JOHN SHOPE'S DIRTY BIRD CONCEPTS WORLDS BEST BOSS GIVES SUPER SURPRISE

Hot on the heels of his success at creating one-of-a-kind custom baggers at Dirty Bird Concepts in Phoenix, Arizona, motorcycle mastermind John Shope came up with the next great idea: the Dirtytail. These Softail-based customs not only look incredible, they do the one thing that no stock Softail has ever done, namely, offer decent handling.

- Dave Nichols

“These bikes are something I’m very proud of,” John says. “They are comfortable and handle really well.” The Dirtytails can convert the entire Softail line, From Evos to M-8’s, into the motorcycle of your dreams. And they can be designed in a variety of looks, from lowriders that are a nod to the Cholo bikes seen in East L.A., to pavement pounding racers, to wide tire moto-mavericks, even to old school chop jobs with panhead covers and spoked wheels. All marry the love of Shovelhead FLH bikes that included rear shocks rather than a Softail swingarm for a low, lean look. And did we mention they ride and handle great? With over a million Softails on the road today, John Shope has the answer for turning your tired stocker into a head-turning temptress. Any Softail can become a Dirtytail.

The bike you are drooling at here was the very first Evo-powered Dirtytail that John built. But there’s more to this story. Y’see, John has an employee who has consistently gone above and beyond to help John and the company to flourish. Rob Martinez has been with John for over eight years, and chances are, if you’ve called Dirty Bird Concepts, Rob is the guy who answered the phone and got you handled. Anyway, Rob bought a 1999 Harley Heritage Softail with just 5,000 miles on the clock with the hopes of turning it into a Dirtytail someday. He even had a photo of a candy apple red paintjob that he was dreaming about.