Many years ago, our buddy Lupo— backyard builder of all things custom—stumbled on an artist rendering of a ’57-Chevy-inspired motorcycle. Since then, Arlen Ness had Ron Covell give it a try and we've seen a handful of other attempts... But this one's probably the most serious project we've seen so far.

 

After sitting on the concept for years and figuring out all the technical details, Lupo (who lives and works in France) travelled to California a couple of years ago and procured a number of key elements to get the project under way. These included a headlight cowling and part of the front fender of a ’57 Chevy, scrap pieces of taillights and bumper ends, plus a pair of reproduction rear fenders and other miscelaneous components.

What Lupo lacks in money, he makes up for it in equipment, ingenuity, resourcefulness and DETERMINATION. Everything with this project was an uphill battle and was mostly unknown territory. Many have attempted to make a motorcycle and a car blend together, but results are often comical and awkward. 

The bike's frame has been extended to accommodate not only the body work, but also all the modified innards, including a hydraulic suspension for the forks and dual shocks. Check out the custom suspension linkage and extended swingarm in these photos. 

Follow us as we show more about this build and eventually feature the finished bike in the next few weeks, and make sure to check out Lupo's web page to get an idea of what the man is capable of.