Just-a-Chillin’ Harley-Davidson Heritage
She’s been a keeper for me; been a good ride and a bitch at times.
I’VE HAD my 1991 Heritage Softail for many years now; got her off a mate in Queensland. She’s been all over Australia with me. She was in Ozbike some years ago; not long after that I painted her flat black; she was that way for six or seven years. This is the fourth paint job since I’ve had her. I saw a blue close to this in a mag many years back that caught my eye. The colour is from a 2005 XR6.
The bike’s got a five-degree rake in the frame with two-inch-over fork tubes. I chopped the front guard down and dumped the ass-end. The handlebars are Western Burleigh with two-inch risers to keep it all low. The wheels are after-market. The seat was made by a mate in Noosa, Glen Priddle; still love his work.
It’s a 1996 donk—I cooked the first motor few years back; it did take a beating for many years before it gave up—with a low-end cam to get her off the line; and slight headwork. The pipes, well, we named them Ned’s. They where whipped up over lots of beers in a mate’s shed; thanks Nathan Miller.
The open primary is running a two-and-half-inch belt. I converted her to chain and sprocket running a 49-tooth yet again for bottom-end. The gearbox is a RevTech six-speed that helps balance out the top-end.
She has always been ridden hard. These days it’s more country km. With the boys in the southwest, the pace can get up there and she still has it.
She’s caught on fire twice; once I hit a pot-hole, crushed a wire and the frame became live which led to the braided brake-line arcing-up in a ball of fire—we were pissing on it to try and stop it until I stopped some traffic and crabbed their drinks—the shit ya do.
I’d like to thank Tony at Southern V-Twin, Bunbury, for helping get this build together.
Story by Miller Miller; photos by Peter Rattigan
