Everywhere you look these days, long choppers are dominating the landscape. They roll around corners, front wheel 9 feet in front of the rider, grabbing attention from everyone in the vicinity. Choppers are the you-know-what right now, and long bikes are hogging the spotlight. So Kill City Choppers in Costa Mesa, California, decided that a fresh dose of old-school cool was in order.
When John Lloyd came in the shop to see Kill City front man Steg about having a bike built, he had old school in mind, which was perfect because Steg already had this bike built in his head; a handshake set the wheels in motion.
All choppers end up relying on the frame to create the lines of the machine and the Kill City project would be no different. It crafted one of its Speed Demon frames with 5 inches of downtube and backbone stretch that meet in a 31.5-degree steering neck. In keeping with the old-school theme, a wide-glide fork assembly straight out of the used parts bin was installed.
Spoke wheels are old school, especially when they are plain 40-spokers. A 21-inch rides up front with a Continental tire, dual Russel rotors, and swap-meet special calipers. Moving out back there is a 16-inch hoop carrying a Dunlop whitewall and matching brake components. The roller was ready to go to the next level.
Propelling a bare-bones rigid requires nowhere near as much in the cubic-inch department as a big bike. Steg pulled an 80ci Evo out of the back and the Kill City crew stripped it down and glass beaded all of it but the pushrod tubes. It went back together with the addition of a Crane cam and ignition, an S&S carb, and Kill City pipes. Consistency in theme comes from a four-speed ratchet top transmission and open beltdrive primary. A foot clutch would be set up to go along with the high-mounted hand shifter that Kill City had created.
Now the Kill City team turned its attention to metal. They built a Frisco-style XL tank and mounted it right in the middle of the extended top tube. No front fender was used - it wouldn't be old school. The rear is a simple flat design with a dose of dazzle from the lightning bolt struts. A stainless barrel oil tank and chrome battery box were added, and the crew stepped back to see what they had. The chopper was ready for paint, so the whole package was molded in an old-school fashion with metal. Then the shiny black was applied to make way for the brilliant red graphic design.
Final assembly included the installation of drag bars in 6-inch straight risers with machine gun muzzle Kill City grips. A small chrome headlamp and Kill City taillight take care of the lighting, and P.M. forward controls take care of the rear brake and clutch actuation. The last detail was dropped in place when the Kill City seat pan came back from NYC Custom Leather.
Lloyd fell in love with his new chopper instantly, and the Kill City crew hated to let it go - guess old school is here to stay.
SpecificationsGeneralOwner: John LloydYear/Make: '03/Kill CityFabrication: Kill CityAssembly: Steg/John Lloyd/Kill CityBuild Time: Four months
EngineSize/Type: 80ci/EvoCases: H-DFlywheels: H-DRods: H-DPistons: H-DCylinders: H-DHeads: H-DCam: CraneCarb: H-DIgnition: CranePipes: Kill City
TransmissionType: Old four-speedCase: H-DGears: H-DClutch: BDLPrimary Drive: BDL
Frame/SuspensionYear/Type: '03/Kill CityRake: 31.5 degreesStretch: 5 inches up and outSwingarm: RigidRear Suspension: NoneForks: H-D 41mmExtension: NoneTriple Trees: H-D
Wheels, Tires, And BrakesWheelsFront: 21-inch spokeRear: 16-inch spokeTiresFront: ContinentalRear: DunlopBrakesFront: Swap meetRear: Swap meet
FinishMolding: Kill CityPainter: Kill CityColor: BlackGraphics: RedPowdercoating: None