'04 Twisted Cycles Custom - Something Different No, Make That Twisted

The goal of every custom bike builder is to create a machine that stands out in a crowd and stands the test of time by never looking dated in design. With a new shop trying to grow and develop a reputation, Randy Davis, owner of Twisted Cycles in Lapeer, Michigan, decided to take on the challenge of building such a bike.

However, like most small shop owners, cash was going to be an issue. When you are building a bike for a customer, there are deposits and cash infusions along the way to ease the bills, but when you are funding it yourself, it is a bit harder. So Randy decided the first step was to plan the bike out, carefully, covering every nut, bolt, and wire he would need. Once it was all on paper, he could set a budget and work within it.

The very first part he bought was a frame from Paul Yaffe Originals. With his dual-purpose bike in mind, he picked out a rigid chassis with 6 inches of stretch in the downtubes and 3 more in the backbone meeting at the 40-degree neck. As soon as he had the frame on his workbench, he mounted a set of Perse 6-degree raked trees to hold 10-inch-over 41mm tubes in H-D Deuce legs. To ensure stability at speed and in corners, Randy slid a billet fork brace in place.

Next on the plan was to make the chassis a roller. Randy wanted good looks in the wheel department, but didn't want to break the bank, so he negotiated a good deal on a billet set from RevTech. The 21-inch front was equipped with a Dunlop tire, a RevTech rotor, and a four-piston FB caliper that was on the shelf at the shop. Out back, the 18-incher was wrapped with a 180 Dunlop, and stopping duties are handled by a GMA drive-side assembly.

Randy had a detailed plan for the 96ci motor he was going to build. It started with a set of Delkron cases equipped with JIMS flywheels and rods. He topped the cases with Axtell cylinders, JIMS pistons, and BC Geralomy heads that work perfectly with the Woods cam this motor runs. Fuel is supplied by a 45mm Mikuni, ignition spark is sent from a Crane unit, and spent gasses escape through a Vance and Hines Pro Pipe. To pay homage to an old custom style, he had the cases, cylinders, and heads painted.

With a high-performance 96-incher and a rigid frame, Randy decided that a six-speed would be a good idea for logging big-mile days. He slid a JIMS six-speed in place, but not just a regular six-speed. He used a JIMS Pro-Cut unit with gears that engage better and ratios designed to make street racing a little more fun. Transferring power is accomplished with a stout BDL open belt unit equipped with a Barnett clutch that is hydraulically operated.

The bike was ready to grab attention and look good for a long time. Randy started by eschewing conventional design and fabricating a set of rear fender struts that grow out of the frame. He built a curvaceous fender to fill the gap in between the rails and moved on to positioning the Yaffe oil tank. Next, a one-piece stretched gas tank was formed and fit to the backbone, and finally, an old WCC fender that was lying around the shop got trimmed and mounted on the Deuce lower legs.

With the lines of his new machine in place, it was time to break it down and get some green on things. All of the metal work was handed off to Tim Scripter in Grand Blanc, Michigan, for the base green - which is actually a lime gold color. Flint Plating took care of turning the Yaffe frame into a modern classic by chroming it to a brilliant shine while the color was drying on the metal. Tim liked the color he applied but suggested to Randy that some graphics would really add to the look, so Randy let him do what would look best. It turns out Tim was right and the ghost flames covered with a blue set dazzle onlookers' eyes in the sun.

Getting the bike together was becoming a thing of great importance to Randy - Bike Week was coming and he wanted to show off his shop. Assembly started with Harley bars, and Joker Machine risers and hand controls. From there, a Ness headlamp and CCI forward controls were added. To complete his masterpiece, Randy installed a Yaffe side-mount taillight and Leatherman seat.

His first ride was just as he planned: cruising around Daytona in search of the Street Chopper crew. When he found us, he told us his story and walked us over to the bike. There was no question that the bike needed to be seen in our magazine. Now we just need to check back with Randy in five to 10 years and see how the bike looks!

Spec Sheet
General
Owner: Randy Davis
Year/Make: '04/Hard 10
Fabrication: Twisted Cycles
Assembly: Twisted Cycles
Build Time: One Year

Engine
Size/Type: 96ci Evo
Cases: Delkron
Flywheels: Jims
Rods: Jims
Pistons: Jims
Cylinders: Axtell
Heads: Bc Geralomy
Cam: Woods
Carb: Mikuni
Ignition: Crane
Pipes: Vance and Hines

Transmission
Year/Type: '03/JIMS
Case: Jims
Gears: Pro-Cut six-speed
Clutch: Barnett
Primary Drive: BDL

Frame/Suspension
Year/Type: '03/PYO
Rake: 40 degrees
Stretch: 3 inches out, 6 up
Swingarm: Rigid
Rear Suspension: See above
Forks: 41mm Telescopic
Extension: 10 inches
Triple-Trees: Perse 6-degree