Just like a lot of other people who’ve seen this bike, according to Dave, at first glance I thought it was just another Road King until I noticed the telltale Softail oil tank. I guess we’re just assuming any hard bagger is a rubber-mount model, but this twist is a nice change from the norm. “Everybody thinks it’s a Road King,” said Dave laughing. “I did put bags from a Road King on this though.” The extra 5-degrees of 2009 FLSTC Softail rake over a stock FLHR adds a bit of styling pizzazz especially after being lowered 2” in the extra-chromey H-D fork with the Arnott adjustable air suspension aft putting the low in low rider.
Even though this is a Florida-based, built-in-Illinois custom, to paraphrase a N.W.A. lyric, it looks straight outta Compton and that’s cool by me. Dave’s choice of Carlini’s wicked cool Gangster apes and the skinny ass 90/90×21 Avon whitewall tire covered with a smoothed-over and lowered, de-rivited fender does wonders for a LA lowrider look. “A lot of guys shy away from Carlinis when you say they’re $350 in chrome. They say, ‘$350? I can get some for $80.’ I tell them they’re going to end up with a 1” ape, simple bend, not complex with radius bends and 1.5” tubing,” said Dave. “Carlini’s are beautiful and built well, no question about that.” And lest we not forget, the arching forward apes really, really set the “Don’t screw with me I’m just riding through” tone of this build. Doesn’t hurt that Dave did his “Ghost Bar” thing consisting of hidden wiring and cables. He uses an internal Streamline throttle as he says, “I’ve used ‘em all and I gotta tell ya his throttles are by far the best. It’s not like some internals where you pull it back and it slowly comes back. These snap back better than a dual-cable Harley.” Dave uses an external PM or HHI hydraulic clutch lever setup as he feels it’s the easiest and most reliable to use. “Ape hangers are almost a ‘must’ on everything right now, I did a set of my Ghost Bars on a Road King last year and from there it snowballed,” said Dave.
The rear fender is a Bad Dad wide fender cover with a heavy-duty supporting bracket Dave made for attaching the bags to. There’s a good reason for this as he’s filled these bags with high performance stereo equipment. Yup, that’s where the high performance aspect of this bike comes in. Did you think you had to have a fairing for a stereo? “You wouldn’t believe how many I do, you just wouldn’t believe it,” said Dave. “I do an iPod dash that acts as a receiver so to speak. In the right and left bags are four 6X9 Alpine Type R speakers mounted inside facing the wheel. The right bag has the four-channel Alpine PDX-4.150 amp. It’s awesome. At the front crash bar, those are actually highway lights that I turn around and put 4.5” speakers in. Honest to God, I never would’ve thought of music on a bike. I’m kind of a nerd about this sh*t, but you can fine tune the system so it sounds like a competition car stereo.”
Besides tossing plenty of chrome bling around the bike, Dave finished off the West Coast look with a dazzling paintjob. “I asked Robert how he felt about big flake and he said, ‘like the bass boat flake?’ and then he said to do whatever I wanted. So I had Dave Cross of Hot Rod Haus spray Oriental Blue in heavy flake and Jeff Williams did three different color pinstripes, nothing too complex.” With a matching blue center in the Ride Wright Big Daddy rims, this bike was tight and right. Robert’s so pleased he’s got Dave working on an outrageously painted, supercharged Road King which will hopefully be ready for a feature in our next issue.
Up Close: Carlini Designs
There are a lot of things about the DD Custom’s FLSTC build that make Robert Lopez’s low ridin’ Softail exude its total attitude of cool. But if I had to pick one thing, the outstanding part in this build that makes that statement real, it would have to be the in-your-face style of the Carlini Gangster Apes towering over the build. These fat 1.5” bars look like they were cast from molten metal instead of formed from tubing with their smooth and subtle bends. It should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with high-quality handlebars that these complex-bend apes are only available from Carlini Designs in Santa Ana, California, and are even patent protected to make sure it stays that way.
Tony Carlini Jr. has taken over the reins of Carlini Designs from his late father who started this business some 30 years ago and continues his successful business with a constantly upgraded line of handlebars that would make anybody proud to have on their ride. The pushed forward look apes come in heights ranging from 14” up to 20” and besides the deep chrome finish on this bike, they’re also available in a gloss black powdercoat with a clear coat finish. As Tony says on his website, “Everything is always original, we don’t come up with anything that’s been done before. Everything gets an application for a patent and if it doesn’t receive a patent, we don’t market it.”
Too many times people choose handlebars as an afterthought, not as an initial style point and that’s what kills a build too often. Before you start your build, take a good look at all the ultra-high quality styles of Carlini’s line and I’m sure you’ll find something to build your bike around. Visit www.carlinidesign.com or call 714-432-9000 for info.
Builder: Dave Dupor DD Custom Cycle
Anytime I interview a builder I have to ask the dreaded question of how business is going for them in this little downturn we’re going through and it’s great to occasionally hear that things are going well for some builders like DD Custom’s Dave Dupor who said, “I’m actually busier than I’ve ever been which is great.” I can’t tell you how much I enjoy hearing that and it intrigues me enough to find out why. “A lot of this has to do with hard work and customer service and satisfaction,” said Dave. “Everyone sees the glitz and the glamour, the cars and the bikes, but nothing’s easy I’ll tell you that. People don’t see the long hours and the sacrifice you gotta do to get there.”
It doesn’t hurt that Dave’s been business-smart enough to keep his overhead low and not be afraid to work on just about anything that will pay the bills. “The Harley market’s really blown up this past year. I’ve been swamped with full-blown conversions to fat tire kits, huge stereos, big fenders, and big bags,” said Dave. “I still do about six to eight ground-up builds a year which is more than enough. I think the whole key is you gotta be able to diversify. If you don’t you’re gonna fail.”
Dave’s also found a nice little steady niche doing his Ghost Bar conversions with everything neatly and reliably hidden while the bike stereo market has simply exploded for him. “The minute one guy gets a stereo, they go to a friend’s house who wants to know where he got that. Next thing you know, I’m doing one for him too,” said Dave. As far as the Ghost Bars, it doesn’t hurt that Tony Carlini Jr. himself sends customers Dave’s way. One high standard meets another.
Check out Dave’s work at www.ddcustomcycle.com or call 847-356-8053.
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