@first.forty.eight has been tearing up the highways in south Florida for the last few years.
His mind-blowing photos and videos (featuring our HALOMAKER Headlight!) instantly caught our attention. We’re excited to have partnered with him for a headlight giveaway (ends Sept 10th, 2022). Click here to enter.
We wanted to learn a little bit more about @first.forty.eight, why he loves riding and customizing Harleys. Also, how he scaled his instagram over 20,000 followers in less than a year.
How did you get into riding motorcycles? What was your first bike?
Motorcycles are something I’ve always been interested in since I was a kid. I always thought dirt bikes and motorcycles were so cool. I didn’t ride anything when I was younger and I actually got my motorcycle license way back in 2008 but I didn’t end up buying a motorcycle until 2020. Long story short my credit wasn’t good enough to get one back then.
I want to apologize because I’m about to get a little too deep here but I’d like to share something that not many people know about me. The biggest reason I finally got a motorcycle was to honor my father who passed away in a motorcycle accident a few years ago. I always wanted to see what he loved so much about riding and now I truly can say I see why. He rode a Harley and that’s another reason I decided to get my Harley.
My first bike is the one I currently have. A 2020 Harley Davidson Forty Eight. I bought it brand new. It’s funny because most of my life I always liked sport bikes and never really Harley’s. Now I love them.
When, how, and where did you get your 48?
I got my 48 as a birthday present to myself two years ago. I decided to treat myself since it was something I always wanted and I had just paid off my car so it was time to finally get one. I got it from Space Coast Harley Davidson in Palm Bay, FL. They gave me an amazing deal! Definitely contact them if you’re looking for a Harley. I drove up 2 hours from Boca Raton, FL to get it because the deal was too good.
Why did you choose your 48?
As I mentioned before I was always interested in sport bikes. I always thought a late 2000’s Yamaha R6 would be my first bike but I remember when I took my motorcycle class at Harley I saw a sportster for the first time and I thought they were pretty cool.
Fast forward over 10 years later I was looking at different motorcycles on Instagram and I remember coming across sportsters again and I loved how you can customize them. You can go so many different directions with the style you like and I loved that about them.
I chose the 48 because I loved the fat tire look with the peanut tank. Funny thing is I hated the stock look of these bikes so much but knowing how cool you can make them be is why I got one. Also a close friend of mine had a 48 and he sold me on getting one.
What’s your favorite part about riding a Harley?
Hands down my favorite part about riding a Harley is the community around it. I’ve made so many amazing friends and had so many amazing experiences that I otherwise wouldn’t have had and I’m so thankful for all of it.
Besides your HOGWORKZ Headlight what other mods and changes have you made to your 48?
The list is too long to write. I’m a little OCD and actually have a full list of all the mods I’ve done to my bike in the notes on my phone.
I will say that other than my headlight, my exhaust and tires are my favorite mod that I’ve done to my bike so far. Anytime anyone has questions about any mods on my bike I always like to help out so just comment on my Instagram picture and ask away.
What's the next upgrade you’re planning for your bike?
The next upgrade I plan to do is to finally chop off this stock rear fender. I hate the look of it so much and I can’t believe I’ve kept it stock for this long. I can’t wait to get this thing chopped. It’s going to look so much better. Then after that I plan to finally paint my tank and do some other minor cosmetic changes.
Favorite road you’ve ridden?
Here in Florida all the roads are flat and straight so we don’t really have any exciting options but my favorite rides are A1A rides along the beach. I’m a big beach person and love cruising alongside the beach on the Harley! I would like to do the tail of the dragon ride sometime.
What’s the biggest lesson motorcycling has taught you?
Motorcycling has taught me to stay alert and ride like you’re invisible. Riding down here in Florida can be very dangerous. So many times people have pulled out in front of me or tried changing into my lane and not seen me so definitely pay attention.
How did you come up with your Instagram name?
I decided to use First.Forty.Eight as a play on the tv show the First 48 since the Harley model is a forty eight and it is my first motorcycle.
Your Instagram page has seen explosive growth over the last year, any advice for other riders trying to grow their social media pages?
Thanks! It’s all surreal to me. My page wouldn’t be what it is without my friends. More on that in the next question. Instagram algorithm can be tricky lately but the formula I use is I make sure to put hashtags relevant to your content in the caption. Also I tag 20 motorcycle pages in the picture. Then I’ll share my posts in stories and tag some pages there as well.
The more people that see your content the more likely they’ll share your content. I also always try my best to respond to anyone that comments on my posts. Staying consistent too and posting content that is true to you. Ohh yeah an occasional giveaway always helps!
You always keep your helmet on and don’t show your face. What is the story behind that?
It was something I knew I would do if I ever made a motorcycle page. I got the idea from musical acts that wore masks or helmets like Slipknot, Hollywood Undead, Daft Punk, Marshmello to name a few. It also has superhero or villain vibes which I like since I’m a big fan of Marvel and DC. I always thought it was a cool look. My end game is to hopefully get a helmet sponsorship.
Your photos/video are always on point, who’s taking all the photos/videos? How did you meet?
My page wouldn’t be what it is today without Nick and Al. If you don’t already make sure you give them a follow on Instagram! Nick is @nickyboys_toyz and Al is @bobberchap / @themotochap. So I met Nick through Instagram. One of his pictures popped up in my explore page and I had just got my bike so I had a question about the size of tank lift he did on this bike. He answered back then we both realized we live nearby so we met up for a ride.
Then he introduced me to Al. Funny thing is I never wanted to make a motorcycle page. I was riding with them and they were taking some pictures. Al asked me if I wanted any and I said no thanks. He persisted and I was like okay but only because I’m wearing Nick’s motorcycle clothing brand (NBT Clothing) so I wanted them to have pictures of the clothes. Now here we are today!
Any motorcycle photography tips?
This is a question better suited for Al aka bobberchap but my tips are try to have fun with it. Be original and be yourself. Try to do something different than what you’ve previously done and what others are doing. Don’t be afraid to try something new.
Any other riders/moto vloggers that inspire you?
Yeah! Nick & Al inspire me so much. It’s been amazing to ride with both of them. Seeing Nick grow NBT Clothing from the beginning has been amazing to see. Also Al inspires me to become a better photographer. It won’t happen overnight but I want to get to his level some day. I even got my own camera to start and I need to make it more of a priority of mine to start learning.
