This saga started in 2002 back when the new Harley of your dreams was not so easy to come by. Sometimes you had to wait many a month to find what you were looking for. Jeff had wanted to upgrade from his Sportster and had his heart set on a Fat Boy. On one of his frequent lunch hour stops at Carolina Coast Harley-Davidson he saw a red Fat Boy that had just come in. Finding out that it had yet to be claimed, he ran to his car for his checkbook. Adrenaline pumping, he ran back in and put a $500 deposit on the bike he had been dreaming of.

The plot thickens. The Fat Boy was completely stock and, of course, that just wouldn’t do. When you have a picture in your mind of what you want to see yourself riding, you have to make it happen. While a lot of people at the time were obsessed with Long Shot exhausts and apes, Jeff wanted something different. His first change came in the form of Vance & Hines’ Big Radius 2-into-2 exhaust system. At that time, the Big Radius had just started to become popular and presently seems to be overshadowing the Long Shot look with good reason. They look good and sound great. As many of you know if you change over to pipes of this style you pretty much have to make additional changes so the bike performs correctly. Jeff went with the Stage 1 set up, tweaking the 88” engine up to 95”, installing Screamin’ Eagle SE-211 cams, and high-compression pistons. This gave him a respectable 83hp with 94lb-ft of torque. Not gonna scare a Ninja, but it’s a 34% horsepower increase with an additional 22% more torque over stock.

The secret weapon on this rebuild has got to be the paint. After seeing a picture of a ‘32 Ford coupe in a magazine with a turquoise-scallop matte paintjob, he knew right then and there that was the direction he wanted to go. Not so much the turquoise color, but a red scallop matte that would give the bike an Old School look. He proceeded to buy all new primed metal including a Heritage fender to replace the Fat Boy fender and gave it to a couple of great local painters: Eddie Dove shooting the paint with help from Ronnie Wright supervising the scallop to make it happen. All that was left to complete the look were wheels from Black Bike Wheels of Northridge, California, that complimented the paint and who produced a set of wheels that look great at a reasonable price. 

Those wheels were just begging for a set of 16” Dunlop white walls and together they give the bike the complete Old School hot rod look, You have to set your butt on something when you ride and Jeff went with a LePera Bare Bones seat that flows perfectly with the Fat Boy frame and even though there is not much to it, Jeff said it’s a remarkably comfortable seat. Adding some Old School grips on the stock Fat Boy bars and pulling them down just a bit gave the handlebars a modified beach bar look. This bad boy was ready to roll.

I guess you could say that Jeff and I have a common bond as we both get a paycheck indirectly from the same company. His comes from a dealership, mine from this fine magazine. The common bond here is The Motor Company. If there were no Motor Company there would be no Barnett Harley-Davidson or Carolina Coast Harley-Davidson. If there were no Barnett Harley-Davidson, there would be no Barnett’s Magazine and if there were no Barnett’s Magazine where the hell would I be able to write moronic articles with very few facts and even fewer truths? Fox News?

Up Close: Vance & Hines Big Radius Exhaust

Vance & Hines has been one of the most popular aftermarket exhausts for years and saying that Harley-Davidson motorcycles have been their bread and butter is a no-brainer.

Pictured here is their Big Radius 2-into-2 exhaust featuring 2.5” full-coverage heat shields with a flowing, aggressive design that looks great on many Harley-Davidson models as well as other popular cruisers. In recent years these exhausts seem to have taken over V & H’s Long Shots in popularity and why not? They look great, sound great, and seem to be a perfect fit for Softails, dressers, Dynas, and Big Dogs.

The heat shields are a must for us short-legged riders who always seem to get much too close and personal with this particular style of pipes. Can you say melted rain gear? Vance & Hines puts high-quality, blue-proof chrome plating on all their exhausts (I have never read or heard of any complaints in that particular department) and have the Vance & Hines’ logo on every exhaust they make. For the hot rod look, Big Radius Black Line pipes are available for most applications and have black ceramic-coated heat shields with a signature chrome badge and end treatment.

How do they sound you ask? Simply put, pleasantly quiet at idle and freakin’ loud as hell when you twist the throttle. Can I get a “Hell Yeah”? Ok, so you may lose a little torque at low end, but you more that make up for it once you hit third gear.
I know I’m preaching to the choir of satisfied Vance & Hines’ customers, but for those who are interested in joining, get more info on Vance & Hines’ extensive line of products at www.vanceandhines.com or call 562-921-7461.

Builder: Jeff Granato

When this issue comes out Jeff Granato is gonna be one happy camper. Why? Because Jeff, who resides in Wilmington, North Carolina, and is the sales manager for Carolina Coast Harley-Davidson, is so going to have some major bragging rights. His co-workers have informed me that he will be impossible to work with once he becomes a celebrity in Barnett’s Magazine. I wonder if I can talk him into getting an “I was in Barnett’s” tattoo?

Jeff is originally from Cortland, New York, and started riding motorcycles at the tender age of twelve. You know, the usual; dirt bikes, motocross, hill climbs, etc. He rode them all, Honda Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Triumph…spoiled little bastard! Just kidding Jeff.

When I was twelve I was still pedaling my ass around. I didn’t even have a whole bike, just the pedals. I would run around the neighborhood pumping the pedals in my hands making believe it was a whole bike. I think the neighbors were scared of me. It was pitiful. Nice going Jeff, bringing back those horrible memories.

Did I mention that he was the sales manager at Carolina Coast Harley-Davidson? Yup, been there for five years ever since the owner, Rick Noyes, asked Jeff (who at the time was selling cars at a Rick Hendrick dealership) if he would like to sell Harleys. Jeff told me, “It took me about a minus-two-seconds to decide.” Hello Harley, goodbye Chevy.

He loves working for the dealership and is proud to be associated with The Motor Company and hopes to put in another ten years, if they’ll have him. Lord knows we need to hold on to the dedicated, knowledgeable people at our dealerships who walk the walk, talk the talk, and live the lifestyle. Contact Jeff at www.carolinacoasthd.com.

SPECIFICATIONS
Year/Make: 2002 H-D Fat Boy FLSTFI Fabrication/Assembly: H-D Engine: H-D 95″ TC B Cases/Rods/Pistons: H-D Cylinders/Heads: H-D Cam: SE-211 Ignition: H-D Carb: H-D EFI Pipes: Vance & Hines Big Radius Air Cleaner: H-D Transmission: H-D 5 speed Primary: H-D Clutch: H-D Frame: 2002 H-D Softail Forks: H-D Rear Shocks: H-D Rear Suspension: H-D		Wheels: Black Bike Wheels Tires: 16″ Dunlop Brakes: H-D Fuel Tank: H-D Oil Tank: H-D Fenders: H-D Handlebars/Risers: H-D Headlight: H-D Taillight: H-D Hand Controls: H-D Grips: V-TWIN MFG Vintage Foot Controls/Pegs: H-D Electrical: H-D Chroming: H-D Painter: Eddie Dove/Carolina Coast Collision Graphics: Erik Motz Seat: LePera Bare Bones