Flamed Harley-Davidson Deuce

Gazza had seen another silver Deuce for sale in Sydney a year or so earlier that looked pretty awesome, but when the guy wouldn’t sell me him the bike at the price he wanted, he thought, ‘Screw it, I’ll create my own!’

I FELL IN love with the Deuce when a mate of mine first took me into a Harley dealership in Johannesburg and asked me which one I liked. Without hesitation my eyes leapt to the Deuce and the love affair hasn’t abated to this day. I was pretty pissed off when H-D canned the Deuce, but then again, that makes this one even more special.

Mine arrived on the Gold Coast, and without even leaving the shop, I had a plan for it. Personally, I don’t like bitsa bikes with bitsa this theme and bitsa that theme. Everyone’s got their own tastes and that’s what customising a bike is all about, but I prefer a bike that’s consistently themed.

I’ve always liked flames as opposed to skulls or eagles so I themed the bike with flames from the off. The original two-tone blue tin had to go as did the front wheel and so the transformation began.

The silver paint was done by Rex Windsor on the Gold Coast and the ghost flames by Custom Spray Painting Concepts on the Sunshine Coast. The flame theme is continued with the derby cover, the timing cover, and the consol insert.

A Harley Deuce I’d seen in Sydney bike had the same Arlen Ness Psycho front wheel and matching sprocket so I can’t take all the credit for this, but I’m right pleased I took up the idea.

The usual chrome switches and grips along with braided cables, a Kuryakyn fork brace, a billet light and Burleigh Bars completed the front end. Billet levers and pegs added a bit of spice.

The back-end is pretty standard apart from a chromed wheel and swing-arm and chromed brake caliper kit. I kinda liked the chrome LED tailight so I heaved the plain old red one to liven up the rear.

By now the chrome fetish had really kicked in and there’s heaps of other bling on and around the engine including Vance & Hines Big Radius pipes.

But whilst it looks and sounds great, it’s now a bitch to clean, but then again, with the footy on the radio and a bourbon and coke in one hand, what else would I do on a Sunday arvo when I’m not ridin’. Anyway, it keeps me out of the garden, away from the lawns and outta the bride’s hair.

Once the outside was done, I decided to take a look at the inside and got a 95 ci kit installed in the motor. As the bike wasn’t EFI, it was also a case of upgrading the fuel system so a Mikuni carb was fitted and the heads polished for greater performance — now the baby was screamin’ — nice!

Not much is original on this bike as from front to back nearly everything’s been replaced, painted or worked. Special thanks to the guys at Twin Tech Gold Coast who did most of the work, so in a way the bike’s a tribute to them.

Harley-Davidson Deuce

photos by Rod Cole; words by Gazza

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