Article by Chris Callen

Photos: Bob Vitti

There are two kinds of FXR guys. The first group buys one because everybody says it’s the Harley to have. The second group has owned enough of them to know exactly why they’re special. Rick Abate definitely falls into the second camp.

Ask Rick what he builds and the answer comes quick. “I build ‘87 FXRs. That’s my niche.”

So when a clean, low-mileage 1987 FXRP came along, Rick wasn’t looking at an old police bike—he was looking at his next project.

The bike showed just 10,000 miles, and the previous owner had already freshened up the engine. Rick gave it a thorough inspection, liked what he saw, and traded one of his Dynas without a second thought. The seller even asked if he was sure he wanted to make the deal. He was.

The FXRP that rolled into Rick’s garage looked nothing like the motorcycle you see here. T-bars, a windshield, bargain-bin accessories and mismatched parts hid what was actually a solid foundation. Before turning a wrench, Rick spent weeks cleaning years of grime off the bike. Only then did he tear it completely down.

Like so many custom projects, what started as a cleanup quickly snowballed into a full rebuild. The wiring was a mess, nearly every fastener had been replaced at some point, and it became obvious this motorcycle deserved much more than a cosmetic makeover.

Rick wasn’t interested in building another performance-style FXR with towering T-bars. His vision was long, low, clean and traditional—the kind of motorcycles that first made him fall in love with the platform. A classic Ness fairing immediately established that timeless profile, while a chance encounter at Cycle Visions supplied the perfect set of spoke wheels. They belonged to his friend John, who refused to sell them. Instead, he simply handed them over with one request.

“I just want to see the finished bike.”

The centerpiece of the motorcycle is the one-off fuel tank. Working with Paul Yaffe of Bagger Nation, Rick transformed a center-fill donor tank with sculpted knee cutouts and a hand-built concave dash unlike anything else on the bike. Rick wasn’t convinced about the dash at first, but Paul urged him to trust the process. Once he saw it finished, there was no turning back.

Like any true custom part, the tank fought back during assembly. The internal fuel pickup had to be shortened before the petcock would fit correctly, proving once again that one-off fabrication always comes with a few surprises. Paul completed all of the finish metalwork himself before the tank headed to paint.

Reliability was just as important as appearance. Randy Aron at Cycle Visions completely rewired the bike, while a Mikuni HSR42 and final tuning by Tommy Spears gave the engine the performance Rick was after.

That goal came from another motorcycle Rick still misses—a red FXRP he called “The Bully.” It was the kind of bike that always started, always ran, and never let him down. Selling it remains one of his biggest motorcycle regrets, and this build became his opportunity to capture that same confidence again.

Rick also kept the project affordable by selling every take-off part. Bars, windshield, exhaust, lights and everything else found new homes, helping offset nearly half the cost of the build.

When it came time for paint, Rick had one idea while Jeff Styles had another. After looking at Rick’s sketches, Jeff offered a simple observation.

“That doesn’t look like one of your bikes.”

He was right.

Rick stepped back and let Jeff take the lead. Mercedes-Benz Brilliant Silver became the base before black tint added depth and thin yellow striping tied everything together. The paint complements the handcrafted bodywork instead of competing with it, exactly the understated look Rick was after.

Carbon fiber accents, a custom Saddlemen seat, Performance Machine brakes and a Trask Performance Assault exhaust complete the package without overwhelming the motorcycle. Every part has a purpose, and nothing feels out of place.

That’s what makes this FXRP so successful. It isn’t trying to reinvent the platform or chase the latest trend. It’s simply a beautifully executed traditional FXR built by someone who understands exactly why these motorcycles have earned such a loyal following.

The FXR Saved Harley’s Reputation

The FXR debuted in 1982, just months after Harley-Davidson’s management bought the company back from AMF. Harley desperately needed a motorcycle that proved they could engineer—not just style—a world-class machine. The FXR became that motorcycle. It wasn’t just another Super Glide; it represented Harley’s return to serious engineering.

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