Baggers
So the story about this bike is really about Old Skool’s total rear bodywork conversion that sure takes it out of the commonplace extended-stock-bag-look featured on most custom baggers. “We didn’t do anything ingenious, we just said, ‘Why can’t the fender extend outside the rear shock towers so we can add bags and get the same amount of storage, but have a custom look without seeing all the mechanicals like the shocks, the sprockets, and the belt,’ ” said Henry.
Along with the look, there are actually a bunch of built-in advantages that can save you time and dough, such as eliminating the need to purchase and install a hip fat rear tire. The 17”-wide rear fender, which actually covers the shocks too, butts up against the bags and makes the rear tire disappear from sight. You could have a pink rear wheel covered in Barbies and no one could see it. “Yeah, you really can’t see the back wheel and guys say to me, ‘Wow, I only have to buy one wheel instead of a set’ and they save about two grand there as well. I actually like the ride of a stock-size tire, it’s more comfortable and turns easier,” said Henry. “Some folks, though, have gone up to a 250. If you can get a swingarm that will fit without widening the shock-mount points, you can put as wide a tire on there if you want.”
That comment about the shock-mount points is pretty important as Henry explains how the kit installs. “We tried to design it so it’s easy, simple, and you don’t have to modify your bike. The bag guards that come on a Road King mount underneath the seat so when you take the seat off, you’ve got threaded bolt holes on the frame rails and that’s where we mount our kit to. The kit rests on the frame rails and the height is just so that the exhaust can be fished through the exhaust ports. The hardest part is taking off your stock parts, the seat, bags, guards, and fender. The kit then bolts right on and plugs into your existing wiring harness. If you ever want to go back to stock, you can do it without any huge headaches.”
As far as the practicality of the bags, Henry said, “It’s narrower than a stock bag, but quite deep. The problem with most of the extended bags is that it’s a small fascia piece you basically glue onto the bottom of your stock bags so you don’t get any extra storage. We like to tout that when you open our bags, it’s from top to bottom. What you see on the outside, you get on the inside.” And, even opening the lids makes their designed-in-coolness even cooler with a nod to an exotic Italian. “Lamborghini scissor doors inspired that in addition to not wanting any type of hinge system that would impede the beauty lines, the lines on each side of the bag and fender that runs flows smoothly down the back.” When I mentioned that all that was missing here was power lids, Henry laughed and said, “I’m putting power lids on the bike now. It’s just a simple 12” actuator that we hide in the bag.” Now there’s a bit of drama as Henry pulls up to park, hits the air ride system and drops the bike, and powers the Lamborghini-style lids up. Tell me that’s not an attention grabber.
One question remains as to whether this is a reliable conversion and Henry said, “It’s my daily rider and I ride the hell out of that thing. We don’t trailer it to any shows. It rides well and handles wonderfully. I’ve never had any heat problems with the exhaust as we use a low-profile, high-temperature polyurethane resin, quarter-inch-thick mat, and with the filler/primer we use to finish it, we’ve had no heat issues.”
So is this a budget bike? All I can say is, “Ladies and gentlemen of the budget-bike jury, I rest my case. It’s up to you to decide.”
Up close: Old Skool Cycle Werks Kits
The Phatillac kit is not Old Skool Cycle Werks first attempt at making custom rear end conversion for Harley’s touring models as OSCW’s Henry T. Chriss said, “Our first Phatback did not have bags, it was more of an old cruiser conversion that got its styling cues from a 1949 0r 1955 Cadillac.” The huge rear fender still was the style-point on which it was based, but the fender/bodywork swooped around and over the exhaust pipes leading to a classic lead sled look to me. OSCW’s most recent design is the Phatillac whose addition of bags added real practicality along with the style of the originals.
For those of you wondering if this conversion makes your bike appreciably wider, Henry said, “The overall width is the same as a stock Road King Classic with leather bags, but it’s actually quite a bit larger inside than a stock bag. For aggressive riders, we do have the same product, same look, except the bags are about 3” shorter for more cornering clearance.”
Quality and reliability is important to Henry who said, “I insist on hand-layup because you have more control over the weight. The part that rests on the frame is laid up heavier to make it strong. The vertical parts don’t have to be as heavy, just structurally sound so you don’t get a lot of waves of flex. We use concealed hinges and flush-mounted pressure latches made by Southco, they’re very durable and actually made for a marine environment.”
Old Skool still makes the original Phatback along with the Phatillac for direct bolt-on for Harley’s 1995-2007 touring frames and Henry’s in the process of making conversions to accommodate the larger 6-gallon gas tanks of ’08-and-up and the revised ’09-and-up FL frame changes.
More info at www.oldskoolcyclewerks.com or call 813-789-1717.
Builder: Henry T. Chriss
All right budget boys, you’re probably wondering who is this Henry T. Chriss guy and is it a safe bet to blow your budget on a product made by somebody whose background you’re not familiar with? Well, I think you can rest a bit easier after he explains where he got his product know-how. “I design and build all of our products. I was actually a vice-president of the oldest yacht manufacturer in the United States and have been around fiberglass for years. And, when you know the materials, you can eliminate all the things people are concerned about. For instance, you don’t use a woven mat for your first layer because it’s gonna print through no matter what you do to it. You have to use the right amount of resin and roll all the bubbles out. I don’t use gel coat because I want to pull out a raw fiberglass part and see any type of pinhole that is on there and fix that. If you gel coat it, it hides a lot of air bubbles underneath and when someone paints it, you’ve got gas underneath it and it gets pinholes and pops. We don’t want somebody to say, ‘Hey your paint is crap because I’ve got all those pinholes and pops on the paint.’ ”
By the way, that gel coat gets replaced by Evercoat’s Slick Sand polyester filler-primer that offers excellent adhesion to the raw glass. “Painters love our kits because the surface area is smooth and have very few breaks in them. They just look at it as a canvas where they can create something spectacular,” said Henry. “For paint we recommend PPG or House of Kolor. It lays out a lot better, the adhesion is wonderful, and we’ve never had any problems.”
For more info on all the OSCW product line, visit www.oldskoolcyclewerks.com.
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