We acquired a steel "King" style Sportster tank, chopped off all the mounting tabs and cut the bottom out of it so we could build a deep tunnel in the tank. This allowed the bottom of the fuel cell to sit level with the ground in traditional bobber styling while hugging the top of the motor. To keep the lines smooth with the rear of the bike I added a 3-inch stretch to the tail of the tank. Each fabricated component had to compliment the retro feel of this machine without being too slick or streamlined.

Once the new replacement chassis arrived from Daytec the alignment issues vanished. Next we needed to fit the rear fender and the tabs to rubber-isolate mount the custom gas tank. Then we could make a set of pipes that would clear the fake generator cover. The one-off pipes had to also clear the kicker arm. This was a combination of mechanical obstacles that you don't run into on standard Evo-style drivetrains. The pipes weren't a problem and fun to develop.

Fat, 2.5-inch diameter, seamless tubing was pieced together to form the prototype pipes that followed the horizontal lines of the tank. Then the exhaust tips were turned down to match the tail section of the frame. There was just enough clearance to go side by side over the Tranny, behind the kicker and still have nearly equal length pipes to maintain a level of performance. The noise makers where then coated with a heat resistant black finish and wrapped in hot-tape to add a tougher look. We've had such a favorable response to these one-off pipes we've developed a set of 2-inch pipes with the same lines in chrome for Softail fitment from '84 to present. We've coined these new Steed pipes "Noisy Bastards", because there should be truth in advertising.

Speaking of "Truth in Advertising", this bike began as a financial 'pain in the back' for Steve and became a pain-in-the-ass rigid. I confess, but it's cool. Steve found vintage "Vargas" style bomber nose art on the internet that had the phrase "My Achin' Back" plastered around a pin-up girl. There was no question that we had to steal this illustration for the tank. I enlisted one of the best airbrush artists in the country, Rick Wescott, to handle the task. His magic graces each side of the tank in an exacting mirror image, with a 40's vintage feel to match the overall design of the rest of the bike.

While the finishing touches were added to allow us to power-coat the frame, the rest of the metal was sprayed. We devoted extra time to make custom handlebars to hide the internal wiring from the controls. We created a support for the rear brake hose to keep it out of the full-width, final-drive belt.

I hadn't heard from Steve for a few weeks, and it was time to show him some of the progress on his machine. I put in a call for him to come over and check it out and then found that he had moved back to Denver to open a Biker Friendly bar called Schneiderman's Tap House and Eatery. The opportunity arose for him to fulfill his other dream of opening his own watering hole for bikers, and so he moved back to the high country.

We finished assembling the Steed and sent Steve shots to gawk over while he put the finishing touches on his new tavern. Soon he jammed into town to pick up the completed machine just before Halloween in time for the first snow in Denver. Now the wheels that he carried into the shop, about six months earlier, are burning up the streets of Denver.

The personal attention to detail and delivering what the customer wants is what we live for here at Steeds. Give me a call toll free at 877-4-STEEDS or check out our website at http://www.surgicalsteeds.comYou can even e-mail me personally at john@surgicalsteeds.com.All we build are custom pedigreed Steed Musclebikes and we're ready to bring your dreams to reality.

Be safe, and keep the rubber side down,

John at Steeds.

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