jody perewitz's 1993 fxr convertible

f there was such a thing as a “Mount Rushmore” of motorcycle builders Dave Perewitz would definitely be on it. His bikes and i paint jobs are timeless exactly like an old rock song. When I hear Good Times, Bad Times I instantly transport back to my second-story bedroom in my Granny’s house on the corner of Inkster Road and Woodsfield when I was 13. While there is no one “King” in the custom motorcycle world, there are certainly a few “Royal” families. The Perewitz’ are certainly counted among royalty in the Chopper world. Jody Perewitz is Dave’s daughter. Jody is a world-class painter, racer, and record holder. She currently holds 16 land speed records. Her first one was captured in Maine during testing when she recorded 164mph on a 100 cubic inch Procharged powered cycle. She is also a Bonneville record holder. She set the FIM world record of 207mph.

Jody’s bike on this month’s cover is one that she purchased after seeing it listed for sale [incorrectly] as a “Dyna.” There was a time when that happened often. Without knowing better, many people conflated Dynas for FXR’s when they first came out, mostly because the Dyna replaced the FXR in the factory lineup. Jody knew better and snatched the FXR Convertible up with no hesitation at all.

Jody rode the FXR in stock trim just long enough to talk herself out of the stock driveline and

suspension. So she pulled it into the shop, removed the driveline to sell it, and removed the remainder of the parts to start her new project. That was six or seven years ago.

As often happens on the side of the counter that Jody and those of us employed in the motorcycle industry stand on, our projects tend to sit until we can either afford to finish it to our liking or until our customer’s bikes are done first.

Last year Ms. Perewitz was invited to act as Grand Marshall of the Sturgis Black Hills Motorcycle Classic for 2021. This is a tremendous honor, and Jody knew that in order to make the best showing, she needed something to ride that would honor this event in proper fashion. Since the FXR had been sitting for about six years, she and her father decided it was time to breathe life into the convertible.

The project started with a few items that Jody insisted on.

She needed the bike to have a Twin Cam engine and genuine “RT” bags in the back end. The engine received the Dan Thayer “treatment” and was bored to a larger displacement. The stock Harley Davidson transmission internals are bulletproof enough to handle the torque and horsepower thrown at it. The Lyndall wheels are spun through the addition of a chain and sprocket rather than the stock belt drive. A chain is a bit more maintenance, but Jody is a racer at heart, so a broken belt was not something she intended to deal with, so the belt had to go.

Over the years, Jody’s father and Russ Wernimont have fostered a stellar working relationship, so both front fairing and fenders came from RWD. If a painter like Dave uses your body parts, I can’t think of a better endorsement. Arlen Ness supplied the side covers and Jody employed one of her new signature “Jody Perewitz 2-up” Mustang seats. The front suspension is 49mm, and the rear shocks are 14” long. The rear wheel swings on a Brocks Performance billet swingarm.

Jody and Dave are best friends, not just father and daughter. When I asked her if they butted heads during the project, she laughed. “DP likes the bikes to sit low…I want them up higher. He kept telling me that we needed shorter shocks.” She has learned a lot from her dad over the years and says that the most important thing that sticks in her head from her elder regarding her work is that “The best artists know how to hide their mistakes.”

Dave Perewitz is the “King Of Flames,” and while he has taught his daughter everything he knows, she has a tendency to gravitate towards the sublime rather than the larger color palette that her famous dad prefers. Rather than

accidental fxr Tech Sheet Owner: Jody Perewitz City/State: Halifax MA Builder: Perewitz Year: 93 FXRS Model: Convertible Value: Priceless Time: too long ENGINE Year: 2005 Model: Twin Cam Builder: Perewitz / Dan Thayer Ignition: Displacement: 95” Pistons: Thayer CP Heads: Thayer Ported Carb: S&S Cam: 485 Thayer Air Cleaner: S&S Exhaust: Trask Primary: Stock TRANSMISSION Year: 2005 Make: HD Shifting: FRAME Year: 93 Model: FXR swingarm: Brocks Aluminum Stretch: SUSPENSION - FRONT Builder: Legends 49 mm Type: Triple Trees: Stock Dyna Extension: Rear -FOX shocks / Harddrive WHEELS Front Wheel: Lyndall Size: 19 Tire: Shinko’s Front Brake: PM Radial Caliper Rear Wheel: Lyndall Size: 18 Tire: Rear Brake: PM PAINT Painter: JP Color: Dreamsickle Type: PPG Graphics: JP Chroming: NONE ACCESSORIES Bars: ODI Risers: Trask Hand Controls: ISR Foot Controls: Perewitz / stock Gas Tank(s): stock Oil Tank: removed, uses oil pan Front fender: RWD Rear Fender: RWD Seat: Mustang fairing: RWD Fairing bags:Stock RT Bags Headlight: Stock, Letric Lighting Tail light: Letric Lighting Speedo: None Photographer: Missi Shoemaker offer “cheat codes,” DP has let Jody develop her own unique style. She has done that by repurposing the tricks and techniques that she has learned over the years and relying on new technology where applicable.

Jody spends her shop time in the paint booth rather than with a wrench in her hand. That said, Jody knows her way around the shop and gets her hands dirty plenty. While Jody is comfortable in the shop, her Zen is on the water. Jody is an avid boater and spends her free time, what little there is, on the ocean.

I asked Jody how she envisions the legacy of Perewitz Cycle Fab for the future. She said:

‘Perewitz Cycle Fab needs to stay the same size as it is now. We did BIG. It was too much stress on my dad. I want to keep it small… quality over quantity.”

with the already smashing success Torque Magazine has seen since the inaugural issue released in August 2021, I was humbled to have been asked to write an article for the second issue to drop in quarter 4 of 2021. Keeping in line with something I’m incredibly passionate about, I started researching USA companies that produce products for American motorcycles. Since coming home from the 81st Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, I decided to tear down my Big Boy FXR (2010 Road King Police) and freshen her up a bit. One key detail I knew was a “must-have” were mid controls. I needed to get my feet under me instead of in front of me to have better control and handling capabilities through the twisties that I love so much. There are a few USA-operated companies that produce mid controls for baggers. This time, I chose a company from my home state; Dropkick Customs out of Tampa, FL. Matt from Dropkick is a super nice guy, is easy to work with, and is willing to answer any and all questions you’d have for all of their offered products. With most projects, you’re bound to run into at least one issue. In my case, it was the exhaust. The exhaust I was running would not mount up with mid controls. The rear head pipe just didn’t come close to curving around the right control. James, one of my closest dudes, sent me a link for RedFox Baggers with an exhaust system that looked