Aztec Gold – A 2006 Harley-Davidson Street Glide
Styles of paint rotate on a cyclical basis. One day front-to-back flames on a shiny gloss black base is all the rage and duplicated on every custom bike. The next, painted skulls ranging from ghosted to in-your-face images of all shapes and sizes seem to be the flavor of the day. As the custom race to outshine and outdo each other heats up, the more the styles become played out and lose their overall “cool” factor. It seems today that the classic lines developed in the late ’60s and ’70s have been making ground to the forefront of the custom crowd.
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It seems today that the classic lines developed in the late ’60s and ’70s have been making ground to the forefront of the custom crowd.
Tape fades, and lace, flake, and patterns are no longer exclusive to the low and slow crowd but have transcended from old-school choppers to the mainstream on everything from FXRs, choppers, and big-wheel baggers. Heck, even big H-D offers a lace-pattern paint job on some of its CVO models.
Jose Zendejas is definitely not a Johnny-come-lately when it comes to the lowrider look. Jose has been rollin’ slow and counting spokes since he was a kid. “I’ve always been into lowriders,” Jose says. “That’s my passion. And I’ve always been into bikes. I’m just a motorhead. I love cars, bikes, everything. About five or six years ago I picked up a Softail Springer and had been riding that. I met Marcos from Inland Empire Baggers and loved his style, so about a year ago I started looking for a new bike. I found an old police bike and took it straight to Marco’s shop. I took it to Marcos because I like the style of bikes he builds. I wanted that lowrider-style look. I thought he could definitely take me where I needed to be.”
There are a few certain unspoken rules when it comes to fittin’ in with the Southern California crews and their bikes. Probably the first and hardest for people to understand is that whitewall tires are mandatory
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whitewall tires are mandatory
to keep the forefathers from rolling over in their graves. “I didn’t go with the 30 because I wanted to go with a whitewall on it,” Jose explains. “That’s why I kept as a 26. You gotta run the whitewalls.”
Before the rise of modern suspensions, many methods used to lower cars and bikes mainly resulted in a poor ride and performance. Great strides have been made over just the past few years, including a front and rear air ride from Tricky Air. “I love the front end,” Jose says. “I love the rear suspension. It’s working out really nice. I really dig it.”
What definitely stands out the most of this Street Glide has to be the paint. Love it or hate it, there’s no way to ignore it. “My buddy Sal Manzano painted all my lowriders,” Jose tells. “He’s known for his old-school patterns. I wanted the Aztec gold colors
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I wanted the Aztec gold colors
, and I let him go to town on it. He got pretty wild on it.”
But today all show and no go doesn’t cut it. A bike has to function as good as it looks or there’s just no point. “I ride it quite a bit,” Jose says. “I surprised a lot of people. I love my Softail Springer, but I’m loving the feeling of a fairing up front.”
With a mix of modern conveniences, reliability, and comfort combined with the traditional look and style, Jose’s Street Glide is a gateway between yesterday and tomorrow. None of this would be possible without help from his wife, Deanna; daughters, Katelyn and Chelsea for their support; Sal Manzano for the paint; Miguel Martinez Jr.; and Marcos Mendieta from IE Baggers.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Owner | Jose Zendejas |
| Shop | Marcos, Inland Empire Baggers |
| Shop Phone | (909) 647-3195 |
| Website | iebaggers.com |
| Year/Make/Model | 2006/H-D/Street Glide |
| Fabrication | IE Baggers |
| Build Time | 8 months |
| Engine | |
| Year/Type/Size | 2006/H-D/96ci |
| Cases | H-D |
| Cylinders | H-D |
| Heads | H-D |
| Rocker Boxes | H-D |
| Cams | Crane |
| Throttle Body | H-D |
| Air Cleaner | Screamin’ Eagle |
| EFI Controller | Power Commander 5 |
| Exhaust | V&H |
| Transmission | |
| Year/Type | 2006/H-D |
| Gears | 6 |
| Clutch | H-D |
| Primary Drive | BDL Open Drive |
| Frame | |
| Year/Type | 2006/H-D |
| Rake/Stretch | 44º total rake |
| Suspension | |
| Front end | Tricky Air Ride |
| Triple Trees | Tricky Air Ride |
| Swingarm | H-D |
| Rear Shocks | Tricky Air Ride |
| Wheels, Tires, and Brakes | |
| Front | |
| Builder/Size | Ride Wright/26 in. |
| Tire/Size | Vee Rubber/26 in. |
| Calipers | HHI 6-piston |
| Rotors | HHI |
| Rear | |
| Builder/Size | Ride Wright/18 in. |
| Tire/Size | Vee Rubber/18 in. |
| Caliper | HHI |
| Rotor | HHI |
| Pulley | HHI |
| Finish/Paint | |
| Colors | Aztec Gold Metal Flake with Different Candy Colors |
| Paint/Graphics | Sal Manzano, Gaels Customs in Tjuas, Mexico |
| Plating/Polishing | Azteca Polishing, Escondido, CA |
| Accessories | |
| Front Fender | IE Baggers |
| Rear Fender | IE Baggers |
| Gas Tank | Dirty Bird |
| Dash | Dirty Bird |
| Gauges | Nu Image |
| Handlebars | IE Baggers 16-in. custom |
| Foot Controls | Screamin’ Eagle |
| Floorboards | IE Baggers |
| Seat | IE Baggers |
| Stereo | Alpine by IE Baggers |
| Amplifier | Alpine 600-watt |
| Speakers | Alpine four 6 x 9s and two 6.25-in. |
