Ask yourself, do I have the skills to build it or the money to have it built by someone else? There are plenty of excuses why building a custom would be impossible (usually money), so what do you do? Well, you could continue buying one piece at a time and getting nowhere in particular or you could try and give your Harley a whole new overall look in one fell swoop. Something that involved changing the look, but didn’t involve hacking up the frame or replacing everything that’s there in the first place.

Sean Driscoll of lovely El Paso, Texas, is a typical Harley owner in this same conundrum having purchased a black Heritage Springer new back in 2002 and spending the last four years riding and enjoying it, but wanting more than just the few simple modifications he had made. “I’ve owned a few Harleys in the past eight years and like most people, I kept the modifications to simple bolt-on items like pipes, bars, seats, etc.,” says Sean. “I wanted to take this bike to the next level, no stretching or raking, but some sheet metal work, paint, and unique custom parts.” Deciding that the addition of a fat tire kit was becoming a commonplace modification, Sean decided to go in a different direction with a bobber inspired style. “I always liked the bobber look but never really saw someone bob a Twin Cam,” he says. “Without any good examples out there, I had to visualize how to make it work.”

Being a member of the U.S. Army helped by providing access to their automotive craft shops where Sean began cutting up a 1992 Heritage fender he picked up for a measly $35. Initially the idea was to run the fender inside the swingarm to get a rigid look, but plans for carrying a passenger comfortably put a halt to that. “I decided to bolt the fender directly to the frame struts to achieve the bobbed look instead,” says Sean. “I cut it down to size and cut the arch along the bottom of the fender to properly match the wheel.” The fender-less front wheel didn’t look right now, so he added a White Brothers lowering kit, front and rear, and that did the trick. Powdercoating the rims and hubs black really made the stock 140mm Dunlops look Old School fat. Leaving well enough alone, Sean bolted the stock H-D brakes back on and the chassis was done. Meanwhile, the tank, fender, and Sparta taillight were in for a tribal and flame paintjob courtesy of Mike Russell of Huachuca City, Arizona. “Many bobbers are flat black so I decided to put a modern spin on it,” Sean says. “Mike did a fantastic job for a very reasonable price and had it all back inside of a week.” Installing a set of beach bars and chrome hand controls gave it some attitude and sparkle. A jockey shifter and La Briola Machine foot clutch on a set of Banana Boards are instant nostalgia and commitment. The brown leather Corbin Gentry spring seat furthers the look and augments the sweep of the bobbed fender.

Finally the engine got its piece of the pie. Re-jetting the carb became necessary after the retro-style air cleaner by Johnny Goodson of Insane Custom Cycles fame and a set of Samson Sidewinders found a new home.

“I believe I captured the Old School look while maintaining the reliability of a new machine,” says Sean. “But, like all projects, this one is not finished as I plan to upgrade the engine next, then…”

 

About the Builder: Sean Driscoll

An aviator for the military, Sean spends much of his time in the air in his DHC-7. Stationed here at Ft. Bliss in El Paso, he’s been a lifelong car nut and into bikes for the last ten years. This is his first build. He said he was able to fit a solo seat since his wife Tricia rides her own FXDX. Couldn’t we all be as lucky. While he plans on keeping this bike for a while, he’s already considering his first ground up build, a chopper with a pan or knuckle motor. This bike is often found in the front parking lot of Barnett H-D while Sean is here for the hamburgers and some show time. Rodent takes credit for “discovering” Sean. Rodent was encamped at a local Starbucks when Sean pulled up and parked his bike in front of the coffee shop. Rodent saw from a distance that the bike was interesting so he popped his camera out and went to work. After we saw those early photos, Sean dropped by the store and we photographed it once again. This is one of the best running bobbers around, managing to combine Old School, cut down looks with ultra reliability and reasonable comfort. Builders out there should take notice, a kit built up like this might sell pretty well. Softail owners should all take a look and realize that many of them could do this work out of their houses as well, the only major work would be converting to a springer if your bike didn’t come with one.