{"id":6720,"date":"2018-04-05T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-04-05T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hotbike.local\/basic_content\/an-art-deco-themed-custom-harley-davidson-springer-softail-from-archives\/"},"modified":"2022-01-02T17:32:46","modified_gmt":"2022-01-02T17:32:46","slug":"an-art-deco-themed-custom-harley-davidson-springer-softail-from-archives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/an-art-deco-themed-custom-harley-davidson-springer-softail-from-archives\/","title":{"rendered":"An Art-Deco-Themed Custom Harley-Davidson Springer Softail"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Admiration for Art Deco led to this beautifully sleek custom Harley.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Kirk Willis<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

This article was originally published in the April-May 1997 issue of Cycle World’s Big Twin magazine.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cA \u201948 Panhead is what a motorcycle should look like,\u201d says Craig Eisenberg of Phoenix, Arizona. \u201cI don\u2019t care for the sleek new stuff at all.\u201d No surprise, then, that his spectacular custom, which he calls the Eisenberg Deluxe, does its best to emulate a Harley of that era.<\/p>\n

When Eisenberg decided to customize his \u201996 Softail<\/a> Springer, he turned to Paul Yaffe of American Legend Motorcycle Company, also in Phoenix, and asked him to build a bike that would embody the timelessness of his favorite period in history. That collaboration turned out to be a marriage made in heaven\u2014or in the late 1940s, at least. Both men strongly admire the art-deco styling of that era, and Yaffe also has a fascination for the work of Preston Tucker, the enigmatic automaker whose brilliantly designed but ill-fated car made a big splash in the late 1940s. In fact, the working name for Eisenberg\u2019s custom during its construction was the Tucker Bike.<\/p>\n

Once the desired look was decided, Yaffe went to work turning Eisenberg\u2019s dream into something more tangible. He\u2019s particularly proud of the front fender, a singular work of art that uses special hidden mounts to appear as though it\u2019s floating on the front end. \u201cWe started with a flat piece of metal,\u201d says Yaffe, \u201cand we worked it with a small English wheel and a beating machine we have here. Because of the unique way the fender is mounted, it has a whole cage mold\u00aded into the inside to keep it stiff so it won\u2019t flex or vibrate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other one-off pieces created by Jaffe are the art-deco choke knob and exhaust caps, along with the seat, the rear fender and the LED taillight that is cleverly hidden inside it. \u201cWe kept the Springer fork stock,\u201d says Jaffe, \u201cbut we cut it and widened it to give it a more nostalgic look.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The paint job by Miguel’s Psycle Paint is the piece de resistance of this ride.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Kirk Willis<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Then there\u2019s the piece de resistance, the paint job. The molding and the application of the base paint (a \u201997 factory H-D color called Platinum) were done by Miguel\u2019s Psycle Paint in Phoenix, then the Brandywine panels and graphics were laid on by the incomparable Dawne Holmes in nearby Prescott. Once Holmes\u2019 flawless art-deco treatment was completed, all the body pieces went back to Miguel for application of the final clear-coat.<\/p>\n

Although the Eisenberg Deluxe is a show-stopper, and won awards for Outstanding Bike, Best Paint, and First In Class in its debut custom show, its owner intends only to ride it from now on instead of entering it in further competition. \u201cThis bike was meant to ride,\u201d says Eisenberg. \u201cI just love to ride it, so I ride it a lot. Even just looking at it makes me feel good. It looks like something that was born rather than manufactured.\u201d<\/p>\n

Right. And its birthday was, oh, about 49 years ago.<\/p>\n

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Specifications<\/th>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Owner<\/td>\nCraig Eisenberg, Phoenix, AZ<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
BASE MACHINE<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Year<\/td>\n1996<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Model<\/td>\nFXSTS \u2008Springer Softail<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Designer\/Fabricator<\/td>\nPaul Yaffe, American Legend Motorcycle Co. Phoenix, AZ 85016 602\/266-8226<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PAINT AND CHROME<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Molding<\/td>\nMiguel\u2019s Psycle Paint<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Base paint<\/td>\nMiguel\u2019s Psycle Paint<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Graphics<\/td>\nDawne Holmes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chroming<\/td>\nSanta Ana Plating<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ENGINE<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Year<\/td>\n1996<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Model<\/td>\nFXSTS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Builder<\/td>\nAmerican Legend Motorcycle Co.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Displacement<\/td>\n80 cu. in.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ignition<\/td>\nScreamin\u2019 Eagle<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Coils\/wires<\/td>\nStock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lower end<\/td>\nStock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cases<\/td>\nStock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pistons<\/td>\nStock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Heads<\/td>\nStock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cam<\/td>\nAndrews EV-46<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lifters<\/td>\nStock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Valves<\/td>\nStock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Carb<\/td>\nRejetted stock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Air Cleaner<\/td>\nMilwaukee Iron<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pipes<\/td>\nModified Samson<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Other Mods<\/td>\nXzotic Panhead rocker covers; heads milled .050\u201d; mild porting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
TRANSMISSION<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Type<\/td>\nStock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Clutch<\/td>\nBarnett Kevlar<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
FRAME<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Year<\/td>\n1996<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Make<\/td>\nH-D<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Type<\/td>\nFXSTS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Builder<\/td>\nAmerican Legend<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Modifications<\/td>\nMolded<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
FRONT FORK<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Year<\/td>\n1996<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Make<\/td>\nH-D<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Type<\/td>\nFXSTS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Modifications<\/td>\nWidened<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
FRONT WHEEL\/TIRE<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wheel<\/td>\nStock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tire<\/td>\nDunlop whitewall<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tire size<\/td>\n16\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rim width<\/td>\n3\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Brake<\/td>\nStock caliper, RC\u2008Comp rotors<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
REAR WHEEL\/TIRE<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wheel<\/td>\nStock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tire<\/td>\nDunlop whitewall<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tire size<\/td>\n16\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rim width<\/td>\n3\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Brake<\/td>\nStock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ACCESSORIES<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Handlebar<\/td>\nWhite Bros. bikini bars<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Risers<\/td>\nStock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fender<\/td>\nPaul Yaffe\/David Farmer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Headlight<\/td>\nHeadwinds<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Taillight<\/td>\nL.E.D.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Speedo<\/td>\nStock, face-plate graphics by Dawne Holmes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gas tank<\/td>\nAmerican Legend<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oil Tank<\/td>\nStock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Primary cover<\/td>\nStock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Seat<\/td>\nTop Notch<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mirrors<\/td>\nAeromach<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Footpegs<\/td>\nCyclesmiths<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Foot controls<\/td>\nJay Brake<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Grips<\/td>\nJay Brake<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Other<\/td>\nFender struts by Cyclesmiths; Custom aluminum dashboard by MacDandy, side-mount license-plate bracket by Beyond Bolt On<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Admiration for Art Deco led to this beautifully sleek custom Harley. Kirk Willis This article was originally published in the April-May 1997 issue of Cycle World’s Big Twin magazine. “A ’48 Panhead is what a motorcycle should look like,” says Craig Eisenberg of Phoenix, Arizona. “I don’t care for the sleek new stuff at all.” […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":45405,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5043],"tags":[4646,970,13,4,4728,81],"motorcycle_parts":[],"motorcycle_models":[5074],"motorcycle_builders":[],"motorcycle_gear":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6720"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6720"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6720\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6720"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6720"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6720"},{"taxonomy":"motorcycle_parts","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motorcycle_parts?post=6720"},{"taxonomy":"motorcycle_models","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motorcycle_models?post=6720"},{"taxonomy":"motorcycle_builders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motorcycle_builders?post=6720"},{"taxonomy":"motorcycle_gear","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motorcycle_gear?post=6720"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}