'02 KC Creations Chopper - Custom Bike

Kyle Richards, of Papillion, Nebraska, had reached the point in his life where spending a little extra money on himself was possible, and, of course, he wanted to see about getting a custom bike. Well, there aren't many custom bike builders in Nebraska, so Kyle checked out a shop one state over in Overland Park, Kansas, called KC Creations. Kim Suter, the owner of KC Creations, talked with Kyle about how he wanted the bike built and immediately jumped into the project. Kim knew Kyle would be happy with the outcome, so he wasted no time getting started.

The KC Creations crew started out with an '02 KC Creations Softail-style chopper frame with a 4-inch backbone stretch and an extra 8 inches in the downtubes, culminating at a 45-degree neck. Suspension duties were handled by a set of H-D shocks in the back and a very long set of 20-inch-over Forking By Frank legs and lowers inside of KC Creations 7-degree triple-trees. KC Creations beautiful 50-Caliber wheels were bolted to both ends of the bike - the front received a tall 21-incher and in the rear is an 18x8.5-incher. Each wheel was wrapped in Metzeler rubber, the rear being a large 240. When necessary, the bike is brought to a halt by four-piston JayBrake calipers squeezing KC's 50-Caliber rotors in the front and back.

Motivation for the machine came in the form of a polished 107ci S&S motor with a Forcewinder air cleaner, a CompuFire ignition, and Xotics exhaust pipes. A beefy 3-inch BDL open beltdrive transfers power from the motor to the polished Baker six-speed transmission.

The next order of business for the KC crew was sheetmetal. A modified Independent gas tank was positioned on the top of the backbone, and a Mid-USA chromed barrel-style oil tank was positioned under the seat. Keeping the bike (somewhat) legal is a Wernimont front fender, and barely covering the rear tire is a slick internally strutted KC Creations rear fender.

The mock-up was complete, so the crew tore the bike down to add some more visual stimulation to the bike. Kyle had always loved the look of chromed frames and decided that would be a better idea than just painting the frame like everybody else. The frame and swing arm were sent to A&A Plating for a thick coat of the shiny stuff, while the sheetmetal stayed in the KC Creations compound for a covering in a vivid black by Scott Thomas, and John Nicolas highlighted it with a series of skulls on the gas tank.

The final assembly was fairly uncomplicated, and the KC crew jumped on the task to get it finished as quickly as possible. Choppers Inc. Whiskey bars with JayBrake hand controls were bolted to 6-inch risers above a Headwinds headlight. Jaybrake foot controls and footpegs keep Kyle's feet off the ground and the bike properly managed on the road. An Arlen Ness side-mount license/taillight was fastened to the left-hand side of the swing arm, and a Danny Gray Solo seat was positioned behind the gas tank.

It's pretty safe to say that Kyle was more than happy when he first laid eyes on the bike, not that Kim Suter ever thought he would think anything else.

Specifications
General
Owner: Kyle Richards
Year/Make: '02/KC Creations Chopper
Fabrication: KC Creations
Assembly: KC Creations
Build Time: Four months

Engine
Size/Type: 107ci 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: CompuFire
Pipes: Xotics

Transmission
Year/Type: '02/Baker six-speed
Case: Polished Baker
Gears: Baker
Clutch: BDL
Primary Drive: BDL 3-inch open belt

Frame/Suspension
Year/Type: '02/KC Creations Chopper
Rake: 45 degrees
Stretch: 8 inches up, 4 inches out
Swingarm: Chromed KC Creations
Rear Suspension: '02 H-D
Forks: H-D Wide Glide
Extension: 20 inches over
Triple Trees: KC Creations 7-degree