Every Bike's Dream
If bikes could dream, we suspect their unconscious fantasies for themselves would be similar to the ones experienced by their owners. They would dream of being more desirable, more powerful, more unique.
At Dallas Harley-Davidson® we suspect they do dream, and sometimes they whisper their aspirations and reveries to their riders, silently waiting to be transformed from an already formidable machine to the stuff of legend.
Trent Perkins heard those dreams and brought about just such a transformation. His bike started life as a 2019 XL883N. Then it morphed. Here's the story of how it became a super hot custom Harley-Davidson® Sportster.
Not So Humble Beginnings
Trent is relatively new to riding. He had friends who rode, so in April of 2019, he took a motorcycle safety course and loved experiencing life on two wheels. He bought his Iron 883 because, he said, "It looked to me like a Harley® was supposed to look. It appealed to me." Like every Harley®, his bike was born beautiful.
2019 XL883N
The Harley-Davidson® Customization Process
With most custom builds, there's not a definite endpoint, it's more of a highly personal journey. Here's what Trent said when we asked about the process of creating a custom Harley® Sportster.
"I got more immersed in the culture and saw what other people had done to their bikes. I like to tinker did a lot of little things myself, and I left the big things to the service department.
So for myself, I put drag bars on, put risers on, changed the air cleaner, and did a lot of little cosmetic things. Everything that was drivetrain I got DA to do. He put a Big Bore kit on it to make it a 1200 cc engine. We changed the front end out from the stock 883 fork to a Sportster 48 front end because I wanted these big fat meaty tires on it."
Custom Sportster Before Front End Modifications
Custom Sportster Modification List
Some people are thinking about their next bike almost as soon as they buy their first one. That's not the case with Trent. "I probably will never get rid of this bike because I just love it so much.
I think it's sex on two wheels. I've looked at other bikes, I even looked at Breakout, but if I bought another one, I would end up changing it to look like what I've got now. It's just me."
Here's his custom Sportster modification list
Custom Sportster Performance Modifications:
- Harley-Davidson® Screamin' Eagle 883 cc to 1200 cc conversion
- Harley-Davidson® Screamin' Eagle Performance II XL Cam Set
- DK Customs Outlaw Hi Flow 587 Air Intake with Arlen Ness Stainless Steel Filter
- Vance & Hines Short Shots Exhaust with DK Customs Thunder Torque Inserts
- Harley-Davidson® Sportster 48 Front Suspension
- Vance & Hines FP3 Tuner
- JW Speakers Adaptive LED Headlight
Custom Harley® Modifications for Comfort:
- La Pera Bare Bones Solo Seat
- Harley-Davidson® Smart Security System
- Drag Specialties Passenger Pegs
- J&P Cycles Drag Bar Handlebars
- DK Customs 2" Riser Block
- Kuryakyn Black ISO Grips
- Kuryakyn Black ISO Foot Pegs
- Flipped the Mirrors Upside Down
Custom Sportster Appearance Modifications:
- Coker Beck 500-16 Tires
- JW Speakers Adaptive LED Headlights
- Custom Dynamics LED Turn Signals and Brake Lights with Strobe Modulator
- Custom Crystal Granite Metallic Paint (To match Jeep) (now you want to see the bike with the Jeep don't you? Okay, here you go)
Granite Crystal Metallic Custom Paint on Jeep and Sportster
(Where were we? Oh yeah, back to appearance modifications...)
- DK Customs 1.5" Tank Lift and Wire Tuck
- DK Customs Speedometer Relocations
- DK Customs Coil Relocation with Screamin' Eagle Plug Wires
- Magnum Cables Black Pearl Throttle, Clutch and Front Brake Cables
- DK Customs Black Headlight Grill
- J&P Cycles Black Flush Mount Gas Cap
- Drag Specialties Black Derby Cover
- Drag Specialties Black Inspection Cover
- Removed Lower Chain Guard
Making Modification Choices
Creating a custom Harley® is a little like building a house. The options are nearly endless. If you can dream it up, there's probably a way to make it happen. Each person's dream is highly individual, and it takes time and patience to see all the pieces come together. We asked Trent what modifications made the biggest difference in terms of comfort, looks and performance.
"in terms of comfort, I changed the seat to a solo saddle to give it more of a bobber look and because of the kind of riding I do. I don’t go on big two-hour-long rides, mine is 20 minutes of adventure every afternoon when I go get the mail. It's about taking the long way to the post office and back and getting in a little bit of adventure every day. It's about getting to fantasize about what I’m going to do next."
"What made the biggest difference in terms of looks was doing the tank lift, relocating the coil and relocating the speedometer to make it look more stripped down and old school. In terms of performance, I'd say the Big Bore kit, and changing the front end. That made it feel more solid to ride."
Custom Motorcycle Shops Near Dallas
There are a lot of motorcycle service and repair shops in the Dallas area. Trent first chose Dallas Harley-Davidson® because he lives in Rockwall, and our Garland motorcycle dealership was closest.
"They're kind of like enablers," he said of the service department. "I would bounce stuff off them and they would be like, 'Oh yeah!' It started with the tank because I scratched it. I mentioned to DA I wanted to color match my Jeep. I thought what the heck, it's only money."
"I trust those guys. They are really very collaborative. I'm new to this, to the whole Harley® thing. So for me to come in with the Sportster and them to not look down on me, to understand what I wanted to do, they've been great."
Building Your Own Custom Harley® Sportster
It's fun to see what other people have done, but if you're like Trent, you don't want a bike that looks like anyone else's. So where do you start if you want to create your own custom Harley® Sportster?
That's where our team comes in. We've got years of experience turning chimeras into living, breathing dragons. We have genuine Harley-Davidson® parts, but we also have custom aftermarket parts. If you've got a starting point, start creating your custom motorcycle wish list. If you just have a picture in your head, we'll work with you to identify specifics and refine details. Get in touch through our contact form or use the chat in the bottom right corner of your screen.