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Tony Long with his Harley CafĆ© Racer.Ā
Bike: Harley-Davidson XLCR
Owner: Tony Long
Hometown: Woodland Hills, Calif.
Occupation: Owner of Iron Head Motors, an XLCR parts supply/restoration business.
Etc: Bought his first XLCR in 1979. Now owns three.
Tony Long readily admits to a love-hate relationship with the Harley-Davidson XLCR, but it's clear he leans more heavily toward the former than the latter. āThe strength of the motorcycle is that no matter where you go on it, it draws a crowd,ā' Long says. āBut they're very, very difficult to ride for a long period of time. They vibrate so badly, they'll put your hands to sleep.ā
Long knows plenty about theĀ good and bad sides of the Harley CafĆ© Racer, having helped restore hundreds through his business, Iron Head Motors of Woodland Hills, Calif. He is president and co-founder of the XLCR Club, which aims to āassure a place in history for these unique motorcycles.ā
āThey came out of a place where nobody wanted them, but now they generate a lot of interest,'' Long says. āYou've got an older crowd who recognize and realize the historical value in these motorcycles, then you've got a new crowd who see something so unique that it captures their imagination.ā
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Tony's love for the Harley-Davidson XLCR spans 26 years.Ā