On the cover of  of Throttler Magazine again.  It's an awesome feeling  to see your work featured in a magazine!  But the best feeling is being able to create and bring to life what someone dreams up for their perfect ride.

     Tim Carlson, owner of Carlson Customs & Repair, knows a thing or two about the art and refinement of custom-built motorcycles.  Carlson has owned and operated the custom shop out of Atkins, IA, since the early 1990s. 

     What started out as a shop to support his love of drag racing Harley-Davidson motorcycles grew into a full-blown bike custom shop.  The racer-turned-inventor has been busy over the years designing and manufacturing quality performance aftermarket parts and also ground-up builds of custom bikes. 

     "I love to do things that are outside the norm and challenge me," Carlson says, "This seems to have become our policy which is:  If you can dream it, I'll try to make it."

     Back in 1997, while tinkering around with a Harley Sportster in his shop, he came up with a method to fatten up the rear end and tire.  He designed a kit that minimized the necessary alterations to the stock components and found a way to simplify the installation of a 240mm tire on the back of the Sporty. 

     "I'm one of those guys that can't leave anything stock," explains Carlson.  This obsession with improving upon what's already good enough for some was the catalyst for his unique fat-tire kit for the Sportster.  Once he completed this conversion on his own bike, he tooled around town and ran across several Sporty riders who liked what they saw.   The next thing Carlson knew, his fat-tire admires became his customers. 

     "After people started seeing it around, they wanted one for their Sporty," he says.  Judging from the response that I was getting

I decided to start marketing them."

     Carlson's marketing efforts have taken hold in the industry.  He now has claim to a world-wide base of direct customers as he sells his kit across the globe, and has also partnered with distributors in the United States, France, and Italy. 

     He's also passionate about the tech service that his shop provides to his customers.  "If a customer has a question about the insulation of a kid, I can walk them through any questions they may have," he says.

     With quality being the main objective, another goal that Carlson had while designing his kit was to make it as easy to install as possible. 

     "We don't just sell the kits, we install them as well," he explains, so it was important to Carlson that the kit was pratical, simple and easy-to-install.  The only major modifications on the kit are the removal of the stock fender supports, which require the welding on of the new ones included in the kit. 

     The kits come in two versions:  one is for '91-'03 models (which comes in 2" or 3" stretch and can hold up to a 240mm tire), and the other is for '04 and up models ( with a 2" stretch and can use either a 240mm or a 250mm tire).

     Carlson's conversion kit, complete with installation, will generally run between $2800 and $3500 dollars, depending on the wheel style, tires, etc. that a customer picks out -  which is a bargain for that much beef on the rear - let alone a completely new look, attitude, and upgrade to any stock Sportster.

     Carlson Customs has a lot of other innovative stuff in the works as well. 

     "We also have a new thing we're doing: it's a patented process that I call "Sprocket Cut"  cylinder fin cutting," explains Carlson.  "Basically I cut the edge of the fins on the cylinders and heads to make each fin look like a chain sprocket."  This unique modification adds some cool cosmetic effect to a bike and costs only $300 for a 2 cylinders and heads, he adds. 

     Carlson's custom-bike builds are collaborative, to say the least. 

     "On our custom bikes the customer is involved in all aspects of the build," he says, "They pick the design of the bike they want and the parts they want to used, and I take their thoughts and make it reality."

     For a sampling of Carlson's custom builds, check out the cover of the March '09 edition of Throttler magazine, which was painted by a studio in Cedar Rapids, IA. 

     Lastly, Carlson threatens to have more in the works that he'll be bringing to market later this summer, so keep your eyes open for more good things from this creative and innovative custom shop.