The above photo is the actual Ad photo that persuaded me to drive to Little Havana and take a look. It read 'Harley Clone' and I acted like it read 'Hurry, won't last' I called Alex immediately after I saw the drag bars, custom pipe work, and forward controls. I got ropped in quick, but I already knew finding an 88 or 89 VLX would be difficult. I have not seen one; an early model for sale in the Trader since.

Alex was a young guy between 22 and 25 with some cool tatts. He pulled the bike out of the warehouse, and I already knew that was the one. It looked better up close. He warmed it up and did a couple of laps. I thought, that sounds just like a Lowrider to me. I was a little nervous thinking about the test ride though. After all, I had just received my class certificate and it was one of those now or never decisions.

I got on and the first thing I did was stall it. Alex was like, "are you sure you know how to ride dude?" He was worried I would wrap it around a tree like I actually did 24 years ago. I've been retired from riding since taking those many stitches to the knee. Here I am again. I said "no problem, I'm just use to the Honda Hawk 250 I've been riding in class, give me a second". I think he had a bowel movement in his baggies!

I took off missing third a little, but was comfortable on it quickly. I even played around making the bikes front end jump up and down in first gear on the way in. Alex was leary of my technique and was relieved to get his bike back in one piece. I even let him jerk me around on the broken front brake lever. I gave him close to full price; 500 bones shy of what he was asking under the condition he had the brake repaired.

He pulled into my house on the bike a couple days later followed by wife and baby to give him a ride home. He showed me the invoice on the brakework where the Dealer tried to fix the brake master cylinder. I didn't know any better until I started to pull on it later, but it wasn't fixed. If you want something done right, blah, blah, blah it yourself Mickey. I've rebuilt that thing two times since, and I personally will never buy any Arlen Ness stuff again... Even his mirrors fall apart. (That's just my own personal experience with his parts, and may not be the rule of thumb.) Want great brake parts, buy Performance Machine!)

I removed the plate for Alex. He gave me his helmet and I wished him luck with the family. That was about three years ago. He said all his friends ride Harleys, but he doesn't have time anymore because of his new obligations. I'll bet he made the time to finance a new sport bike with the money I gave him... young whippersnapper

Plating and Add-Ons

Completed at Atlantic Coast Plating and Gulf Plating in Ft. Lauderdale Custom Coatings in Tallahassee,- (plated all plastics including side covers, throat covers, airbox and airbox cover) and Space Coast Plating (Hubs)

Components plated: Valve covers, side covers, throat covers, all spokes, hubs, standoffs, front fender, front disc, fuel tank, swingarm, fork sliders, rear sprocket, wheel bushings, rear brake assembly, brake rod, all engine and valve covers, all carb covers, all engine mounting brackets and swingarm bolt covers, most engine bolts and nuts

Chrome Add-ons: many HD components; Carlini Drag bars, skull point cover over regulator cover slightly modified, front caliper cover, chrome fender accents front and rear, highway bar, horn cover, radiator cover with heavy rail insert, bug shield deflector, plastic chromestyle bolt covers, Headwinds housing and tribar lamp, hand made German tach housing and tach, coil cover, fender rails, sissy bar with West Coast Choppers Maltese cross and luggage rack - fender support slightly modified, forward controls with Westcoast Maltese cross pedal, kids backup bike horn, brake light accent, rear axle bolt covers, HD extended passenger pegs with Maltese cross accents, choke knob cover, license plate bracket and light, brake light, two mini filters for subcarb, custom exhaust (Cobra) with fishtail tip extensions, dummy valve assembly with skull sliders all slightly modified, Ness front brake controls, spark plug accents, two flame heat shields and 2 standard shields) Some are custom chrome

Misc. Add-ons: mud flap modified with working Maltese cross brake light, flash unit for all break lights, Lasernode sparkplug wire inserts, neon wraparound glolites, fork, hand control, and tank leathers, Corbin seat reupholstered by Alligator Bob using black soft Scottish leather (gel packs front and aft) with an Oh My!!! Pot leaf stitched in seating area for the Hippy sixties nostalgia, braided tubing for sub-breathers purchased from the appliance section of local hardware store, same for main filter airbox connection; a flexible metal pvc pipe clamp accommodating the three inch stand-off, throttle cover was turned upside and modified for kiddie horn placement, built-in lead for connecting a charging unit to battery, on/off for VW fuel pump I opted for, on/off for neon lights, horn button is located on coil cover assembly, fuel pump on/off location will be secret for now! Carbs jetted.

Most components were purchased at Custom bike shops, Thunder of Ft. Laud., Fla. Bikers Discount of Plantation, Fla., Custom Bikes of Ft. Laud., Fla. West Coast Choppers website, Kuryakyn website, mostly Custom Chrome and Drag Specialties items, but some like the dummy valve covers and chickstick I ordered via websites such as Bikercom.com and JCWhitney.com. Metal designs such as Maltese and Lightning Bolts were fabricated by myself using Jigsaws and the front side of an old Army Office Desk... Heavy Metal !!!!

DragulaLives@Hotmail.com

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