The 1999 Harley-Davidson Softail occupies a candy spot within the Milwaukee timeline. It was the ultimate 12 months of the venerable 80-inch Evolution engine, a motor prized by purists for its mechanical simplicity, housed in a chassis that mimics the clear traces of a classic hardtail. It’s a canvas for individuals who need modern-ish reliability with out sacrificing the soul of an air-cooled V-twin.
In Poland, Myroslav Fareniuk and his staff at MF Customs have constructed a status for respiration new life into these American icons. They don’t simply “customise” bikes; they reconstruct them with a story aptitude that feels extra like a cinematic tribute than a mechanical overhaul. Their newest creation, aptly named ‘Caddy,’ is rooted in Seventies California nostalgia, filtered by means of a gritty Jap European lens.
Each nice construct begins with a narrative, and ‘Caddy’ has a peculiar one. “The engine and transmission had been primarily new,” Myroslav explains. “Somebody had put in recent models, parked the bike in a storage, and easily forgot about it for over twenty years. It was a time capsule.”
After waking the Evo motor from its two-decade slumber, MF Customs tore the bike all the way down to its naked bones. The body was powder-coated in a delicate gray, offering a impartial stage for the star of the present: the paint. Drenched in a evocative Cadillac blue, the bodywork is an intentional nod to the Seventies. Mixed with intentionally patina’d metallic accents, the bike seems much less like a showroom ground queen and extra like a well-loved survivor from a Venice Seaside storage.
MF Customs handles nearly every thing in-house, from the fabrication to the leatherwork. The silhouette is outlined by a hand-sewn King-and-Queen leather-based seat that climbs up a {custom} sissy bar, completely complementing the Lowbrow Customs ribbed tank.
The cockpit is unapologetically minimalist. Myroslav hand-fabricated the 8-inch bent T-bar handlebars, that are outfitted with TC Bros levers, Lowbrow grips, and a tiny speedometer to maintain issues in examine. Lighting is dealt with by a compact 4.5-inch headlight up entrance and a Motone unit on the rear, maintaining the traces as lean as potential.
To realize that quintessential chopper stance, the staff at MF Customs fully overhauled the Softail’s suspension and rolling gear. The entrance finish is provided with a 21-inch spoked wheel, suspended by Drag Specialties forks which were prolonged three inches over inventory to offer a traditional, high-riding elevate. In a pursuit of pure aesthetic minimalism, and far to the dismay of lots of our readers, the entrance fender was discarded fully, leaving solely a decrease connection plate to take care of the fork’s structural integrity.
The rear of the bike was lowered by an inch to hug the 18-inch rear wheel, which is tucked neatly below a repurposed Sportster fender. Each ends are shod in Shinko traditional tires, offering the period-correct tread sample obligatory to realize the Seventies look.
Underneath the floor, the mechanicals obtained a big trendy increase; the drivetrain now includes a six-speed transmission paired with a Vulcan Works chain conversion last drive. To make sure the “time capsule” engine performs with trendy reliability, Myroslav fitted a Dynatek 2000i ignition and a Dyna TwinTec coil, whereas a TC Bros air filter and breather bolts permit the V-twin to breathe deeply.
The soundtrack is offered by a set of brief, custom-fabricated pipes. They function a dB-killer, as a result of as Myroslav places it, “whereas we get pleasure from a correct rumble, there’s no have to wake your entire neighborhood.”
In case you look intently on the controls, you’ll discover MF Customs’ favourite element: a brake pedal repurposed from an old-school belt clamp that includes a Western shootout memorial motif. It’s a small, “fully pointless” contact that anchors the bike’s character.
‘Caddy’ is a testomony to the concept you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to make an announcement. By pairing a fortunate storage discover with high-end fabrication and a deep love for 70s Americana, MF Customs has turned a Polish workshop right into a portal to the Pacific Coast Freeway.
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