"True Blue - Comfort is What She Wanted"
We caught a glimpse of Margaret Nicastri riding this magnificent blue Bagger while trolling for feature bikes in Daytona. Evidently, the city of Daytona Beach decided that having bikers running amuck and spending their money within the city limits was much better than having them go elsewhere to spend their hard-earned dollars. We couldn't agree more. We were having a blast on Daytona's city streets when Margaret blew by us on this outstanding 2004 FLHTCUI (Harley-Davidson Ultra-Classic with fuel injection). We chased her down and got her permission to take a few photos.
Margaret has been a Harley-Davidson rider for more than 18 years. Her extensive riding experience began taking shape on a 1985 HarleyDavidson XLS, one of only 600 produced, she told us. That motorcycle became a collector's item while she was riding it. She still owns that bike and says she won't give it up for any amount of money. Next, she purchased a 1992 Harley-Davidson Super Glide (Dyna-Glide) which she rode for many years. And just like her first bike, she still owns the SuperGlide, too. While not giving away her age, Margaret told us that she chose a Bagger as her main riding squeeze simply for the sake of comfort. And we were happy to hear that Margaret is now a devout American Bagger subscriber!
Margaret likes to tour the Midwest states of Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and beyond. She simply wouldn't be able to do that on anything less than a comfortable twowheeler with some storage space. C&C Cycle did the fabrication and assembly work for Margaret, which took about 3 months. The high-art paint and graphics were applied by the expert crew at Pro Art Works in Lothian, Maryland. Hot Toppers were installed everywhere they would fit to dress up the hardware.
A Harley-Davidson Screamin' Eagle motor displacing 103 cubic inches provides plenty of get-up-and-go for Margaret's riding style. The exhaust is Rinehart, and the bumpstick is a 557 Redshift component, both of which work with the Screamin' Eagle stuff to generate an honest 100 horsepower. And these ponies get used on a regular basis. Other motor features include diamond cut cylinder heads and cylinders, a Fueling oil pump and lifters, and a Thundermax AutoTune motor control module which re-maps and re-tunes the entire fuel-air-ignition system at a 250 times per second re-sample rate. The transmission is a 5-speed Harley-Davidson unit with shaved shift dogs and back cut gears for faster, more positive shifting. Margaret likes to go through the gears just like the rest of us. A 32 tooth transmission pulley sends the power back to the rear wheel at almost the stock drive ratio.
The Harley-Davidson frame has been completely molded. Check out that neck area; it's as clean as they get. All the wiring and control cables are run internally. The rear fender has the license plate "frenched-in" for effect and the one-off custom made dash has a pop-up gas cap. If you look closely you can see the C&C Cycle exhaust sensor covers. Chrome billet aluminum adorns the brake switch cover and the under side of the fool boards. Honestly, see the photo! Frenched-in LED lights can be seen front and rear. In the fairing are invisible turn signals that literally can't be seen unless they are operating. Both hand levers are custom made. The gas crossover is located internally as well.
Weld's Neptune wheels have Metzeler rubber front and rear and are matched by a billet aluminum C&C Cycle derby cover and points cover. The front tire is a Metzeler 140/7018", while out back, a Metzeler 200/50-18" tire kisses the road. If you'd like to own any of the magnificent items seen on True Blue, they can be found at C&C Cycle. Give'em a call at 410.305.0924.