Mike Diviney of Spring Hills, Kansas, has built a few choppers in the past, but this time he was looking for more comfort to be able to ride longer. He talked to anyone who would listen when it came to working out his idea. Mike was thinking that a rubber-mounted motor was the only way to go, but he was also looking for a different way of doing it because he wanted a rigid chopper with a wide rear tire. After calling every frame builder in the book, he came across just what he needed when he talked to Frank at Motor Cycle Works in Olathe, Kansas.
After a long talk with Mike, it was time for Frank to start on the frame. As ordered, the Viking rigid frame would be outfitted for rubber mounts and be able to carry a 240mm rear tire. The frame was set up with 46 degrees of rake at the neck, 1 inch of downtube stretch, and 3 inches added to the backbone. Next, the idea of a jackshaft was put into play - this would allow the motor to be offset, but still have the movement needed with the rubber mounts, and not bind up the chain for the final drive. Once Mike got his hands on the frame, a 41mm Wide Glide frontend was bolted to the neck. Since Mike then had the room for the big tire out back, he ordered a set of Pro-One 60-spoke wheels. He used a 19x2.5 up front and an 18x8.5 out back, with Metzler being the choice rubber manufacturer. For stopping power, a JayBrake caliper and a PM rotor were mounted up front and out back - Mike used a sprocket/rotor combo from Exile.
Now that Mike had a roller, the next thing he did was plan out the motor. He needed power along with good looks, so he ordered a 113-inch Ultima with Polished and hexed cylinders and heads. An S&S super E carburetor and air cleaner would feed the mixture, and a Crane Hi-4 ignition would time the spark. Mike was good with a welder, so he decided to make his own exhaust that pointed down to the road. Behind the motor rests an '03 Dyna transmission, and connecting it to the motor, moving power to the rear wheel, was a BDL open belt 3-inch belt primary drive.
With most of the major parts in place, Mike got to work covering the bike with sheetmetal. He started by placing a call to Russ Wernimont for a gas tank. While he liked the look of the tank, Mike thought it would look better if he stretched it to cover the length of the extended backbone. Mike decided to save some money by making the fenders himself. What he came up with was a front fender mounted low on the tire. In the rear, his handbuilt fender was low and short so it could show off the tire. To support the rear fender, Mike made his own struts. He continued fabricating by creating a battery box, that looks like an oil bag, to sit under the seat. With everything in place, the bike was torn down. The tank and fenders were painted green metal flake with orange metal flames, filled in with some skulls by Coops Custom Paint.
The freshly painted sheetmetal was quickly returned to Mike so that the bike could get on the road. First, Mike built a set of one-piece handlebars to mount his JayBrake hand controls to. Next, he installed a headlight from Motorcycle Works. A set of forward controls, as well as a taillight/license plate from Billet Concepts, was next. With no turn signals, Mike made easy work of getting the bike wired up. Finally, Mitch Bars made a seat for this chopper from the seat pan that Mike made.
As the last bolts were tightened on this chopper, Mike called all of his buddies to find out who was home so that he could ride over and show off his bike. To say that they were impressed would be an understatement.
Spec SheetGeneralOwner: Mike DivineyYear/ Make: '03/CustomFabrication: Mike DivineyAssembly: Mike DivineyBuild Time: Nine Months
Engine Size/Type: 113ci EvoCases: UltimaFlywheels: UltimaRods: UltimaPistons: UltimaCylinders: UltimaHeads: UltimaCam: UltimaCarb: S&SIgnition: Crane Hi-4Pipes: Mike Diviney