Flashback: Custom Softail From Rough Crafts is a Stunner
Yet another menacing bike from the good folks at Rough Crafts. Check out this dark visage of menace and speed born from a Rocker right here.
Proud Papa
Rough Crafts' Winston Yeh tried to pitch this bike to customers and unbelievably couldn't get any takers. Okay, we get that this bike sacrifices some practicality for drag-bike looks and slick tires but this thing is awesome. So, after not being able to find any who'd like a creation such as this he went ahead and built it for himself.
Where it all started
The project began after one of Winston's Sportsters became the winner of an AMD World Championship. “The idea was to build the same concept, but with a Softail,” he says. The bike had a girder front end and a spare that Winston had manufactured just in case he needed it.
The non-believers
Following the competition, Winston went back to work but for the next two years kept the project in his mind. That is until he got his hands on a 09 FXCWC Softail Rocker C. Though the Rocker was never a mainstream hit, it has a raked-out neck and spacious swingarm which was just what Winston wanted. So on went the girder front end along with a 23-inch Roland Sands Design Slam wheel in a stealth black finish.
That's quite the rear there
That big betty of a rear wheel is a 15x7 wrapped with a Mickey Thompson ET drag slick tire. Dunlop has the honor if providing a racing slick up front.
Rough Crafts collaborator One Hand Made built the tank and fenders using Winston's style and the stock oil tank was modified to match them. The aforementioned tank, push rod collars, and steering neck all have specially made badges to tip-off to the shop that created this bike.
The rest of the bike reads like a parts catalog from what Rough Crafts has to offer with the lights, handlebars, risers, grips, gas cap, seat and rocker cover. The handlebar controls and throttle are a mix of Rough Crafts bits parts and those of Performance Machine. To keep the rider's feet in a proper place, Winston added his own floorboards with controls from Arlen Ness. “The floorboards sure help for thousand-mile rides,” he quips.
After being completed someone out there saw the light and rightfully purchased the bike from Winston. That just goes to show you that if you believe strongly about something while others don't, just go ahead and do it.
What's in there
The braking at both ends got an upgrade with ISR 4-piston calipers and Lyndall rotors. At the rear, Winston fitted Progressive Suspension shock.
To speed things up there's a Mikuni HSR 45 smoothbore carb and a Performance Machine primary drive. A Bakar DD7 transmission sends the power to the back wheel. Rough Crafts supplied the exhaust system and air cleaner for the machine.
Someone stepped up
The rest of the bike reads like a parts catalog from what Rough Crafts has to offer with the lights, handlebars, risers, grips, gas cap, seat and rocker cover. The handlebar controls and throttle are a mix of Rough Crafts bits parts and those of Performance Machine. To keep the rider's feet in a proper place, Winston added his own floorboards with controls from Arlen Ness. “The floorboards sure help for thousand-mile rides,” he quips.
After being completed someone out there saw the light and rightfully purchased the bike from Winston. That just goes to show you that if you believe strongly about something while others don't, just go ahead and do it.
>>Join the conversation about this 'Dark Cannon' custom Softail right here in HDForums.
For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section in the forum.
