“Hell yes, I’m headed to the Smoke Out West in a couple of weeks,” said Kyle Kurkman. I spoke to him about his Radio Flyer bike, built for his 12-year-old son, this last year. He won best of show at Rips Bad Ride in Socal, so I fortunately had the opportunity to see this sharp chop up front.

Kyle owned Lucky 7 Choppers in Rancho Cucamonga for years, until the snitches at the Easyriders Bike Show sent the Air Resources Board to his shop and they fined him $24,000 for trying to sell bikes that weren’t CARB certified to meet EPA standards. His partners split, and he shut the shop down, negotiated with the CARB Gestapo, paid $12,000 and opened a new, smaller shop just off route 66 in Upland, Califa.

“I’m laying low now,” Kyle admitted.

“It’s only 1545 square feet,” Kyle said of his new shop, Route 66 Choppers. “I just want to build bikes and be left alone.”

Clint, a former member of the Big Bear Chopper team and an excellent wrench, is Kyle’s only partner, and they work seven days a week. “We’re swamped everyday,” Kyle said.

Kyle’s worked through another recent set-back, when he returned from an event to find his home empty, his safe empty and his pregnant wife gone. She split. But no bullshit was stopping him. He’s building sharp customs and working with the city of Upland on their efforts to revitalize Route 66, as it passes through Upland. He’s currently in a strip Industrial park next to famous pinstriper, Ron Forman, just north of Pomona Valley H- D, but he's negotiating on a building and a diner located on Route 66 at the corner of Central and Foothill Blvd.

Kyle's developing a product line including taillights, license plate frames, air cleaners and working with a foundry on finned products, including oil bags.

“When the ol’ lady split I needed something to keep me focused,” Kyle said. “That’s when I started on the Radio Flyer for my son, when he comes of riding age.” He’s bringing another bobber to the Smoke Out with a girder front end and 21/3s front and rear. “I nickel plated everything, including the 1930 spotlight and ford stoplight.” Wait, the spotlight was on the Radio Flyer. Maybe we'll bring a feature on the bobber from the Smoke Out.

There was another story developing here. Laura Rivas, the model and the photographer Peter Linney were up to something. I couldn’t figure out the poses, the bikini that didn’t fit, the leg dragging behind the bike. I scoured dozens of shots, but there was something missing.

Then it dawned on me. He had something going for this dark haired beauty, who fit so well with the Radio Flyer. He was trying to get her out of that bikini. When that didn’t work he tried awkward poses, and finally I reached the money shot. It was the photograph he was pawing for. Sometimes there’s a scent in the air that drives men mad.

Okay, let’s wrap this up. I can’t wait to hit the road for Cottonwood, Arizona for the Bikernet Smoke Out West and catch up with the bros from Route 66, Duane Kastor Customs, Irish Rich, and check this bike out in person once more. Hell, maybe he’ll slip it into the Pomona Easyriders Show in January. Shit, maybe I’ll meet Laura…

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