We’re running through strange times. Wars, terrorists, club wars, gang wars, religious wars and television. Nothing’s sacred. It’s on TV before the dust settles. Everyone jumps at a chance to shine on the tube, and some run from it like the black plaque. I remember when bikers hid from society and the law. Now they line up to be featured on anything.
What am I getting at. I don’t have the slightest. Oh yeah, I do—sorta. Tom Foster, the guy who built this hot rod, pure pro street reminds me of some of the guys I once rode with in the early ‘70s. They weren’t in a club, just a handful of scurvy riders who took reds, built hot rod customs and slide into the night like deamons wielding glistening swords. They partied all night, and if they didn’t make it to work the next day, fuck it.
Tom Rides with a group of young builders, although he’s not that young anymore. He peels through the streets of Long Beach with the Roland Sands Design crew. They all build bikes that are dead sharp, haul ass and corner like the curves on a hot babe. That brings up the shapely cutie, Nikki Zeno, who stuck her ass into every Peter Linney shot here, so we can’t see the bike. Fortunately, we featured this bike in Hot Bike a year ago with photography by the Black Widow, Ernie Lopez. So hopefully you caught the details there.
I like this babe and wouldn’t mind spending the weekend with her in Las Vegas under ceiling mirrors, but she’s not topless, she’s not here and she’s in the way, goddamnit. The RSD crew is made up of Roland, Tom, Brett, Jaes, Ed from Performance Machine and cousin Lindal, who also works for PM. I’ll try to explain the tech aspects of this bike, since Foster doesn’t do computers and has experienced recent health problems and maybe under the knife as I rattle the keys.
This bike is built into a classic Marc Rowe Pro Street, dropped engine frame. To my feeble way of thinking, Pro Street is all about handling, rubber-mounted performance. I don’t cotton to Softails called Pro Streets, but what the hell do I know?
“It was the last frame Jesse James bought before he started manufacturing his Diablo and CFL frame line,” Tom said. Marc Rowe is a master frame builder, who rattled wrenches with me on the 50th Anniversary of Monster Garage. Zippers handled the heads, Storz built the performance upside down front end and Matt Hotch made the seat pan for Bitchin Rich. Steve Poole made the pipes and Roland Sands worked with him on all the PM components.
Nikki, on the other hand, grabbed the show here with every slinky line she’s capable of mustering, and I suppose that’s okay, ‘cause this lifestyle is all about fun, sex, coolness, freedom, the open road and the best parts of life.
Since I worked at the anti-girl HOT BIKE, I began to wonder what’s wrong with guys who can’t stand the sight of a woman in a magazine. What’s up with that? Women, to me, are the flowers of humanity. Like a beautiful blossom or sunset and woman can be just as dazzling. What would life be without women. I’d hate to consider it. Let’s not, goddamnit. No time to lose. Let’s enjoy every minute of our freedom, the open road, the flash of a beautiful motorcycle and the awesome touch of a woman. Now that’s what I’m talking about.
