{"id":5446,"date":"2016-07-05T18:49:20","date_gmt":"2016-07-05T18:49:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hotbike.local\/basic_content\/same-but-different-custom-2012-and-2007-harley-davidson-softail\/"},"modified":"2022-01-02T18:27:00","modified_gmt":"2022-01-02T18:27:00","slug":"same-but-different-custom-2012-and-2007-harley-davidson-softail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/same-but-different-custom-2012-and-2007-harley-davidson-softail\/","title":{"rendered":"The Same But Different | Custom 2012 and 2007 Harley-Davidson Softail"},"content":{"rendered":"
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2007 and 2012 Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Photo: John Zamora<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

At first glance, this pair of custom Softails might appear to have rolled off the H-D assembly line right. It\u2019s only after closer inspection that all the intricate minor upgrades really start to appear. Ryan Reed of Reed\u2019s Ride Designs has been building hot rods since the late \u201980s. As his talent and skills have progressed over the years, his creations have been featured on more than one cover of a magazine. It\u2019s his acute attention to detail with the eye to make modifications noticed, but not seen, that has propelled him to the top of his game on both two and four wheels.
\nWe caught up with Ryan at his home-based shop, which is worthy of an article simply because of the amount of cool guy car parts lying around. Just for fun we brought along former Ms. Supercross Dianna Dahlgren to get down into her skivvies during the 40-degree day.<\/p>\n

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2007 Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Photo: John Zamora<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

HB:<\/strong> Tells us a little about the 2007 Burnt Orange Softail.
\nRR:<\/strong> The Burnt Orange bike is owned by Shawn Dubsky. Shawn originally approached me about customizing his Deluxe for him. For whatever reason, he ended up having another shop do some work to the bike. Unfortunately, afterwards he realized it didn\u2019t have the overall look he was after.<\/p>\n

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Side-by-side stainless steel exhaust by Ryan Reed<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Photo: John Zamora<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Stock pan and foam reshaped leatherwork by Gabe Lopez, San Bernardino, CA<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Photo: John Zamora<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

HB:<\/strong> You know what they say: Paying to do it right once is always cheaper than paying to do it wrong multiple times. How did it come back to you?
\nRR:<\/strong> Shawn ending up contacting me at a later date. He explained he wasn\u2019t happy with the bike and he basically wanted me to \u201cdo what I do\u201d with the bikes. I said, \u201cCool, but what about some of these expensive components that I don\u2019t care for?\u201d He said, \u201cGet rid of anything that doesn\u2019t fit the part.\u201d<\/p>\n

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2012 Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Photo: John Zamora<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

HB:<\/strong> Nice. So let\u2019s hear some more about the 2012 Red Deluxe.
\nRR:<\/strong> The red bike is owned by Terry Otton in Napa, California. He has an impressive motorcycle collection. Sadly, some of the bikes were damaged in an earthquake. It was at this time that his bike came back to my shop for a color change and other minor changes.<\/p>\n

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2012 Harley-Davidson 103 in.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Photo: John Zamora<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Progressive 2-in. springs\/polished fork tubes<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Photo: John Zamora<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

HB:<\/strong> Is each bike a one-off, or do they share common parts?
\nRR:<\/strong> I build each one of these Harleys with similar components and styling, but every one has subtle differences. But I don\u2019t make or sell individual pieces or parts for people. It sort of ends up being a low-production custom bike. Also, I handle all the fabrication and assembly myself and use the same group of guys for all other areas of the build, such as paint, leather, plating, et cetera.<\/p>\n

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Dennis Ricklefs, Spun Gold and silver leaf lettering and Pinstriping<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Photo: John Zamora<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

HB:<\/strong> How would you define your style when the bikes are all done?
\nRR:<\/strong> I build hot rods as well as bikes since they are in the background of the photos. I guess you could mention that most of the bikes\u2019 customizing is subtle. Some of this goes unnoticed, but when one of these bikes catches someone\u2019s attention they usually start to ask questions and quickly realize how much has actually been done.<\/p>\n

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Model: Dianna Dahlgren<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Photo: John Zamora<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

RELATED | DIANNA DAHLGREN VIDEO<\/h2>\n
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