Modified Stockers
Take a guy like Brad Krueger and his customized Evo-powered bike for instance. It’s one of those typical stories of young man discovers motorcycles, young man discovers wrenching and customizing motorcycles, young man gets married and has children, young man puts away and parks anything to do with motorcycles until he’s able to comfortably refer to himself as an old guy, and, finally, old guy gets back into every aspect of motorcycles both feet first and never looks back. Now I’m not specifically calling Brad an old guy, it’s just that the last of his kids are off to college and he had the time and money to finally get back to his motorcycling roots, back when he was just a lad and his waist size was a larger number than his age. Damn, I must be really old as I can’t remember when that was.
It all started five years ago when Brad ran into a kid at his job selling a 1998 Evo-engined Softail at a price he couldn’t refuse (kid was probably getting married and had to give up bike for future family, what goes around comes around I guess). Brad must have done his best John Belushi googly-eyebrows imitation to get his “conservative” wife Denise to go along with this boyish venture (Actually, after he told me his wife was somewhat conservative, he also informed me that, oh by the way, she’s got her own 1200 Sporty that she rides now, so she can’t be that conservative, Brad.) and he ended up back at his shop to begin putting the Softail through one of its many variations like the pro street-style drag bike with fat bobs, long fenders front and rear, and drag bars that preceded this one.
“I was up at Sturgis two years ago and saw a couple of bikes there that got my attention. I liked the way they were doing ‘em real clean, the fragile look, not a lot of bulk to them. As bare bones as possible,” said Brad. “When I got back from Sturgis, I made up my mind and thought, ‘That’s what I‘m gonna do.’“
Back in his shop in the Wisconsin Dells area, Brad spent the long winter working on this latest version. Stripping the bike down to only the engine and tranny sitting in the frame, Brad started his Old School custom by ditching the five-gallon fat bobs for a ’92 Sporty tank he picked up. “I cut all the crap off the frame for the old fat bobs and drilled holes through the frames. I put bushings in the holes and welded them up so that it added to the structural integrity of the bike,” said Brad. “Then I could just mount the Sporty tank with those rubber-mounted tabs. I didn’t have to modify the tank at all.” After finding a scalloped fender at a junkyard, he joined it to another and shortened it substantially to look good with the Old School-correct solo LePera sprung seat he picked out.
Correct stance was by dropping the back 2” and putting 1” longer (now that’s real Old School) fork tubes up front. A “remember when it was wide” 130/90×16 Dunlop-covered wire-spoked wheel sits out back diametrically matched by a skinny 80/90×21 tire up front just the way it’s supposed to. Stock H-D brakes with chromed calipers do what they have to. A tiny headlight and a proper set of apes with chromed H-D controls finish off the front end. Paint? Is there any other choice besides flat black? “If I can find the right guy, maybe red and white pinstriping,” said Brad.
Engine-wise, how do you beat 1340cc H-D Blockhead breathing through an S&S teardrop air cleaner and exhaling through a set of Paughco fishtails? Well. according to Brad you don’t. “ It’s original, it’s been absolutely great, knock on wood,” he said. “I still love the old bike. It just feels so good when I’m riding it. It’s an ego trip and those fishtails make a whole other sound.”
Up Close: Paughco Fishtail Pipes
Personally, the first place I’d think of checking out if I was building anything with an Old School scheme would have to be company you all know, Paughco Inc. These guys have been making a huge list of custom and obsolete parts for Harley-Davidsons since the ‘50s with no signs of quitting. Their parts catalog keeps getting larger every year with new and new-old versions of parts.
Take the upswept fishtails on Brad Krueger’s bike for instance. Is there any style of pipe that better encapsulates the term Old School than these outrageously ancient style pipes? You’ll never hear great performance claims or why they’re better than some other pipes, it’s just they are Old School and that’s it. Like springer-only freaks, someone who’s stuck on fishtails can’t be swayed no matter what your argument might be. It’s the look they have to have. “Those fishtails make a whole different sound, more of a blat than a rumble, and that’s because there’s such a significant pipe length difference between the front and rear cylinders,” said Brad. “ You get a definite distinction in the tone of the two and it gives it a real nice sound.”
In the latest catalog, Paughco lists 12 distinctly different fishtail styles ranging in diameter from 1 7/8” mufflers to a pretty fat fishtail of 3”. Lengths vary from a short 18” to a twice as long 36” and there’s a bunch of different combos of to choose from. If you’ve got a modern touring bike you want to retro-ize? Paughco’s got a set of fishtails for you. A minimalist bobber in need of some shorties? Paughco’s got a set for you, too.
Visit www.paughco.com or call 800-423-2621.
This bike feature originally appeared in Barnett’s Magazine issue #66, December 2008.
| SPECIFICATIONS | |
|---|---|
| Owner: | Brad Krueger |
| Fabrication: | Brad Krueger |
| Assembly: | Brad Krueger |
| Build time: | 1-year |
| Engine: | 1340cc 1998 H-D Evolution |
| Cases: | Stock H-D |
| Flywheels: | Stock H-D |
| Rods: | Stock H-D |
| Pistons: | Stock H-D |
| Cylinders: | V-Twin |
| Heads: | Stock H-D |
| Cam: | Stock H-D |
| Ignition: | Drag Specialties/Blue Streak coil |
| Carb: | Harley CV |
| Pipes: | Paughco |
| Air Cleaner: | S&S Teardrop |
| Transmission: | 5-speed Harley |
| Primary/Clutch: | Stock H-D |
| Frame rake/stretch: | 35-degrees/none |
| Forks: | Harley |
| Rear Suspension: | 2″ lowered |
| Front Wheel: | 21″ H-D wire spoked |
| Rear Wheel: | 16″ H-D wire spoked |
| Front Tire: | 80-90H-21 Dunlop |
| Rear Tire: | 130-90-HB-16 Dunlop |
| Brakes: | H-D/chrome calipers |
| Fuel Tank: | 1992 Sportster |
| Oil Tank: | Chrome wraparound |
| Fender: | Brad Krueger |
| Handlebars: | Flanders 12″ apes |
| Risers: | 3″ Glide-style |
| Headlight: | Bates-style |
| Taillight: | Iron Cross/ Brad Krueger |
| Hand Controls: | Chrome H-D |
| Grips: | H-D |
| Foot Controls: | Harley |
| Electrical: | Brad Krueger |
| Painter: | Brad Krueger |
| Color: | Black |
| Polishing: | Brad Krueger |
| Seat: | LePera |
| Special thanks to: | Denise, Mike, Wolf and company. |