Like most H-D owners, he changed a few things here and there until he decided to up the ante on the TC 88 and that’s when things changed quickly. “I had just popped a 95” big-bore kit in it and had to run 50 miles at 50 mph. I was riding up to meet my father Pat and brother Justin at the Harley shop and ride down to the beach with them. I said, ‘Ah screw it, I’ll just ride it and break it in’ so I could ride with these guys and when they take off, I won’t be stuck in the back breaking it in,” said Todd. “Normally I don’t ride alone, I think there’s strength in numbers, but I just wanted to get the miles in. I went through an intersection and somebody pulled out in front of me. I ended up with five plates in my face and no tear ducts in my right eye and a totaled bike. They took off and nobody ever found them. I’ll never forget seeing a yellow Oldsmobile, but that’s all I remember. I had an angel on my shoulder that I made out the way I did. It could have been a hell of a lot worse.”

Yeah the bike was totaled by the insurance company, but since the frame and the motor were good, Todd wanted to buy it back. “There were some differences of opinion at my house, my wife Jodi was like, ‘That’s it, we got a two-year-old son and we don’t need to be riding those things.’ We got to talking and she was like, ‘You weren’t being an idiot or drunk or racing or running from the fuzz, it just happened. So, if you feel like doing it again, I’m cool with it. But, I’m not going to ride with you,’ ” said Todd. “Once I got it to the house, I had to get it done. I had to ride again.”

Todd’s a fan of the Sucker Punch Sally, Indian Larry look and said, “I knew what I wanted and when I put the tank and fender on there, it just worked out. I get more compliments on the color, I just wanted something a bit different and I just like that gold” A big thing to him was changing to a jockey shift and not just for the look. “It keeps me in tune to what’s going on, it kinda slows you down a bit. You don’t really see guys ripping ass on a jockey shifter,” said Todd. “And I’ve always loved the jockey shift look. When I look at this bike now, I’m like, ‘Man, it turned out really cool. It’s exactly what I wanted so it’s a keeper.”

Todd Pascarella has no intention of becoming a big time builder or even a little one. “You gotta understand, I’m just a surfer kid down here at the beach. I just ride these things. I could tell you it’s a V-twin, but I don’t know what the hell it is,” he said laughing. No, he’s not a perpetually stoned surfer like Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, but a sales manager of a Toyota dealership and that’s a job Jeff couldn’t handle. He is a hot shit, though, and enjoys himself thoroughly whether it’s with his family or his riding buddies. In his off-hours, he lives his own skating, surfing, and bike lifestyle that’s become not only a personal statement, but turned into a hip apparel company he started with his dad and brother, Behind Bars Lifestyle Apparel.

So what is Behind Bars all about then? “It was really my brother Justin’s idea. When we saw Jesse James on TV, we kinda got a feel where it was cool to ride in Doc Martens or Vans and flannel shirts. We just thought that was kinda how it was going, not your typical black leather with a big Bar & Shield or an eagle, so we’ve been kinda running with it,” said Todd. “We have a real good local following because everybody we ride with here supports us. We’ve got a couple of surf and skate shops in town that carry it. I’ve talked to all the Limpnickie guys and we’ve gone to the Limpnickie Lots and kinda got a feel for them. They liked our stuff and thought it was pretty cool.”

Todd explained the name and how it connects to motorcycling, “Our motto is, ‘Behind Bars― Once you’re committed, you never get out.’ You know, once you get behind a set of handlebars, you have to ride.”

Visit www.shopbehindbars.com for more info.

 

SPECIFICATIONS
t Owner: Todd Pascarella Year/Make: 2006 Harley Springer Softail Fabrication/Assembly: Todd and Friends Build time: 3 months after accident Engines: 95″ Twin Cam H-D Cases: Stock H-D Rods/Piston/Cylinder: H-D Heads: H-D Cam: SE 211 Ignition: H-D Carb: Mikuni 45 Pipes: LA Choppers Air Cleaner: Velocity Stack Transmission: 5-speed H-D Primary/Clutch: H-D Frame: 2006 FXSTS Rake/Stretch: Stock Forks: DNA Fork length: -2″ Rear Suspension: H-D Rear Shocks: Slammed Front Wheels: DNA 60-spoke Rear wheel: Stock H-D Brakes: Stock FXSTS		Fuel Tank: eBay mini Z Oil Tank: Stock Fenders: Forgot Handlebars: eBay mini Z Hand Controls: H-D Grips: Joker Foot Controls: Stock extended Pegs: Stock Headlight: H-D Taillight: Repro Painter: Ken Fisher/ Carolina Scratch Color: Pagan Gold Powdercoating: Live Wire Electrical: H-D Seat: Todd Pascarella Special thanks to: My father Pat, my brother Justin, Ken Fisher Richard Smith, AD Pearson, and last but not the least, my wife Jodi and my son Lucca.