Actually, there’s nothing simple about building a big wheel bagger, just ask anyone who’s successfully built one and they’ll tell you it’s a ton of work that never stops. But, keeping a complex build clean and beautifully simple looking is incredibly hard to accomplish. I’m sure Jason would agree with me on that one as prepping a Harley FL frame for a big wheel installation is not for the faint of heart. You gotta strip a bagger to its most basic elements and work up from there and if you haven’t stripped a bagger into a million pieces, well the work goes on forever. Ask Jason.
There are some interesting variations available to rake out the neck for a 30-inch front wheel including a bolt-on neck replacement, but Jason went the tried and true way installing American Suspension’s weld-on short neck rake builder’s kit that includes a beefy set of correct triple trees. The end result is geometry that’s not too different than a stocker believe it or not, but when you watch one in action that’s been built correctly, it looks like it’s not a continuing complication to ride. I’ve ridden enough bad raked-out choppers over the years to really appreciate what American Suspension has been up to with their kits making a big wheel rideable.
Up front, a MAD Wheels 30-inch Twist wheel with a Performance Machine single brake setup sits between Arlen Ness fork legs. Already, you might be noticing a theme here of Jason picking only high quality parts for this build and you are correct sir! Hey, he doesn’t refer to it as The “Absolute” King for nothing and his use of only the best parts helps back his “Absolute” claim. I gotta think that the word absolute is tossed around the shop quite a bit and if it isn’t, it should be ─ absolutely.
You know I was just thinking about when Harley-Davidson first made the 103 Twin Cam first available on a production bike. I still think of it as a “new” TC version, but that thing’s been around for 12 years now on various models. It’s become the workhorse Harley engine these days and with a bit of freeing up the breathing, fueling, and exhaling, it certainly comes alive and is still more than enough mill to power a heavy bagger while being almost boringly reliable as well. On Jason’s bike, he topped off the throttle body with Performance Machine’s modern-look Scallop air cleaner assembly in black that almost disappears into the v-shaped trough between the cylinders. Jason picked a very unusual choice of exhaust with the Akrapovic 2-into-1 black exhaust. Akrapovic is not normally associated with Harleys as much as big time road racing motorcycles and sport bikes, but they’re working their butt off trying to find a place in the Harley world. They’re absolutely beautifully made and finished with a sure guarantee of more power and not just more noise. Although, it does look nicely bellowy with that big ass opening. Nice choice Jason.
Body-wise, Jason stretched the headlight nacelle making it even more nachelly while adding a bit of visual length to the side view of the bike along with the stretched neck. Even more stretching followed with the fuel tank sweeping gracefully up, back and down to the side panels. The TOL Designs dual radius scalloped bags and fender setup fill the back end nicely and interestingly, the scallop design on the bag side mimics the lines of the Akrapovic exhaust almost perfectly. I have no idea whether that was a coincidence or not, but if it was and I was the builder, I’d never admit it, “Oh yeah, that’s exactly how I planned it.” Sometimes things just work out nicely and it did in this case.
As far as the rider goes, he or she gets to park their butt on a Butch Watson/Highrollers Cycle Seats saddle that’s got diamond-quilt seating area and a smooth black leather surround. Butch did another of his fabulous fit and finish jobs with stitching to die for. Jason’s seat is tidy in design with the hot-rod quilting being just enough to make it pleasantly interesting. There’s even a bit of a seating area for a passenger, but I still wouldn’t park my ass on that little thing even if Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara was offering me a ride. Unless my hands are on the bars, there’s no way I’d be on a motorcycle. All you passengers out there, you are my heroes.
From the Butch-built seat it’s a comfortable reach to the Ballistic Cycles Relaxer bars. Somehow the name says it all ─ Relaxer, but there’s a lot more to them as Ballistic has designed and built a mighty nice looking bar that looks like it’s in control. Needless to say, I’m a fan of the look ─ different, but not nutty. PM floorboards and foot controls complete the human interface. Or should I say ‘rider interface’ as 1-Off Creations 6.5-inch speaker lids (with Memphis speakers) for the top of the bags show there’s a human need for music as well as riding motorcycles. Some of us enjoy them separately and some have to have it all at the same time. By the way, I have no idea where the rest of the audio equipment is located, but if I was answering this question on Family Feud, I’d have to guess the bags. Oh yeah, I’m in that music and bike separately group if you haven’t guessed already.
I really do like the grayish/blackish murdered-out look this bike has from 20 feet, but that changes the closer you get. Someone at Hamptons Body Shop in Boone, North Carolina, has got a pretty deft hand with a spray gun and an air brush. The stealthy painter did a bang up job on the stealthy paintjob. The various shades of gray with a hint of silver and bridge-work girder geometric shape panels can look downright black in some views. The graphics are almost a surprise up close and bring just the right amount of visual interest to a dark theme. There’s not a lick of chrome anywhere and I mean anywhere and that’s kinda refreshing for a bagger that’s intended to do its fair share of show duty. Jason trusted his gut on this one and it paid off handsomely.
Absolute Custom Cycles is now on Barnett’s Magazine Online’s radar and we look forward to seeing and featuring more of Jason’s work. Somehow I know he won’t disappoint us.
For more info on Absolute Custom Cycles, visit their website at http://www.absolutecustomcycles.com/ or check ‘em out on Facebook.