The Rusting Street Fighter

This is an interesting example of a fully streetable chopper being featured on Bikernet. It gives everyone a notion on how to get your bike featured on Bikernet and the flexibility we have. The shots aren’t the best, but we’ll make do this time. Plus, on Bikernet we can devote as many pages as we want, so we enjoy posting shots of the build, girls, riding shots, girls, you know.

I like all styles and won’t discriminate, as if master builder status is required to be featured here. That’s not the case. As long as it’s a cool example of the any style and the execution is class, we can feature it. Here’s how it went down. Chad Campbell from Deuxes Choppers sent me a couple of shots of his bike. Our vast editorial staff voted and we moved forward. I asked Chad to send me a CD of at least 20, 2 meg jpg images. He could send me as many as he wished that way. I sent him my tech sheet and he, in this case, wrote the story behind the bike, the build, his wife and newborn.

”I am not really good at writing,” Chad said, “but I gave it my best shop. Look it over let me know what you think. My cell number is 903-539-0225. You reach me pretty much any time. You should receive the photos shortly via the mail.”

Chad, the builder, with the Deux Ex.

Here’s his story, which is cool. If he hadn’t written the text we have a number of writers who can handle the job or work with any builder to bring it to life:

This bike took me over a 1 year-and-a-half to build, not because it was really hard or complicated, but because my wife had our son, and I just did not have as much free time as I thought.

I sold my last bike the weekend my son was born. I was making the deal, at the hospital, while my wife was in labor. I met the guy the next weekend and he took possession of the Deuce. The next Monday I started ordering parts. My intention was to have the bike completed in three months. Well, that didn’t happen.

I wanted to build a clean and simple bike with good lines, but like everyone else, I wanted something different. I really liked the lines of Jesse’s El Diablos, but I didn’t want to build an exact duplicate. I ordered the frame with 6 inches up and 2 inches out, plus a 10-inch over front end.

I mounted the tank high up on the backbone, and I shortened my risers to 2 inches with drag bars. I placed the rear fender on the bike and kept cutting it till I liked the look. I knew I didn’t want a sprung seat, and I can’t stand the really big fat seats either. So I made a small seat pan and figured out a way to mount it like a flip up seat.

When I originally started this build my intention was to use a stock twin cam and 6-speed transmission, but not knowing when I was going to get to do this again, I talked myself into an S&S 113. Since I went with 113, I continued my plan of the 6-speed transmission, a Primo 3-inch belt drive system and a Spyke starter.

Now that the driveline was complete I spent a day making a set of pipes. I wanted something that was a little trick but loud was the main motivating factor. With the mock up complete, the big question of how not to paint it loomed.

I wanted to do something for the finish that I knew very few people would copy and hopefully piss some people off. I searched the internet for 24 hours and found a patina for metal. The process of applying a patina is kinda simple, you start out by sanding your metal to get it really smooth, you then heat the metal and apply the patina in circular motion let it sit for 12 hours and apply the sealer.

When you apply the sealer this particular patina goes from the look of rust to a dark rich rusty brown finish. Once the Patina was finished I hooked up with this artist named Mike Adair and let him go to town on the tins.

After seeing Mike’s graphics, I knew I had to do something crazy for the seat. Since I had this Chulo skull on the tank with a blue rag I wanted to figure out some way to incorporate a blue bandana into the seat. So I tooled and laced a pieces of leather and sewed it to the bandana and wrapped the seat in the rag.

I also made a piece of leather that is riveted to the underside of the seat and then stained the leather with an antique tan finish. Just to let you know there is very little chrome on this bike, I used as many pieces as possible that were polished for the simple reason that as the metal oxidizes I think it will add to the whole look of the bike.

There you go, a rusted $30,000 bike with instant character.

Deux Ex Chopper Specs

Owner: Chad Campbell
City/State: Jacksonville, Texas
Builder: Deus Ex Choppers
City/state ( or company contact info) : <http://www.DEUSEXCHOPPERS.COM>WWW.DEUSEXCHOPPERS.COM
Fabrication: Deus Ex Choppers
Welding: Deus Ex Choppers
Machining: Deus Ex Choppers

Engine

Year: 2004
Make: S & S
Displacement: 113
Builder or Rebuilder: Hillbilly Rich
Case finish: Natural
Barrels: S&S
Barrel finish: Wrinkle Black
Lower end: S&S
Head finish: Natural/Chrome
Valves and springs: S&S
Pushrods: Hydraulic
Cams: S&S
Carburetion: S&S Super G

Transmission

Year: 2005
Make: Prowler
Gear configuration: 6-speed
Final drive: Belt
Primary: Primo Brut IV
Clutch: Primo

Frame

Year: 2004
Make: RC Components
Style or Model: Rigid
Stretch: 6 up 2 out
Rake: 42 Degrees
Modifications: Changed Oil Tank Mounts

Front End

Make: RC Components
Model: Glide
Year: 2004
Length:10 inches over

Sheet metal

Tanks: MId USA/Deus Ex Choppers
Fenders: Fat Kats
Oil tank: V Twin

Paint

Sheet metal: Chad
Molding: None
Base coat: Patina by Deus Ex Choppers
Graphics: Mike Adair <http://www.ADAIRART.COM>WWW.ADAIRART.COM

Frame: By Chad
Molding:None
Base coat: Patina by Deus Ex Choppers
Graphics or art: None

Pinstriping: Mike Adair

Wheels

Front
Make: RC Components
Size: 21
Brake calipers: RC Components
Brake rotor(s): RC Components
Tire: Avon

Rear
Make: RC Components
Size:18
Brake calipers: RC Components
Brake rotor RC Components
Pulley: RC Componts
Tire: Avon

Controls

Foot controls: RC Componens
Finish: Polished
Master cylinder: RC Components
Brake lines: Deus Ex Choppers
Handlebar controls: GMA
Finish: Polished
Clutch Cable: Barnett
Brake Lines Deus Ex Choppers

Electrical

Ignition: Dyna
Ignition switch: Marine
Coils: Dyna
Regulator: Spyke
Charging: Spyke
Wiring: Deus Ex Choppers
Harness: Nope
Headlight: Cheap
Taillight: Fabricator Kevin
Accessory lights: Hell No
Battery: Thunderstart

What’s Left

Seat: Eleven 11 Leather <http://www.eleven11leather.com>www.eleven11leather.com
Pipes: Deus Ex Choppers
Mufflers: Nope
Exhaust finish: Black with Copper Exhaust Warp
Gas caps: Choppers Inc
Handlebars: Drag Bars
Grips: ART
Pegs: Nope
Oil filter: H-D
Oil cooler: Nope
Oil lines: Deus Ex Choppers
Fuel filter: Nope
Fuel Lines: S&S
Throttle: V Factor
Throttle cables: Barnett

Specialty items: Kick ass graphics, custom seat, and loud pipes

Credits: Deus Ex Choppers, Redneck Ronnie, Hillbilly Rich, Mike Adair, Eleven 11 Leather

Contact Info:
Chad Campbell
“Deus Ex Choppers” <deusex.choppers@cox-internet.com>
903-539-0225
903-589-6927 is my other number
mr.chad@cox-internet.com

Had to find just the right babe…