Gabe’s interest in motorcycles goes back a long way. “It comes from my father, Raul. As a kid in the late ‘70s, I remember sitting on my dad’s Yamaha 650 and pretending I was riding his bike. I also remember putting on a retro orange glittered helmet with a Cracker Jack sailor boy and his dog sticker and going for rides with my dad,” said Gabe. “As an adult my dad, my brother David, and my younger sister Rachel all had motorcycles so I knew I had to purchase my own. I bought a 1975 Harley-Davidson Ironhead Sportster from family. The Sporty belong to my uncle Adrian Rosales Jr. who had passed away. I still have the Sporty which is now more of a show bike, but that is a story for another time.”

Getting back to the Deluxe, Gabe said, “My inspiration on how to customize my Deluxe comes from California-style motorcycles referred to as “Viclas.” This style of motorcycles is heavily influenced by the Chicano culture and the lowrider community of California. My ideas came from simply searching the Internet and looking at motorcycle magazines that my brother brought back to El Paso after a trip to visit his grandson, Izzy, in California. When I was looking to purchase a new motorcycle, my choice for the Deluxe was a no brainer. The Deluxe’s Old School white-wall tires, spoked rims, and classic-looking fenders was the perfect bike for my Vicla.”

After purchasing the bike at Barnett’s, Gabe got to work making changes. “I added a few eye- appealing accessories that really make this bike stand out. I purchased Wild 1 Chubby 16″ apes along with the steel braided lines and Samson’s 39″ True Duals Cholo Longtails exhaust. The stock grips were changed to H-D retro-style grips and chrome housings, switches, and master cylinder were installed. H-D hooded bezels and classic-looking mirrors were also added to my bike. With the exception of the apes and exhaust, all other accessories that have been added are Harley-Davidson brand accessories,” said Gabe. “All parts and accessories were ordered through Barnett Harley-Davidson. The friendly staff of both the parts and the service departments was top notch. The service I received from the parts department is always a positive experience. Special thanks go to Tony and Adrian from the parts department for always providing me with first class service.”

Now that Gabe’s got his personal ride customized to his liking, in true Harley tradition he’s still not through yet. “There are a few more accessories that I eventually want to add to my bike, including an air suspension that will allow me to lower and adjust the bike’s ride as I please,” he said. “So far I have only used this bike for local riding around town. The stock suspension gives the bike an excellent and comfortable ride. This is the most comfortable riding bike I have owned so far.”

Like I said, a nice bike is a nice bike and Gabe’s Deluxe is a nice bike.