American Iron Magazine - August 2003

"Purple Passion - One for the Road"

When Margaret Nicastri goes out to play on her 1992 Super Glide, she likes to ride far and fast. Ain't nothing like heading out from her Maryland home on a 3,000-mile tour of the wide-open West to keep her happy. With 14 years of riding experience under her belt, the 40-year-old savors such opportunities. Only problem is, the long rides don't happen as often as she might like these days, thanks to a busy work life with a property management company and her own leather accessories shop. The same goes for her steady riding partner, Roy Chamberlin, who runs custom shop C&C Cycle in Crofton, Maryland.

Margaret recently recalled a ride out West she and Roy took in 2001 that turned into one of those badnews/good news situations. They had just ridden through 105-degree heat in South Dakota, and they pulled into a gas station because "We needed gas, we needed water. But when I put the kickstand down, it was too close to the curb, and..." And a big ol' cement post put a nice big dent in the top of her rear fender when the FXR toppled over.

The good news was that not only did she get a refurbished fender, but Roy also went whole-hog that winter, extensively reworking the bike. Thanks to his efforts, the bike took first place in a custom class at the Baltimore show shortly after he'd finished it. It also earned an honorable mention at the Daytona ride-in show that year.

Little wonder, too. The trick paint alone makes it a winner. Roy drew out the original design and collaborated with Barry Gibson, who owns Pro Art Works just up the road from C&C Cycle. "Barry added a little extra to the paint job that I didn't expect," says Roy. After applying a satin-smooth House of Kolor purple base coat and adding tribal artwork, Barry sprayed a coat of Magenta Pearl through cheesecloth to give it an alligator-like texture. Roy liked the effect so much that he went out and bought matching dash inserts to finish the accents. The paint was highlighted with silver enamel pinstriping and orange tear-offs to give the overall scheme more definition and contrast.

To make it all flow together up top, Roy pulled the cover off a Le Pera solo seat and shaved it down to fit the contour of the gas tank. Then, it was handed over to Longo's Upholstery in nearby Rockville, where John, "who's a great freehand stitcher," stitched the seat with the design from the tank and fenders.

Beyond the paint, the motor underwent some fundamental changes to satisfy Margaret's desire for more power. They kept the stock 80" Evo, but hopped it up with a Zipper's 80/80 Performance Kit. That effectively doubled the output at the rear wheel to 90 horsepower while emphasizing the mid-range and top-end power band.

As part of the kit, Zipper's CNC ported and polished the heads. Stock parts were swapped out for Keith Black pistons, stainless stell Pro Street valves, and V-Thunder push rods. However, Roy opted for an Andrews EV27 cam instead of the Red Shift cam that's part of the package. He also added a Yost Power Tube, because it effectively atomizes the gas into a fine mist. That, in turn, produces an air/fuel mix that burns more completely and delivers more power.

Roy also replaced the stock ignition with a single-fire Dyna system, and the FXR's drag pipes with a set of Hooker staggered duals. "Aside from a 2-into-1 exhaust system, there are only two exhausts I've found that make decent power," Roy says. "The Hookers have a nice clean look and a choice of baffles, and their ceramic coating will actually increase horsepower because it helps draw the heat out of the exhaust." Margaret really appreciates the new pipes, too, since they trade noise for better performance.

The bike now rolls on Carriage Works Riptide rims. "The quality has always been good, and I like the chromed look of their solid polished stainless stell rotors." To handle the highways and byways, Conti Tour rubber - a 190/90H-19" on the front and 140/90-16" on the back - was selected. "Continentals handle corners really well when you go into them aggressively," adds Margaret, who's not afraid of tackling twisties with assertiveness.

In addition to the many previously chromed-out parts on the bike, Roy chose a few extra finishing details, like the matching Riptide design on the Screamin' Eagle air cleaner insert, discs, pulley, and derby cover. All lines and hoses are steel-braided and clear-coated. Cosmetic changes were also made to the oil tank by removing a 1/2" rib that circled the outside of the tank where the stamped-out pieces were joined. Pretty much everything else remained unchanged from mods made a short time after Margaret had purchased the bike eight years ago. Since the FXR was a bigger bike than her prized ride at the time, a 1985 XLS Roadster, Roy tried to make the transition easier. "I tried to make it as similar as possible so that the only thing she'd have to contend with was a little more weight. Things like her riding position would basically be the same."

So, the frame remained stock, although it was lowered to fit Margaret's diminutive size. The back end was adjusted with Drag Specialties shocks, which look like a stock-style shock but are shorter. A White Brothers/Porker spring kit was used up front to lower it by 1-1/4".

The stock buckhorn handlebars on the FXR were also substituted with a set of Flanders bars with 4-1/2" pullback risers, basically the same as the Roadster's 883-style bars with the same riser. The forward controls that were originally left on the bike from the previous owner were swapped for a set of highway pegs and mid-controls. "We do a lot of long-distance riding when we get the opportunity, so I wanted to be comfortable," says Margaret. While all the changes have transformed the bike's comfort - and looks - there's still a slight downside. "It's not really designed for luggage," she says with a laugh. "I have to kind of strap it on in different places!"

written by:

Adrian Blake

photographs by:

Pam Proctor

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