Jeff Z's 1987 FXRS

jeff Z is counted among the group of men that drive our industry forward with technology, innovation, and killer builds like the FXR you see on these pages. The challenge of coming up with new ways to skin old cats is what gets Jeff out of the office chair and into

the laboratory to create machines that look and perform as well as his bikes do. As you will see, this FXR has technology that no company has attempted to bring to market successfully before. This technology was built and tested as a challenge to Jeff’s ingenuity and will soon be available in the aftermarket for your build at home too.

For starters, this bike may not have even happened if not for the prodding of friends; Jason Mook (of Deadwood Custom Cycles), Paul Yaffe (Paul Yaffe Originals), Curtis Hofmann (Hofmann Designs), Brian Klock (Klock Werks), and Nick Trask (Trask Performance) all deciding that they should push each other to build “their” version of an FXR to be ridden to Arizona Bike Week.

For the build and final assembly, Jeff and his pal Mike Allerton worked tirelessly to make the Arizona Bike Week deadline, which was only weeks after the spring Daytona event. Jeff has never put a bike together without making a solid attempt to integrate some new innovation into it. This FXR is no exception. While the devil might be in the details, some of the new technology introduced on this FXR are things like Lectric Lighting’s new 7” LED headlamp with integrated turn signals and NAMZ new proprietary twist-grip throttle (available soon) and plugand-play (non-canbus) wiring housing for late model Twin

Cam engines. NAMZ partnered with the legendary Thundermax manufacturer, Thunderheart, in Tennessee to develop an entire engine control system that will allow the ability to run newer and more technologically advanced engine control systems on any chassis!

The bike started life as a nondescript basic 1987 FXRS. In six months, it went from that basic bike status to the detailed performance and technological wonder it is today. At the heart of the driveline is a 2009 Twin Cam pulled from a running Harley bagger. While, overall, the bike may lack subtlety, it is far from over the top. The black ceramic-coated Thunderheader looks and sounds like only a Thunderheader can. The orange powder coat on the engine draws your attention to the driveline and perfectly accentuates the matching orange wheels and orange in the flames. The paint features a Vivid Black base coat with proper old-school flames and was painstakingly laid down by Kenny Mondello. Parts were sent out to Meclec for chroming, while

the polished aluminum parts were brought to new life by GH Marketing. The bars are from Drag Specialties, and the risers are Accutronix. The stock triple trees were modified to fit 49mm suspension and a front fender from a 2018 Sport Bob. The hand controls are from BDL, while the foot controls are modified

mid controls from Performance Machine. Michelin rubber wraps the stock 19/16 mag wheels brought to a halt with factory late model HD/ Brembo brake calipers.

The engine was given the Zippers treatment from stem to stern and displaces 107 cubic inches. The final assembly was handled by

Owner: Jeff Zielinski/NAMZ City/State: Oreland PA Builder: Jeff Zielinski, Mike Allerton Year: 1987 Model: FRS Value: Time: 6-months ENGINE Year: 2009 Model: Twin Cam Builder: HD/Zippers/Mike Allerton Ignition: NAMZ/Thundermax EFI Displacement: 107” Pistons: Zippers Heads: Zippers Carb: Stock HD Throttle Control Actuator Cam: Red Shift/Zippers Air Cleaner: Ness/HD Evo NOS Exhaust: Ceramic-coated Thunderheader Primary: Polished HD TRANSMISSION Year: Make: HD 6-speed Shifting: PM/NAMZ modified FRAME Year: 1987 Model: FXRS Rake: Stock Stretch: Stock Forks Year: 2018 Builder: H-D / NAMZ modified Type: 49mm Triple Trees: Stock/Modified Extension: N/A WHEELS Front Wheel: 87 FXR 9-spoke Size: 19” Tire: 100-90-19 Michelin Front Brake: HD Brembo Rear Wheel: 1987 FXR 9-spoke Size: 16” 9-spoke Tire: MU-85-B16 Michelin Rear Brake: 2021 Road Glide/Brembo PAINT Painter: Kenny Mondello Color: Vivid Black Graphics: Old school flames Chroming: Meclec polishing: GH Marketing ACCESSORIES Bars: Drag Specialties Risers: Accutronix Hand Controls: BDL Foot Controls: PM/HD/NAMZ Gas Tank(s): 1987 FXRS/NAMZ modified Oil Tank: Front fender: 2018 Sport Bob/NAMZ Rear Fender: 1987 FXRS Seat: Custom LePera Flip-kick Headlight: Lectric Lighting Co Tail light: Lectric Lighting Co Speedo: Dakota Digital Photographer: Missi shoemaker Mike Allerton. A Thundermax auto-tuner with wide-band O2 sensors makes easy work of tuning any engine combination you can throw at it. While the 107 has yet to hit the dyno, Jeff was impressed with the overall performance. A stock Harley Davidson Cruisedrive 6-speed handles the gear changes, and a stock primary transfers the engine power to the gearbox.

Jeff rides on a LePera seat while monitoring the engine RPM and motorcycle speed with a Dakota Digital speedometer. The FXR frame retains the factory geometry (if something works flawlessly, why change it?), and Jeff made the modifications (like adding a fuel injection pump, regulator, etc.) himself. Of course, all of the lighting is from Letric Lighting, and all wiring supplies are from NAMZ.

This bike does a perfect job of paying homage to what a proper FXR should be while integrating the type of suspension and engine management technology available today. This only leaves one question: what the hell does NAMZ stand for? Well, I guess, you’ll have to ask the Z-Man himself the next time you are at a rally!

since my last writing I have ridden across Turkey, along the entire coast line of the Black Sea, and made my way into Georgia for a few days in Batumi before eventually making my way east across the country to Tbilisi. It is here where a decision has to be made about what my next move will be. As many of you know, the original goal of this trip was to circumnavigate the globe; that is exactly what I intend to do. Before diving into that, however, I’d like to share a little about my experience here in eastern Georgia.

Through this globally connected and tight motorcycle community, I got put in touch with a gentleman named

Patrick Mans, who is the owner and operator of

Onward Motorcycle Tours. After exchanging multiple messages back and forth, he was generous enough to offer me a place to stay and a 3-day tour so that he could show me some of the best of this often forgotten country. To say that my eyes were opened would be a colossal understatement, and to say that I was taken out of my element would also be an understatement. On the first day, Paddy (Patrick) sent us straight out to the desert near the Azerbaijan border into a landscape that I otherwise would not have even known existed in Georgia. There were huge expanses of green rolling hills broken only by twotrack roads heading far off into the

distance. Cattle farmers and sheep herders were the only signs of civilization. This was a landscape I would have only pictured in a place like Mongolia, certainly not here, where I had only imagined the Caucasus Mountains. I saw caves turned into Churches perched high on the hillsides, ancient castles, and catacombs filled with human

remains just off the side of the road. Old towers marked the entrances to a new territory, with no fences and no Private Property or No Trespassing signs. Americans often refer to parts of the United States as the Wild West. Well, as much as that might be true in some ways, the desert of Georgia truly is. All of these structures and caves and castles are just there. There are no gates or entry fees, no one telling you where you can and can’t go, no signs, no guard rails, and no rules. You just simply find them and go wander around. I love that. For three days, we wandered around, traversing southern Georgia before pointing ourselves north and heading to the Caucuses Mountains. This is the part of Georgia I had always pictured: Towering snow capped peaks, narrow and twisty dirt roads, incredible views, and rivers flowing through deep canyons. We saw

sheepherders with their dogs sitting high on the hillsides watching over their flocks. I am no stranger to large mountain ranges. I do live in Colorado, after all, just on the doorstep of the Rocky Mountains. But the Caucuses have a magic of their own and for all the same reasons as the desert did. There was little to no traffic, again no fences or signs, just nature and the few people brave enough to call this rugged landscape home. I keep bringing up this topic of no fences and no signs for a reason, and I have in the past and in previous articles. I do that because we often don’t realize how limited our movements are until we find ourselves in a place with a little freedom to roam. In most western societies, we are corralled through life, placed on the path, and guided through life with signs doing the navigating. That doesn’t leave a lot of room for satisfying the innate curiosity we all have inside us. In fact, I don’t think we realize just how much we are stifled until those barriers are

gone.

So what is the next move for me?

Well, it’s a big one. It is a move that some may not agree with and one that many will. It is a decision I have made based on my belief that people are inherently good and that the need to separate politics from the average person is critical to unifying this world in a way that we desperately need. I will not give specifics about my next move until it is underway for a number of reasons, but primarily because, in the next few days, the decision about whether or not it will happen will be made for me. But, what I want to impress upon you is that when we dissect anyone, from anywhere in the world, regardless of language spoken, how we were raised, belief systems we hold, or the color of our skin, we all have a unique desire to help others and be part of something bigger than ourselves. It is these traits that keep travelers safe in all environments and cultures. It is the challenges that I am about to embark upon that provide proof that I set out seven months ago with a goal in mind, and throughout this journey, the dynamics of the world we live in have changed dramatically. These changes have not only created hurdles to overcome but also provided an opportunity for me to learn more about myself. They have taught me how to better navigate change both on the micro and macro scale. They have shown me my own personal

limits and made me question just how far I am willing to push myself. Most importantly, however, these changes have taught me to look outside myself and into the eyes of the person standing across from me.

It should also be noted that I am not going into this with only blind faith. My realistic side wouldn’t allow that, which is also something I’ve learned over the years. Have faith but do some research as well. A massive amount of reading, networking, and communicating with others has taken place. A web of support has been developed, and a route has been plotted. In a matter of days, I will load I will be headed north from Tbilisi and crossing the Russian border. From there, I will traverse the 6,200 miles across the Russian landscape, Siberia, and on to Vladivostok, where I will ultimately return to either Mexico or the United States. The bike is ready, I am ready, and by the time you read this, I will be deep in the heart of one of the most remote places on earth. Stay tuned for updates in the next issue and possibly an update on Cycle Source’s very own Shop Talk. For day to day, updates are sure to follow me on Instagram @travelingchopper

my motorcycle and begin the final leg of my journey, pass those borders and signs I so much despise, and look into the eyes of those across from me. The adventure will continue against all odds, and it will be one for the books. Whether or not you agree with my decision, I ask that you trust that I have explored all possibilities,

options, and ideas and have chosen do to what I am about to do based on my research and faith in humanity. So, what am I doing? Tomorrow morning