Carry DeJong is a 30-something mother of two with no tattoos I'm aware of. She doesn't favor the kind of girlie fashions that can pigeonhole less self-confident chopper chicks into any number of trendy subcultures you might think of. Carry's cooler than two Fonzies, but she's also so demure she'll never rub your nose in it. Mrs. DeJong's '86 XL is the kind of motorcycle any old dirt tracker might ride if said racer were married to a crusty BMXer with a shed full of dirt-bike parts and a ton of spare time.
I intended to photograph Carry with her beloved street tracker, but she preferred to stay home with her kids while I scooted around town with her husband and the bike's builder, Paul deJong. Paul's nowhere near as lovely as his wife, and one nice Dutch gentleman said as much during our ride. A passerby who had to be in his sixties took one look at Paul's beard and guessed my friend's age at 67. Paul is barely 45, so needless to say the grizzled chin music came off the next morning.
Regarding the vintage of Carry's Sportster, even an expert would be hard pressed to guess correctly. Its four-speed tranny might be a giveaway, but on first glance this super-clean street tracker looks much fresher than its 25 years. Paul has done a great job grafting late-model dirt bike parts to his wife's motorcycle, and the combination of KTM front end and tasteful bodywork keeps you guessing. I got to ride the Hoodlum Society XL on wet Holland cobblestones, and it was a blast.
Thanks again to Carry for letting me take out her baby, and to Paul and Maurice for showing me the Dutch countryside.
Builder: Paul De Jong, Hoodlum Society
Location: Aarle-Rixtel, Netherlands
Frame year, make and model: 1986 H-D XLH1100
Engine year, make and model: 1986 H-D XLH1100 with four-speed tranny
Fork: 2003 KTM SX125 legs, Universal CNC'ed alloy triple clamps and bar mount; shortened the springs, added thicker fork oil
Front wheel specs: 36-spoke KTM SX125 hub with 19-inch rear rim off the same KTM; stainless-steel Haan spokes; Dunlop non-DOT K180 100/90-19 dirt track knobby
Rear wheel specs: 40-spoke H-D rear hub with stainless-steel Haan spokes and 19-inch rim; Dunlop K180 130/90-19 tire
Bodywork: XR750 style polyester seat/fender unit with Corbin seat; 6-liter fuel tank with vented alloy cap
Painter: Royal Jack Custom
Home-fabbed bits: taillight bracket; tank and seat mounts; number plate brackets; headlight installation and brackets; machined fork steer tube to fit H-D neck and bearings
Aftermarket parts: Motomaster Enduro front disc caliper; Universal clutch lever modified to fit stock H-D clutch cable; ODI BMX grips; VDO speedometer; homemade numerals on the stamped alloy number plates
Thanks: the old Universal MX guys Drew and Mike D., Royal Jack for the awesome paint, Haan Wheels, JH MX service, Kim Boyle, Mechanic Kees and Evel Knievel for the inspiration
For more info on Paul's secret chopper lifestyle, visit his blog.
me
Hollingdrake
Loffer
mjasen10
Ansutton21
davidabl
PAULDJ
That guy told me he was 63 and almost ready for retirement, I told him I'm from '67 and thought my AGE was 67....Got rid of the beard the next day, no more hair on my chin again hahaha. Bike is at the shop for a new 42 Mikuni carburator and special air filter set up. Thanks for the nice comments so far, really appreciate that.
Lbfam730
Shovelzilla
Hillbillywolf
Diablo
chief
otherwise, sweet story jet again!
once you are back in the Netherlands, give me a holler, and i'll provide you with some more bikes for you to ride and write!
we are a small country, but we build cool shit out here! (maybe because weed is publicly on sale out here!)
dertyD
deadcityrider