Phantom motorcycles are a rare breed and the most viable ones I’ve seen have been built around Sportsters with an XR750 flat track racer look, the Storz Performance XR1200 and Mert Lawwill’s Street Tracker fill that bill pretty well. Bill Baumgardner of Renton, Washington, had a totally different take on a Harley-based phantom bike using a 2004 Night Train as his jumping-off point. He’s created a ride that looks phantom factory correct, but still retains its own special tough-ass look. Willie G. should be taking a hard look at this bike ‘cause if ever there was to be a big brother for the hugely successful Nightster, this is it. “It’s strange, I get more questions about my Black Bike than my more radical Jackass bike (Barnett’s cover bike issue #54). Everybody wants to know what “model” it is,” says Bill. “It’s the bike Harley-Davidson should have built.” Hey Bill, it’s the bike H-D still could, as there are no radical platform changes needed to make this one-off into a bike you could finance for the next seven years.

Making an idea in your head become a reality helps if you’ve got friends in the business, and Bill counted the late legendary Northwest builder and former owner of Downtown Harley-Davidson in Seattle, Russell Tom, as a good friend. “I wanted to build something from the ground up, but Russell said, ‘No, start with a stock Harley,’ ” says Bill. After further discussion, Bill knew what he wanted and admitted he got his inspiration from Tom’s famous Hogzilla bike. “I liked the big headlight and the big, wide front end. I kinda swiped that from him,” says Bill. ‘I told him in 2003 exactly what I wanted to do, then I got really sick. I couldn’t do anything for eight or nine months and he thought I lost interest in it. Finally I called him up and told him I was ready and he said to come on down and get started.” Bill chose an FXSTB for the softail frame and the 32-degree rake, but most of all for the blacked-out engine. After uncrating the bike, Bill just turned it around and rolled it back into the shop to begin the modifications without ever taking it home. “The next day it was on the bench with the jugs off and Russell’s general manager, Brian Mitchell, and I were pulling parts off the shelves and ordering up what was needed,” says Bill.

The cylinders were off as the TC 88B was going to 95” with nice little items like Screamin’ Eagle heads, an SE .257 cam, and a 42mm Mikuni flatslide carb to liven things up a bit. “I didn’t want to stroke the thing, I didn’t think it needed it,” says Bill. Russell’s brother Rick built the motor and Bill says, “He’s a heck of a mechanic and similar motors he’s built dyno around 95hp with 100ft-lbs of torque. I believe it as I’m on my second or third rear tire in 5,000 miles.” The un-baffled SuperTrapp X pipes add the only shiny bits to the bike and when asked how they sound, Bill says dryly, “They’re kinda raspy like the old glasspacks. My neighbors love me.” After a bit of power-induced clutch slipping was noticed, they installed an SE spring. “It’s working a lot better, just with a heavier clutch pull,” says Bill.

An inverted front end was always in the plan and Storz Performance was called upon to supply the beefy 55mm Ceriani-built front end. “I like the symmetry and squareness, there’s no taper to ‘em,” says Bill. “On the road, they’re real nice.” They also accept dual H-D calipers and that was one of Bill’s requirements when he had Downtown build him a set of 18” wheels with Buchanan spokes laced to a Road King front hub and Excel rims to replace the stock mags. After throwing on a set of his favorite Avon AM23 tires, Bill says,” I like the fact I’ve got more meat with the 130 on the front and the 180 rear tire gives great handling.” An Arlen Ness lowering kit out back made Bill raise the forks in the trees to level things off.

Bodywork consists of a dead stock fuel and oil tank along with a set of West Coast Choppers fenders. The Diablo front hugs the tire nicely while the Tombstone rear was split and widened with hidden mounts. “We copied a set of bolt-on struts and made cutouts in the sides of the fender and just molded them right into it and drilled holes to mount them like the originals. It looks completely factory,” says Bill. Russ Foy painted them to match the stock paint. A Fatboy headlight was installed and after being powdercoated Kenworth black like the rims, hubs, H-D foot and hand controls, cool Ness flattrack bars, tag light, and triple clamps, Bill had his phantom Harley.

All that’s left is for H-D to do is come up with a hip name like Night Tail or Night Bob and start the assembly lines rolling.