If you live in the Bismarck/Mandan area there’s a chance you may have seen this bike on the streets. At first look you might have thought you passed some sort of outlaw biker from the 60s. Actually, who you passed was a fellow by the name of Ryan Savenko. If you’ve ever met him you know he’s not really an outlaw, but actually one of the nicest guys you’ll ever know. He’s also got a super cool custom Harley that started life as a 2002 Softail. Gasoline recently stopped by Ryan’s shop to check it out.
The bike hardly resembles any sort of stock Harley you’d find in the dealership these days. Instead, with numerous parts stripped off and a few new ones tastefully added to suit his style, Ryan’s bike looks like it may have been born in the early 60s instead of only a few years ago. The only hint is the modern twin cam engine that adds power and reliability that bikers 50 years ago could only dream of.
The simplicity of Ryan’s bike may be what makes it so eye-catching. Simple, on the other hand, may not be the best word to describe riding this machine. Maybe one of the coolest features is the jockey shift setup with foot clutch. If you’re not familiar with this, the clutch is operated with your left foot and shifting is accomplished via your left hand with a short shifter located below the seat area on the left side of the bike. Now go ahead and take away the front brake. Think for a minute… That leaves both feet pretty busy as you pull up to a stoplight unless that sucker’s in neutral. How many people do you know with the cojones to ride a bike like that? Ryan Savenko does it. Respect.
