Mark Delucia’s has been able to combine power and style and has still been able to retain the bare bones integrity of his beloved 99 Softail Standard.
Mark purchased the bike from Frasers Motorcycles back in 1999 and immediately got to work and took the bike to a good mate Dave who worked from his garage (Dave now owns ‘’Mild and Wild” Prestons Sydney).
Mark was looking for that Old School Hot Rod/ Chopper look. The first thing he changed was the standard handlebars replacing them for 20’’ Ape Hangers. Next was paint and as luck would have it a bloke named Duane Bogus, an airbrush artist specialising in symmetrical flames was in town on a promotional tour for Snap on Tools and took time out to lay down some candy flames on the fuel tank. The rear wheel was replaced with a Performance Machine (PM) Aero Rim. Mark and Dave decided to leave the original 21” spoke rim because it was a fit for that old school look.
With most blokes it would end there but Mark wanted more and decided to respray the bike a Candy Apple Blue but what was to be a re-spray ended up being a ground up rebuild - the motor and transmission was removed and the frame sand blasted.
Mike from Bonnyrigg Smash was given the task of laying down the House of Kolor, Oriental Blue Candy on the new tins and Dave sourced the parts and reassembled the bike.
The rear guard was replaced with a custom fabricated Fatboy guard, with embossed number plate mount and was later fitted with LED indicator strips and a Perspex cove, the front guard made way for an Arlen Ness wrap around guard and a one piece Arlen Ness stretched tank fitted. The tank being one piece makes filling the tank easier but also meant the added task of the relocation of the ignition. The boys opted to mount a late model Twin Cam Dyna 3 position ignition replacing the horn cover.
The rear struts were also customised, the boys got the standard strut and filled the counter sunk mounting holes with weld and sent the struts to a tool maker who then ground down the welds then milled a bull nose profile to the strut and then the boys mounted Arlen Ness Bull Nose indicators.
The original Ape Bars were replaced with Burleigh Bars with internal throttle and the wiring was also run through the bars. The bars were then fitted with PM hand controls, Arlen Ness Rad 2 mirrors and a Screamin Eagle shift light and Dakota digital dash.
A DNA front end with hidden mounts was fitted and the rims were also replaced with Arlen Ness rims, the front has a PM six spot calliper and a matching Arlen Ness Rotor and the rear has a four spot PM calliper and a PM Sprotor (sprocket/brake rotor). The seat was recovered by Dave (Bad Arse Seats).
The motor was handed over to legendary Aussie motor builder Cow @ LA Cycles and the standard 1340 Evo was fitted with the ‘’Full Screamin Eagle Combination, stage 5 Eliminator series overhaul’’, which consist of a SE (Screamin Eagle) 57 Cam, Roller Followers, Roller Rockers, SE quick fit adjustable push rods, SE cylinder heads and manifold, SE 44mm Carburettor and 10:1 forged SE pistons. For its spark a Compu Fire ignition and Dyna coil were fitted. The Evolution motor combination now puts out a credible 90Bhp at the rear wheel and 80ft lbs of torque.
The standard five speed transmission was kept and the primary replaced with a BDL belt drive, the clutch with a PM hydraulic clutch and a Carlini torque arm was also fitted.
The standard exhaust gave way for a $1000 Vance and Hine’s system, only it didn’t work so the boys went back to a Harley System and replaced the aftermarket pipes with a set of Screamin Eagle pipes with crossovers. Forward controls, shift rod and rear pillion pegs are OMP.
Bike customising is in his blood, Mark says and it would be hard to argue 15 years on and Mild and Wild have earned a reputation for turning out some of this country’s best rides. This bike is a numbers matching (Engine, Transmission and Chassis) bike and is a great example of what can be done to a bike without bastardising the bikes integrity.
‘’it’s a passion to customise bikes and it’s the enjoyment you get at the end and looking at it, it’s part of my life and one day I will do something more radical!’’ Mark Delucia.