FEATURING NEGRITA BY AKI SAKAMOTO

We are living through strange times. There was a code once. It was a rough as the blades on these up-swept pipes or as tough as the ride on this rigid mounted seat.

It was a time when bikers took over for the outlaws of the west. Every night was a roll of the dice. Our bikes were much like this one stripped to the max. With as little as a few bucks in out pockets, a buck knife and a welder’s leather over an old military jacket we struck out to find excitement in the night.

It might have been a girl or the wrong bar and a fight to see who stood tall or ducked a tequila bottle. Our bikes represented everything to us. Some of us worked only for parts and enough change to make it to the next run site in the desert, maybe Cochella Valley or Indio. Shit was crazy and the only girls around were nuts, really nuts, but we didn’t care. There were no long-term relationships.

This bike smells and looks like the past. Aki bought the engine, trans and a pink slip at a swap meet and went to work building the frame.

“This is my favorite set up, jockey shift and suicide clutch and no front brake,” said Aki. “I was shooting for simple and clean chopper. Frame was built with stainless neck, motor mounts, axle plates. Also I fabricated stainless pieces on the bike. I love the way polished stainless stands out in gloss black paint.”

“We can build your one of a kind motorcycle,” Aki said. “There are no limitations.”

He came to America a long time ago and became an American biker, building and living off his bikes. He rarely ventures home to Japan or runs in Japanese circles. He builds motorcycles and just wants to create wild shit in an Hawaiian Gardens concrete industrial park across the street from Chopper Dave.

Here’s what Aki said about his shop, “We are your Harley-Davidson (H-D) maintenance and custom repair shop. We have been in business since 2009 offering quality build, service, parts and accessories for your motorcycle needs.

He also works with another casting shop, Hardtail Choppers and used their stainless steel re-pop H-D rigid frame castings to make this frame. The mild steel frame tubing was mated to the castings with stainless rod and his TIG welder.

NOTE FROM HARDTAIL CHOPPERS: The only stainless I’m doing now are stock Necks for $475 . Raked stainless necks $575 . 6 week wait . Have stainless axleplates for $325 . Single downtube stainless necks are 30-degree necks, and run $400 . No sidecar loops at this time. Front stainless mount $270. Rear mount $325 not machined for cross-over tube. Do all these in steel at lower costs.

–John Grant
Hardtailchoppers.com
360-750-6780
John@hardtailchoppers.com

Thanks once again for your help over the years . Anything I can do for you, let me know.
Regards and respect. Will have all three Knucklehead necks very soon, 25-28-30 degree. No price yet.

“We specialize in working on any Harley-Davidson: Evolution (Evo), Twincam, Shovelhead, Sportster, Dyna, old, new, you name it, bring it in, we can work on it!” Aki said. “Whether your bike requires an oil change, service work, or maintenance because your taking it out for the season or you’d like to make some repairs, minor custom work to full custom rebuild; give us a call!”

I took my grandson to Aki’s shop when Michael Lichter was in town for Born Free. He was blown away by Aki’s shop and old school style.

“Akis shop was very cool right off the bat, with the chopper attitude screaming out from the wall art and also the custom parts fabricated by him on his bikes,” Frankie said. “I noticed how he was a well rounded mechanic working on everything from old Pans to new Dyna’s and seemed to take a lot of pride in being independent, while also maintaining a charismatic humbleness about him while showin’ is around.

“He’s proud to be an American bike builder. I really took notice to the paint jobs he has done on most of his choppers that they stay in the same realm of cool iconic motorcycle symbolism but done in a different unique way. Also really liked how he kept a few of his custom builds low, having a little bit of a gangster vibe. Cool shop. Ride forever. FTW

“If you need an insurance estimate, we can do that too!” Said Aki and then went back to his grinder.

Supreme Bikernet Aki Hog Killer Tech Chart

Owner:
AKI SAKAMOTO/HOG KILLERS

Bike Name: NEGRITA
City/State: HAWAIIAN GARDENS /CA
Builder: AKI SAKAMOTO/HOG KILLERS
Company Info: HOG KILLERS INC
Address: 21111 Juan Ave Hawaiian Gardens CA
Phone: (562)276-3427
Web site: www.hogkillers.com
E-mail: aki6636@gmail.com

Fabrication: HOG KILLERS
Manufacturing: HOG KILLERS
Welding: HOG KILLERS
Machining: HOG KILLERS

Engine

Year: 1961
Make: HARLEY-DAVIDSON
Model: FLH
Displacement: 74CI
Builder or Rebuilder: HOG KILLERS
Cases: HARLEY DAVIDSON
Case finish: Polished
Barrels: Painted
Bore: 3-7/16-inch
Pistons: HARLEY
Lower end: HARLEY-DAVIDSON
Stroke: 3-31/32-inch
Rods: HARLEY
Heads: HARLEY
Head finish: POLISHED
Valves and springs: HARLEY
Pushrods:HARLEY
Cams: ANDREWS
Lifters: HARLEY
Carburetion: S&S SUPER E
Air cleaner: VIDA

Exhaust: HOG KILLERS

Transmission

Year: 1961
Make: HARLEY DAVIDSON
Gear configuration: 4-speed
Primary: OPEN
Clutch: HARLEY
Final drive: CHAIN
Kicker: HARLEY

Frame

Year: 1961
Builder: HOG KILLERS
Style or Model: RIGID
Stretch: STOCK
Rake: STOCK
Modifications: STAINLESS NECK, MOTOR MOUNTS, AXLE PLATES from Hardtail Choppers