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Some custom motorcycle builders are drawn to the simplicity of vintage machines, while others favor the performance and reliability of modern motorcycles. The 2005-model Harley Softail Deuce sits somewhere in the middle.
Officially named the Harley-Davidson Softail FXSTD, the mid-naughties Deuce featured Harley’s new (at the time) Twin Cam V-twin engine and disc brakes, but hadn’t yet adopted fuel injection or a pesky CAN bus system. That, combined with its relatively minimalist build, made it the perfect candidate for Wojciech Aleksiejuk’s latest custom build.
Based in Warsaw, Poland, Wojciech worked at a Harley specialist shop for a few years before branching out independently, under the banner of Demiurge Cycles. Building custom bikes had been a hobby up until this point—but now that Wojciech had turned it into a full-time gig, he wanted to create something that could showcase his abilities.
With a few classic Harley builds under his belt already, he figured it was time to try something newer. That’s where the Harley Softail Deuce came in.
Wojciech’s vision called for a slammed and stripped-down bobber, laced with vintage- and Frisco-cruiser influences. His first step was to tear the Softail down to its frame and engine, and then bin its bodywork and rear fender struts. Next, it was time to fine-tune its stance.
The front end now sports a replica H-D springer fork, with a Samwel Supplies brake disc kit and Avon Speedmaster tire adorning the Softail’s 21” front wheel. Wojciech installed a lowering kit at the opposite end of the bike, and swapped the solid OEM wheel for a 16” laced hoop, with Heidenau P29 rubber.
From there it was onto one of the most challenging jobs on the list. Wojciech wanted to move the foot controls to a mid-mounted position—an option that wasn’t available on the mid-2000s Softail, mainly due to how its shifter linkages were routed behind the primary cover. To get around this, Wojciech modified the inner and outer primary covers so that the shifter linkage could pass through them.
On the right-hand side of the bike, the rear brake master cylinder had to be relocated to accommodate the new foot peg placement. Finally, new controls and brackets for both sides were pieced together from a smorgasbord of scalped Dyna components, plus a few CNC-machined parts. Vintage Bates-style pegs from Biltwell Inc. complete the set.
The Softail’s fresh bodywork is a judicious blend of aftermarket and bespoke bits. A Lowbrow Customs tank is perched atop the frame, equipped with a Lowbrow gas cap and a Prism Supply Co. petcock. The solo seat is a one-off, as is the wiring cover that sits below it, while a modified trials-style fender sits against the rear wheel.
The cockpit wears a custom-made yoke and polished stainless steel risers, along with a set of swooping, narrow handlebars. They’re fitted with Kustom Tech grips and a Biltwell mirror, with a Motogadget speedo mounted lower down, where the tank meets the seat. There’s nary a wire in sight, with everything hidden inside the bars and frame tubes.
Wojciech also specced the Softail with a Prism carb bracket, choke, and mini ignition, along with a Lowbrow air cleaner and breather bolts. Twin handmade stainless steel exhausts run parallel to each other, with custom-made baffles hidden inside. Artbrush Workshop laid down the obsidian paint job, with most of the bike’s hard parts Cerakoted black to complement it, and a handful of polished bits to add just the right amount of contrast.
It’s still early days for Demiurge Cycles, but it’s already clear that Wojciech knows his oats. If this Harley Softail Deuce is any indication of what’s to come, you can expect to see a lot more of his work around here.
Demiurge Cycles Instagram | Images by Darek Golik
