Every custom motorcycle build is an adventure. It takes me from one crazed time in my wild life to another. Fortunately, I'm not spilling my guts about another woman I lost during a knuckle-busting build. But this build did represent turning points. I'm about to step off into my 62nd year and sign up for Social Security. It also represented our stinky economy, and for the first time I pulled the plug on riding this bike to Sturgis.

Imagine for a second, the middle of July. Days were long and hot, and the Bikernet shop boiled with activity. The Sturgis deadline was fast approaching. I needed to plan stops, hotels, food funds and a place to stay in the Badlands. Then suddenly we were forced to shift gears. Actually, we took the planning process out of gear. One day, I scrambled for the finish line; the next I coasted. I couldn't find the stress switch for a week and relieve the pressure.

Most of my parts were baking in the Tony Pisano, Worco powder-coating ovens. It took me a week to realize the Sturgis Rally would survive without me, and I could relax. I was no longer under the gun to finish this build and risk my life riding an untested motorcycle halfway across the nation. Then it dawned on my feeble brain. I had a terrific opportunity to finish this bike and test it for a year before riding into the Mojave Desert and across several Indian reservations. Plus, I could kick back and enjoy the summer, pressure- free. I bought an ice-cold six-pack of Coronas, a couple of fresh limes and grabbed a sun tan. Not bad.

Tony is a pro powder-coater of the finest order and knows what it takes to tape off motor mounting plates and plug threaded holes. He saved long days under a grinding wheel. The powder work came out supreme. This year I tried something new. I powdered even the sheet metal, then asked a pro to paint panels on the tank and a flat black stripe down the Chica rear fender. He handled that aspect in a flash. Then I turned the job over to George the Wild Brush for the 5-Ball Racing logo on the tanks and pin-striping.

George drives around Los Angeles in an old Toyota truck with a camper shell, the home of paint headquarters. He folds down the tailgate, uncovers his vast, dripping assortment of paint and goes to work. He's old school to the bone. He pinstriped the giants' drag race funny cars in the '70s.

Here's where my fuck-ups began to surface. After the tanks were powder-coated, I decided to test them for leaks. I had planned to coat them with a sealer, and received Kreem tank sealer from Bikers Choice.

Here's the quandary: You can't seal tanks and then have them powder-coated. It might all go to hell in 400 degree ovens. So I held off. Then I decided to hit a local radiator shop for the test. We discovered one small leak where I welded in a rubber-mounting bung in the bottom. I ground it clear of paint and re-welded it. No problem. The painter touched it up for me. It was on the bottom of the tank and I was good to go. I thought.

Next blunder: Instead of pressure-testing my handmade exhaust system, I decided to try another sealant available from Kreem and Bikers Choice. It's blue madness and can only be used on new pipes. I followed the directions, but it's a messy operation, and of course, I attempted this process for the first time, after I painted the pipes. What did I learn from these hiccups? Test tanks and pipes before you coat them with anything, period.

The first item to be installed was the new Paughco narrow, taper-legged springer front end. It slid right into place. If only I had four arms when I'm working in the shop alone. The front end already had the 23-inch Black Bike Wheel installed with a special Avon Tyre. I just needed to grapple with the front end, fasteners, bearings and top crown. No problem. I also installed the GMA front brake bracket and spaced the front wheel for the 14th time. It's a tight fit, and I need something art deco to mount on the front of the bracket. GMA, now owned by BDL, only builds a springer front brake bracket for the right side. I was forced to flip this one over. I could have machined the leading lip off, but I decided it could be used for some unique reflector, or quirky hood ornament. We'll see.

When I disassembled the bike, I carefully collected all the parts on this table. I also zip-locked all my fasteners and wrote their job descriptions on the back of each card. That was seriously helpful during assembly. Next, I dropped the Crazy Horse 100-inch engine in the Paughco frame, with the JIM's transmission and the Baker kicker system installed. Since the chain ran against a portion of the frame, I ordered a ½-inch 24-tooth tranny sprocket from JIMS and installed it with this special JIMS nut, designed with a built-in locking device. Unfortunately, no matter what I did, the holes wouldn't line up, so I safety wired the nut to the sprocket to prevent it from backing out.

Then I faced one of the toughest assembly jobs, installing the Spyke alternator stator plug in the right engine case. It's easy and difficult at the same time. This time, I smeared the tunnel and the plug with Never Seize and tried to push the plug through the case tunnel. I also carefully backed out the set-screw and scraped any burrs of the case edges. That didn't help, but I ultimately wrestled it into place. I'm always careful of electrical connections, wiring, proper grounds, etc. Nothing leaves us alongside the road more often than electrical problems. So, I don't like pushing and prodding charging components.

Once the stator was in place, I used self-locking fasteners from Harley-Davidson to fasten it down. Spyke is careful to supply all the proper assembly instructions, but it's always tough with aftermarket engines. Because it was somewhat of a guessing game, I installed the Spyke rotor a couple of times to make sure all the clearances were proper. Then I could move onto driveline alignment and the installation of the BDL narrow enclosed belt drive system.

I've worked with BDL components for at least 15 years. They are solid as a rock. I used the inner primary to pull the engine and transmission into alignment. I left both major components loose in the frame until I pulled it up tight with the inner primary. Don't forget the John Reed Code. I use Never Seize on all bolts rolling into soft aluminum. John warned about damaging porous aluminum threads by running hardened steel against them over and over. Never Seize allows them to glide in and out of the cases without stress or abrasion.

With the driveline aligned, I tightened down the rear engine mounts and then checked the front ones for gaps. I shimmed the front motor mount perfectly, then tightened it down.

Next, I focused on the transmission. The Paughco mounting plate was tight and the JIMS trans case was fine in the rear, but slightly elevated in the front. I dug around until I found the correct shim washers and drove them under the trans and around the front tranny studs. It's key to go through these motions for proper alignment and to save problems with the belt. It's surprising how easy the BDL system slips together if the driveline is aligned.

I followed the BDL instructions and bolted the engine shaft insert to the pulley then drove in the alignment pins and tightened down the Allen fasteners. I pulled the pressure plate pins out of the clutch and removed the clutch plates. With the clutch hub and the engine pulley holding the belt, I carefully slipped them on simultaneously. I attached the left-handed clutch nut and tightened it with an impact gun. I did the same with the engine main shaft nut. I turned over the engine and checked belt alignment and pulley alignment. I spaced out the front pulley slightly with a shim and was good to go.

BDL TECHNICIAN NOTE:I received a call from BDL, “You fucked up, Bandit,” Dan said. He pointed out how I didn't mention using Loctite on the transmission mainshaft splines when I installed the clutch basket. “That's more important than many folks realize,” he said. Vibration from the spines can tear up the basket splines and ultimately the clutch plates.

I generally don't Loctite the mainshaft splines until the bike is tried and true, encase I need to remove the clutch. “Harbor Freight sells a cheap vintage steering wheel puller,” Dan said. “They work like a champ for pulling BDL clutches. If a hub is too tight a little heat does the trick, melts the Loctite.”

With the clutch back in place and all the elements tightened down I installed the Spyke starter and pinion shaft. Giggie, who just passed away the other day, told me years ago, how to check the spacing. To keep the starter strong and not fuck with the ring gear, the starter gear should rest about 0.150 back from the ring gear. Too close and it doesn't have the space to begin turning and jams against the ring gear. Too far receded and it won't make good solid teeth contact.

With the primary almost buttoned up, I moved to the LA Chop Rods new-fangled internal throttle installation. Internal throttles are cool but precarious. If a bike stumbles and falls over, the first damage is generally to the bars. It's easy to replace an external throttle or a grip. But what the hell. We're not building a bike to fall down.

About this time, the Sturgis event hit the summer calendar, and folks arrived from Australia for the ride. Doc from Heavy Duty Magazine, in Australia, picked up a Victory for the run. Nicole Brosing, an Australian tattoo artist, flew to the coast, rented the same Road King she rode last year, grabbed her girlfriend and split north to San Francisco then east to the Badlands.

I wrenched in the shop, drank Coronas, smiled and caught a sun tan. Gard Hollinger from LA Chop rods slapped extra engineering into his internal throttle system. His instructions were detailed, but I was still nervous as I attempted to determine the proper length. It's always a sharp notion to take the bike off the lift so the bars can rotate for testing the overall length. It's actually a breeze to install, although I honed out the bars slightly, for an easy slip. Gard devised the cable lock-down with a brass sleeve to prevent damage to the internal cable and afford a solid grip for the set screw. This throttle, with extra bearings, is smooth as silk.

Then I turned to the classic spark plug wires from Low Brow. This is a cool system and adds class to any ride. They come in a kit form with all the elements needed, except a roll of solder, flux, and a gun. It was a simple operation, but I actually mounted the coil a tad on the tight side to the underside of the tank. Fortunately it all fit. Make sure to slip the boots onto the wires before you solder the brass fittings into place. Lowbrow attaches the other ends before shipment.

I simply attached the spark plug wire to the spark plugs, ran the lines out of harm's way to the coil, added an inch for safety, cut the wires, trimmed them back for soldering, and crimped and soldered the fittings into place. Frank Kaisler told me to make sure to wipe all the flux off after soldering. So I did as Commander Kaisler instructed. He uses alcohol or solvent to clean the area, preventing future corrosion.

I took a day off to help Nyla's brother, Brad, build some diesel motor mounts for their 32-foot Cho Lee motor sailing vessel. They were smack in the middle of a complete restoration. It's a beautiful boat. I've sailed it to Catalina Island several times, when it belonged to an old friend of mine. Another deadline loomed. Less than a week away, the Easyriders Bike Show would rock the Broken Spoke Saloon in Sturgis. Bikernet sponsors the Panhead Class each year and I needed to create the trophy. Panhead Billy won the award. When I can reach him, we will feature his classic rat pan.

I shifted to the wiring. I used Phil's Speed Shop wiring system. It's designed for lots of custom applications and makes wiring a breeze. He includes instructions and a wiring diagram. The billet chromed box includes the ignition switch, the high-low beam switch, circuit breakers, starter relay, neutral light and starter button. I just ran the wires, used my Frank Kaisler soldering tool and ran the wires through the old H-D soaked canvas loom. I know that's not the correct term for it, but it's a close description.

I ran into one problem that held me up for weeks. I like the CrazyHorse bottle cap engines. They offer three ignition alternatives. First, the original Thunderheart unit, an adjustable timing Thunderheart, and finally a cone motor system. Unfortunately, they don't tell you enough about the stock system. I thought it was like a Compu-Fire system in the cone. It's a one piece unit. I reached out to other Crazy Horse engine builders who told me I needed a Thunderheart ignition module. So, I ordered the system from Thunderheart, but when it arrived it didn't jive with any wiring diagram I received from Thunderheart or Crazy Horse. It was a riot. Every time I received a wiring diagram or a box from Thunderheart, I thought I was good to go. Then some goddamn thing wouldn’t match, and everyone had split to the Badlands. I paced the garage waiting for answers.

The Thunderheart tech guru sobered up after a week in the Broken Spoke swimming pool, doing belly shots with the lovely waitresses. He dropped me a simple e-mail: “There's only three wires goddamnit, black for ground, red for ignition and green to the coil. Go for a ride.”

That solved that mysterious issue and I moved on. Three more puzzling obstacles surfaced. I cleaned the Paughco oil tank with solvent and small nuts and bolts. I counted the fasteners before I slipped them into the tank. It was sorta rusty, and I didn't want to roll without cleaning it. I poured a cup of oil in it and flushed it out. I hooked up the oil lines, and Crazy Horse sent me very specific instructions, but this will blow your mind. I couldn't figure out venting. I'll get back to that.

I hooked up my gas lines. I filled the tanks and one leaked. I threatened to fire myself on the spot and another challenge surfaced. The pinhole at the front of the tank, where I cut away a section to allow for fork stops, stuck out like a sore thumb. It was obvious, but we didn't spot it during testing. I called Jim Murillo, a professional painter and cried for assistance.

“Don't use Kreem, it peels,” he said. “Use Casewell two-part Phenol Lovolac System.”

I ordered some and their customer service was supreme for a small $36 order. Some companies get it, when it comes to taking care of customers. This is where tank seals become terrifying. I needed to kick my ass into the middle of tomorrow. Make sure your tanks are sealed before any finish is applied, including powder coating. I suppose I was over confident. What the hell.

The directions called for cleaning the tanks with lacquer thinner, nuts and bolts, sand, you name it. I tried the lacquer thinner and immediately fucked with George's pinstriping. I called him, panicked and drank whiskey heavily. Fortunately a Bikernet reader shipped me a fresh bottle of Bulliet Whiskey, and Dusty, one of the 5-Ball Racing Team Salt Flat members, hand-stripped several pounds of walnuts and shipped them out.

Incredible. I let the tank dry thoroughly, made up a small portion of the Casewell sealrant and poured it into the tank. I knew where the hole was, and fortunately it rested in an easy-to-reach corner. I tilted the tank in the sun and returned to the whiskey. George saved my ass once more.

With the tanks fixed and returned to the bike, all was well, and I put a key to the Phil's ignition switch for the first time. Here's another quirk. Crazy Horse doesn't tell you how to time your new 100-inch engine. It times itself. The bike didn't whine, growl, spit or cough. It fired immediately to life and purred. I checked the oil pressure, perfect. Then I unscrewed the cap off the oil bag to make sure the lubricant returned to the oil bag properly. Yep, it was returning, but the cap popped off into my hand. I wondered about venting. Everything was fine except for pressure in the oil bag.

Again, I started a research project. The Crazy Horse installation material didn't mention a crankcase vent and I searched the engine. There are two 3/8-inch spigots between the heads, as if for a cross-over oil line. As it turns out they are designed as vents. I found out from Dar at Brass Balls that they just run a line under their gas tanks. I pulled one end, no oil flow. It had to be the vent, so I improvised and used another old machinery oil fitting to hold a screen to prevent crap from strolling back into the precious engine.

That solved that issue. I was ready to rock, but my seat hadn't arrived from Duane Ballard. It was a wild old sprung BMW seat he scored. When it finally arrived, it didn't fit. It was too high and too far back. I was faced with another quandary. If I moved the bars, I could barely place my boots on the footboards. I scratched my beard, looked at the box of walnuts, and then it dawned on me. Glenn Priddle, a leather seat master, who studied under classic saddle makers, made me a seat a couple of years ago for the 10th Anniversary of Bikernet. It was a wide, classic solo seat. I dug it out, dusted it off and it fit like a glove, dropped the seat height 2 inches and move the seat position forward 3 inches. It actually fit the frame better than the old classic from Duane. I dodged another bullet.

Every year when I build a bike, my mantra includes a solid, tough, rideable, unique bike that will last. But each year the unique project throws a few curveballs. It's part of my Zen education. Life is not meant for perfection. We need challenges to test our endurance levels and help us through the tough spots, find answers or solutions and persevere. Often my predicaments are caused by a lack of experience. For instance, if I ever use a Crazy Horse engine again, I'll know all the quirks and set-up issues.

Now, let's see if I can ride it for any distance. I would love to ride it to the Badlands next year or to Arizona for our Too Broke for Sturgis Run.

We'll see what happens next, as I take her through the Eddie Trotta break-in routine. Eddie starts a bike for the first time, let's her run and checks her over. Then he takes it out for a one-block jaunt, and checks it over again. Then he ventures forth for one mile and returns for another inspection, then 5 miles, then 25, then 50 and she's ready for a cross-country blast. Hang on!

Moving right along, I overcame the Wilmington Mung and slipped back into the shop. It’s like self-induced Christmas for the homebuilder each week when UPS arrives or I score something at the bike swap meet. Ya plan, save small bags of gold and reach out to vendors to make deals, then wait.

I got all pumped when the bronze risers drifted in from DPPB in Europe, and I immediately tackled the mounting and handlebars. I hit two hardware stores looking for the proper length hardened studs and the second score was doubtful, but I rolled the dice and bought them anyway. As it turned out, 3-inch ½-inch studs with coarse threads on one end and fine on the other worked perfectly.

I tested the fitment by wrapping masking tape around the fine end 3/8-inch up from the bottom. I screwed them into the narrow Paughco leg, and then installed the riser components to see if I had enough length to reach the top bronze nut. I had plenty of threads, so I move the tape to 5/8 inches of securing fine threads and installed all the components. It all fit like a dream.

Then I went to work searching the shop for a set of bars that would give me the look and be reasonably comfortable. I’m shooting for that 5-Ball Factory Racer look, but a bike comfortable enough to ride to Sturgis. That’s always the acid test, and the road-test adventure. I found a set of sorta TT 1-inch bars sans the dimples, since I was going to turn them upside down. I mounted them to the risers, and then determined that I could cut almost three inches out of the center.

I searched the shop for a chunk of mild steel rod that would make the perfect alignment, strengthening slug for the bars. I removed the burrs from the split tubing and marked the slug center. I tapped it into place, strapped the bars down, so they were perfectly aligned, and MIG-welded them. Just having the bars and risers in place was a rush.

I finally muscled enough cash to have all my welding tanks filled. I took the opportunity to have one tank filled with pure Argon for welding stainless or aluminum. I’ve never welded aluminum, so I broke out my welding book and read the appropriate chapter. I needed twice the gas pressure and almost twice the rod speed and power.

Let me back up for a second. The project was mounting the Crime Scene Rapide headlight. It was a bolt-on procedure, except for the simple aluminum-mounting bung. Once in place, it was impossible to remove the headlight-mounting fastener. I reviewed my options. The fastener would actually touch the top Paughco springs. I looked for an option and found one, but it required welding the existing square bung to the fine-threaded round spacer. I tapped the spacer for clean threads, and then proceeded to weld the two together.

This was a trick. Aluminum must be extremely clean before welding. And since this piece was very small, it could heat up and melt like butter before one pass was completed. I also had some problems with the welder. Since aluminum heats and expands faster that steel, I needed to bore out the tip or run a larger welding tip. The tips come in various sizes, and natch, I didn’t have a slightly larger tip. So Jeremiah grabbed a micrometer and all my tiny drill bits, and started to study the sizes and attempted to drill the tips out. Interesting procedure. We broke bits and jammed them into the bronze MIG welding tips. Finally we succeeded in boring out a tip and the welding moved along.

Then I took to grinding, filing, and rewelding until this headlight bracket was completed. Not bad. I need Jeremiah, the master shaper, to return and give it his final touch.

Next, I had a plan to use as many vintage H-D parts as possible. I snatched a stock 1936-1957 mechanical brake pedal and mounting plate, which also acted as the front peg or footboard mount. Paughco already made a bracket that bolts under the front motor mount. It makes the stock mounting bosses available for these components.

This effort placed me eyeball-to-eyeball with a couple of challenges. I needed to make the old mechanical brake pedal operate a hidden hydraulic master cylinder and somehow I had to create a mounting bracket for the rear of the footboard.

There was one more element rearing its ugly head at this point, but yet we turned it into an opportunity. There was no fifth stud mounting plate on the frame, so I started to tinker with a chunk of angle iron. Then I discovered a complete ’98 Dyna rear brake set-up with linkage and the master cylinder. Suddenly, lots of answers were available using the fifth stud-mounting placement.

I had to stop dead in my tracks right there. I needed to make sure the transmission was aligned properly for the whole system to work. The brown Santa arrived with a new BDL Softail, 2-inch enclosed belt drive system I’d ordered just a couple of days ago. I pulled out the inner primary, loosened all the mounting bolts for the engine and trans and started my historic alignment procedure. First, I bolted down the rear of the engine and looked for any gaps at the front motor mount. It had a .020 gap. I found a shim and slipped it into place.

Next, I attached the BDL inner primary and pulled the JIMS tranny into alignment with the Crazy Horse V-Plus engine. Then I started on the fifth tranny stud-mounting bracket. I planned to run a kicker, and since this power plant is 100 inches strong, the additional mounting element will strengthen the entire driveline.

No, this system didn’t fall into place. I had oil lines to contend with and the brake pedal and master cylinder didn’t align. At first, I had a grand plan to bend the linkage rod into a jog-over to reach the tab I had welded onto the brake pedal pivot tube. That would have created more problems, specifically with the rear footboard mounting. I needed to straighten it out and machine a 2-inch offset link from the pedal over, which kept the entire system in alignment. The critical aspect will be my tab welding. There will be considerable strain on that puppy, but I think it will work.

Then I ran a ½-inch rod off the top of the pedal bracket and machined a spacer that would catch an original classic footboard-mounting arm. I’m trying to tack-weld everything so I can make final adjustments or catch mistakes before it’s too late. I like welding and sometimes can’t stop myself. I tack my handiwork, step back, eyeball it, check it twice and weld the shit outta it. The next morning I discover something I forgot and I’m fucked.

Since I was into footboards, I moved onto the left one. With the help of Sin Wu on her knees, we checked the angle of my 2003 Road King footboards and attempted to match that angle on the 5-Ball Factory Racer. Again, I used a stock mounting plate with foot clutch pedals. I’m going to make the racer a tank shift, so I bolted up the mounting plate and a vintage kicker arm and bracket, but I needed to drill and tap the Paughco bracket for the lower left 5/16 kickstand mount.

I tried to handle a few moves at once and failed. I broke off the tape in the kickstand mounting hole and I’m still pondering my options. I shifted back to floorboard mounting. I was burnin’ daylight trying to remove the tap. I mounted the front of the footboard and snugged it down at the Sin Wu estimated floorboard angle, then pondered how to mount the rear to the BDL outer primary.

I had to insert the BDL mounting studs into the inner primary with red Loctite first, then the aluminum stud arms, and finally the cool, clean outer primary cover. This turned out to be a breeze. I took a vintage footboard mount, cut it off, and welded it to a Bandit-made bracket. It had to carry my weight, so I added a strengthening gusset to the bottom and believed I was good to go.

In the next segment, we will start to tackle the shift linkage system. Duane Ballard’s wife, Lisa, a contributor for the Cycle Source magazine, delivered this vintage tractor seat assembly for us to test and you’ll see our wacky test next issue. We might also start to tackle mounting the Paughco/U.S. Choppers tanks, Phil’s Shop wiring system and the Biker’s Choice Speedometer, which we hope to mount in the tradition of rear-wheel driven speedometers of the ’20s.

It’s all headed your way in the next couple of weeks.

How do you feel about your computer? I could easily take my old .357 Smith and Wesson revolver and blow this sonuvabitch into the briny harbor Pacific waters. I'd set the smoking gun down, go find a job driving a trash truck, and be able to hang out with the bros and drink beer until my kidneys failed, then you could toss my carcass into the Pacific along with my IMac. Life is nuts.

Ah, but the 5-Ball Factory Racer is coming right along. I hauled it down to Chica's for rear fender fitment, never thinking about the front fender. Should I? Chica makes his own wide ribbed fenders 5 and 6 inches wide. They're available for old tall 16-inch wheels and 18-inch wheels for an easy fitment to the tires. On my way south of Long Beach, California, I swung into Todd's Cycle. He was jammed with work. It's odd in this dour economy to see shops cookin'. Chica also was hustling to fill wheel orders, work on vintage bikes, and rebuild engines. I stopped in another shop on the edge of Long Beach, Richard Graves's car restoration facility. Damn, he does sharp work. He was working on a '50s Ariel square four.

Graves was also jammed with work, so the world ain't all doom and gloom. We just gotta provide a valuable service and be honorable businessmen, and we'll survive, goddamnit. Like Dave Rash, of D&D Exhaust says, “Motorcycles are mechanical Valiums. The world can go to shit, and the brothers take care of their motorcycles.”

I like that notion. Chica marked my fender for stretching since his fender wouldn't wrap about a knockout Black Bike 23-inch wheel with an Avon Tyre. He indicated where the stretching would take place every 4-5 inches with a felt pen, then went to his machine. “You need to stretch it the same amount,” Chica explained, “and stagger the stretching maneuvers to prevent the fender from warping or twisting.”

I asked Chica if his fenders needed additional support where the fender rails would be attached. He pointed out that the extreme contours and the ribs added extra structural strength. But he did recommend two fender straps over the frame cross-member.

That did it, and Jeremiah and I loaded up the Racer for the return trip to the Bikernet Interplanetary Headquarters deep in the Wilmington ghetto. I started to work on the rear fender installation immediately. I bobbed it about 4 inches, but was grabbed by the rear wheel adjustment designed by Rick Krost of U.S. Choppers and manufactured by Paughco.

It's interesting, and I'm still getting the quirky hang of it. It automatically adjusts the ¾-inch axle back and forth, and up and down about ¾ inch. That element makes mounting the rear fender even more interesting. I was forced to don my patience- and-remain-flexible hat. Who knows if it's right, but I tried to work in several fender fluctuation means, so I could adjust it if necessary.

The fender was mounted with a single bolt at the bottom behind the battery case. Then, with the fender spaced evenly from the tire throughout the complete radius, I marked drilling holes for the fender straps. I drilled the holes, and the gods of stainless steel blessed my ass that day with a keen sense of accuracy. The holes and the fender straps lined up. I had to keep an eye on the axle adjustment, or the wheel was cocked right or left in the frame. “Ya gotta watch for the sweet spot,” Rick Krost said. I called him in the middle of the night to quiz him about wheel adjustment and alignment.

I also needed to make a spanner wrench for his axle adjusters. I was in a hurry one night and built a crappy one with some strange punched out flat open-end wrenches. I just heated, bent the tangs, and ground it to fit. It was sloppy, and ultimately, I built another one with brazed ¼-20 bolts to another wrench. It fits much better.

I also attached the Pauchco toolbox strap to the chain side of the bike, since the pipes would interfere on the right. It worked out perfectly for an additional installment point for the chain guard.

Next midnight run in the shop included grappling with mounting the Crime Scene taillight. It's a cool bastard, but I didn't have anything to mount it with. I dug through old boxes of parts, stock license plate rings, mounts, you name it, until I found an old rubber mount for license plate holders. It was already drilled for my three-point mounting taillight triangle. I found a thick license plate backing plate and went to work.

I drilled it to catch two of the Crime Scene holes and held the taillight over the license plate. I thought I had it made. I drilled the fender so the lip of the license plate will hang just slightly over it, for a proper, readable angle. Not sure I was successful. We'll see the first time I'm pulled over for speeding in Wyoming.

The one item I missed was the spacing for the bonaroo cool license plate ring. I'm not sure I didn't drill the holes too far into the plate, but I was thinking about strength and not bling. From that point, I moved to making fender rails. I can't do anything status quo. So I drilled corner holes in the backing plate, machined more brass, cloverleaf stock with 5/16 coarse threads and bent tabs and mounted them to the frame. Sorta crazy, but actually strong.

Evan at Power Plant Motorcycles on Melrose in Hollywood coached me on cutting threads in brass. “You need deep thick threads, so don't cut fine threads in brass,” Evan said. “It's soft.”

He also showed me a trick on his new antique lathe for centering cutting bits, which I'll never forget. I'll demonstrate in another tech in the near future. His shop was also busy, when I last stopped in. He builds vintage bobbers with very cool hand- made components. No CNC billet shit for Evan. Watch for his Chopper Challenge feature bike to show up on the pages of Cycle Source.

The guys at BDL helped with a super deal on a GMA front brake caliper, bracket, and hand lever. Unfortunately, they only make a springer bracket for the right side, so I modified for the left and built my linkage. Dealing with a narrow Paughco Springer and a front brake is a challenge to fit everything and center the caliper over the rotor. I still need to machine an axle spacer. I also need to deal with this billet bracket. I'm looking for some super cool art deco piece to bolt up front, like a hood ornament from an old Packard.

I had to deal with the suicide clutch situation. I had a vintage H-D rocker clutch system, minus the linkage and spring. I made the linkage with a spare Paughco toolbox-mounting bracket. Then while digging around, I discovered what I thought was a regulator mounting bracket. It would work perfectly for the regulator and had the space, and holes drilled for a clutch cable bracket. I went to work digging around for the perfect cable guide.

About this time, the Laughlin River Run surfaced and I rode my King into the desert. Two weeks later, I was called to duty on my Sturgis Shovelhead chopper to ride back into the desert to Cottonwood, Arizona for the Smoke Out. On the way I helped a couple broke down in the desert with a wiring problem. As we tinkered with his rigid Sportster, fulla devil tails welded everywhere like handles on wrought-iron furniture, I noticed his suicide clutch set up and his linkage and it gave me some good notions for a cable pinching system.

Between Laughlin and Cottonwood, I finally rolled around to cutting the front of the tanks to make room for fork stops with the Paughco narrow springer. As it stood the springer stops would smack the Factory Racer tanks, and my turning radius was shot. I went to work with a Makita cut- off saw and a plasma cutter to slice a new piece of 14-or 16-gauge steel for the replacement. The tanks were painted and that fucked with my MIG welding. Always clear the paint away from the welding area. The smoke from the heated paint messes with the pure oxygen and gas required for proper penetration. I'll work on that more with the next tank.

I'm getting close to making some final welds, while praying that a TIG welder will wander into my shop. But first, I needed to drop in the Baker N1 drum for 5-speeds. This is the simplest modification on earth. It's so easy even I could do it, amazing. These N1 drums… well I'll let Trish Horstman and James Simonelli tell you the facts:

Five years ago we developed the N1 drum for drag racers and street racerswho used our 6-speed overdrive. The N1 shift pattern (Neutral-1-2-3-4-5-6) wasdesigned to prevent false neutrals during aggressive 1-2 upshifts by positioningneutral under 1st.

The jockey shift/foot clutch crowd soon discovered the benefitsof the N1 pattern. The big lever ratio of a jockey shift lever desensitizes the feelof the detents in the transmission such that finding neutral is a crapshoot withbad odds. With neutral on bottom (or all the way forward), the jockey shifter canmindlessly tap all the way down to neutral thus allowing him to put both feet onthe ground as he rolls up to the stop light.

Here's the 6-Speed Baker N-1 drum.

Today, a whole new crowd is realizing the benefits of the N1 pattern. Pingel’selectric shifter is slicker-than-snot and appeals to racers as well as those withrestricted movement in their left foot and left hand. Utilizing an N1 drum inconjunction with Pingel’s electric shifter makes finding neutral (with the solenoid)seamless, and yields a solenoid-actuated shift system that almost makes footshifting obsolete.

Here's the JIMS stock drum still in place.

PN DESCRIPTION FITMENT
5-6QT-A N1 drum & pillow block assembly, 6-speed BAKER 6-spd overdrive except*
5-6QT-A1 N1 drum & pillow block assembly, 6-speed *Old 6-into-4 (S&S case) &Frankentranny
124-OD6RN1-A N1 drum & pillow block assembly, 6-speed RSD right-side Drive 6-speed, 2ndgeneration
124-DD6N1 N1 drum & pillow block assembly, DD6 DD6, all
2-5R-N1 N1 drum & pillow block assembly, 5-speed Single pole neutral switch 5-spds
2-5RL-N1 N1 drum & pillow block assembly, 5-speed Double pole neutral switch 5-spds

Here's the N1 next to the stock drum.

FEATURES/NOTES:
– N1 shift system option available at no additional cost with purchase of a complete transmissionor builder’s kit
– 5-speed N1 shift systems fit H-D 5-speeds and BAKER 5-speeds
– For aggressive shifting we also recommend the use of our anti-overshift ratchet pawl, PN555-56A for 5-speeds through 1999 and 555-56L for 5-speeds 2000-up. For example, this pawlmechanically prevents an unintended 1-3 up shift during an intended 1-2 upshift

Okay, so I popped off the ¼-20 Allens off the top of the tranny cap. Since, within five fasteners there were three sizes, I placed them neatly in the battery pan to prevent mixing up the formula. The lid came right off.

Then the four 7/16 hex heads need to be removed and the drum and pillow blocks came off as a single unit. Don't forget to lift the shifting arm, and keep it up when you replace the drum.

It might feel slightly snug to remove since there are guide inserts pressed into the case to hold the drum perfectly aligned. I studied the drum as I removed it and set it in exactly the same position on the bench to insure I put the new N1 drum back exactly the same way.

I told myself the old mechanic's rule as I replaced the drum and aligned the shifting forks: Don't force anything, jackass. I carefully aligned the shifting forks, then made sure the pillow blocks fit comfortable over the inserts before rolling the fasteners back into place and torquing them to 130 inch pound of torque or 10.8 foot pounds.

I smeared a dab of tranny oil on the lip of the transmission lid and slipped it into place, then tightened the fasteners to 130-inch pounds of torque. Oh, I forgot. I replaced the standard vent with something brass, mechanical, and vintage. What the hell. I'm going for that vintage appearance.

That's it for this installment. Next, I will install an Exile sprotor rear brake and 48-tooth sprocket. I'll finish all my welds, strip her down, and head to powder coating and paint. I have the color scheme down. It's going to be wild. I've also promised not to hit any more events between now and Sturgis for maximum shop time. We'll see if I run out of whiskey and women or not. Hang on.

Shrunken FXR mid-controls by Giggie at Compu-Fire. Note: we need flat-headed Allens.

Giggie our master machinist from Compu-Fire rolled up to the Bikernet Headquarters last Saturday. We haven’t seen him for months due in part to his work on new starting systems for the custom market. They are dancing through the final development stages of a system configured to drive off the crank shaft of the motor with a 60- to-one ratio compared to stock 48-to-1. That will leave the area about the tranny available for custom applications or lower seat heights.

Giggie brought some wrong fasteners but lots of them and counter-sunk drilling tool.

Currently Compu-fire is soon to release a standard starting system, the Gen-2 HT, with 33 percent stronger magnets, 6-roller longer clutch (32 percent longer) with 30 percent more cranking while drawing the same amps from the battery.

Here’s the tranny without the brake pedal components. There’s some tight tolerances going on.

I spoke to him about our cooling debate and here are some of his thoughts. “You want your oil to run at a minimum temp of 205 to eliminate water vapor or condensation that accumulates in oil,” Giggie said. “At 240 to 260 degrees petroleum based oils begin to break down, although synthetic lubricants could be good to 360 degrees. I have my doubts.”

Base bracket to be bolted to the transmission.

Giggie developed an oil cooler for his FLH that kicks on at 220 degrees and off at 200. It has an in-line thermal switch continuously reading oil temp. He installed his cooler in a box with vents and two small electric fans wired to the thermal switch (to cool while idling).

Giggie’s mounting bracket bolted in place.

Regarding our project Giggie dropped off hand machined mid-controls for shifting and rear brakes. Next, we must buy a H-D slave cylinder with remote reservoir with a built in brake switch. We will hide the reservoir behind the oil bag and design a bracket to hold the slave under the trans.

This shows the pedal and shaft in the mounting bracket.

Giggie will supply us with four more bushings to run behind the shift and brake levers, two 1/8-inch thick and two 1/2-inch thick, to allow us variable spacing away from the engine pulley or point cover on the cone.

Giggie will supply two different bushing to be installed between the brake lever and the mounting sleeve. We’ll need the space to clear the point cover.

Unfortunately the sleeve hit the oil pump cover. We may be able to remove enough material or just polish the pump. The oil pump inlet fitting will also need to be turned down. It’s close.

With the bushings in hand we can develop our final linkage behind the BDL belt drive plate and Giggie’s tranny plate to connect with the slave piston.

In both cases we need to cut and machine the other end of the shaft, depending on the linkage.

I’ve decided to remanufacture the exhaust system which is now a tight fit around the new brake linkage. Giggie also machined the foot peg mounts to accept any standard, pivoting foot pegs.

The slick new mid controls for shifting slid through bushings machined into the BDL outter and inner covers.

Next we need the bushings, slave cylinder and a day in the garage hammering and welding a new set of pipes.

–Bandit

Back To Part 10, Page 2

I'm in a daze this morning. Too much Quervo Gold last night and too many discussions about the sinking economy. It's a bastard when they lay off port crane operators. What does that tell you? I don't want to go there on this dank gray morning. It's warm outside, but even the dogs, Tank and Cash, feel the gray skies. They look hung-over, droopy and drained. I haven't shaved in a couple of days, need a shower and a kick-my-butt workout.

All the women left me and ran off to the mountains this weekend. I know why Sin Wu needed a break. Have you ever tried to maintain a 10,000 square-foot, old dilapidated building, clean and care for two lumbering, sloppy dogs, two house cats, and a stray that wanders through and bitches if the food supply isn't consistent with her desires? The Macaw needs to be fed and moved into and out of the sun at the end of the day and now we have a fuckin' fish.

There are also construction workers, electricians and plumbers to deal with. It's never a dull moment around here. I'm a big proponent of running off all the costly pets, who can't do except shit and care for a half dozen concrete gargoyles. At least they keep the evil spirits at bay and involve zero upkeep.

Okay, I'll get to the tech. I was on a hunt for a vintage seat and Duane Ballard stopped by with this vintage BMW seat. I used chunks of wood to hold it in place while I pondered the little Hispanic girl who works at Shamrocks, the Mexican fish market two blocks away. Since the seat was made with a number of springs incorporated in the structure, I didn't feel additional springs were necessary. I played with my options, but nothing – graceful, stylish, art deco or vintage – came to mind. Then I grabbed the springs that came with the prototype Paugho frame and voila, it all came together using the existing frame bungs, the mini-seat shocks and a slight modification to the BMW seat.

I drilled new holes in the brackets and cut about 4 inches off the arms. The front of the seat bolted directly to the Paughco seat hinge and I was good to go. Duane stopped by again, blessed my creation, and took the seat for top-notch leather upholstery action. He's the best.

I shifted to my shift linkage system and called Jeremiah for the mathematical configuration from the system we build for his bobber. I wanted a tank shift and had several strange components, plus heavy, solid cloverleaf brass rod to use. I don't have any idea how I come up with this shit, but what the hell. It has class.

According to Jeremiah, from the pivot point down, the shift arm was about 6 inches in length, and the distance to the shift knob up was almost three times that length. That made for a vast throw and I needed to make sure I was clear, fore and aft, for shifting without smacking the bars or anything else. I checked my '48 Panhead with stock jockey shifting and the ratio was closer to two to one. In addition, jockey shifting is a different animal. There's no back and forth spring action on vintage tank-shifted bikes. The shifter banged through one gear after another from first to fourth, done deal.

That's the reason jockey-shifted bikes are best with jockey top transmissions. If you need neutral, just pop it out of any gear and you're back in neutral. Ratchet tops force you to bang through one gear after another down to the only neutral between first and second, often missing it. In our next tech, we will install a Baker 5-and-1 drum in this transmission to afford neutral at the bottom for easy reach.

Okay, so back to the job at hand. I'm trying to use as much brass on this bike as possible, so I dug through drawers and boxes of old machined parts and trinkets and came up with these brass-bearing supports. Then I machined a piece to fit these, then the axle piece to mount to the frame. Then I had to bore and tap the pivot, drill and tap to anchor the brass bushing, drill and tap to create a pivot stop and machine and thread the brass rods, plus machine an end to fit a heim joint connection to the transmission shift linkage. I spent hours tinkering and figuring, drilling, tapping and testing, and I'm reasonable sure I have a tough, working shifting system.

Then I shifted to the dreaded tanks. The tanks are fine, but more involved than normal one-piece, bolt-on tanks, ready with bungs for rubber mounting. Since this was a prototype Paughco Factory Racer frame, the first one of the batch, they bolted the tanks to the frame by drilling and tapping the top frame tube. Problem is, that afforded each 5/16 coarse bolt about three threads in mild steel tubing. In just a matter of time, those threads would fail, the tanks would rattle and come loose.

I decided I wanted to strengthen the tank mounting for the long road. I ordered some ¼-inch bungs, ¾-inch deep for a lasting hold. Later, I discovered that since the mainframe strut was 1.5 inch tubing, I could have used the 1.5-inch deep bungs from the Bung King (check their site for all available variations). I needed to re-drill the holes to a larger diameter for the bungs to slip into the frame. Adding the bungs and welding them enhanced the strength of the frame. At first, I though about machining a bung with a lip on it, but the tanks didn't have the clearance above the frame for a lip.

After drilling the frame holes, I tapped the bungs into the hole and as far below the surface as possible for the strongest, deepest weld. I would also need to grind off any protruding weld so the tanks would fit again. One tank protruded into the frame and rubbed at the back, so I moved it as far forward as possible for clearance, which amounted to about ¼ inch.

With the bungs in place, welded and ground, I grappled with the tank mounting holes. I thought I had it made, since I was dropping from 5/16-inch bolts to ¼-inch, but not so. Only one hole lined up. I grappled with these bastards for hours. Then I gas-welded the hole slots, refilled them and ground them to a reasonable size.

Next, I welded bungs, I believe from Lucky Devil, into the bottom of the tanks and used the Bung King’s rubber mount kits with straps and rubbers to attach it to the frame. In a sense, this was overkill, but I've experienced leaky tanks and poorly mounted tanks on my way to Sturgis a couple of times. One time, Randy Aaron from Cycle Visions saved my ass and my tank paint job. Later on, Paul Yaffe replaced my piece-of-shit Blue Flame tank with a properly rubber mounted Independent tank. So, goddamnit, this needs to be right the first time. I ran rubber mounts front and rear.

There's a trick to this operation. You need the rubbers in place to make proper measurements, cuts and tack welds. Ah but, too much heat will destroy your rubbers and sink the process. I've done it during mad welding spurts. This time I kept my Bonneville salt sprayer handy, so I could tack near the rubber insert and cool the strap before I damaged the insert. I removed the inserts before final welds.

With the tanks securely mounted, I was confident, except for one aspect: capacity and turning radius. I needed to pull the bike away from the lift clamp and flop the Paughco taper-leg springer from side to side. As I suspected, it was going to hit the tanks. Over the next couple of weeks, I will operate again, slicing the tanks for turning.

I shifted to making a top motor mount, which worked out like a champ. I made a strap from one Crazy Horse head to the other, then discovered a couple of tabs that would give me the strength and position I needed to hook up with the frame. Top motor mounts are also tricky. They need to be flexible and somewhat adjustable. I made sure the engine was positioned correctly with my BDL primary backing plate, but you never know if something might shift slightly during final assembly, and the top motor mount must be flexible and iron strong.

Without too much fanfare, I attached a piece of modified angle iron to the right side of the motor mount for a coil hanger. I angled it slightly so the spark plug wires wouldn’t bang or rub against the tank.

It just happened that I'm building a railing for my mom's house. She's getting feeble, in her old age and needed some additional support. That meant a trip to the local steel supply house, where I stumbled onto some small chunks of angle iron. I didn't like my original number 5 transmission mount, so I decided to remanufacture it with a heftier piece of angle iron that also reached the frame without a problem. It also allowed me a tad more positioning flexibility for the master cylinder and pedal adjustment.

In the next segment, I'll run the progression of Dick Allen illustrations, so you can see the progress. It's as if I'm building the motorcycle, while Dick and Chris Kallas develop the visual story.

I don't know about you, but these illustrations give me hope and inspiration throughout the build process. Next, I will modify the tanks once more for enhanced Paughco Springer turning radius, then we'll mount the Phil's Speed shop ignition and wiring system to a plate I'll make that will bolt to the top of the tanks behind the gas caps.

Also mounted to same plate of steel will be a manual, vintage Sportster replacement, Bikers Choice speedo driven off the rear Black Bike wheel. Hopefully, the wheels will roll in, I'll find some 23-inch tubes and Larry Settle will mount and balance the Avon tires. I'll set up the wheels in the frame and springer, and then haul the bike to Chica in Huntington Beach. He's going to help me with fender design and mounting. In the meantime, I'll watch the inauguration unfold and stay away from tequila. There's more coming, though. I'm going to modify the trans with a 5-1 Baker drum, and build a set of exhaust with D&D bends and pieces. Hang on for the next installment.

We experienced an incredible month of hiccups and grievances. My computer crashed immediately after I spent a long weekend in Primm, Nevada, locked in a hotel room, rewriting my first Chance book. I lost it all. Then I'm attacked with the vertigo venom and laid out like a sick puppy, terrified that my life as a motorcyclist was over. Then the nasty tenants who rented our 1-bedroom apartment disappeared during the worst economic downturn in our history, we lost that income and needed to pour a minimum of eight grand into that puppy to make it rentable once more. Good god, plus we were burnin' daylight and needed to shovel a new paying tenant into place.

There's my excuse for not working on the 5-Ball Factory Racer more. I hate doom and gloom. Hell, there's no time for that shit. “No time to lose” is one of my codes. I'll rewrite the book over the next couple of weeks, and it will be even better. The apartment will be completed this weekend with finished hardwood floors, completely new kitchen, bathroom, all new paint, a new laundry room and more. New tenants are moving in tomorrow. And Vertigo is like a mystery movie. I was down three days then back at the computer and firing away, just don't ask me to walk a straight line. Plus, the mystery, as to the source or cause is still in full swing. I'll let you know what I find out. I gotta quit snorting paint fumes.

In the meantime, there's 5-Ball Factory Racer progress to report. Since the plan was to build a comfortable vintage looking speedster and ride it to Sturgis, we need enough fuel capacity to fly me across the desert and not leave me in the sand, baking with lonely tarantulas.

These flat-sided tanks designed by Rick Krost and built by Paughco are in keeping with a 1915 Harley-Davidson board track racer. We measured the capacity of the long narrow tanks, during installation. They come in at exactly 2 gallons–not bad. On the other-hand not comfortable touring levels. Then it dawned on me in my dizzy state. Mike Pullin, the man who created the Run for Breath, as a tribute to his son Justin and Asthma Charities, builds a cool custom/vintage oil tank using antique fire extinguisher bodies. I gave him a call

The notion was to build and mount a back-up or reserve tank on the handlebars in keeping with the Prestone acetylene headlight tanks from used from 1910 until the '20s. Harleys didn't discover the use of electric lights until 1916. Before, they had carbide chips, systems like coal miners had on their helmets. Carbide chips became carbide generators and were followed in 1910 or '11 by pressurized acetylene tanks, similar to welding. A small hose fed two nozzles inside the headlight case. The rider had to open the face of the headlight, turn the nozzles on, until he heard the hiss of gas or smelled it, and then physically light the flame to create the light reflecting off the mirror in the back for forward illumination. I asked antique bike expert, Don Whalen of Sierra Madre Motorcycle Company, if these systems worked worth a hill of beans. “It was best to plan rides around full moons,” Don said.

So the notion flourished. I could back up my narrow tank fuel capacity by adding a fire extinguisher full of fuel on the handlebars, and Mike was the master. He makes these generally for chopper riders looking for a cool oil bag. If you happen to have a vintage fire bottle hanging around, send it to Mike. He'll build a vertical or horizontal oil tank out of it, or you can buy bungs from the Bung King, Todd's Cycle, or The Parts Dude and make the bastard your-self. Here's where Mike, the Stealth Man takes over:

The first step in fabricating the tank was ordering the parts. I ordered all the parts from “The Parts Dude.” The extinguisher itself came from a local hardware store.

Then Chopper John and I had some fun and emptied the contents of the tank and then cleaned the inside with water.

The next step included removing the handle.

Then we measured for the center of the tank, where the filler cap would be located. Then we decided where we would position the petcock. This is key, depending on the bars.

After this was done, we proceeded to drill and cut the holes for the filler cap bung and the petcock bung. I ended up using ¼-inch pipe thread petcock bung.

Once this was done, we welded the filler cap bung and the petcock bung in place.

We ground all the welds and checked for leaks.

Chopper John and myself had a great time making the tank. It was the first time we had teamed up on a project since Stealth Bike Works closed. I don't know if I was the first to use fire extinguishers for tanks of any sort, but I know I was the first around the South Carolina area!

The tank is finished. Came out cool! All you have to do is seal where the handle threads are, with Teflon tape or Teflon paste. You may want to have the tank sealed or use that Kreem stuff. I really don't like the Kreem stuff. I used to go to a radiator shop to have it sealed but they closed. I am sure you have people who can do that.

There you have it. We already found a petcock and I'm working on handle/valve end. As it turned out, the vintage jobs from the '20 had pressure gauges, so the rider knew how much acetylene was left for the night ride home. Since this fire extinguisher came equipped with a pressure gauge, we are going to attempt to keep it. Then I need to create a steel cradle and weld it to the bars.

Next, you'll see us mount the vintage Sportster Speedo and I'm going to pick up the Black Bike Wheels next week and run a manual cable drive off the rear wheel with LA Chop Rod bungs.

Just when we were confident that the fuel capacity neared 3 gallons, we discovered a handling glitch. The fork stops were under the front of the gas tank. We couldn't live with it. The new narrow tapered leg Paughco springer would smack the tank and hinder turning. So next, we'll slice the front of the tank, decrease fuel capacity a tad, but enhance turning. Check back in a couple of weeks for more major renovations, if I don't stumble and fall off a cliff.

Hey, it's the start of the official Sturgis 2009 project bike, the 5-Ball Factory Racer. For decades guys have built vintage- looking scooters with late model drive-trains. Hell, I built another one at Strokers Dallas in the '90s. Before I dreamed of it, Arlen Ness built a '20s vintage scooter and sidecar around a Sportster engine. Randy Simpson built vintage kit bikes. Don Hotop built some of the finest vintage-styled customs and just last week, I saw a '20s styled bike at the SEMA show in Las Vegas built by the Shadley Brothers for House of Kolors. Beautiful piece. So I ain't the first by a long shot.

But there is something in the air recently respecting the old iron and bringing it back to life. Some of it has to do with restrictions, and building older bikes is unrestricted. Some of it has to do with nostalgia and some is just a wild departure from the last project. I'm excited every year about this learning process. It's like painting one picture on a massive canvas, finishing it successfully, and then pondering the next easel. I get pumped and begin to research what's available.

Billy Lane inspired me with his recent Henderson four custom and his notion to find vintage engines and build bikes around them. We traded a 1913 Pope engine for a '20s H-D Peashooter single that I will ultimately build a Salt Flats racer out of with the help of Todd's Cycle. Dennis is working on the frame and tank.

Rick Krost has also been inspirational with his board track racer frame and chassis kit. He was having a tough time finding a manufacturer for his intricate frames, so we drove to Carson City, Nevada and I introduced him to the chopper original, Ron Paugh from Paughco. Paughco Inc. began as a machine shop run by Ron's dad in the '60s when Ron jammed into the shop one day and asked his dad if he could build a Panhead inner primary. They've been building bike parts ever since. Ron was a natural to take on the vintage U.S. Chopper frame.

It's a terrific frame and some of the greats in our industry built U.S. Chopper Board Track Customs from Ralph of Knockout Choppers and Vicious Cycles show winner that graced the cover of American Iron recently. But there was an inherent problem with these chassis for a guy 6 foot 4. I was way too tall, but I was still intrigued.

I wanted to build one of these, but in my old age status, I needed some size and forward controls. Then Rick started on his second generation model with the Paughco factory, and they called it the Factory Racer. Initially Ron built the first concept frame, this one. Rick didn't feel it fit his scrunched design criteria and asked Ron to shorten it by 6 inches and reduce the rake. Again, it put the U.S. Choppers design configuration out of my too-tall league. My project was threatened.

I spoke to Rick and told him my concerns, so he developed two frames. In fact, Rick's super-short version turned out to be way too short and he was forced to lengthen it slightly. And so this project began with all Paughco components including their highly secret manufacturing process that allows them to produce absolute classic wide and narrow tapered-leg springers. I went with the narrow job to stay in keeping with the 1915 style.

While I ordered parts I reached out to the Bikernet Official 5-Ball Racing Illustrator for an inspirational visual. I fed him information on the format and elements and he made the project come to life. I'm always inspired by each build, but for some reason the 1915 5-Ball Factory Racer held a special significance. We are planning our first Bikernet Vintage Classic Ride and gathering to Sturgis next year, and so perhaps a tradition will emerge.

Billy Lane and Chica would like to tag along when we cut a dusty trail with an assortment of vintage and replica bikes to the Badlands. We are hoping we can make our semi-central meeting place the new location of Dale Walksler's Wheels Through Time Museum in Arizona. I spoke to him this morning and he still doesn't have a desert location.

So I was pumped, and I always attempt to build the ultimate bike from a reliability and handling ease standpoint. I always have the notion that this bike will stick with me into my ripe old age; easy to work on, easy to ride, comfortable and durable. I'm not trying to build a show winner or something so exotic that it's not road worthy. I'm after the opposite. I want a bike that is tough as nails and looks that way.

The other code I hoped to follow was one of tradition. Without getting crazy I planned to adopt as many early H-D parts as possible for a Vintage look. Paughco's catalog helped a lot with traditional '20s rectangular footboards, a vertical tool box, and flat side tanks.

I reached out to Fred Lange for a vintage '20s sprung seat. Nash Motorcycle Company has vintage grips and DBBP in Europe makes bronze dogbone risers. Black Bike Wheels custom-builds 3.50 wide 23-inch wheels and Avon makes tires to fit.

I dug through my lockers of parts for old H-D controls, kickstands and miscellaneous items from the rigid frame era and started a stack of parts. I ordered the coolest headlight, taillight, and air cleaner combination from Crime Scene Choppers, their Rapid series.

Recently, I ran across a classic shotgun-styled exhaust system with an approved Suppertrapp tuneable muffler. I was going to make my own system, but this one is killer. Part of it comes from WCC and part from Illusion Cycles.

The key to the success of this project is the drive train. I sought a Crazy Horse V-Plus, 100-inch engine for several reasons. It has a classic design, renewed performance, looks and a left-side carb. I will couple it to a JIMS 5-speed transmission with a Baker kicker unit and a 5-1 shifting drum, so I can run a tank shifter and find neutral without a problem.

I generally run a BDL primary drive and Spyke and Compu-fire electrical components. I'm going to remount the gas tank with Bung King components and Rick Krost is building the oil bag to fit. For some strange reason I'm sick like a puppy dog today, so I'll stop here, but I will be back shortly with an update. If my head would quit throbbing I'd add some highly inspirational closing, but I'm toast. See ya next time.

Hang on. This is the last of the scintillating segments on building the Sturgis Shovel before I write the treacherous saga of the ride. Somewhere we will publish a feature on the bike in a mag and on the site. Oh, there’s one other tech that will come to pass—hard line assembly. I’m waiting for a CD of images from John Gilbert of Bike Works mag.

So let’s get started. I was burnin’ daylight before the Sturgis run. I saved a ton of cash going with all powder and no additional chrome or polishing. It cost me just $325 to powder all my components for lasting protection.

Throughout this article I will point out my mistakes, so you can avoid them. I did an 80 percent decent job of mocking up the bike prior to powder. That meant that 20 percent had to be dealt with after the finish was applied. Bad news. The only thing I didn’t think through or make brackets for was the ignition switch and circuit breaker brackets. That may seem minor, but wasn’t as you will discover. On the other hand it wasn’t a big deal. You be the judge. Actually, if we wired, fired and rode the bike before final teardown, it would answer all the questions. But few builders take it that far.

I was jazzed to toss the Paughco Frame on the lift covered with pads. Foremost Powder had plugged all the threaded holes and tapped off the neck bearing surfaces. They did a helluva job. I shaved motor and transmission mounts for a proper ground and installed the S&S modified 93-inch engine and JIMS trans. Then I could install the Paughco Springer without a balancing act.

The Springer is easy to install, but takes care. I greased the bearings, slid on the dust shields and ran the whole springer through the neck. Keep in mind that installing the bearing races in the neck is not complete until the bike has been down the road. Any paint, dust or uneven race angle will mean that the bearings will seat further once on the road. Ride it for a week then lift the front end off the ground and jiggle the wheel by the axle. If there’s any movement or dangerous slop, take the bars and top tree off once more and tighten the stem nut until there’s just a hair of drag. Long front ends are more critical because of the leverage against the neck.

I didn’t bolt down the engine and trans hard, just the tranny plate which ultimately I had to loosen. The engine needs to be completely at ease for the BDL belt alignment so I just spun some stainless bolts into place. Then I installed the front wheel with Doherty spacers, the Brembo brake caliber and centered the wheel. Keep in mind that Brembo supplied the bracket, which is designed to replace a stock, late-model Harley springer brake system. I didn’t have the proper spacer, but a Harley shop had one and I was good to go.

Then I installed the Brembo Caliper. They supplied me with a series of shims. I used feeler gauges to determine centering the caliper over the rotor and stacked the shims until it was set. This is an interesting bumbling, experienced manner for writing articles. I have the insight of riding experience behind images of the bike yet complete. Ultimately we removed the front fender.

I build the front fender, single sided bracket after Kent’s, from Lucky Devils Metal Works in Houston, caliper mounted fender mounts, which work perfectly. My problem was the initial position of the caliper, too far forward. So I mounted it on the heim joint rod which didn’t work. When the bike went over a bump the front lip of the fender rode up with the caliper and the rear lip rode down with the springer touching the tire. It had to go. So I rode to Sturgis without a front fender ducking rainstorms all the way.

Next I installed the rear fender. Keep in mind that the rear fender, the oil tank and the rear wheel fight for the same spaces. They almost need to go together simultaneously, especially the oil bag and rear fender. Everything slipped into place with nyloc nuts, stainless Allens and red Loctite.

At the time I ran stock gearing with the JIMS 6-speed, until I discovered that I was faced with running a kicker. I didn’t change the rear wheel gearing from the 51-tooth, but I should have. This evening I’ll install a Custom Chrome flat (Sportster styled) 48-tooth sprocket and hope to knock the revs down seriously.

I also mounted the rear Brembo brakes and centered the caliper over the Brembo rotor. No problem. Even my Softail styled anchor bracket worked perfectly welded to the frame and tucked the caliper between the frame rails.

While I’m messing with brakes I’ll cover brake and clutch lines and cables. Instead of making up lines I ordered RevTech pre-assembled lines from Custom Chrome plus all the fittings washers and fasteners. Keep in mind that the front brake master cylinder uses larger master cylinder banjo bolts. They come in 10mm and 12mm. Watch out, and don’t hesitate to order a couple of extra bangos bent at different angles to make sure you’ll have what you need.

I measured my lines and clutch cable lengths a number of times then added an inch for safety. That’s where making your own lines can be helpful. Keep in mind that the front end will turn (clutch cable) and depress (front brake). You’ll need some slack. Plus you might change the angle of your handlebar levers, which will impact the position of the cables and lines. I used Tephlon tape on most fittings although some builders don’t recommend it. Since most of this stuff is chromed, I like the extra sealant.

I use only DOT 5 brake fluid in my bikes, ‘cause I can splash the shit all over the place without concern for paint damage. In many instances you can fill the master cylinder and rock, just by waiting for the bubbles to rise. Another key is to find the right pump can and fill the lines, caliper and master cylinder from the bottom up. Use a new pumper or a pump that’s dedicated to brake fluid only and attach it to your brake bleeder on the front wheel. Most of the time that works like a charm.

I’ve found that most front brakes will basically bleed themselves. Fill the master cylinder on the bars and pump it slowly allowing the bubbles to rise. Let it set overnight and most of the bubbles will rise just by pumping it with short strokes at the lever and watching the bubbles jump to the surface.

In this case I discovered that some air was trapped in the caliper, so I pulled it off the bike, taped a file (the same width of the Brembo rotor) and turned the caliper so the air could escape through the bleeder nipple. I bleed it a couple of times then returned the caliper to its rightful position. She was good to go.

The rear brake wasn’t so easy because the air couldn’t rise to the master cylinder. I bleed it from the front and the rear, and I think it still has air in the lines although the Brembo brakes worked fine. I received a lot of compliments and comments on the brakes, which I found strange. Brembo has a terrific reputation, but not on Harleys. Riders were surprised to find Brembos on a Chopper.

Now for the clutch cable. First I was confused about which cable style to order. I hope to put together an article on it in the near future. I picked the most common late model Evo cable and measured the length several times. Here’s the key. If you’re not replacing a stock cable you have no notion of the length. I pulled a stock cable and measured it, but I didn’t know what model it came from. I went by the length of my stock cable and found the 1990-1999 Fatboy cable length. Then I measured the extension due to the Paughco Frame, CCE risers and CCI bars. Much guess work. If I had all the bucks in the world I would have bought three cables lengths.

The end cap cable is the reason Baker, JIMS and RevTech transmissions come with a fresh gasket and a quart of transmission oil. They know that you’ll be forced to pull the end cap to install the cable in the ball driven throw-out bearing mechanism. It’s simple but cumbersome. Don’t loose the balls. You’ll need a massive C-clamp removal tool to pop that sucker free. Carefully lift the inner ramp and remove the cable coupling, attach the cable, which you have already screwed into the trans face cover. Return the coupling to the inner ramp by watching the puzzle face. Then put the ramp back in place and the retaining ring and bolt the face cover back into place. Don’t forget to add at least 20 ounces of Trans fluid. It will hold 24 ounces dry.

I learned something on this trip. If water gets in the trans it will act up, shift strangely. Drain the fluid and change it. Check your vent.

I ran the cable several ways to find the path that fit best, didn’t rub the frame or catch on anything. I used one Arlen Ness cable clamp to secure it and hooked the cable into the greased tephlon bushing in the Joker Machine handlebar control, then replaced the small C-clamp and I was ready for final clutch cable adjustment after the BDL primer was installed.

I’m going to cover the 300 BDL installation here and try to explain my shift. My plan was to run the Compu-Fire engine based electric starter system designed by Giggie before he left and took a job at Rivera. Rivera is making inner primary plates for this new system, but when I contacted them Ben Kudon’s response was hesitant. They weren’t ready. Of course I contacted our long-time sponsor BDL and initially they weren’t scheduled to make units, then I was pleased to find out they were, so I ordered one. But Sturgis crept into the picture, and suddenly I was without a starting system and coils hanging under the oil bag interfering with any new starter install.

I had a 300 BDL belt system and a starter but no place to put it. Kent from Lucky Devil shrugged his shoulders and said, “Why don’t you run a kicker?”

Sinwu ripped off her top, jiggled her tits and said, “You have one from Muller in Germany.

I jammed down the headquarter stairs to the shop and tore open the box. I was jazzed. This is one of the coolest kicker systems to come along. It cleared the rear exhaust pipe and the kicker arm was stylish, unique and strong. I couldn’t believe my luck.

The JIMS 6-speed lined up with the BDL inner primary like a dream. All I needed was to pull the tranny face and press off the trap door, then replace the trap door and tranny cover with the Muller system. Muller even shipped a clutch ramp system that afforded smoother clutch action.

Hell, I’d even build a cool brass plug to cover the speedo-cable hole in the side of the JIMS trap door.

All went well until I removed the JIMS trap door to discover the 6-speed protruding gears. The door was machined to accept the gears and the 5-speed door was not. I was stuck. I contacted Muller in Germany for a 6-speed replacement door. No answer. I called JIMS and ordered the kicker they distribute for the 6-speed. It never arrived, so I called Custom Chrome. If I could order a 5-speed quick, I could use the Muller system. They responded and in three days I had a Rev Tech Replacement complete with kicker and 23-tooth chain sprocket. I yanked the 6-speed and began to install the Rev Tech 5-speed in 4-speed case with a five-year or 50,000 mile warranty.

At this point I should have replaced the rear 51-tooth sprocket with a 48 or perhaps a 46, but we’ll see. I removed the kicker cover and installed the clutch cable once more, sealed the tranny and filled it with 24 ounces of fluid.

I pulled the massive, left-handed, mainshaft sprocket nut with a JIMS special tool and flopped it around backwards to afford me the clearance I needed for the RevTech chain to pass the 180 Avon tire. I locked it down with the JIMS tool and an Allen setscrew and red Loctite. She was good to go.

Next, I needed to set up the BDL 300 belt drive system and the Compu-Fire Charging system. I slipped in the Stator, then the small tapered washer, followed by the Compu-Fire Rotor. It’s pasted right on the rotor not to smack it with any hammers. You might knock one of the magnets loose.

According to the rules sometimes the offset pulley mount doesn’t need the massive flat washer/spacer for proper alignment. But the first move includes installing the inner primary with the engine and tranny loose. I used never-cease on the threads of the transmission and tranny Allens to prevent damage to the threads. Take it back—first I had to remove the inner primary studs from the transmission. They were tight as hell and I used Yield and heat to set them free. Then I positioned the engine and the Trans with the primary.

I ran into problems. Nothing wanted to line up. I called a couple of buddies for guidance. I held the engine where it was with a shim under the front motor mount. Then I bolted the primary to the engine and trans. The front of the tranny raised almost .100. I started looking for shims. Bob from BDL told me the code was to shim the tranny plate and not the tranny, so I went to work. It wasn’t a problem to scour around for the right thickness washers. Soon the transmission was aligned, the primary fit easily and there was no drag on the transmission mainshaft.

Next, I needed to check the pulley alignment. I installed the pulley using the insert then the pulley and Allens. Since I would be removing and replacing the parts, I didn’t drive the alignment pins into the insert from the rear just yet. I discovered another glitch. I needed some washers or shims behind the engine pulley for alignment. I also discovered that the mainshaft nut wasn’t bottoming out, so the rotor flopped around. That wasn’t right.

I’ve installed a dozen BDL systems without major alignment problems. It takes patience, but once it’s correct, she will last and last. This is a tapered shaft transmission and once it’s installed it doesn’t slip off without a JIMS transmission hub puller tool.

With the pulley and the clutch in place you can test alignment a couple of ways. I used a cast T-Bar across the faces of the pulleys. They need to be exact, which means shims behind the engine pulley.

I made a mad dash to Walkers Machine and bought all the goddamn shims he had. The massive washer that comes with the rotor was only .035 too large. The next item was the inset in the engine shaft nut. I had to machine it to slip over the protruding shaft. This is also an area that takes some running and retesting to make sure it doesn’t seat and settle in, out of alignment. It’s easy to spot a problem. You’ll notice rubber dust around the pulley where it’s riding against the lip.

Remember that the clutch nut is also left-handed. Then the clutch slips into place and with some tugs and working the belt gently, it goes on. If not use two chunks of wood a large bolt and a socket to gently push the pulleys apart. Once it’s run for a while it will be much easier to remove and replace.

Okay, so I installed the tank, with the Spyke petcock and stripped the spigot threads. It hung for most of the ride. We’ll cover the tank more in the ride saga, so hold on. The seat was also a challenge. I slipped off, so I changed the seat, to one with a lip, then changed it back an added taller springs. That worked.

With the primary aligned I still used never-cease on the primary threads because I knew that I would remove the inner primary once more.

Hang on for this one. I needed to find a place for a toggle switch/ignition switch. I also had this massive aluminum starter motor boss on the inner primary that was going to waste. So I drilled out the starter shaft and installed a marine ignition switch. I glued it in place with a two stage epoxy then drowned it with liquid electrical tape, two coats. It seemed perfect except that the key sang in the wind only 1 inch above the peeling primary belt. No key rings or dice.

On the inside of the primary I made a brass strap that ran from one starter mounting hole to the other, holding two circuit breakers. One was a 15 amp for the lights and a 30 amp for the ignition. This became a very tight electrical area, dangerously close to the whirling CCI O-ring chain. As it turned out the circuit breakers were a hair or two from the coils. Cozy. I made a couple of wires long enough so that I could remove the primary and set it next to the bike to work on wiring issues.

The next thing I knew, under initial testing, the whipping chain chipped at the aluminum, dangerously close to the electrical. Larry Settle, of Settle MC Works loaned me a chunk of tephlon, which I carved and made a buffer, which worked perfectly to protect the chain from nearing hot wires.

Then came the Eye Candy Custom Cycles ’59 Cadillac taillight. They also make an old Ford style light, which I prefer, but I felt the need for side visibility, especially on the right. The mounting called for the primary once more to hold the taillight/brake light. Finding the proper location was a chore. It either rode too close to the chain or the mounting called for screws through the frame or into the wiring loom. I monkeyed with it for hours and finally designed a tough mounting system that might survive. All went well, but the frame rail still blocks the light and I might move it outbound.

I ran the thin sparkplug wires through the frame in shrink tubing, wired the coil and the Joker machine brake switch and headlight through the hole in the frame too close to the fork stop. Even on a simple chopper an idiot can find his way into trouble.

Finally I mounted the stylish Aeromach mirror on the left bar only. It came with all the hardware needed and never gave me a problem. I know I’m missing a link or two, maybe a necessary credit. Don’t hesitate to drop me a line if you need a question answered. You can reach me daily at Your Shots or drop a line to Bandit@Bikernet.com.

Over the next couple of days I will attempt to complete the first saga of the ride to Sturgis. I hope to launch it on Friday. In it I will dig into the problems I encountered, mistakes I made and how I fixed them. Hang On. But beyond the glitches, actually the wiring worked out fine, but I should wire in a kill switch. The bike rode well, comfortable for a rigid, started without major hassle and ran all the way to Deadwood. I can’t complain.

This was actually one of the easiest bikes I’ve ever wired. It’s not a bad notion to sketch out a wiring diagram with consideration for the placement of the components. Think about it long and hard, then take your time. Below this mess I ran the Hardcore Choppers basic wiring diagram and tips on wiring anything.

First, there’s the regulator that bolts over the front motormount. I use Compu-Fire regulators for reliability and they are wired not to over-work the alternator. So you plug the regulator into the case for the alternator connection, run a ground strap under the frame where the rubbermount bolts and the final hot wire to the hot side of the battery, or the hot side of the ignition switch. That wire feeds the charge back to the battery. Presto, goddamnit, the charging system is complete.

I’m lazy and want the wiring system to be as easy and component free as possible. No extra lights, no turn signals, no horns, buzzers or ringdings. I use Bob McKay’s marine ignition switches for toughness, reliability and ease of wiring. They are distributed by CCI or, if not in stock, contact Bob directly (519-935-2424).

The switch is so complete so you don’t need a starter relay. All it takes is one wire to the starter, one wire from the battery and one wire to the circuit breaker. From the breaker a wire runs to the Compu-Fire single fire ignition system via the coils, one wire to the brake switch, one wire to the taillight and one wire to the highbeam switch. From the highbeam switch two wires ran to the headlight. From the Compu-Fire electronic ignition wires ran to the two Dyna Coils, front and rear and one hot wire that runs to both and the ignition circuit breaker. I ran only one 30-amp H-D circuit breaker, just a couple of inches from the ignition switch.

Since I don’t have space for idiot lights (there’s a highbeam indicator on the headlight), I need to run a oil pressure gauge on the engine.

I only use Terry Components brake cables for their service and flexibility. The trick was to find and place the ground straps. The Terry ground strap ran comfortably from the negative side of the battery to the 5/16 starter mounting bolt. That grounded it to the driveline, but I needed a ground from the tranny to the frame. I worked that out by bolting another strap to the sidemount license plate frame bracket (welded to the frame), by making sure the paint was shaved away. I also used the 1/4-20 Allen to support the taillight ground strap. Let’s see, have I forgotten anything?

Just before we completed wiring, Giggie, from Compu-Fire, and delivered the new Compu-Fire 53700 hot starter designed to fit any big twin H-D from’90 up. All the special hardware is included and it’s rated to 2KW and was actually shorter by .150-inch for clearance dilemmas with Softail oil cans.

The starter roller bearings are 30 percent longer and it comes with shims to allow builders to install the starter perfectly. The Air gap between the pinion gear from the starter to the ring gear on the clutch basket needs to be between .75 and .125. If it’s too short the pinion gear can’t spin before engagement and collides with the ring gear. It needs to get a tad of momentum going. On the other hand, if the distance is too great, the starter gets up to full speed and fights engagement.

The measurement is difficult and Giggie uses a 1/8 Allen which is .125 across the flats. The shims are .026. Even the coupler on this new Compu-Fire starter is designed for lowered bike, to duck the belt.

The wiring was completed and we were ready to fire the beast, but first Giggie recommended that we burp the bubbles out of the engine by removing the pump relief cap and using an Allen to pull up the valve and let bubbles pass for a pure oil lubrication.

The bastard fired right up, the Mikuni gushed gas, but as soon as it fired the Mikuni float bowl settled down.

We often get calls for basic wiring diagrams. Here’s one that was taken from an old Easyriders and expanded by the wizards of Hard Core Chopper Magazine in Japan.

Take your time. Keep those copper strands away from sharp edges, moving stuff (like chains) and hot items. Cover everything with shrink wrap. Use extra layers of shrink wrap for more protection and stronger connections. I like to solder connections for a solid, vibration free contact, but some prefer crimping connections to avoid wicking. Watch out. Some of the littlest, coolest switches go to shit in a week under 100 mph vibration.

The Frank Kaisler, patent pending, wire junction tool. Send $99.99 to P.O. Box 666, Hollywood, Calif. Send only rolls of quarters.

Don’t forget to work in circuit breakers and fuses. If one blows, disconnect the battery and research the problem. I like Terry battery cables for their flexibility, and they allow more amps to flow to the starter because of their low resistance.

Couple more tips: Watch out, wiring around the front-end. That sucker needs to turn. Don’t run the electrical connections too tight. If you run wires through the frame, debur the openings and use extra shrink wrap to protect fragile insulation.

Bandit generally uses 16-gauge for most of the wiring, 18-gauge in the bars and 12-gauge from the battery to the ignition switch.

I called Frank Kaisler, a tech writer for decades, and before I finished reading the above he shouted across the line, “Yeah right, but you’re forgetting plenty, dipshit. Don’t forget to tell ’em about the breakers. Use a 30-amp breaker between the battery and the main electrical circuit (or the battery and the ignition switch). You can use one of the breaker lugs to attach the regulator hot line to minimize wires to the battery. Use 12 gauge wire for the main leads. Use a 15 or 20-amp breaker between the ignition switch and all the lighting connections.

“Goddamnit, you didn’t explain wicking. Solder creeps under the insulation when it flows. The wire will flex against that soldered area and may break.”

“Yeah right, after two hundred years,” I muttered

“Shut up and listen,” Frank lit another cigarette.

“Quit smoking,” I babbled over the phone.

“The way your ride,” Frank coughed, “you won’t last another week. Let’s get back to the wires. I like to remove the plastic insulation on lugs and run shrink wrap right onto connectors, for a clean, stronger lead, and damnit, use the correct connectors. Blue for 14 and 16-gauge wires and red for 18 and 20. And make sure to use the proper ring sizes for stud connections, like the battery, circuit breakers and brake switch studs. Floppy lugs make for lousy connections.”

I was beginning to lose it. We could go on all night about wiring. He muttered something about using rubber grommets with wires that must run through sheet metal and additional ground straps from the headlight to the frame to maintain a solid ground to the front end.

“Don’t forget the final show bike detail,” He said and I remembered all the rats bikes I built in the ’70s with wires running everywhere. “Run wires down the left side of the bike. The hot looking side is always the pipe side.”

“Okay goddamnit,” I said. “I’m not writing a book. Just a handful of hints.” I sensed a lecture coming from a guy who edited bike magazines for 30 years.

“Do it right, Snake,” He coughed lighting another Marlboro, “or don’t do it at all!”

“Thank you, sir,” I said and hung up. Fuckin’ guy is worse than Bandit.

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We’re getting right down to the bottom line. Harold Ponteralli, our painter called, “If I deliver the paint can you make it to the show.” I assembled bikes overnight for run deadlines in the past, so we went for it. We installed the new sheet metal, ran the oil lines and picked up a few chrome knick knacks from Long Beach Chrome. Frank was on his way to the Bikernet headquarters with a brown bag full of Goodridge hydraulic fitting. The heat was on.

I installed the exhaust while Frank custom cut lines to fit each application perfectly. You can see how the man does it in our King tech articles using Goodridge lines, fittings and shrink wrap. For throttle cables we relied on Barnett for custom cut-to-fit lines.

We replaced the Rev Tech 6-speed, cable tranny cover with a Joker Machine clean, chromed billet, hydraulic clutch. Why did we go hydraulic? Hell I don’t know, maybe to balance the Joker controls on the bars? The cover slid right on and we torqued it to specs (15-20 ft. lbs.).

While I wrenched Frank ran a line from the Joker front brake mastercylinder to the Custom Chrome Billet-6 brake caliber. Crazy John took the calipers to a shop to have them milled smooth then engine turned for an added detail. Whatta ya tink?

Then Frank ran a hydraulic line from the H-D rear brake master cylinder (stuffed under the tranny) to the brake switch bolted to the tranny case, through a series of Goodridge fittings. Finally another line was constructed from the brake pressure switch to the rear brake caliper. We kept in mind that the wheel will be adjusted for belt tension and will flex up and down with the swingarm. There needed to be slack in the line.

Finally Frank carefully made a line that ran from the Joker handlebar controls to the Joker hydraulic tranny front. He immediately started bleeding the brake systems and they fell right in line. We watched the direction air bubbles might travel. Generally front brakes can be bled several ways. Some pump the fluid in from the caliper bleeder nipple forcing bubbles north out of the control reservoir. Sometimes, as soon as it’s filled, it’s cooked. No bleeding is necessary.

Sometimes I fill the reservoir and pump it slightly until the Dot 5 runs down the line and fills the caliper. This can take awhile, but as it sets the bubbles rise to the top and out the reservoir until it’s cooked again. We were lucky. The rear brake caliper was installed above the master cylinder and the bubbles blasted to the surface with little bleeding. Our Giggie (from Compu-Fire) designed, mid-brake lever worked like a champ with the sharp Custom Chrome pivoting pegs.

As a side note I coated the pipes with rattle-can barbecue heat flat black. What the hell, if they don’t work, I’ll mess with them again. Oh, and I tried to find a place to stash a H-D rear brake reservoir but couldn’t. I held my breath and entered a Yamaha shop and ordered a small sport bike unit. We made a bracket and stashed it under the tranny.

Building custom bikes is all about options, abilities, resources and a handful of rules. Check the John Covington Safety Code in Special Reports. He makes some good points. There’s also various considerations between rubbermounted bikes and rigids. For instance we designed the rear fender to hug the tire, but it moves with the swingarm which means the sonuvabitch better be strong. Also there needs to be considerable space between the seat and the rear fender for shock travel.

On top of style is ride consideration. I like to build bikes that will hang for a cross country run, handle slick roads and corner without dragging pipes or pegs. And it better corner. That’s what bikes are all about. Alright, I got off the tech. Kyle, the shop intern, installed the Custom Chrome petcock and gas line to the carb. He cut the line and inserted a gas filter (check the arrows for flow direction).

We loaded up the Cyril Huze oil tank with RevTech 10-50 Oil and looked for the UPS man. We waited patiently for the Le Pera styled/Bikernet seat to return to the fold stitched with emerald threads. Harold Ponteralli painted the sheet metal and want to see it in the Easyriders Pomona show. We didn’t make it. Then he jammed us about making the Pomona Roadster Show and we busted our buts. I did a couple of midnight runs installing the Custom Chrome stainless plates under the rear axle and polishing stainless fasteners. The gloss black powder arrived right on time from Dallas. The chrome sparkled and Custom Chrome delivered parts when we needed them.

If the seat had rolled in the door, we would have wired the bastard into the wee hours and drug the scoot to the show, but nooo. Cross-eyed, we pulled the 1928 Shovel out of the headquarters, also painted by H-D Performance in Vacaville, California, detailed it and delivered it to Pomona. It was essentially built by Strokers Dallas, and sonuvabitch if they weren’t at the show with a half a dozen Stroker bikes. They took Best of Show and the Shovel took third place in the classic category. Whatta week.

At this point we need final shifter linkage, which Frank fabricated, so we could install the BDL primary drive. Then some wire and we can fire this puppy. Hang on.