The 1993 Harley-Davidson FXR project is nearly complete. All the custom work is finished, and now it is time to actually get the bike started. The S&S 124 cu in. engine is a beast, and is off to Chopper Jon to get it in good running order.
Just love the stock colored tins and enough black on the bike to keep the chrome in balance. This bike is a family legacy and a tribute to its original owner, so the original red was used to tie it to it’s roots. There are a pair of Motogadgetbar-end mirrors mounted. They have a unique polished aluminum mirror that is supposed to never dull due to a special coating they apply. They sure look good with the rest of the motogadget bar controls, speedo, signals and grips.
Looking pretty clean and mean.
This was the first time the bike had been rolled out since tear-down. It has been a long process, but this picture shows the lines coming together, and it felt good to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Jason Small at Linear Automotive did such a good job on the Freebird 57 Triumph paint, it was a no brainer to send the FXR tins to him. His attention to detail and knowledge of original paint schemes and styles make him the go-to guy for British bikes, but he has done beautiful Italian, German, and in this case, American, bikes that I have seen. He also collects, builds, rides and races these bikes, so he can do it all.
The original red color had faded some and was a little more pink. This richer red was the result of computer matching an unfaded part. Always a big fan of red on a bike or just about anything that moves, the owner’s decision to keep it red was a good one.
The clutch activator was converted to a hydraulic one. The milled cover goes nicely with the torque arm, even though the arm is 25 years old. Magnum Black Pearl braided stainless lines were used for the brakes and clutch hydraulics. The black and chrome on the S&S engine was inspiration for the rest of the bike’s finishes, with an emphasis on the black.
The console has a Motogadget m-lock in the front, underneath the leather. It is an RFID reader that activates the bike when a key fob or a rice-sized chip you can sew into a glove is placed in close proximity. There cannot be any metal covering it up, so a hole was bored, the reader mounted underneath, and a thin layer of silicone to level it out on top.
With the leather over the RFID reader, it is invisible.
Xtreme Upholstery in Denton, Texas did the leather seat cover. The attention to detail is quite impressive.