Back of mirror.

In fall of2002 I was entering my senior year at the University of Cincinnatichasing a bachelor degree in mechanical engineering tech. To graduateeach student is required to take a problem or project from start tofinish along with attending your regular classes. This meant not onlydid I have to come up with an idea, I had to prove to the faculty thatmy problem/idea was worth doing, calculate a solution to thisproblem/idea before I built it, and then build and reprove what I hadalready proven on paper. A lot of convincing people, which was troublefrom the start considering I was not the ass kisser who stuck aroundafter class and I defiantly did only enough to pass a class. While manywere doing test station for the university (too smart to come up with anidea of their own) I decided to chop up my 01' wide glide.

For about ayear I had been thinking that I could fit a 200 tire on the back and nowwas my chance to prove it. Fitting the 200 I knew was no problem, itwas making a swing arm that looked better than the stock one that wouldbe a challenge. Plus, this was the only thing that would carry myinterest long enough to keep me from suffering of boredom, making for along intense senior year. Long story short I hacked up the bike,impressed some faculty, and was riding high from making something fromnothing.

I graduated college on a Friday and started as an official hireat a company I was working part time the following week. It was adesign job that taught me design and detail of parts, assemblies,packaging, etc. for machine shops and in house assembly. Wouldn't beable to do any of the shit I do now if I hadn't learned so much fromthis job. Anyways, back to the story. Through out my wide glideproject I was stumbling in and out of a chop shop that was doing somemachine work and welding for me. They built full up customs and Ibecame really interested in building a chopper. One of the choppersthey built was a Custom Chrome Hardcore I kit. They shit canned the fatbobs in favor of a sporty tank, replaced the wide glide forks with aSpringer, made an oil bag and powder coated the wheels. There were alot of other fine details, but from what I could see the Hardcore kitwas a gold mine start for a chopper.

Fuck it, I ordered one and in amonth I had a pile of parts and a lot of learning and experience togain. What I thought was going to take 3-4 months to built would takeme over a year to finish (not that any bike is ever done).

After I unpacked all of the parts, I jumped in head first. Ibraced the frame up and with a Sawzall in hand, started hacking the shitout of the frame. I cut out the front down tubes, including the frontmotor mount, the neck and the top motor mount. I was fixed on putting asingle down tube in and raking this bitch out to accommodate a six overfront end.

I kept stumbling in and out of the chop shop I hadpreviously worked with and managed to get them to tack my neck in andbend up some lower down tubes to connect to the single tube. This wasnot going to work! I was bugging these guys and I was getting bugged atgetting nothing done. I was working out of a one-car garage with noheat (Ohio winters suck) and pissing off an old lady who rented theother port of the garage for tripping a breaker that I couldn't reset.I was determined to find a way to get this done without pissing peopleoff and without paying someone else to do my work.

I sat the bike on the back burner and started a plan to saveenough lute to buy a mill, a lathe and a small welder. But where would Iput it? Time to talk to the old man. I knew he was finishing up an oldbarn, turning it into a wood shop, with heat, but would he sacrifice some space formy shit? The dice rolled and luckily they turned in my favor. I gotthe O.K. for some space, but he lived three hours away, meaning I couldonly work on the weekends. I stuck with my day job and after saving afew months and selling a car, I had finally saved enough to buy an oldBridgeport, a lathe, a cheap tube bender and a small welder. I was backin the game.

I got back to redoing the frame tubes and in the mean timeordered some parts. I saw a bike in a magazine with some Black Bikewheels and some L.A. Choppers pipes. I knew both would be perfect forwhat I was trying to achieve. I finished the front frame tubes andstarted on the front motor mount/foot controls along with the brassknuckle shift linkage.

I also went ahead and made the rear axle hiddenand made the end of the axle mounts pointy. The oil tank was up next.Starting with some round tube and a press I squashed the tube oval forthe shape I was looking for. I made the battery box and included enoughspace to contain all my wiring and key switch. The bike was starting totake shape.

I moved on to making the motor mount starting with some flatstock. I milled the holes into each piece and then heated them up andbent them over a large tube. Got it tig welded and finished it forchroming. The BDL open primary plate was then cut up to accommodate theoil filter and to hide the coil behind it.

The Gas tank was the majorcomponent of this bike that would make or break what I had done to theframe. I wanted to have the tank follow the new motor mount gusset inthe frame and decided Joe Kerr of Concept Customs would manage thistask. Starting with a sporty tank Joe managed to section and shorten itinto the shape we now have. He also made the spinner gas cap for it.

I started EyeCandy Custom Cycles, LLC in the middle of this bikein hopes of offering custom and one-off parts to the public at areasonable price. If any one is interested in seeing what we do orseeing other projects come together, check out the website.

Model: Started as a Custom Chrome HardCore Kit
Frame: Hacked 2-4 Santee
Motor: 100″ RevTech
Trany: RevTech 6 speed
Primary: BDL 3″
Exhaust: L.A. Choppers
Wheels: Black Bike
Gas Tank: Concept Customs
Brakes: PM & Exile
Tail Light: EyeCandy Custom Cycles
Motor Mount: EyeCandy Custom Cycles
Foot Controls: EyeCandy Custom Cycles
Oil Tank: EyeCandy Custom Cycles
Mirror: EyeCandy Custom Cycles
Risers: EyeCandy Custom Cycles
Seat: EyeCandy Custom Cycles/King Pin
Shift Linkage: EyeCandy Custom Cycles
Grips: EyeCandy Custom Cycles
Web Belt Guard: EyeCandy Custom Cycles

Vincent Fries
EyeCandy Custom Cycles, LLC
Republic, OH
(513)312-1137
vince@eyecandycustomcycles.com

Check out their website for complete build photos!
http://www.EyeCandyCustomCycles.com

Departure Bike Works, based in Richmond, VA is like heaven for a custom builder. Boasting such amenities as a professionally staffed full service department, in house engine facility, frame table, full machine shop, salvage motorcycles, and one of the largest selections of new and used parts on the East Coast, there is virtually no end to the possibilities that await the unsuspecting customer looking to have a custom bike built to suit. James Castleberry took all of this into account when he contracted the DBW team to build him a bike that was a “departure from the norm” of fat tired, long forked abortions.

Starting out in the salvage department, a wrecked 2001 XL1200 graciously donated it’s powertrain for the project. As soon as it was pulled from the mangled wreckage, it was handed off to DBW’s main motor man, Billy Wheatley, for some of that voodoo that he do so well.

While Billy was busy digging into his bag of tricks, the DBW fabrication department (Andrew Williams) began cutting and welding to create a tight and aggressive chassis for the more than slightly warmed over 1200 motor to reside in. Starting with a Paughco rigid sporty frame, Andrew created an aluminum oil bag, and modified a Chica rear fender to finish up the tail section of the chassis.

The frame cross member was rolled to match the fender, and some internal fender struts, combined with a beaded edge for support, made the finished product more than sturdy enough. The aluminum oil bag was mounted in place, and blended right in.

There’s Lee in the background, a god-like mystical specter, like an eerie fog overlooking Andrew’s handywork. Makes me shutter.

Having all the right connections in this industry makes a big difference during a project like this, and old, decrepit Lee Clemens, who has owned DBW for more that 30 years, has more than a few of those connections, A phone call later, he had scored a set of stamped gas tank halves from Paughco, used in one of their production tanks.

After some narrowing, reshaping and the addition of a flush mounted fuel cap, Andrew was able to concoct a tank that fit like a glove.

When the planning on this project started, James and the crew at Departure agreed; the bike had to be narrow, so a mid glide set of trees was chosen, and outfitted with some turned down factory 41mm sliders and 2-inch under tubes. Once the PM Hooligan wheels, rotors & sprocket were slid in place, and the sweet little tank was mounted in place, the bike was well on it’s way to being not only narrow, but TINY! No problem there, as James is a bit on the shorter side.

Now that the bike was a roller, the oil and gas tanks were made, and the bike’s only fender was done (no front fender here!), it was time for Andrew to think about pipes and controls. Both would require a mock up motor to build. No problem, there are usually plenty of spare motors laying around the shop for just such a purpose. Once the mock up motor was in place, Andrew got to work on some mid mount controls, but moved the peg and lever locations forward 3 inches to give the rider a more comfortable, but still aggressive riding position.

Now that the killer mid mounts were in place, Andrew started on what he considers “one of the toughest pieces of the puzzle”, the exhaust pipes. Trying to build a set that would be different, yet fit, work & look good would prove to be a challenge, but just like everything else, Andrew took it in stride.

By dropping the front pipe over and behind the rear, he was able to accomplish all that he had set out to do, and then some. The bike had a set of DBW pipes that fit it perfectly, and led to the inspiration for the title “Ghetto Blaster” as the bike would later be dubbed. After standing back and looking at the pipes for a bit, Andrew added a café racer inspired heat shield to the rear pipe for accent purposes.

Now that the mock up was done, it was time to do what DBW’s Hull Street Meanies do best….drink beer and admire the latest creation. After a few beers, Andrew had an epiphany…he realized that the bike standing straight up on the lift looked like a racer, and it was too cool to ignore.

The bike just had to have a center stand, so Andrew got jiggy with it.

Some ¾-inch round bar, and about 7 different spring arrangements later, the center stand was fit up, and made to disappear under the bike. NOW the mock up was done!

Chad from Copperhead Graphics laid on a sweet paint job, complete with some pin up girls and a bit of classic pinstriping, and finished up the sheetmetal beautifully. The powdercoating chores were handled by the pros over at Powder and Performance Coatings, in Richmond. Brown’s Plating took care of all the chroming, and Paul Cox of NYC, covered Andrew’s hand made steel seat pan with some tanned leather that matched the paint work perfectly.

After all was said and done, the guys at Departure Bike Works created one sweet little bobber they could be proud to put their brand on. Oh yeah, James kinda likes it too…..

BIKERNET/GHETTO SPEC CHART

General

Owner: James Castleberry
City/State: Richmond, VA
Builder: Departure Bike Works
City/state: Richmond, VA www.departure.com
Fabrication: Andrew Williams of DBW
Manufacturing: Andrew/DBW
Welding: Andrew/DBW
Machining: Andrew/DBW

Engine

Year: 2001
Make: HD/DBW
Model: Sportster
Displacement: 1200cc
Builder or Rebuilder: Billy Wheatley of DBW
Cases: HD
Case finish: Polished
Barrels: HD
Bore: Stock
Pistons: Wiseco
Barrel finish: Powdercoated w/ polished fins
Lower end: HD
Stroke: Stock
Rods: HD
Heads: HD with massaging by DBW
Head finish: Powdercoated w/ polished fins
Valves and springs: Crane
Pushrods: Crane
Cams: We ain't tellin'
Lifters: yep
Carburetion: S&S w/ Thunderjet
Other:

Transmission

Year: 2001
Make: HD
Gear configuration: 5 speed
Final drive: Chain
Primary: Chain
Clutch: Barnett

Frame

Year: 2004
Make: Paughco/DBW
Style or Model: Rigid
Stretch: Stock
Rake: 35 degrees
Modifications: a bunch

Front End

Make: HD/CCE/DBW
Model: Mid Glide
Year: 2004
Length: Short
Mods: Turned down sliders

Sheet metal

Tanks: DBW
Fenders: Chica/DBW
Panels: WTF?!?!?!
Oil tank: DBW aluminum
Other:

Paint

Sheet metal: Copperhead Graphics
Molding: Some
Base coat: yep
Graphics: cool
Frame: Powdercoated
Molding: No
Base coat: Black
Graphics or art: No
Special effects: Invisible onboard GPS with curb feelers
Pinstriping: Copperhead Graphics

Wheels

Front
Make: PM Hooligan
Size: 18″
Brake calipers: PM 4 piston
Brake rotor(s): PM Hooligan
Tire: Metzler

Rear
Make: PM Hooligan
Size: 18″
Brake calipers: PM 4 piston
Brake rotor PM Hooligan
Sprocket: PM Hooligan
Tire: Metzler

Controls

Foot controls: DBW mid mount
Finish: Powdercoated
Master cylinder: PM
Brake lines: Russell
Handlebar controls: PM Contour
Finish: Bling
Clutch Cable: Barnett
Brake Lines didn't we already answer this one?

Electrical

Ignition: Crane HI-4
Ignition switch: Toggle
Coils: Crane
Regulator: Compu Fire
Charging: Compu Fire
Wiring: DBW
Harness: DBW
Headlight: Headwinds
Taillight: Bullet
Accessory lights: WTF?!?!?
Electrical accessories: NOT!!!
Switches: 3
Battery: One

What's Left

Seat: DBW/Paul Cox
Pipes: DBW
Mufflers: Why?
Exhaust finish: Jet Coat
Gas caps: Flush Mount
Handlebars: K&N
Grips: PM
Pegs: ART
Oil filter: FRAM
Oil cooler: Nope
Oil lines: Rubber
Fuel filter: Internal
Fuel Lines: Rubber
Throttle: Twist
Throttle cables: One
Fasteners: Gardner Westcott

Specialty items: The whole damn thing!!!