Valentine’s Day Harley-Davidson Sportster

“…I want to show my bike to let people know what you can achieve no matter what illness you have.”

MY NAME is Cathy and this is my story. 

My Hubby brought me this Harley-Davidson Sportster for Valentine’s Day. I wanted a bike to do up and I needed to find one that I could hold up because I’ve been battling a sarcoma type of cancer and a bone disease that has made me very weak, and nerve damage on my left side. I’ve had lots of surgeries and treatments. I found that the early model Sportys were light so I could hold them up, but with only my hubby working, it was going to be hard buying one.

I found a 1994 Sportster Hugger on Facebook for sale and the guy let my hubby pay it off — we started stripping it down the next day.

The Sporty needed a lot of work and had to be lowered because I’m very short. Hubby stripped the motor down then painted the frame and motor.

I had another operation soon after so I took my Custom Chrome Parts Catalogue into the hospital with me.

Then I met the guys at Heavy Duty Motorcycles in Brisbane. They were so awesome and friendly, and I got a lot of parts and great advice off them.

Birds Bitz at Morayfield helped me out with a lot of parts as well. Bird and his wife are so lovely and friendly and helpful as well.

The guys at Gasoline Alley Harley-Davidson helped me as well with parts and advice. 

I found Steve at Forbidden Art in Camira who said he would like to help me out by painting and airbrushing my bike. I picked the Phoenix because of what it represents.

My Hubby Steve and I went without a lot to be able to afford to buy and do up my bike. He took Vegemite sandwiches and an apple to work for six months and I had injections instead of tablets because it was cheaper. We didn’t go out anywhere, only on short motorbike rides as he has a ’92 Fat Boy Harley and I own a 400 Shadow.

We worked on the Sporty every night and every weekend for six months. I made a lot of new friends along the way and I can’t thank them enough for their help.

The Sporty is now an 883 with a 1200 kit in it with Softail front forks.

Finally it was time for me to have my first ever ride on my Sporty because I didn’t get to test ride when we went to look at it; the bike was too high for me. I rode it around my house-yard getting used to it and then I said I wanted to ride up the road. We have Bluetooth on our helmets so we could talk to each other, and I started crying.

“Why are you crying?” Hubby asked. “Don’t you like your bike?”

“I never thought I would ever get to ride it,” I said. “I’m so in love with my Sporty. I want to show my bike to let people know what you can achieve no matter what illness you have.”

I have won shows with the bike won People’s Choice at the Brisbane Street & Custom Bike Show. I could not believe it.

This is my dream and a new memory that we have made together. I’m leaving my Sporty to my grandson so he can see what his Nan has done and how special the Sporty is.

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