I have a high school partner who sweeps in and out of my life, like every couple of years. I get a phone call; we hook up for 15 minutes, share a few stories, and then he disappears. This time he showed up at the Bikernet.com Headquarters with some shots of a chopped Sportster and a story about a kid he met on the docks. “Would you take a look at his bike?” Larry St. Marie said. “I think maybe he’s talented.”
Larry would know. He’s not a biker but he’s been around hot rods and bikes most of his life. I took one look at the bike and smelled a talented builder. “He worked for Gene Winfield (famous custom car builder),” Larry said and it was obvious in every element of this classic custom Sportster, from the details on the sheet metal to the brass accents. We set up a time to meet at Andrew Urisich’s shop and witness his talents in person.
Located on the backstreets of Long Beach in a shady industrial area scattered with small shops without signs, or faded marques and locked doors. Andrew’s shop was one of four in a line behind a tall locked metal gate wrapped with black sheet metal, so folks can’t see past the yard and into his roll-up metal door where his ’59 Cadillac resides. It’s cut and chopped and will be a slammed El Camino when he’s finished. Next to it sat the Sporty, a glistening jewel surrounded by bondo dust, primer coated fenders, and gray equipment.
Next door the small shingle above the door touts the name of a chemical company. “What’s with the chemical company?” I asked.
“Don’t know,” Andrew said, “Never saw anyone.” Andrew grew up in San Pedro. His dad a machinist and his mom worked in the office of a shipping company. Andrew was constantly surrounded by metal. He took a class at Wyotech, then a seminar in metal shaping by Gene and attended a dinner after the class. The next day Gene offered him a job as a shop intern. For two years he drove out and spent the week sequestered in the Mojave Desert working on a ’49 Mercury chopping the top, learning fabrication, and metal shaping.
“Gene was a laid back boss,” Andrew said. “He told us what he wanted and let us go after the project.” Gene’s shop is located in the center of an old wrecking yard, surrounded with desert relics. After a couple of years Andrew was offered a Union gig at the Port of Long Beach with benefits and he jumped, but his desire to customize wasn’t deterred. He towed his stripped classic Cadillac into his shop and went to work after hours.
But as you know too well, there’s an evil spirit surrounding every two-wheeled demon. It sucks in the unsuspecting average Joe who comes into the magnetic aura of the criminal bike builder. In this case the guy in the unmarked shop out front surrounded by bobbers, chopped Sportys, frisco’d Yamahas and ancient Shovelheads was left to his own devices with the lovely Ojinee, the shop assistant, at his side.
No sooner did tall, clean-shaven Andrew move into his shop and start reworking the shapely ’59 caddy body, then the sliding door to Mc Quiston’s custom cycles slid open on squeaky metal wheels and a passel of wild ape hanger maniacs screamed and snorted. With tall straight pipes shooting flames at the sky as they peeled into the cool Long Beach city night.
It’s like the gypsy woman’s spell over an unsuspecting street urchin, turning his life suddenly upside down. Within a week Andrew purchased a basket case sporty off the cracked and stained McQuiston deck and a modified stock Paughco tail sectioned frame from his rusty iron shelves.
Slightly burnt out on the caddy project he shifted all of his free-time attention to his first bike build. “I thought it would go faster,” Andrew muttered. He thought he’d build a quick classic chop, rattle can the finish and go for a ride, but the engine contained a couple of brass elements and it caught Andrew’s attention. His Gene Winfield detailed learning surfaced and he started to build brass elements, with the help of Lowbrow for some. Some of the brass components came from Italy and the Bikernet Performance Editor commented on the Petcock.
“The carb’s on the right so that’s where the petcock belongs,” said Ray Wheeler.
Andrew made the headlight bracket, then the fender struts, the inspection cover and the shift and brake linkages. His attention turned to making and modifying the sheet metal. He made the battery box, the ignition counsel, point cover, and modified the pipes from straight drags to upswept puppies.
He hand brass braided all his lines and ran clear shrink tubing over them except for the ends, which are black strips of heated tubing. He hand made the bottom fender bracket and drilled all the lightening holes. Then he made the handlebars the coil cover and the kickstand. While heating and tacking solid 3/8-inch bar on his tank and rear fender he created a unique design touch to his sheet metal.
He switched out the rocker boxes for 1959 jobs. “They are not as squared off,” Andrew said, “and the cast aluminum was not so porous so it took the chrome without pits.” As a final detail touch he brass plated the license plate frame then painted it black. While the paint was wet he wiped off the numbers.
“I’m fully into bike building now,” Andrew said and I noticed a fiery glint in his eyes. “I need to out-do myself with the next one, maybe a Pan or a Knuckle.”
I started to back towards the door. The offshore wind kicked up and his steel roll-up door rattled a wild call for the road. Besides Andrew recently bought a bench-mounted belt sander from an American company, but the product was delivered from China and busted. He wasn’t happy.
I wanted to ask about the Brass Monkey name. Markus, our photographer mentioned a 1980’s song by the Beastie Boys, and a redhead whispered something about a cocktail made with dark rum, vodka and orange juice. I needed to find that redhead.
TECH SHEET
Owner: Andrew Ursich
Builder: Andrew Ursich
Year/model: 1980 Harley-Davidson Sportster XLH
Time to build: 6 months
Chromer: South Bay Chrome
Polisher: Antique Metal Finishing
Powder coater: Precision Powder Coating
Painter: Danny D
Color: Root Beer
ENGINE/TRANSMISSION
Engine, year/model: 1980 Ironhead
Builder: Ryan McQuiston
Displacement: 1000cc
Horsepower: 45
Cases: factory
Flywheels (make & stroke): H-D stock
Balancing: factory
Connecting rods: H-D
Cylinders (make & bore): Cast H-D, stock bore
Pistons (make & comp. ratio): H-D 9:1
Heads: Stock
Cam (make & lift): Andrews
Valves: Biker’s Choice
Rockers: H-D
Lifters: solids
Push rods: S&S
Carb: Kiehn CV
Air cleaner: V-Twin Manufacturing
Exhaust: Drag pipe with added up sweep
Ignition: Dyna-S
Coils: Stock
Wires: Magnum Braided
Charging system: Stock
Regulator: V-Twin Manufacturing
Oil pump: Stock
Cam cover: H-D with Andrew point cover
Primary cover: Stock with Andrew inspection cover
Transmission, year/model: 1980
Case: H-D
Gears: 4-Speed
Mods: Brass accents
Clutch: H-D
Primary drive: Stock chain
Final drive: Chain
Kick starter: Nope
CHASSIS
Frame (year, make): 1980 H-D Sportster XLH
Rake: Stock
Stretch: Stock
Front forks: DNA Springer 2 Over
Mods: Paughco Hardtail installed by McQuiston’s
Swingarm:
Rear shocks:
Front wheel (size and make): 21-inch
Rear wheel (size and make): 16-inch
Front brake (make and style): nope, spool hub
Rear brake (make and style): Harley drum
Front tire (size and make): 3.00-21-inche Avon Speedmaster
Rear tire (size and make): 5.00-16-inch Avon MK11
Front fender: None
Rear fender: Custom made with ribbing by Andrew
Fender struts: Custom made from flat bar stock by Andrew
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ACCESSORIES
Headlight: Crime Scene Choppers
Taillight: Crime Scene Choppers
Fuel tank: Sportster with ribbing
Oil tank: Andrew hand made
Handlebars: Custom by Andrew
Risers: V-Twin Manufacturing
Seat: Rich Phillips
Pegs: V-Twin Manufacturing
Chain guard: oops
Speedo: none
Dash: nope
License bracket: Custom
Mirrors: Soon
Hand controls: Panic Cycles
Foot controls: V-Twin Manufacturing
Levers: Kustom Tech
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