If you are not hanging out with Chop Cult then you're probably Instagramming. Instagram has become all the rage for self promotion, new businesses and friendships. Your photos basically showcase your interests, talents and for some, your dietary intake. Josh’s feed enticed me as he takes a lot of photos of weekend road trips, his friends and his bike. He seems to be enjoying the simplicity of life and really enjoys his bike. A concept that many internet outlaws seem to forget, a bike isn’t built for the masses, it's built for the individual. 

Photos by Luke Severson

I have the same song and dance as a lot of other folks out there. Picked up this 1976 Ironhead last summer for a screaming deal. I have no fabrication skills what so ever, so I do my best to make what I can. I’m not concerned with it looking perfect, or being clean and shiny. I ride this bike rain or shine, every single day and I like it looking haggard and rough around the edges.

When I got it, it was as stock as it was from 76. Rode it like that for a while to get a feel for an old, heavy piece of metal that rolls down the road. Started picking up pieces here and there, making things from whatever I could find lying around. This whole bike has been a trial by error experience, figuring out what works and what doesn't. How to make a proper mount, or how to weld something solid so it doesn't fly off at 65 mph and almost take one of your buddies heads off. The things I make are crooked, sharp and don't last very long but at least I make them right?

Buying/trading parts online, at swaps, from friends. Spending hours making a mount that would take a normal fabricator a few minutes. Asked every stupid question you could ask, and reading every forum you could read trying to figure this thing out. Have buddies help me fix it, and point me in the right direction. Its crazy the amount of information you'll learn when you're forced to fix it yourself.

Put on longer fork tubes, and then longer ones after that. Put on skinny bars, and then skinner ones after that. A few different seats, head lights, tail lights, dents, scratches and dirt and its at a point where I'm pretty stoked on it.

I’ve been broken down, stranded in the cold, wanted to hulk smash this thing more than I'd like to admit. But this machine has made me love motorcycles more than I ever thought I could. Stoked on the good times I've had on it, and excited for the next ones to come.

Owner name, location: Josh Barraza, Madison WI

Bike name:  Brujeria

Engine, year and make, model, modifications: 1976 Harley Davidson XLH1000. Modifications: I fix what breaks, make brackets out of bed frames, zip tie instead of screw and try to make it look like I somewhat know what I'm doing.

Fork: 6 over Kayaba fork tubes and sliders

Chassis mods: Few extra holes and rust. I like keeping it a swing arm. One of my favorite bikes of all time is swing arm, so this bike will stay un-hardtailed

Tire/wheel size and style: Front wheel is a 21" American made spool with an Avon Speedmaster 3.0, Rear tire is 18"

Favorite thing about this bike: It’s sketchy, super unsafe, doesn't stop worth a damn and I love everything about it.

Next modification will be: Selling it to get a shovel or pan project. Hustle and bustle

Other mods, accessories, cool parts, etc: Sissy bar found at some backwoods po-dunk WI swap meet, tail light head light, Pierce Street king and queen seat (Thanks Dusty @mke_choppy_boy), swing arm horse shoe oil tank, original AMF tank and all the other little trinkets.

Thanks to my fiancé Dierdre, and all my amigos for helping me along the way. Luke.  Jesse (Bruce  Lee), Chris, Jake, Robb, Cade, Spencer, Branden,  all of The Valley Dudes (Dusty, Justin, Ralph, John, Dana, Donny) Cory from Capital City Tattoo and LostCause Engineering. Corey and Bryan from WiscoKid Clothing, Honda from Mad City Motorcycle Service and all the random, old, mean swap meet dudes.

Josh recently sold this bike and is already purchased his next project, a 49' Pan Shovel. Be sure to follow him on Instagram