READERS RIDES
Dave McDaniel with “Bobzilla”
This is a 1991 Harley-Davidson FXSTC, which is a Softail custom, with an EVO engine and a 5-speed trans. It originally had hydraulic front forks. I installed a “springer” front fork made by Paughco. I “christened” this bobber at the Ogemaw Hills bike week parade, which was run in the rain! And now the Bobbers name is “Bobzilla”! I have been riding and wrenching on motorcycles for most of my life. And through those years I have always had this vision in my head of what “my perfect motorcycle” would look like. Remember, I said, “MY VISION!” Okay, I have always admired choppers and bobbers, but I also wanted a bike that would be my bike and a daily user! Then one day a friend sent me a link to
What I started with
an ad for an old Softail and it was cheap and local! That’s a win-win for me! I went and looked at it and the voices in my head said....”this is it”. So, I dragged it home and looked at it a while. Then I started taking off what I didn’t like and soon it started looking a little like my vision! After a lot of thought I started buying parts that I wanted to make this thing come together. And I did a “mock-up” of what the Bobber would look like and made parts and brackets etc. Once it was to my liking, I tore it apart, took the frame to the Powder Coaters for sand-blasting and powder coating. When I got the frame back it was time to assemble with new parts and freshly painted tins! This is my story and I’m stickin’ to it!
Newly coated frame and with the new engine
8 JUNE 2018 THUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE MICHIGAN
At Ogemaw Hills Bike Week in the company of vintage Harleys
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