Davina From Texas

Here in Southwest Texas the weather stays warm enough to warrant us bikers to ride year round. It is not uncommon to wear shorts on Christmas while playing horseshoes with the family in the backyard. Because of this, we are able to also celebrate our lifestyle later than others in the country.

Last year, due to hurricanes Katrina and Rita, our annual Lone Star Rally was rescheduled for November. Biketoberfest used to be the last rally of the year, which usually happens in the middle of October in Daytona, Florida. Well, we now have a rally two weeks after Biketoberfest. My wife and I have attended every year, and it always yields crazy bikes and great times to remember.

Last year I became friends with Kent Weeks and Holly, the owners of Lucky Devil Metalworks, here in Houston, Texas. Kent has a unique style that is noticeable immediately upon any bikes he does fabrication on. It is almost eerie how you can see his trademark craftsmanship on bikes from 20 feet away.

My wife and I were walking the Strand one evening while we checked out the bikes, bullshitted with friends, and generally got wasted. You know, a party! While we wandered down the vendor booths checking things out, I saw this copper/ gold bike with bars to the stars.

I immediately drug my wife by the arm over to take a few pictures of this beauty. Much to my dismay, the sumbitch’s batteries had died, so I missed the opportunity to take a few shots. I was pissed to high heaven, but managed to talk with the guys at the booth for a few moments.

I asked if Kent had anything to do with the bike and the guy claimed the bike belonged to the owner, he didn’t remember ever hearing Kent’s name. The owner was nowhere to be found, so I eventually lost interest and continued drinking myself into a blurred state of euphoria while the rally winded down. I never thought twice about the bike again until a month ago.

I received an e-mail from Kent that said he was sending me a disk from Darryl Briggs containing a photo shoot. Needless to say, I was shocked to open the folder on the disk and see none other than the gold bike with the apehangers on them! I immediately called Kent and asked him about the bike. He laughed at my story and gave me some information. Unfortunately, he was extremely busy getting ready for next month’s Texas National Bike Show, so he basically sent me on my way to read the November ’04 issue of BIKER magazine.

I discovered the bike was actually a co-creation between Kent, a former mechanic at Big Dog of Houston named Sam Baker, Mike Dirksen, and the owner Mike Arnold.

Mike (the owner) wanted an old school ride with today’s reliability. Mike bought a Panzer motor and had Sam do a few S&S upgrades. The motor gets her gas through an S&S carb.

The gearbox is a five speed, kick-only model, and the power is sent from the motor to the transmission via a Primo belt drive. Paughco provided a large chunk of the parts to give her the whole classic look such as the frame, bars, front end, and gas tank, among others. But having three guys, a case of beer, and a bucket of parts does not a top custom make. Enter Kent Weeks.

Kent went in and hand fabricated many of the custom one- off pieces on this bike, making her truly custom. The oil tank, fender, motor mount, and sissy bar are the big obvious Kent Week Lucky Devil touches. He was instrumental in the assembly of the final bike and coached the trio through the build.

While the bike is a beauty and commands your attention; try to take your eyes off this model, Davina. With a body like a high school sprinter and raven hair that evokes thoughts of Kate Beckinsale in Underworld, this woman can haunt your dreams. Darryl was definitely a lucky man to spend an afternoon photographing these two beauties.

Spend a few minutes and ogle the curvy features and impeccable lines. Notice how the colors blend together, causing an almost picture perfect blend of tone and function. Daydream about riding her all day long and having her in the palms of your hands so you can baby her, wash her, and take care of her for the rest of your life. Oh yeah, don’t forget to check out the bike as well. Until next time, Ride Hard!