Readers Rides

RE ADERS 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 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!

What I started with Newly coated frame and with the new engine At Ogemaw Hills Bike Week in the company of vintage Harleys