Got the idea for this bike when I saw an article in a Hot Bike magazine about a great looking chopper built by Paul Yaffe and I decided to try and build one similar to it. It wouldn't be as expensive or as well built as his works of art, but the style would be similar.

I decided I would use a Sportster for a donor bike. The main reason was budget. I purchased a tidy '89 Sportster which was as stock as the day it left the factory and had only three previous owners. It was soon in pieces on my garage floor.

The process began with a CCI rim laced to the stock rear hub and an Avon 200 tire fitted. A custom ordered frame soon arrived from Cyclestyle here in New Zealand and it was time to start the build. It was shipped without any mounts so engine placement was first up.

With the rear wheel in the frame, it was time to fit the motor. String lines, straight edges and levels were all used. And after some cardboard templates were made for engine mounts, steel versions were cut out and welded in. A local engineer who collects Brit bikes took care of the various machining of spacers and one-off parts for the bike along the way. Cyclestyle also built the springer front end which looks great.

My cousin Ken Gilmour is a talented sheetmetal worker and I sent him the Sportster tank to rework. With some sketches and measurements I had sent as a guide, he carved it up and sent it back with an expanded length of almost 2 feet, hidden mounts and a mean taper. He also skirted and stepped a MID-USA rear fender which was originally a flat basic 'trailer' style. Internal struts were added too. With these key areas taken care of, the rest seemed to fall into place fairly smoothly.

After designing fender mounts, tank mount tabs, oil tank mounts and all of the other brackets that would be needed to be added, a buddy and I welded them all on to the frame. When I new there would be no more welding heat needed, a local bike shop with a jig checked the frame alignment.

The bars are a simple drag-bar style that I made out of Stainless tube and they sit in some smooth looking 6-inch risers. The pipes were based on Jesse James' Hellbents that a buddy and I made and they seem to suit the bike perfectly. I made a fiberglass seatbase that hugs the frame rails and rear fender perfectly. It was covered with a nice flame pattern sewn in the cover material. It has been formed well for comfort with foam. This bike is more comfortable than some suspension bikes I've ridden. The oil tank is a center fill horseshoe style with internal oil line routing which I made to fit the frame.

The bikes wiring and fuses hide in an internal cavity. The ignition is relocated in a cavity at the rear of the tank near the rear fender. In the same compartment is the ignition module and the horn. Both out of sight for a minimalist look. A sealed battery sits behind the rear motor mount on a custom made battery tray. The sealed unit means I can forget about it, and I didn't have to worry about a drain or regularly checking acid levels.

Because the frame is a fixed axle style, a chain tensioner was added and uses a skateboard wheel as a runner. Goodridge brake lines make the stock brake calipers work a lot better. The calipers got a repaint and then were rebadged. I swapped out the taillight bulb for 12 LEDs which are much brighter and handle the vibration better.

The build time was just under 18 months. Sometimes the process was slowed by saving cash or waiting for parts. My workshop time consisted of mainly spare evenings and Sundays and most holiday weekends.

After riding the bike around with cheap black primer on the frame and all sheet metal components in place for four months, I quickly found what parts needed altering because they weren't working as I had planned. This included the original spring loaded chain tensioner, which didn't work well and the mount for the pipes had to be reworked. After fixing these issues and some more test rides were completed with success, the bike was stripped down for its final paint, detailing and plating.

All stainless and aluminium fasteners, fabricated spacers and brackets were polished. Some small items were chrome plated and other parts were de-chromed and then painted. I molded and painted the frame and all the items that had previously been coated with primer. That took a lot of preparation but I'm pleased with the final result. The yellow flame on the tank was my first attempt at custom paint and I'm real happy with the way it looks.

--Andy
www.ezrider.co.nz

You did a mighty fine job, with good styling for a rigid Sportster. --Bandit

Back to the Bike Barn....