14 April.pdf April 2014 | Page 65

surgery. A frame cutting was in order to allow the installation of a 26” front wheel and tire along with a new front fender. An HHI front end topped with Sinister Industries handle bars with new levers and grips completed round one of the scooter’s renovations. Lonnie picked up his bike, and Hard Core Customs had yet another satisfied customer, and a new friend. It wasn’t long until Lonnie decided it was time to take the bike to its ultimate state. He originally thought that he could live with a rear wheel that didn’t match the big 26” unit out front...but he was wrong. The Road Glide was going to have to make the trip south once again. Now here is a little customer service lesson for you, Eddie’s Northland Tow happened to have a truck heading north to drop off some steel. Kevin made a couple of calls and worked out the logistics to have that same truck pick up Lonnie’s bike and bring it back to his shop in Gladstone. It’s easy to send a trailer across town to pick up a bike for service, but this little jaunt, on the other hand, was truly a demonstration of how to take care of a customer. During round two of the makeover, the bike gained a rear wheel that matched the big 26", a stretched fuel tank to clean up its lines, a chin spoiler, a custom seat, chromed hand controls, air ride suspension, LED lights out back and a Daymaker head lamp up front, along with a few other assorted odds and ends. When Lonnie made the trip down to pick up his finished machine, to say he was pleased is to say the Titanic was just a big boat. As a matter of fact, he was so pleased that he started sharing the story of his totally impressing experience with Hard Core Customs. Somebody must have been listening; the President of Lonnie’s club has his bike at Hard Core Customs for a full blown custom job, right now as I write t