Chica is an interesting builder, and I’ve followed his chopped talents for years. He came to the United States in 1995 from Japan. “Now they don’t want me at the Moon Eyes Show in Japan,” Chica said. “I’m just another Japanese guy.”
This bike was built for Chica’s ’07 Biker Build-Off television series episode directed by Hugh King. By then, the reality of TV Build-Offs was sinking in. This episode, culminating in Texas, was Chica’s third Build-Off effort.
“At first, everyone wanted to help,” Chica explained in broken English, although he has improved tremendously over the years. “Everyone wanted to contribute. They all thought they would become famous.”
By his third effort, manufacturers faced TV promo realisms and knew fame wouldn’t cash out, and contributors, including painters and parts manufacturers, would hardly cut him a deal, sometimes even charging more because of the harried deadline. He was forced to ignore paying customers to get the TV job done. But on the positive side, it was his 10th wedding anniversary, and he took his wife, Hitomi, to Texas for the TV produced ride from Fort Worth to Galveston against his competitor.
“They rode throughout the Texas hill country,” said Hugh. “The competitor’s bike was cool, but it broke down several times. Chica’s ran like a champ with his petite wife nestled on the back against that wild seat. She fit it perfectly and the bike was absolutely amazing.”
This bike has been around for seven years, but I always thought it was a Chica chopper classic, and I couldn’t pass it up when Peter Linney shot it with a cute redhead. Then he forced the file on me and demanded compensation . “I’ve got a truck payment to make,” Peter said in broken English. Peter hails from Sweden.
“Gimme the redhead’s number,” I responded.
During this harsh deadline build, Chica hand-made the frame and the wheels. He rebuilt the engine, modified the heads, modified the cylinder fins and extended the cam cover fins. He made the massive sissybar, the 6-bend bars and a multitude of other components. At the time, he only had one other employee, so no big staff to back his abilities.
I got a kick out of the Captain Japan theme. “I was sorta afraid to take it to Texas,” Chica said. “I didn’t know how they would react.” The new owner of this bike had the tank repainted.
Chica has since downsized his shop. He’s looking at shutting the shop down and buying a place in Riverside on a couple of acres with a shop attached to his new home.
In this day and age, that’s a smart move to remove added expenses, any commute, additional landlords, fees, taxes, and slip your shop outta sight. He’s not making many of his classic invader wheels anymore, but he has three customer bikes slipping slowly together, including a 74-inch classic flathead Indian motor in a Sportster frame, an interesting mix. He’s building a bobber and another ‘70s styled chopper.
Chica is a chopper purist. He will only rebuild carburetor intake motors. “I won’t build an engine with fuel injection,” Chica said.
He’s humble and still very much traditional Japanese, but a master when it comes to building motorcycles. There’s something about building motorcycles. It speaks to a higher order, to the old west. You could be Japanese or a Jew from Israel, or a girl, a doctor, or a schoolteacher, but if motorcycles speak your language, you’re all over them. And we all have different reasons for being involved.
I like Chica’s creative flow. He works with older bikes and components, and always seems to create something speaking to another element of our history, like an old ironhead Sportster made to look like a Brough Superior, or even building this bike to be his version of Captain America. His bikes are classic with classic components and hand fabrication of the highest order.
Bikernet.com Extreme Captain Japan Tech Chart
Regular Stuff
Owner: Dave Kite
Bike Name: Captain JAPAN
City/State: Orange,CA
Builder: CHICA
City/state:Huntington Beach,CA.
Company Info: CHICA CUSTOM CYCLES
Address: 7522 SLATER AVE.,#126 HUNTINGTON BEACH,CA.92647
Phone:714.842.9587
Fabrication: CHICA
Manufacturing: CHICA
Welding:CHICA
Machining: CHICA / SERTEC
ENGINE
Engine: S&S Gen Shovel
Year: about 2004
Make: S&S
Displacement: 93ci
Builder or Rebuilder: S&S / CHICA
Cases: S&S
Case finish: Polish
Barrels: S&S
Bore: 3-5/8
Pistons: S&S
Lower end: S&S
Rods: S&S
Heads: S&S
Head finish: Polish
Valves and springs: S&S
Pushrods: S&S
Cams: S&S
Lifters: S&S
Carburetion: S&S
Air cleaner: S&S
Exhaust: Paugcho
Mufflers: Paugcho
Transmission:
Year: 2006
Make: Baker
Gear configuration: Baker 6-inna-4
Primary: Rivera Primo
Clutch: Sentury Force
Final drive: Chain
Kicker: Baker
Frame
Model: Rigid Chopper
Year: 2006
Builder: CHICA
Style or Model: Single down tube rigid
Stretch: 4 inches
Rake: 43 degrees
Modifications: CHICA
Front End
Make: Paugcho
Model: Springer
Year: 2006
Length: 21 inches over
Mods: Twisted front leg
Sheet metal
Tanks: CHICA/ Paugcho
Fenders: CHICA
Oil tank: Custom Chrome
Paint
Sheet metal: CHICA
Molding: Buckwild
Base coat: Buckwild
Graphics: Bob Iverson
Frame: Chrome
Molding: None
Graphics or art: Bob Iverson
Pinstriping: Bob Iverson
Wheels
Front:
Make: CHICA 5-spoke
Size: 21x1.85
Brake calipers: PERFORMANCE MACHINE
Brake rotor(s): PERFORMANCE MACHINE
Tire: AVON
Rear:
Make: CHICA 5-spoke
Size: 16X3
Brake calipers: PERFORMANCE MACHINE
Brake rotor: PERFORMANCE MACHINE
Tire: AVON
Controls
Foot controls: J-BRAKE
Finish: CHROME
Master cylinder: J-BRAKE
Brake lines: GOODRICH
Handlebar controls: J-BRAKE
Finish: CHROME
Brake Lines: GOODRICH
Shifting: JOCKEY
Kickstand: CUSTOM CHROME
Electrical
Ignition: JOE HUNT MAGNETO
Ignition switch: JOEHUNT
Coils: JOEHUNT
Regulator: SPIKE
Charging: SPIKE
Starter: SPIKE
Wiring: CHICA
Harness: CHICA
Headlight: TEDD CYCLE
Taillight: TEDD CYCLE
Battery: ODDESAY
What’s Left?
Seat: SADDLEMAN
Mirror(s): CUSTOM CHROME
Gas caps: CUSTOM CHROME
Handlebars: CHICA
Grips: SUPER SIXTY
Pegs: J-BRAKE
Oil filter: CUSTOM CHROME
Oil cooler: NONE
Oil lines: CUSTOM CHROME
Fuel Lines: CUSTOM CHROME
Throttle: CUSTOM CHROME
Throttle cables: CUSTOM CHROME
Fasteners: HILLCO
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