This wild chunk of functional motorcycle art was recently featured in Hot Bike Magazine. How could anyone pass up a motorcycle with glass gas and oil tanks, velocity stacks and rocker boxes? It’s a strange mixture of old, new, odd, artistic and yet practical. Check the bare metal seat with a Ford leaf spring for adjustable rear suspension, seat height and protection for the iron incased glass oil bag.

The frame and handmade girder lines are reminiscent of a Dr. Zeus illustration, yet the bike rides in a straight line. Alan Lee, the builder, set up the rear and front wheels for perfect alignment and correct rake and trail. He then manufactured the rigid frame and girder front end specifically with 4130 mild steel narrow wall tubing, for lightness and strength. He fabricated the intake manifolds for twin, dual throat Webers, and the exhaust from stainless that he brushed with a soft disc. “I saw the effect in an elevator,” Alan said. “I thought it was cool.” The stainless pipes are glass coated, the intake manifold bare stainless and the other parts are mild steel, textured and immediately clear powder coated for rust protection.

The Webers were tilted then the float bowls adjusted to handle the slant. He tuned them to enhance the power band from the Ed Martin’s, Jammer, 98-inch classic Panhead engine, but check the glass rocker boxes so Alan can monitor his valve movement, even while cutting a dusty trail.

Although the glass bike was a long-term design challenge, Alan was forced to build it in 20 days for the World Build-Off competition. It all began as an unconventional notion spurred to life by Ted Smith, of the Rat’s Hole Custom Bike show in Daytona. Months later a phone rang and a deadline was set. Alan flew from his native Belgium to Los Angeles and worked out of Jack ‘s Lowriders in Fountain Valley, California, where he wrangled Todd Townsend and Tim Dorin of Killer Glass to begin the constantly-shattering glass products. He flew to San Jose and worked with Ed Martin at Custom Chrome, on the Pandemonium engine, with the Jammer team. The girder is also Leaf spring suspended.

Kildee Scientific fabricated the glass tanks from Pyrex glass. Two fuel versions shattered and they were forced to alter the frame to prevent it from happening again. Ultimately the final iteration rested against a mated rubber-layered cradle. The oil tank wasn’t allowed the comfort of rubber, but judiciously cupped in raw metal. Two days on the road led Alan to Killa Cycles in Dallas where details were finalized. This bike currently resides in the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

But that’s not all for the Glasster artist. He’s currently building a dual RevTech engine speedway sidecar bike with dual magna-charger blowers. With classic Bugatti lines and 400 horsepower, it will rock the world wherever Alan Lee decides to open his shop. Watch for reports on his new creation on Bikernet. Everything is destined to be out of the ordinary.

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