The easiest way to make a motorcycle accelerate quickly is to supply a light chassis and big horsepower. This theory goes hand in hand with the chopper theme: Bare bones construction to keep the weight down which makes a big motor even better. Arrah-Wonah Nester of Glendale, Arizona, wanted to build the ultimate lightweight chopper, and since he used to work for Swift Motorcycle, he knew it was the only company he could trust to tackle the project.
The crew at Swift Motorcycles sat down with Arrah and discussed the build, beginning with the frame. They started out with thick, 2-inch aluminum tubing, and welded up a rigid, right-side drive 240 frame with 38 degrees of rake, 8 inches in the downtubes, and 6 inches in the backbone. Adding to the frame's cool factor is the fact that it holds the oil inside the tubing, providing engine vibration damping and cooling. The only suspension for the chopper came in the form of more gleaming aluminum: A billet Goldammer frontend built 14 inches over, special for the project.
Wheels for this bike could only be made out of one type of metal: aluminum. The guys at Swift pulled a set of their billet Iron Cross wheels - the rear wheel is an 18x8-1/2-inch surrounded by a 240 Metzeler and the front is a 21-inch. Both the rotors and the pulley match the design of the wheels and are brought to a stop using a four-piston P.M. caliper at both ends.
Squeezed within the frame is a polished, all-aluminum 124ci S&S motor with an Accutronix air cleaner, a Compu-Fire ignition, and custom exhaust pipes that wrap around the rear cylinder and exit on the left-hand side of the bike. The bike was right-side drive and therefore required a right-side drive transmission. A Baker six-speed right-side drive was called into action, coupled with a Primo clutch and Brute 4 open beltdrive primary.
Now the chopper needed some sheetmetal. Arrah-Wonah had a good friend named Steve Rhodes, who was adept at metal-working and took on the job to create aluminum front and rear fenders. While Steve was busy at the English Wheel, Arrah ordered a Fat Katz gas tank. Once it arrived, it was polished to gleam in the sun. When Steve was finished with the fenders, they were polished to match the tank, then the gas tank and rear fender were sent to Lee at Spray Katz to apply a bunch of cool demons air-brushed in blue. Then they were sent to Affordable Powdercoating for a clear powdercoat to protect the paint and the polished surface.
Arrah-Wonah had some great ideas for the accessories as well. He mounted a nitrous bottle that resembles an oil bag underneath the seating area to give him a little extra juice when it's necessary (and often when it's not). Then, a set of custom bars were built to mate to the Goldammer triple-trees above a Mid-USA headlight and a Dakota digital gauge centered at the top. To keep the bars uncluttered, an internal throttle was incorporated into the right grip. Further cleaning up the bars is a foot clutch and jockey shift on the left-hand side of the bike, while both the front and rear brakes are actuated by the right foot control, both Accutronix units. A white seat with a blue iron cross was built by Corbin, and finally, Swift put together a billet license/taillight bracket to finish the bike off.
Well, when it was all said and done, Arrah-Wonah had an amazingly light bike with more than enough tire-shredding power, and he never has any problem finding his bike in a crowd!
Specifications
General
Owner: Arrah-Wonah Nester
Year/Make: '03/Swift Custom
Fabrication: Swift
Assembly: Swift
Build Time: Four weeks
Engine
Size/Type: 124ci S&S
Cases: S&S
Flywheels: S&S
Rods: S&S
Pistons: S&S
Cylinders: S&S
Heads: S&S
Cam: S&S
Carb: S&S
Ignition: Compu-Fire
Pipes: Custom Swift
Transmission
Year/Type: '03/Right-side drive Baker
Case: Baker
Gears: Baker
Clutch: Primo
Primary Drive: Primo Brute 4
Frame/Suspension
Year/Type: '03/Swift Custom Aluminum Rigid
Rake: 44 degrees
Stretch: 8 inches up and 6 inches out
Swingarm: N/A
Rear Suspension: N/A
Forks: Goldammer
Extension: 14 inches over
Triple Trees: Goldammer
Wheels, Tires, And Brakes
Wheels
Front: Swift 21-inch Iron Cross
Rear: Swift 21-inch Iron Cross
Tires
Front: Metzeler
Rear: 240 Metzeler
Brakes
Front: P.M.
Rear: P.M.
Finish
Molding: N/A
Painter: Spray Katz
Color: Polished Aluminum and Blue
Graphics: Lee
Chrome Plating and Polishing: Concourse
Powdercoating: Clear by Affordable Powdercoating
Accessories
Bars: Custom Swift
Risers: N/A
Hand Controls: N/A
Headlight: Mid-USA
Taillight: Custom Swift
Gauges: Dakota Digital
Electrical: Swift
Fuel Tank(s): Fat Katz
Dash: N/A
Oil Tank: In Frame
Front Fender: Frame Works
Rear Fender: Frame Works
Fender Struts: N/A
Pegs: Accutronix
Foot Controls: Accutronix
Seat: Corbin