Erik’s got a wild imagination that he can turn into reality when the “What if . . .?” part of his brain starts churning up a new build. This bike called Trail Breaker couldn’t be more different, yet shares many background similarities with his neat as a pin Café Sportster bike Barnett’s Magazine Online previously featured. Although they were entirely different Harley models with totally different end results, both are not crazy radically different than stock. Both bikes still show a lot of stock pieces and parts intertwined with modifications that grab your attention for entirely different reasons.

 

  If you haven’t figured it out by now, the dominating feature of Erik’s latest pride and joy are those tires. Those eye-catching, jaw dropping tires that you know you’ve seen before but maybe you’re just not sure where. And, no, they’re not tractor tires, but reproduction Firestone 6.00×16 WWII Jeep military tires. If you’ve ever watched a WWII movie (and I’m sure you have), you’ve seen them carrying The Greatest Generation to victory. I don’t have the slightest idea how or why Erik came up with the idea of using them as the style-point of his build, but I do know that I love seeing them on a motorcycle. Would I want them on mine? No, frankly, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have an appreciation for Erik’s creation.  

 

  Somebody out there has an appreciation too with a lot more commitment than me as Erik’s built two already with hopes for orders for up to four more. He begins preferably with a Harley Fat Boy as the Jeep tires mount right up on the stock solid rims like they were made to. What details are involved in making sure there is enough clearance is either a military secret or maybe Erik figured out how to fit them in the space formerly occupied by 130/90-16 OEM tires. I’m sure the conversion form belt final drive to chain was a necessity. Either way, they do look cool and sometimes looking cool is the most important thing when it comes to building a custom as far as most potential owners are concerned. Yeah, there’s absolutely no way these bias-ply babies enhance any aspect of a Harley except for their stunning looks and that’s okay.

 

   Whether he’s using an Evo powered Fat Boy or a later version, unless the owner wants it hopped up, Erik leaves the engine basically alone other than standard intake and exhaust mods. In this particular case, it’s a set of black Python Performance Venom Radius pipes and a free breathing air filter under the oval Twin Cam housing.

Unless they affect gearing too much from their tall aspect ratio, I’m sure they might just break loose under power pretty easily. To make these work at all on a motorcycle, I’d imagine he’s running about eight-pounds of pressure or maybe less. Probably less.

 

    As I mentioned, there’s a lot of stock stuff still in place and that’s fine as it doesn’t influence the end result in any way. Erik did bolt a DNA springer on with an aftermarket headlamp (featuring a yellow lens like older French cars) and a set of in-house made low, swept-back bars that are kinda racy and kinda cool. No fat bobs for this Fat Boy as he fitted a smaller, slicker tank that suits the purpose perfectly. Out back, he canned the stock massive FLSTF fender for a more appropriately-sized fender mounted directly to the swingarm. The metal solo seat looks spiffy, but I’ll assume those “padding” strips are for the same keeping-you-in-place use as the strips on my shower floor. I guess this fits the theme of a bar hopper according to current trends, but I sure do miss comfortable seats.

 

  Other than the fork springs, fork rockers, and stock oil tank lines, there’s not a lick of chrome anywhere on this basic black Softail. This would definitely be a stealth bike if it weren’t for those tall bastard tires. There’s not a lot to see that’s too different than stock, but, what there is, hits you in straight in the eyes like only a set of tires off a WWII Jeep mounted on a Harley will do. Erik was smart enough to figure out what he had and what he didn’t need to do to make a head turner.

  

 Erik’s wide ranging variety of builds from mild to beyond wild are worth a look-see at House of Thunder USA’s website http://www.houseofthunderusa.com/.