The Bay Area Revisted

One would think the president of a major motorcycle parts distributor like Biker's Choice would have the ability to have any bike built to his specs, any time he wanted. Well, that works sometimes, but it's not always the case. Said president, Bob Kay, set out to do just that by hooking up with one of the country's top builders. He let the builder know what he was looking for, sent a check and waited. When the bike arrived, it was not quite the old-school Bay Area chopper he ordered. Being the good guy he is, Bob decided he would ride the bike for a while and get a feel for exactly what it needed before turning it into his vision. The new bike was not bad; Bob just needed some changes here and there to make it perfect for those times when he just needed to get away from it all.

Bob's bike was to be a throwback to the days when choppers ruled the highway. It needed to have the look of a rigid frame. What better way to go about that than by using a Paughco-style, Glide Softail-style frame? Bob figured they made some of the best frames back then, and they still do. Sticking with the old look, the natural choice for a frontend would be none other than a Springer built by Sundance.

A pair of billet wheels get the chopper rolling and a set of gas shocks connect the swing arm to the frame in order to smooth out the road.West Coast Choppers got the nod when it came time to build the limited sheetmetal for the chopper. The guys at W.C.C. fabbed a long-stretched gas tank from sheets of steel. Making the tank was fairly routine for the guys with one exception -- they knew the tank would sit pretty low on the frame. So, to make room for the Pan-style rocker boxes, they shaped the bottom of the tank accordingly. The rear fender was a simple matter of building it from one of the company's stock blanks and fitting it with a set of struts.

The frame and sheetmetal were sent to Damons for some molding and a liberal coating of House of Kolor Candy Purple. The basecoat was then accented with white and orange flames, with orange pinstripes.

The next item on the list was the drivetrain. Bob wanted to keep things simple; the motor and transmission would be used to add to the look of the bike. Using an 80-inch Panvolution motor -- complete with vintage-look Xotic rocker boxes -- Bob got the vintage look he was after. Inside the STD cases are S&S wheels and rods. The S&S pistons and cylinders are topped by STD heads. Also helping to convey the old-school look are period alternator/generator covers. The motor was finished up with the addition of a Crane cam, an S&S carb fit to a Rivera manifold, a Twin Power electronic dis-tributor, and a set of handmade pipes.

The power finds its way to the four-speed transmission complete with a kick-start (as well as electric) and a jockey shift through the Twin Power enclosed primary. Adding to the experience of the Jockey shift is a Suicide Clutch that is actuated by the rider's left foot.

This was about the time Bob took possession of the bike. After putting many miles on it, he was ready to begin the modifications and brought the bike to Easyriders of Dallas.

Knowing Bob's desire for a vintage look, Easyriders added a set of Hallcraft radial-spoked wheels that wear a 21-inch Avon Venom X up front, and a 17-inch Avon Azaro out back. As old-school as the bike looked, Bob wanted to make sure it stopped as well as anything that rolled out of a showroom today. Making this happen are Hallcraft rotors in the front and in the rear. These get the squeeze from a Jay Brake caliper in the front and a Hallcraft unit in the rear.The guys in Dallas pulled off the bars and replaced them with a set of Biker's Choice mini-apes. The bars were kept clean with the addition of a pair of small, round Jay Brake mirrors and a single Jay Brake front brake lever.

In keeping with the look of the bike, the pipes were removed and a set of short, straight pipes was custom-made to run high along the motor and frame. The front pipe has a small perforated heat shield like the ones used long ago.Jay Brake got the nod for the grips, pegs, and foot controls, while a Style Glide headlight and a Choppers Inc. taillight keep the bike legal. A custom Danny Gray seat gives Bob a place to park his backside for those long rides.Bob has been seen cruising around the streets of Dallas on this bike lately, and at the end of each ride, Bob is ready to face the challenges of his busy day.