Joshua DeBenedetto's Garage Build Winner

Article By: Lullabelle Rose

stacy’s mom has got it goin’ on…” and so does this bike for its creator Joshua DeBenedetto it also won Best of Show for the Dennis Kirk Garage Build July thru December 2021 contest. TwentyNine-year-old Josh is the owner/ operator of JD Motorcycle Repair in Greenville, SC. DeBenedetto had his first motorcycle experience younger than most. As a baby, Josh’s dad would strap the toddler to himself so he could take Josh for motorcycle rides! At just age two, Josh was on his first bicycle, then just six years later, he was piloting dirtbikes. For the next ten years, DeBenedetto raced motocross. Motorcycling was in his blood. When Josh retired from racing at 18, he started wrenching on motorcycles and finally got his first street bike, a 1996 Honda Shadow 600.

DeBenedetto also got his first Harley-Davidson when he was eighteen, a 1977 Shovelhead that was a hot mess that he used the Honda Shadow as a downpayment for. It was also the beginning of the motorcycle that you’re looking at right now. When he first got the Shovel, the charging system was so bad that he kept a BatteryTender on the bike so he could plug it in every time he stopped. Man, that’s dedication and an excellent education. Which is precisely what he hoped for when he made the investment. He wanted to

Owner: Joshua DeBenedetto City/State: Travelers Rest, South Carolina Builder: Joshua DeBenedetto Year: 1996 Model: Harley-Davidson Value: Priceless Time: 10 years ENGINE Year: 1996 Model: Evolution Motor Builder: Joshua DeBenedetto Ignition: Points and condenser Displacement: 1340cc Pistons: stock Heads: stock Carb: S&S Super E Cam: stock Air Cleaner: Lowbrow Customs Exhaust: Handmade Primary: Open-belt TRANSMISSION Year: 1979 Make: Harley Davidson Shifting: 4-speed, ratchet top FRAME Year: 2019 Model: Paughco Rigid Straight-leg Rake: 30 Degrees Stretch: Stock length FORKS Builder: Harley Davidson Type: Narrow Glide Front End Triple Trees: 39mm Narrow Glide Extension: WHEELS Front Wheel: Spool Hub Size: 21” Tire: Avon Speedmaster Front Brake: none Rear Wheel: Harley Davidson Size: 16” Tire: Avon MK2 Rear Brake: Harley Davidson Softail PAINT Painter: Charlie Tyre Color: Orange/Gold Type: 70s style Graphics: Lace Pattern & Pinstripes Chroming: none ACCESSORIES Bars: Handmade Z-bars, 10in tall Risers: Offset Dog Bone, 6in tall Hand Controls: none Foot Controls: Jay Brake Gas Tank(s): 2 Gal Peanut tank Oil Tank: Chrome hexagon Front fender: none Rear Fender: Handmade Seat: Biltwell Diamond Stitch Solo Seat Headlight: Drag Specialties 5 3/4 Taillight: LED Speedo: none photographer: Katie DeBenedetto learn how to work on Harley’s. For the next five years, the old girl was his only form of transportation. As Josh’s skills and knowledge grew over the next ten years, the ‘77 went through multiple transformations until it finally arrived in its current state.

Wanting something a little more reliable for a daily rider, Josh put the Shovelhead motor on a temporary sabbatical and dropped in an Evo motor that he scored for just $500 on FB Marketplace. Josh handled the motor work himself, along with the necessary fab work. DeBenedetto says that a good majority of the parts on this current iteration are from the 77 over the years, excluding the front wheel, gas tank, and front end.

Joshua’s biggest challenge throughout this build was time. As a one-man self-employed shop owner, this project took place after hours and when the workload wasn’t quite so heavy.

Josh says he built this bike to ride. And ride it he does, daily. He even put 1300 miles on it in one trip when he rode to and from Daytona Bike week in 2021. Josh knows that this bike will probably see a few more transformations in the future, but it will always be his. He says that “Stacy” has been with him through his darkest times and some of the best times in his life. It also helped pave the way for him to own a successful motorcycle repair shop. Josh just finished his second custom build, a Shovelhead he calls “Split Decision,” which we are looking forward to taking a gander at. He’d like to be sure to thank his wife for being so supportive and letting him realize his dreams and being at the shop for extra long hours while he works on his own project.

NO THERE ISN’T ANY REAL PRIZE, JUST SOMETHING TO DO WHILE YOU’RE IN THE CAN.

1. Missing Stripe On Fuel Tank. 2. Colored Oil Cap. 3. Missing Stripe On Rear Fender. 4. Extra Spring Wraps On Rear Shock. 5. Missing Logo On Carb. 6. Extra Pushrod Tube. 7. Oversized Starter Knob. 8. Missing Logo On Cam Cover. 9. Colored Footpeg Rings. 10. Colored Kicker Pedal. EXTRA CREDIT A. Missing Pipe Mount On Shifter Peg Bottom Of Frame. B. Extra Fins On Front Head. C. Longer