Rainmaker: I got the bug for a chopper after seeing a completely badass Swedish rigid while sitting at a stop light. This was just before the onslaught of made-for-tv choppification shows. Chopper motorcycles always held a mystical place for me when I was a kid, and all of a sudden I heard the call to build. The only problem was, I didn't know how to build one. I decided to buy a used bike instead and it ended up being a nightmarish piece of shit. From the day I got it, I had nothing but problems.... so I bit the bullet. I tore the whole thing apart, tossed aside the spindly frame and anything else I disliked..... and began my journey. The first step was the build a frame jig that would be substantial enough to hold everything exactly where I wanted it while welding. I made fixtures for the engine and trans mounts and set to bending some tubes. I then bought some inexpensive ERW tubing to use as test pieces before committing the measurements to the more expensive DOM steel tube that I would ultimately fabricate the frame from.
The actual frame building really didn't take very long. All the fabrication of forward controls, brackets, bars, and spacers took the majority of the time. I wanted to create a bike that captured some of the timeless cool factor that the bikes I remember from my childhood had. I tried to use as little billet aluminum as possible and opted for materials like copper, stainless, and brass instead. The plating is a mix of nickel and brass/ gold. I thought that the brassy gold plating would match the gold leaf treatment on the tank. I did have some help in the way of leatherwork on the seat (Seats by Lance), and the gold leaf work on the tank (Jesse Thoreson). The rest of the paintwork was done by myself and the now owner of the Jaguar Trike. Here's a quick rundown of parts: Engine 80" Harley EVO Trans 5-speed Harley Carb S&S super E Fork rebuilt and dechromed Paughco 12" over Tank early WCC Wheels Pat Kennedy 120 flattened, twisted spokes 18"rear, 19" front Battery box Twisted Choppers Frame myself Controls " Bars " Exhaust Very early Eddie Trotta Oil filter Oberg Oil tank Moon (I removed and modified the center section and made custom fittings) Oil tank mounts Fab: Kevin Everything else...... me again |