Nightmare Design Harley-Davidson Fat Boy

I’VE BEEN riding for about 35 years. I’ve got about a dozen dirt bikes, an old 600 Yammie, and an old XS 11. I had a Harley-Davidson before, an old AMF Shovel… not the best! I’ve had this Fat Boy about five years. It was already reasonably customised; it certainly didn’t look like a stocky. It still had original paint though, black with orange and red pinstriping. About all I did then was put a set of pipes on it.

There was already a fair bit of engine work done, although what exactly I don’t know. I’ve ridden stockies and they’re snails in comparison, so there’s some engine work done for sure. It tends to vibrate a bit but then they all do once you start souping them up. It’s got a really nice whirr when you let go of the throttle, which I really love.

It’s got a 240 wide-arse kit in it and a new set of rims. The wheels are standard Centreline and it handles better now with the wider tyre than it did with the original tyre.

I changed the chain drive so the drive and the brake are all on the one side and you’ve got the right-hand-side all open. I just think the chain looks tougher than a belt. I’ve owned and ridden bikes for years and I know chains: a chain you can change yourself; you can’t change a belt yourself unless you take the primary drive to pieces.

I did nothing to the engine but did refine the gearing a bit, just to give it a bit more legs on the open road. I was going to get a six-speed gearbox but didn’t quite have the finances… next time around.

I changed the brakes front and back. They’re four piston calipers now; they were only two before so stopping was a long, drawn out process.

The paint was done by Troy at Nightmare Designs. I’d been looking at all sorts of things for paint; originally, I was going to go for realistic flames. My nephew’s a tattooist and I was looking through a tattoo magazine and saw some black work and thought, ‘That would look really good.’ So I got a copy of the picture and gave it to Troy and pretty much left it to him. I mean, he’s a painter, so I just left him pretty much free rein. I told him which skulls I wanted, the silver design inside the red pinstriping, the same design as the rims to tie them together, then it was up to him to arrange it how he liked.

They came out standard with 3 ½ gallon tanks; these are now 5 gallon tanks. I went for a more rounded guard rail; it was a ducktail rear guard but the round one looks better.

It’s a Skinner seat, certainly more comfortable than the one I had before—that was like a bloody house brick, about 200 km and you’re looking to get off—this is much softer, much nicer. I’ve been to Mildura a few times on this, did the Great Ocean Road too, so I’m able to do reasonable runs on it.

Photos by Chris Randells; words by Anthony