Modified Stockers
Darque vowed to right an unnatural wrong and remake this red beastie, despite her horrible disfigurement. After some 36-months of ordering parts, making parts fit, returning parts that did not work or fit with other custom parts, or couldn’t be stomped or hammered into submission, and changing builders three times, the Softail was a work of rolling art, a boy’s dream come true. She had hardly poked her sexy billet front wheel out of the shop when a loon ran her over, sending Darque into the hospital and back to the drawing board.
Some bike parts survived. The wretched idea wormed into Darque’s obsessed brain like a child’s nightmare—reanimate her. Sometimes you can’t ignore those voices in your head. The Softail, though, really couldn’t be saved as much as Darque’s team of mad mechanics tried. She was a wreck. However, most everything that would fit on the ’94 would fit on anything Evo up to ’99. Remember that year because it’s about that time Harley decided to revolutionize its slow-but-sure improvement philosophy of changing every single little thing in an attempt to render the aftermarket obsolete.
Darque had a couple of crates of barely used if somewhat scuffed parts and nowhere to hang them. Then he got his hands on a 1999 Softail Standard; Evo that is, pre-Twin Cam, post-Softail Custom. Oh, yeah, he was back in the mechanical monster making business.
Darque explained the first project suffered from abnormally long delays, a result of too many pieces from far too many people, and a succession of builders of questionable ability and commitment to the wicked cause. Darque thought he could build a new breed of uber-bike, but failed miserably. It became a living, breathing monstrosity of mismatched bits that kind of rejected itself. Over-hyped and ill-fitting donor parts were transplanted next to stock parts, which were grafted onto aftermarket stuff that actually did what it was advertised to do. But three years of ripping his hair out ended in a crashed heap.
The resurrection focused on a more sensible and scientific plan. Rather than gathering all the shiny, go-fast, and stop-quick parts he could get his mitts on, he selectively chose what to change, and found the right hands to do the work. In other words, use proven parts and have them installed by someone who really knows what the hell they’re doing.
There was no point in doing his homework, finding what actually works best, and then handing over the whole kit and caboodle to a less than dedicated and skilled builder. “This was more crucial to the finished product than any big-buck box of parts I could throw at the bike,” he said. “You absolutely cannot be lazy about this. Call around to Better Business Bureaus, get referrals, and check references because if you don’t, you’ll only have yourself to blame for a maddening, and absurdly expensive mess of a bike.” The search landed Prescott Valley Motorcycles of Prescott Valley, Arizona.
“While the first project was a hodgepodge, I wanted the ’99 to be a far more efficient project. The work was too unwieldy with the ‘94. We kind of made it up as we went along. I got bad advice, bad parts, and a lot of custom stuff that didn’t work or fit with other custom stuff. For the ’99, I had a real plan. Everybody needs a plan,” Darque said.
Some diehards say it’s not custom if the frame isn’t painted, or the engine’s not polished. That’s crap. It’s custom if the parts, craftsmanship, and color scheme comes together in a concerted effort to stick a giant stupid grin permanently on your puss. Other signs include always walking away backwards from your bike after dismount, and most importantly, how much you ride the damn thing.
Darque has done it again, sculpting a bike that is not only stunning, but is a monster runner. His cautionary tale will hopefully save others from getting too caught up in the project, beating the blind addiction to chrome and all those parts that promise to make you faster, stronger, sexier. Bike building cannot be an emotional decision, well, maybe a little. But a solid, practical plan and a builder who can implement it, is needed.
Up Close: Painter Extraordinaire Andy Anderson
There were so many things that stood out on Darque’s Frankenstein, work that involved careful planning and extraordinary craftsmanship, it was difficult for him to look at any one thing for an Up Close focus. There was one thing that popped, however—the draw-dropping paintjob by Andy Anderson. “It was exactly what I wanted. It’s beautiful, durable, and it’s a real head turner; the chicks dig it,” said Darque.
Professionally painting since 1968, Andy Anderson, 55, launched Anderson Studio, Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1976, specializing in motorcycle work. Prior to ‘76, the company was involved in the van art craze, as well as painting country and rock group tour buses, with Jimmy Buffet a client back in 1971. The shop has also done graphic art and album cover work for such notables as Charlie Daniels and Neil Young, among others. Recently, the company has added the design and screen-printing of apparel on a promotional and retail level.
Anderson also builds custom bikes on a limited basis. His work has appeared on the cover of motorcycle magazines and books nationwide. A rather congenial and down-to-earth person, Anderson welcomes questions from readers and other professionals.
House of Kolor is Anderson’s preferred material. He also recommends DuPont, PPG, Sherwin-Williams, R-M Paint, Valspar, 3M (for polishing materials), and Meguiar’s (sandpapers and polishing materials). These are all reputable companies with excellent products and support, according to Anderson. Not all are into the custom paint segment, however. Call local body shops to inquire where they buy their product. Look under Automotive Supplies, Paint and Body Shop for distributors.
For more information on Anderson Studio, give them a call at 615-255-4807 or visit their web site at www.andersonstudioinc.com.
Builder: Jerry Wohlrabe Prescott Valley Motorcycles
Jerry Wohlrabe is owner of the 13,000 square-foot Prescott Valley Motorcycles, based in Prescott Valley, Arizona. Dorian Darque did his homework and found that the shop had a reputation for fair dealing, good work, attention to detail, and respect for the customer. He said staff always treated customers with courtesy and patience, no matter how much or little they knew about their machine. The sales staff was helpful and knowledgeable. While this should be standard for any shop, it is all too often not the case.
Prescott Valley Motorcycles is an authorized Lehman Trike and Victory dealership and a full-service shop, providing parts, accessories, apparel, and service for Victory and Harleys. General repairs, maintenance, and performance work are available. The shop also sells used Harleys and Victory, Suzuki, Honda and H-D trikes and trike kits.
“We have factory trained Harley, Victory, Big Dog, APC, and Indian mechanics on staff. We offer OEM parts and fluids. We provide anything from an oil change or tire replacement to a complete engine overhaul,” said Wohlrabe.
Darque had gone through several other builders, pulling his bike each time due to slow, unprofessional, or sloppy work. Wohlrabe proved to be a solid choice. He ensured that everything came together without any major glitches, using healthy doses of ingenuity here and there, and getting work done in a fraction of the time previous builders did.
No matter what the price, your parts are only as good as your builder. Wohlrabe was equally important. He stood flatly by his word and worked with Darque when it came to exchanging parts that didn’t fit the project for parts that did. Trust me, these are rare qualities.
For more information, contact Prescott Valley Motorcycles at 928-772-4266 or visit their web site at www.pvmotorcycles.com.
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