Even though Keith “Bandit” Ball, Publisher of Bikernet.com, wasn’t in attendance at the 74th Edition of the Daytona Beach Bike Week, Bikernet was the only on-line magazine represented at the Editor’s Choice Award sponsored by the Broken Spoke Saloon in the sandy forest of beer cans, pine needles, and Jack Daniels’ shot glasses.
As I made my way around the editors including Marilyn Stemp, Shadow, Chris Callen, Chris Maida and numerous others, I notice that there wasn’t anyone from Bikernet. So I hit speed dial and heard, “What is it, goddamit? I’m busy!”
I never know how Bandit will pick up the line and it almost always makes me laugh.”
“Hey, who is your consigliere and making your pick at the Spoke?” I ask.
“Rogue,” he sez.
“Not here.”
“Then, you are. Make it snappy!”
So I took a number of pics and texted them to Bandit for his decree. Nope, nothing went through cyberspace, so on to Plan B. Back on the phone I described the sleds and he selected Bernie “Warrior” Tatro’s long Chopper. He often goes for the underdog. There’s a glitz show everyday at Bike Week, starting with Billy Lane’s show this year and rolling through the H-D Ride In Shows, and over course the famous Rat’s hole and Boardwalk show.
Bandit has been around the block and knows what it takes to build a bike, then bring it to, or ride it out of the stark winter regions to compete in sunny seaside Daytona shows. This event started out around racing and now it’s the location of the world of motorcycling blossoming in the sun after an extremely harsh winter. He makes a point to recognize the unrecognized talents in the field of competitors.
I’m glad he did because the chop is killer cool.
So here is deal… The Warrior got started securing parts some 20 years ago. At first I thought that was crazy, do you know anyone who hangs on to crap for that length of time? Oh shit, I forgot, Bandit does. He has crap in his shop from when he was in the Navy and going to Vietnam. Then I thought about it, I still have parts from the Mustang I bought in High School.
It turns out, he bought a derelict springer from Repro Artie for $75 bucks. His buddy Pork Chop made the top triple tree for it and another buddy, Painter Ken, refurbished the old front end and presto-chango, he had a 24-inch, over-stock AEE front end as the start of his project.
The gas tank took ten years to find. Air Force Chris installed a hidden filler cap, stretched it 9 inches, relocated the petcock to the back and installed hidden mounts. Brother Mark Tatro split and narrowed the oil tank and fabricated the battery box.
Front and rear wheels came from Black Gold Cycles in Daytona, FL. They also built a one-kick Sporty by building a mill with 10 to 1 compression, .030 over bore, ported and polished heads with compression release, Manely values, high lift P- cams and a sweet SU Carb. The tuner and the SU carb made it a one-kick wonder.
The killer paint was applied by John of McCarthy Signs in New Hampshire. It’s Ed Roth Cherry flake with House of Kolor Candy and lotsa clear
The bike is a throwback to the ‘70s with no front brake, rear drum brake, King and Queen seat and extended springer front end.
Bike Name: Born To Be WIld
Builder: Bernie “Warrior” Tatro
City/state: Edgewater, FL
Fabrication: Bernie “Warrior” Tatro and Pork Chop
Engine
Year: 1974
Make: Harley-Davidson
Model: Sportster
Displacement: 1000cc
Builder or Rebuilder: Black Gold Cycles
Pistons: .030 over
Ignition: Dyna
Heads: Ported and polished
Compression releases: Custom made by Vulcan Works
Cams: Andrews P cams
Carburetion: Rivera SU
Air cleaner: Rivera SU
Exhaust: Custom fabricated
Transmission
Year: 1974
Make: Stock
Gear configuration: Stock
Kicker: Yes
Frame
Builder: Paughco
Style or Model: Chopper
Rake: 52 degrees
Front End: Springer
Make: AEE
Model: Springer
Year: 1974
Length: 24-inch overstock
Sheet metal
Oil Tank: MID USA, narrowed 3-inch by Mark in Auburn, Maine
Fenders: Rear – 6-inch flat contoured to fit tire profile
Paint
Color: Original old Ed Roth Cherry flake House of Kolor Candy and clear
Molding: Mike
Painting: Big John
Painter: Big John at Mac Signs, Hindale, NH
Graphics or art: Big John
Wheels
Front
Make: Custom
Size: 21-inch
Brake: None
Tire: Avon Speedmaster
Rear
Make: H-D with stainless spokes
Size: 16-inch
Brake: H-D Drum
Tire: Avon Speedmaster
Accessories
Foot controls: Forward, MID USA
Bars: MID USA
Taillight: MID USA
Headlights: Bates
Battery box: Built by Mark in Auburn, Maine
