Bobbers
Fred started with a ’75 XLH and let his freak flag fly, throwing everything out but the heart of it, the 1000cc unitized engine and transmission. Then, to house it, he fabricated a wild rigid frame design that not only eliminated any need for the flat iron struts so many Sportys wore in place of shocks back when, but took it a step further by eliminating any semblance of downtubes. The beefy tubing carries the mill in a strong cradle and makes the engine part of the frame. The lack of a downtube only accentuates the mechanical look and size of the old Ironhead and doesn’t detract from the design with “Hey look at me, I ain’t got no downtube!” kind of look. It just looks cool as a motorcycle and is not immediately apparent that something might be “missing.” The moderate 35 degree rake lends an air of normalcy and doesn’t overpower the design with show-only looks. Simple, cut-down XLH forks have a clean 21” tri-spoke Performance Machine wheel unadorned by any type of brake thingie and further adds to the chromed lightness of the front end. In back, a matching but slightly brawnier 16” PM wheel mounts a rationally sized Avon that balances the whole design without falling for any of the current custom clichés like – if it ain’t fat, it ain’t cool. The solo rear brake is the GMA disc setup which is called upon to throw the anchor out when necessary. There probably aren’t a lot of atheists when it comes to owning a bike with a single stopper; well, at least when it comes to panic stopping. A car pulling out in front of you must cause you to renew your faith quickly, too.
One of the big features of an XLH over an XLCH model was its ability to harness the power of electricity for a physical phenomenon known as electric starting. Oh sure, there’s still a kicker hanging there (for looks?), but the XLH easily outsold the lighter, faster XLCH because of this less manly addition. Maybe Old School wasn’t quite as tough-guy as it’s so fondly remembered today. For instance, it seems just about every person alive during the ‘60s claims they went to Woodstock. Yeah, right, I don’t remember seeing you there. And, I bet no one claims to have owned anything less than a ‘CH back then. Numbers don’t lie, but we do.
Anyway, back to the star of the show, the 1000cc Ironhead was totally rebuilt with reliability in mind, but has a few upgrades to provide a bit more zip. A factory fresh Mikuni with a Dub velocity stack replaced the stock Bendix carb and the mixture is fired by a modern ignition from WW Cycle. What’s an Ironhead without a pair of drag pipes? Dub fabbed a stylish pair and broke for lunch. 1975 was the first year of the mandated right brake/ left shifter and, in an ode to days gone by, Fred made a jockey shifter with intricate linkage through the cylinders’ vee that connects to the gearbox spline on the right side. Conveniently mounting the clutch lever right on the shifter makes things a single limb affair. Mid–mounted pegs are exceptionally simple and necessary as there’s not a lot to hang forward mounts on and they’d only clutter up the “nothing area” at the front of the engine. The narrow, slight rise bars are a simple exercise in bent tubing with grips as only the throttle remains and, surprisingly, is not an internal cable unit for a tubing-only look. Dub whipped up a nicely padded, black leather sprung saddle to keep trips to the chiropractor to a minimum.
Fred really outdid himself on what appears at first glance to be simple bodywork. The outline of a Sportster tank rakishly tilted down appears simple until you notice the top tubes run and are a part of the traditional looking tank. The oil tank is smoothly molded into the frame and appears to be just a pretty panel instead of a necessary evil. Furthering this one-piece body and frame unit is the rear fender jutting out from the frame. No bolt-on stuff here. Tying everything together is a paint job by Norbert Millotte that gives me flashbacks just like the doctor warned. The bright base coat of the frame/bodywork also includes the engine block itself. Where the frame/body/engine begins and ends is anybody’s guess. Multi-hued, metallic ribbon candy graphics by Norbert counter-balance the plain base and disguise the top tubes blowing into the front of the tank and then continue over the fender. It’s a busy paint job that doesn’t look busy. Dub’s old Ironhead has given us a flashback to the future.
Builder: Frederic Duban
DUB Performance
Some of the wildest, wackiest motorcycles come from a country that does not jump immediately to mind when you think of custom bikes. Hint: it’s the land famous for its unconditional love of the humor of Jerry Lewis. If you guessed France, you would be correct, Sir! Surfing the Internet brings up some of the weirdest stuff you’ll ever see, both good and bad. If you happened to run across Dub Performance, the English translated version might not be the easiest to read, but the variety of customs pictured are a universal V-twin language anyone can understand.
Coming from a background of customizing personal bikes and working in some of the biggest European shops gave Fred Duban the experience and confidence to start his own business, Dub Performance, in 2003 dedicated to making the imagination of Fred become a reality. His body of work has no set style and includes everything from a Von Dutch interpretation to a Buell café racer to a plethora of Big Twin styles, he’s still not afraid to mix it up by doing a bevy of Ducati customs. Fred seems to have no idea of what he’s “supposed” to do, but does have strong feelings of what he wants to do and follows his gut feelings about what a motorcycle can be. It all started with one of his favorite and possibly most sentimental bikes, the Black Slug, which not only started The Slug Empire, but won first place in the first show he entered. That should make anybody think that maybe they’re on the right track and Fred continued with his success winning over a dozen major European shows with a Slugfest of bikes to come. Right now he’s building a new shop, to replace the small one where he’s built some of Europe’s most imaginative customs, and it should be open soon. Check out bikes and parts at www.dub-performance.com.
This bike feature originally appeared in Barnett’s Magazine issue #51, October 2006.
| SPECIFICATIONS | |
|---|---|
| Owner: | Fred Duban (Dub) |
| Year / Make: | 1975 XLH /build 2005 |
| Fabrication: | Dub Derformance |
| Assembly: | Dub |
| Build time: | 300 hrs |
| Engine: | 1975 Harley-Davidson 1000 XLH |
| Cases: | stock |
| Rods: | stock |
| Pistons: | stock |
| Cylinders: | stock |
| Heads: | stock |
| Cam: | stock |
| Ignition: | WW Cycle |
| Carb: | Mikuni |
| Pipes: | Dub |
| Air Cleaner: | Dub |
| Transmission: | stock |
| Primary: | stock |
| Frame: | Dub |
| Rake: | 34″ |
| Forks: | XLH |
| Front Wheel: | PM |
| Rear Wheel: | PM |
| Front Tire: | Avon |
| Rear Tire: | Avon |
| Front Brakes: | no brake |
| Rear Brakes: | GMA |
| Fuel Tank: | Dub |
| Oil Tank: | Dub |
| Fenders: | Dub |
| Handlebars: | Dub |
| Risers: | Dub |
| Headlight: | WW Cycle |
| Foot Controls: | Dub |
| Electrical: | Dub |
| Chroming: | Geiller |
| Paint: | Norbert Millotte |
| Graphics: | Norbert Millotte |
| Polishing: | Dub |
| Molding: | Steph |
| Seat: | Dub |
| For Sale? | How much? No, it’s my bike ! |