Several out-of-the- country bike builders have recently contacted Bikernet. About 25 percent of our readership ride outside the United States. And we have no objection to featuring the riding styles, events, or bikes from any country. We recently received an e-mail from Craig at Denco Cycles in Surrey, B.C., Canada. Here’s what he had to say about this Harman hot rod classic:
“Bandit, here are some pics of our Harman 120-incher. One of our customers had it built in the late ’80s or early ’90s by Kenny Boyce after John died. We stripped it down, went through the engine, stripped, and powder-coated the frame and wheels, built a custom pipe and that was that. Bike goes like a raped ape, stands straight up and down in second gear.
“Cool racy stuff, dominator five-speed, pro-street frame, magnesium wheels, Marzocchi front end, hollow axles, all lightweight go-fast goodies. I see the occasional Harman engine out there, but have never seen a complete bike built with all their parts. We are thinking about selling it, looking for $25,000 obo.”
I was intrigued by the hot rod and reached out to Craig and the recent owner Travis Baker. Here’s the company plug:
With a Denco storefront reflecting the period architecture of downtown Cloverdale, you could almost walk by without noticing this motorcycle shop that’s been a part of the local economy for many years. Denco Cycle, a full-service facility, has serviced Harley Davidsons for customers across the Lower Mainland in Cloverdale for more than 32 years.
Denco Cycle was founded in 1978 by Dennis Mark in his mother’s garage. When his business outgrew the backyard shop, he moved Denco to its current location, renting a small section of the building from Valley Auto Supply.
As the years passed, Dennis’ business grew and acquired more space in the building. Eventually, popularity and success required Denco to expand into the full 3500- square-foot building.
Denco has a rich history with the Canadian Motorcycle Drag Racing Association. The staff has built and raced its own bikes in the past, and remains involved as a sponsor of various racers, events, and class trophies.
Denco offers a combination of parts and service, and prides itself in combining knowledge of classic bikes with current technology. They specialize in Big Twin and Sportster, and sell a variety of new and used Harley-Davidson parts. The shop is well-known for its selection of stocked parts.
I called Travis and we spoke of FXRs, drag racing, and the previous owner, Dennis, who owned and operated Denco Cycle for 20 years until he died in a horrific motorcycle accident in 1998.
“He was an unassuming man, who rode like his hair was on fire,” Travis said.
Dennis had a previous accident and lost the use of his left arm and for the most part, it hung at his side. He modified his bike to have the use of his clutch lever over his throttle. He still rode so fast that customers who spotted their favorite shop owner in public could never catch him.
After the racing legacy Dennis built for over two decades came to a screeching halt, a couple of mechanics picked up the reigns including Dave Monk. In ’02, Travis Baker, a young business-educated customer who rode his first Shovelhead into Denco Cycle for service, when he was only 17, bought the shop in 2002. Since then, he has doubled the size to 7000 square feet in 2008.
Travis and his crew continue to pride themselves in their abilities to rebuild early engines and turn Shovelheads into Evo internalized performance engines. With longtime, well-respected Dave the Monk, or “Monkey Man,” at the helm of the engine-rebuilding center, they refurbish Knuckleheads, too. And now, they have a dyno room and have stepped up their Twin Cam performance modifications over the last decade.
Big fans of FXRs, they own at least 10, between staff and shop bikes. Because Dennis was a major supporter of the Canadian Drag Racing Association, drag bikes and 10-second Pro Street FXRs are second nature to this gang of speed demons. They also take care of the Sportster enthusiast locally and hop up any XL that rolls through the shop.
After Travis attended business college, he ran his own landscaping and scrap metal businesses before the Denco staff convinced him that he could make a bundle owning and operating a custom bike shop in the 450,000-strong city of Surrey, in the historic Rodeo community of Cloverdale.
“I still laugh about that,” Travis said, “But what could be better. We love what we do.”
Bikernet.com Extreme Denco Tech Chart
Regular Stuff
Owner: DENCO CYCLE
Bike Name: HARMAN 120
City/State: SURREY
Builder: PRO STREET CHASSIS WORKS
Company Info: Denco Cycle
Address: 5834-176th st, Surrey BC Canada
Phone: 604-574-3610
Web site: www.dencocycle.com
E-mail: info@dencocycle.com
Engine
Year: 1990
Make: pro-street
Model: 5-speed
Displacement: 120-inch
Builder or Rebuilder: Denco Cycle
Cases: Harman
Case finish: natural
Barrels: iron
Bore: 4 3/8”
Pistons: arias
Barrel finish: black
Lower end: Harley
Stroke: 3 31/32
Rods: Carillo
Heads: Harman
Head finish: Natural
Valves and springs: Huge
Pushrods: v-thunder
Cams: Andrews B
Lifters: v-thunder
Carburetion: dual Mikuni 42’s
Air cleaner: K&N
Exhaust: Custom Thunderheader
Transmission
Year: 1990
Make: Harley
Gear configuration: 5 speed
Final drive: 1-1
Primary: FXR
Clutch: Harley
Frame
Year: 1990
Builder: Harman
Style or Model: pro-st 5 speed
Stretch: 2”
Front End
Make: Marzocci
Model: Conventional dual disk
Year: 1990
Sheet metal
Tanks: stretch
Fenders: fiberglass
Oil tank: softail style
Paint
Sheet metal: D&B Custom
Molding: D&B
Base coat: Charcoal
Graphics: D&B
Type: House of Colour
Frame: Powdercoat
Graphics: Magenta
Wheels
Front
Make: Magnesium
Size: 19 x 2.15”
Brake calipers: PM
Brake rotor(s): Custom
Tire: Avon
Rear
Make: Magnesium
Size: 18 x 5.5”
Brake calipers: PM
Brake rotor: Custom
Sprocket: 49T
Tire: Avon
Controls
Foot controls: Custom
Finish: Aluminum
Master cylinder: PM
Brake lines: braided
Handlebar controls: PM
Finish: Polish
Clutch Cable: Hydraulic
Brake Lines: Black
Shifting: Foot
Kickstand: Yes
Electrical
Ignition: Compufire
Ignition switch: Automotive style
Coils: dual Dyna
Regulator: Yep
Charging: 22 amp
Wiring: basic
Harness: minimal
Headlight: 5 =
Taillight: Sparto
Accessory lights: N/A
Electrical accessories: N/A
Switches: hi/low
Battery: 12v
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What’s Left
Seat: Leather
Mirror(s): Nope
Gas caps: pop-up
Handlebars: Dyna
Grips: Knurled
Pegs: Rubber
Oil filter: Yes
Oil cooler: No
Oil lines: Black Rubber
Fuel filter: No
Fuel Lines: Black Rubber
Throttle: Custom dual throttle assy
Throttle cables: Black
Fasteners: Allen
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Credits: Sourkraut Cycle, D&B paint, Dave Monk
