Breaking free

Born in East Germany, the doors to the world were thrown open for Christian Blechinger when the Berlin Wall finally fell in 1989. Here he shares how a Softail® Deluxe has helped him make the most of this freedom

My passion for motorcycles, and specifically Harley-Davidson, began in childhood in East Germany, watching the movie C.C. and Company, starring Joe Namath, on my little black-and-white TV. A few years later, in 1989, the unbelievable happened: the Berlin Wall came down. The borders opened. At the age of 17, a life of unimagined possibilities began for me.

Owning a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle would remain a dream for some time for financial reasons. But my two-wheeled life in the free world started in earnest with a series of second-hand, smaller engine models. As a trained automotive mechanic, I did a lot of work on the bikes myself and customised them as much as I could. Through this, I was able to learn what looks great, in my opinion, and what’s actually rideable in the end. This was important as it is not uncommon for me to ride 180 to 250 miles (300 to 400km) a day. Then in 2013, after years of saving up and professional growth, the opportunity to buy a Harley® had finally arrived, and I chose the classic Softail® Deluxe, in black.

After the first season, I replaced the handlebar, exhaust and wheels, and added a sissy bar and pillion seat so my wife or son could ride along. Then in the winter of 2016-2017, I embarked on the next project with the help of a friend. This resulted in a larger front wheel, a high handlebar and a new black-and-white paint scheme. ‘Il Cattivo’, as I named it (‘The Bad’), was born! Many adventures followed over the next couple of years, from local tours of the south of France to a 1,050-mile (1,700-km), 22-hour Iron Butt Challenge in 2018 and the Harley-Davidson 115TH Anniversary event in Prague, Czech Republic, that same year.

It was also in 2018 that I met Milena and Claudio from Harley Davidson® Verona in Italy. The work on Claudio’s motorcycles fascinated me; he has such a flair and feeling for shapes and colours. We kept in touch over the years, and in 2021 I asked Claudio to rebuild my Deluxe, putting the bike into his capable hands.

My requirements were that it be green with a brown leather seat; the wheels were to be kept as they were; and the bike would continue to be suitable for touring, with saddlebags and removable pillion seat and sissy bar. The work began at Harley-Davidson Verona in late summer 2021, with the bike first being completely disassembled, including the engine and gearbox. Six hundred hours later, everything had been reworked, chromed, ground, polished or painted. There are 22 coats of clear varnish on the bike alone, with the colour going from light green to dark green depending on the light. The result is simply overwhelming.

When I finally received the bike in June 2022, I intended to only take a short ride to begin with. But it rode so brilliantly that I just kept going on and on from Lake Garda to Lake Idro to the Maniva Pass and Croce Domini Pass.

I love riding my Harley®. The bike and I are one; just us and the landscape, the freedom. No mobile phone rings – only the sound of my Big Twin.

I often think about the gift that was given to me. I’ve seen many countries and met great people with this Softail Deluxe, which was unthinkable before the opening of the Wall. My motorcycle makes me humble and, at the same time, infinitely happy. ■

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