Cienfuegos is the name of my motorcycle. It means "hundred fires" in spanish, which was the name of a historic ranch in northern Mexico. It is a HD, which is (of course) what I've wanted since I first journaled about it in kindergarten. I did travel for a number of years on a Suzuki Intruder which is a great bike -- probably a better bike technologically than the HD. What it is lacking is soul. To a horseman, the soul of a horse is important.
Along the way they acquired horses, the religion of the Plains, a love and possession of the open land. Their nomadic soul was set free. In alliance with the Comanches they held dominion in the southern Plains for a hundred years. In the course of that long migration they had come of age as a people. They had conceived a good idea of themselves; they had dared to imagine and determine who they were. - N. Scott Momaday, The Way to Rainy Mountain
When I acquired Cienfuegos, it was good. It was an FXSTSB made in 1996. The engine had already been properly worked over and the first owner had put around 20k miles on it. Just broken in. Of course, that is where it all starts. My vision for Cienfuegos was inspired by the HD 45s that served in WWII. Basic, raw, capable. I was already accustomed to traveling thousands of miles on a motorcycle, and this one had to hold to the same standard. In fact, it had to be better. At the same time, there was a raw stripped down feeling that was important to me. I emphasized function over form, with some form thrown in. La Virgen de Guadalupe graces the tank panel I made because "it is always well for the horseman to say en el nobre de dios when mounting, because the horseman always has one foot in the sepulchre".
So, here is a list of things I've done to the bike:
- 6 gallon tanks -- yes, I've ridden 300 miles without stopping
- Wrinkle black powdercoated sheet metal. Long before the factory was producing a flat black paint job
- Pinstriping by Kurt Silva (not in picture below)
- 17" rear wheel so I could run Avon Distanzia dual sport tires. I've had these on mud, snow, and ice. Good tires
- Drag bars with taller risers
- Custom seat pan and seat by me
- Custom saddlebags and tool roll by me
- Custom brass sissy bar by me
- West Coast Choppers rear fender, purchased during the famous sale
- Wrapped header
- Removable windvest windshield
- WWII German army headlight
- More black powdercoating
- Ammo can "glove box"
- Canteen mounted where the horn used to be (what precisely is the function of a horn on a motorcycle?)
I'm sure I'm missing lots, but that gives you an idea. This is the bike I did my official Ironbutt (1000 miles in 24 hours) ride on. I find that my passion for motorcycling (biking?) comes and goes. Some years it is more than others, but Cienfuegos does have right around 70k miles on the clock, so I guess it mostly comes. In times when I don't work from home, this is my main commuter vehicle.
