Kevin Albritton of Jockeys Cycle Inc. in Morrisville, North Carolina, is a relative newcomer to the professional side of this business being up and running as a full-time shop over the past few years, but you’d never know it by this build. There’s a level of sophistication to this custom turnaround of a stock Harley-Davidson model that belies somebody relatively new to this business. Just a quick glance at this 2000 Harley Heritage Softail that has a bad boy, kick-ass performance feel to it makes me want to hop on and see what all the fuss (that I created) is about. At least that would be my lame excurse to get Kevin to let me take it for a street blast.

 

   Time for a bit of Harley history as Kevin’s donor bike was the first year of the Softail getting the Twin Cam B counterbalanced engine and it seems like builders have shied away from the B model motor for reasons unknown to me. Could it be too smooth? Got me ─ as a sweet and smooth running motor has always been at the top of my priorities when I’m laying a stack of cash down for a new ride. Let’s just say I’ve learned the hard way and leave it at that. So, yes I am a fan of this engine as well as a Softail lover and Kevin’s choice of buildable material is right up my alley.

 

   The look he apparently was going for was more than just a stripped down stocker, but a hot rod Softail with just a hint of street tracker thrown in for good measure. That’s why the OEM laced wheels were replaced with mag wheels courtesy of Roland Sands Design. Compared to the stock 16-inchers front and rear wearing pudgy touring-style tires, the RSD Boss wheels bring in the verticality and a hint of hot rod aggression at the same time. Kinda looks like a Heritage that spent some serious time in the gym and not only lost some chunkiness, but toned up as well. The all-black wheels look purposefully serious and I’m glad Kevin resisted using the trendy contrast cut finish as this bike is not about bling as we know it. Stock brakes still do what they did and look just fine in this application blending in without the need for aftermarket units.

 

   By the looks of it, the FLSTC Twin Cam looks pretty stock other than intake and exhaust mods and that’s okay. Stripping down a Heritage surely brings in a chunk of weight loss and the less you have to move is like getting free horsepower. Kevin’s street scrambler/XR 750-style exhaust system surely brings on some more useful power and a lovely sound as well as adding even more to the aggressive attitude even at rest. I also like that he kept the engine finish simple and clean without resorting to chrome or highly-polished engine pieces. There’s a laid-back look to the engine overall that quietly speaks performance without having to resorting to jumping in your face bling for attention.

 

   The stock chassis is lowered about as low as you can go without the necessity of going to an air suspension. Same goes for the Heritage forks which have been cleaned up of all excess goo like fender tabs, reflectors, and more until they look like they could be custom units and not cleaned-up MotorCo equipment. Making the old clear-coated stain-finish aluminum all black is one of the simplest ways to taking them out of stocksville and on to bad boy bobberville. Same goes for the big chrome dome original headlight that’s now replaced with a more appropriate tiny one in black that just blends in with the whole dark vibe Kevin’s got going on. Compare this front end with the original and it doesn’t even seem like this was anything but what it is now. It looks right.

 

     

    Using stock bodywork was never part of the plan and we can thank Kevin for that. The tank he fabbed up has a smaller profile that definitely adds a whole new kick to the Heritage look. It may not have the range of the original, but it’s aggressively right for this street hot rod with a bunch of frame tubing showing where it never did before. A little more choppery and that’s a good thing. Both Heritage fenders hit the recycling bin with only the rear being replaced with one Kevin whipped up to fit. The shortened look flows nicely to the back without looking overly bobbed in any way. Form follows function and it looks like it should. He did keep the perfectly good Softail horseshoe oil tank, but dialed it back a bit like the engine with a bit of surface dulling done by hand. It’s still there, just not so chromey.

 

    There’s not a lot of bodywork that needed paint, but what’s there is done amazingly well. Frankly, there’s a lot going on there with all the frips and fraps of multi-dimensions and faux finishes, but it’s far from too much airbrushing on a relatively small canvas. You tell me, are those real rivets or airbrushed replicas of the real thing that look more real than the real thing? Crazy Air Customz in Kinston, North Carolina, was responsible for the beautiful black with gold flake base and 3D graphics paintwork and I think what nameless person shot this deserves a pat on the back. Kevin’s raised block letter company logo on the tanks flanks deserves some special attention too as it stands out proudly while not trying to take center stage. This is just one of those schemes that all came together correctly for a first-class look that’s more than the sum of its parts.

 

   Actually, that’s exactly how I feel about this whole Jockeys Cycle build. Take a stock Heritage Softail, strip it down and then ramp it up with a completely different look that belies its Softail touring bike nature for hot rod performance. All in all, this was a totally successful transformation of a classically bulky look stocker for a trimmed-down custom that screams “Take me out and flog me please!” I don’t know about you, but I’m totally onboard with that.

 

   For more info on Jockeys Cycle Inc. visit http://www.jockeyscustomcycle.com/ or check ‘em out on Facebook.