While I continue to dream, drool, and wish for a Street Glide, riders like Raymond Thrift just log onto the Internet, search the motorcycle websites, make a click with a mouse and “Whammo,” buys himself a fully customized FLHXI from a Harley-Davidson dealer 650 miles away. “I personally visited all the local Harley dealerships within a 100-mile radius of my Washington, D.C. home because I wanted to see, touch, and feel the bike before buying it. Since I was unable to find the type of used custom bike I wanted, I turned to the Internet and found my dream machine on Cycle Trader’s website,” said Raymond. Like many online buyers, Raymond was a bit concerned about his purchase since all he had to go on was photos and info posted on the website.
The bike was in the Atlanta, Georgia, area and Raymond quickly made arrangements to pick it up. After finally arriving at the dealership and seeing the bike in person, he immediately felt more comfortable about his purchase, but there was still more to the bike than what met the naked eye.
The Internet advertisement stated only the year, make, type of motorcycle, and a few photos of the bike showing off its custom paint, which was what grabbed Raymond’s attention initially. There was not much detailed information about the engine or any other special parts of the motorcycle, but a closer look and some background research on the bike with the bike’s original owner, Lyndon D. Robertson, revealed that the engine had been thoroughly reworked. The original cam was replaced with a Head Quarters TC-575 model, HQ reworked the heads and cylinders, 10.5:1 CP pistons were added, a Doherty PowerPACC billet air cleaner, and a Rinehart True Dual exhaust system. The end result was a 103” engine with 105hp and 116 lb-ft of torque that easily does wheelies and reaches the 120 MPH very quickly. Raymond knew his bike was very fast, but did not know why until the previous owner provided the engine build-up details.
Lyndon moved to Atlanta from California several years ago. He wanted a custom paintjob done on his bike, but didn’t know any good paint shops in the area. A little research dished up a recommended paint shop less than an hour away in Lawrenceville called Pauleez Custom Cycle Repair. Lyndon wanted a Screamin’ Eagle-style paint scheme to match the powerful Screamin’ Eagle-style hot-rodded motor, but not in the actual Screamin’ Eagle colors. The bike was dropped off with the paint scheme instructions, but Lyndon left it up to Pauleez’ owner, Paul Stevens Jr., to determine what the final colors were to be. The black, silver, and gold results are what you see on these pages. Lyndon couldn’t get enough bling for his Glide and added a ton of chrome parts and also had many parts chromed, such as the inner primary, the brake calipers, and handlebar controls. In fact, so many items were chromed and so many chromed parts were added, the bike’s called Chrome Baby.
Many of us know that online shopping can be a positive experience and also know that sometimes it can be a real pain in the-you-know-what (ass). For Raymond Thrift his online purchase was a very pleasant experience and continues to be a thrill to ride. He enjoys fishing and motorcycling, but since he got the Street Glide, it’s hard for him to find time for fishing.
Up Close: Fat Baggers, Inc.
Custom motorcycles are forever changing and that’s what keeps this industry interesting. This month it’s bobbers; next month the style is dressers, and the month after that the ape-hanger, long front-end choppers could make a comeback. As styles change, so do the specifications of each machine. These changes range from engine sizes to longer or shorter wheelbases and wider or slimmer tire sizes. Each change can create a domino effect on the other parts. For example, this Street Glide came with a 16” front tire and a fat front fender. Running a 21” front tire on dressers is the hot current trend and gives the bike a slimmer and higher front-end appearance. After the stock 16” was changed to a 21” wheel, Lyndon needed a new fender to accommodate the taller and skinnier tire. He opted for a Fat Baggers, Inc. one-piece stamped Wrap front fender
These custom made, high-quality fenders can be purchased primed, painted to match any original Harley-Davidson color scheme, or the buyer can arrange for their own custom paint. An adapter kit consisting of chrome or black spacers that fills the space of the original large fender is sold as a separate item. “The wrap style front fenders are very popular, so we keep plenty of them in stock and we usually ship the same day of the order,” said Kent Reed, Sales and Marketing manager for FBI.
Gary Chipp and his family founded Fat Baggers, Inc. in 1973, and specialize in providing an array of custom accessories for Harley-Davidson’s touring models. For more information on FBI Wrap fenders and any of their other accessories, log onto www.fatbaggers.com or call 877-324-2453 for info.
Builders: Lyndon D. Robinson, Head Quarters (HQ), and Pauleez Custom Cycle Repair
This custom Street Glide was built and customized by several different companies/shops/individuals, and each of them deserves recognition. So, first, we can say that Harley-Davidson Motor Company built this fine machine.
Second, the original owner, Lyndon D. Robinson, bought this bike new and developed the scheme on how he wanted it customized. Lyndon imagined his bike with lots of chrome and a special paint scheme, but he wanted a bike that was not just all eye appeal. He wanted a powerful engine too. I like to say that he is the designer.
Head Quarters (HQ) is the company responsible for all engine work on this Street Glide. HQ started back in 1969 and has two locations, one at Port Huron, Michigan, for USA customers, and one at Sombra, Ontario, which services Canadian and European customers. The company specializes in motorcycle engine builds and engine parts and accessories. For more information on Head Quarters, log on to www.head-quarters.com
The paintjob on this custom Street Glide was done by Pauleez Custom Cycle Repair. The shop is located in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and consists of a 7,200 square-foot building. Inside this state-of-art structure, you’ll find two spray-paint booths, and a paint mixer that allows owner Paul Stevens Jr. and crew to mix and match any colors to the desires of their customers. They specialize in repairs and custom painting for motorcycles of all makes and models and have a shop mantra of “over 25,000 motorcycles saved and counting.” For more information on Pauleez Custom Cycle Repair, log on to www.pauleez.com
Most customs are built or customized by one shop/builder, but this Street Glide is an exception. Each of the afore mentioned companies or individuals played an important role in the process. Kind of reminds me of how most new autos are produced today: outsourcing.
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