DP Customs 79 Gulf

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DP Custom 79 Gulf

This is a ’79 ironhead, but with a totally different vibe. According to DP’s Justin Del Prado, “We started with the idea of building a low slung, stripped down bobber and wanted to incorporate some ideas from the classic Steve McQueen movie Le Mans. We really love that race era, and try to let it show through some of our bikes.” DP tore the stock ’79 apart, chopped the frame and hard-tailed the rear. (“This keeps the factory numbers vs. going with an off-the-shelf aftermarket frame.”) The bike sits 4″ lower and longer than stock. DP laced the wheels (21″ and 16″), built the exhaust, and created the paint and graphics with simplicity in mind. “We’re not into cluttered bikes with too much going on.”

The motor is basically stock with electronic ignition and a performance coil. It ran well to begin with, so DP just cleaned it up and replaced all the seals. The rims and handlebars are powdercoated, while the rest of the bike is painted. Anything that started out polished was worked over with abrasives to tone it down and give the bobber a raw, vintage feel. “Because of its ride height and rigid frame, it’s obviously not made for road racing or cross country tours,” says Del Prado. “It was built for shorter rides around town in nice weather. However, the Biltwell solo seat is so comfortable, you could ride this bike longer than you would think.”