Building a 2002 HD Softail into the Ultimate Vicla

For over 20 years, David Fuentes has been representing New Class Car Club. Over the past few decades he’s built everything from a 1979 Trans Am, a few Euros, and a good sampling of lowriders. So when it came time to create his latest project, he knew he had to push the envelope and go deep.

As time would have it, he would eventually decide to fulfill a childhood dream and build a lowrider-style Vicla. In doing so he was the first in his club to build a bike, so the accompanying pressure of building yet another masterpiece was strong.

After some searching, he finally found the right bike to start with: a 2002 custom Softtail. Though it already came with some modifications, it just wasn’t what he had in mind. David was looking to build something with a little bit more of a gangster lean, and in order to achieve that, many modifications were needed.

Custom pulleys, rear struts, stretched gas tank, and an Arlen Ness rear fender was just enough to get this project started. From there he went to Hellbilly Choppers where they would create one-of-a-kind, hand-tooled leather handgrips and a seat in a two-toned stained finish with accenting black stitching. With Krazy Kutting adding their signature engraving throughout the bike, a Samson 42-inch Cholo Style exhaust was then bolted onto the Rev Tech engine. The showcase of this build was placed in the hands of longtime friend, Jesse BrenaNew Class Shop. There, he would lay down a unique blend of House of Kolor Candy Apple Red with ghost patterns and pinstriped gold leaf accents by Bugs Auto Art.

Finalizing the project were numerous custom accessories from Kuryakyn Accessories and a fresh set of 60-spoke wire wheels with 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels mounted onto Avon whitewalls tires. “I wanted the bike to resemble an old vintage fire truck,” David says, and that vision came as a result of him being a fireman and paramedic for the Somerton/Cocopah Fire Department.