked. Business was really slow at the audio shop I was working at and I was barely able to make ends meet. I ended up quitting that shop and decided to rent some space from my friends at R&R Auto Repair and do my own thing. With more than 25 years experience with car audio fabrication, I figured I could expand my skills and work on systems for Harleys, hot rods, and boats. I did a few bikes for some friends, then during down time I worked on my own bike and thought of all the crazy things I wanted to do to it. I wanted that look, you know, where no matter which angle you view the bike from, it just looks good. So that’s how it all started, and eight months month later this is the result!
To go along with the stretched saddlebag he made, Doug incorporated flush-mounted Cadillac taillights. You can see how he tapered the center of the bottom of the bags to fit the lights without making the bags extra long.
To go along with the stretched saddlebag he made, Doug incorporated flush-mounted Cadillac
I completely stripped the bike down and started from scratch. I didn’t like the look of the stock fender with the 21x2.15-inch, 100-spoke Black Bike rim I had, so I cut a 2-inch section out of the middle, then TIG welded it back together, which eliminated the ugly gaps between the tire and the fender. I also added 2 inches to the rear of the fender. Next I took some 1/2-inch solid round stock steel, drilled a 5/16-inch hole through the middle, and cut out four 1-inch pieces and TIG-welded them to the fender mounting tabs. In my opinion it just looked much cleaner than fender spacers or some aftermarket fender mounts.
I stretched the stock gas tank 6 inches and made a custom dash for the speedo and Alpine Marine audio controller. For the electrics, I made a stainless steel switch housing for the air ride and mounted it to the left PM switch housing on the 1-1/4inch beach bars.
The rear fender started as two separate rear fenders I purchased off eBayI guess you can call my bike the eBay bike since about 90 percent of the stuff I purchased for this build came off of eBay. I cut 2 inches of the tail section off the main fender then took the second fender and cut out an 8-inch section of the tail, this piece was then welded to the main fender to give the overall fender a longer look. I also built a steel frame for the license plate and frenched it into the fender. Now the fender flows smooth with the new bags!