I met quiet, unassuming Christian Dotson at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona a couple of years ago. His long, odd-looking, silent gray fellow-colored custom was stuffed in a dank corner, as if passed over for general competition. He was new to the game. The young man entered his first custom bike to appraise the world of his abilities as an artist and test the waters. At a glance, he took the World's Most Beautiful Bike award, hands down. Done deal. Christian rocked the custom world with an unusual Panhead that spoke to the vintage, maintained the pure machine aspect, and stretched the imagination.

Christian grew up in Texas, moved to the Bay area (Santa Rosa), and recently dropped into Pomona on the outskirts of Los Angeles. "I was looking for more creative opportunities and resources," Christian said. He shared a space with a hot rod builder, Walden's Speed Shop, where they manufacture roof and door skins for '30s Fords. They also make hot rod frames, handle rust repair and restorations. Plus they build and install hot rod exhaust systems.

The Los Angeles experience was positive, but his folks in Texas aren't getting any younger and a new commercial building on a lakefront is calling. "It was built in '06," Christian said. "It's 3,000 square feet and perfect for a one-man operation."

Christian's creative and design experience ranges beyond motorcycles to cars, hot rods, and furniture. He has computer modeling experience. "But I prefer to draw extremely detailed sketches and work with a machine shops to finalize component design. Most of the work on this bike was traditional hand fabrication."

He met Kiwi Mike at the San Diego Motto-Expo last year. "I like his vintage Indian engines," Christian said. "I wanted to blend modern sport bike design with vintage board track construction."A fully polished version became the center jewel of his next creation.

His seating, handlebar and peg positions are designed after the GSXR exactly, while many of the components are made with tapered tubing from '30s cars and hot rod wishbones, including the frame that wraps around the compact drive line, and the girder front end.

The suspension is made from leaf springs modified with abrasives and grinders, because the material is too hard to machine. "Both front and rear leaf spring systems from hot rods are ride-height adjustable," said Christian. The leaves have Teflon buttons between them to prevent squeaking. He made the oil filter adapter, designed the Mikuni carb adapter, the velocity stack, exhaust tips and an offset sprocket to drive the chain around the wide rear tire. He built a cover to conceal the ISR sprotor rear brake and sprocket from LA Chop Rods.

The front end was built with the wishbone tapered tubing and Christian machined bungs and designed the fixture to align the components during welding. He used much the same process to build the one tapered-tubing frame rail, wrapped around the Kiwi engine. "The frame also holds the oil," Christian said, "and the wiring in stainless conduit."

He built the exhaust system using mandrel-bent stainless steel tubing. He also made the seat pan that was covered and tooled by Duane Ballard. To hide the electrical components, he designed Kubota tractor alternator to charge the system, then made a faux generator cover and stuffed the regulator, battery eliminator, and circuit breakers inside.

When he couldn't find the appropriate sized tapered tubing, he machined thick-walled tubing or solid stock in tapered increments. Then he heated and bended to fit the application, such as the hand shifter. The shift knob has a button built in to actuate the high/low beam switch.

"I didn't want to paint graphics on the hand-made gas tank," Christian said. So, he used a power hammer to manipulate a sheet of 3/16-inch aluminum for a contoured shape. "I beveled the edges, so it wouldn't look like a coarse chunk of aluminum."

Then the final touch was racecar inspired, aircraft rivets carefully placed around the edge, but they don't protrude into the tank, because, said Christian, "It would be impossible to seal." The design element is attached to the top of the tank with double-sided adhesive. Then he used a British-made Moon Eyes Monza gas cap and a cheap screw-on oil cap that he ball-milled for a refined look.

There you have it the Bikernet custom of the year for 2009, unless someone else challenges it, say, at the Badlands Run this summer. We look forward to following Christian's progress as the young man explores his talents, develops products and builds more stunning motorcycles. Amazing stuff.

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