2004 Sinkhole Customs - Hers And His

Ginger and Brent Nevil are not exactly your average custom-bike-owning couple. Where Brent grew up on dirt bikes and spent countless hours blasting around the fields in Statesboro, Georgia, Ginger had a passing interest in bikes. Brent eventually transitioned from the dirt to Harleys, and Ginger got a little more interested as his passenger. Then, Ginger sat on a Sportster and it was all over.

Three months after buying the Sporty, she had traded it for a Big Dog Pitbull, and she was hooked. Brent traded his Harley for another Pitbull, and they rode together frequently. But neither Ginger nor Brent were satisfied with their Pitbulls. Not that the bikes lacked looks or power, but they just were not true customs. So, both bikes went up for sale and Brent and Ginger got busy making sketches of what they would build in their garage.

Ginger's plan called for a Carolina Custom rigid frame with 40 degrees in the neck, 6 inches of downtube stretch, and 3 more in the backbone. Brent was going for a touch more comfort when he dialed in one of Carolina Custom's softail-style chassis with 43 degrees of rake, 8 inches in the downtubes, and 5 more in the backbone. To add some suspension to the front of Ginger's ride, Hilltop Custom Cycles assembled a 10-inch-over, 41mm fork with Deuce legs and 3-degree trees. Brent used an inverted RC Components 10-inch-over fork with 5-degree trees. Out back, he slid a pair of Progressive Suspension shocks in place.

Brent placed a call to RC Components again when he was wheel shopping for a 21-inch front and 18x8.5 rear covered in Avon tires. He set the chassis up with an Exile sprocket/rotor combination in the rear and a Hawg Halters caliper for the front. Ginger used a set of wheels from Covington's Custom Cycles, also 21 and 18x8.5, and also covered in Avon rubber. She went with the same brake package as Brent for both ends.

To power up their home-built bikes, the Nevils placed a call to TP Engineering. The conversation was short and to the point: "What's the biggest, fastest motor you have?" The guys at TP immediately said, "That would be our TP Engineering 124ci Evo-style motor." Ginger said, "We will take two, polished of course." With the motors out of the way, a pair of Powerhouse six-speed transmissions and BDL 3-inch beltdrives were ordered. Both motors use a Mikuni 45, a Crane ignition, and Martin Brothers pipes, but Ginger did extensive modifications on hers, using the tools in the shop herself.

When it came time to add some metal to the bikes, Brent and Ginger took different approaches. Brent has a long history of working with John Deere equipment in his farming business, so his first task was to build a beltguard with the Deere logo in it. Next, he modified a pair of Fat Katz fenders to sit low on both tires. Then, a gas tank from Independent with a HotMatch pop-up cap was secured to the backbone, and finally, an oil tank from Mid-USA was added to the frame.

Ginger took the tools in hand, and got to work on a very modified Fat Katz rear fender first. Once that was done, she did some work on a Paul Yaffe oil tank and positioned it under the seat. Next, a WCC gas tank was reworked to fit the backbone properly, then Ginger tweaked a Redneck, fender that is, to fit her front tire.

With the metal work on both bikes close to done, Ginger made a side trip to a local shop, named Precision Cutting, to make some elaborate cut pieces to trim her front fender, gas tank, and rear fender. The rear piece is a perfect replica of Ginger's "FYSTY" tattoo located on her lower back, ask her to show you if you meet her at a rally. Once they were fit to the metal pieces, it was time to add some color to both bikes.

Brent paid even more homage to the tools that paid for his bike when he designed the paint scheme. Assorted Deere green tones were used, along with logos and even a reflector replica for the back fender. Ginger went with her two favorite colors: purple and orange. Both bikes were handed to K&S Custom Bike Shop in Albany, Georgia, for the molding and paintwork. Stuart Walkey of K&S took care of the graphics, then sent everything back to the Nevils.

Both sets of handlebars were built in the garage that was now being called Sinkhole Customs. Brent incorporated a Dakota Digital speedometer into his; Ginger was so pleased with making her own bars, she left them alone when they were done. Brent used a Headwinds headlight while Ginger selected a Tradewinds. They both made their ignition and coil mounts, and a Supreme Legends taillight was found on Brent's bike while Ginger fabbed her own. Ginger used Ness hand controls, while Brent runs Supreme Legends. Both bikes have Supreme Legends forward controls, but Ginger slid in Eddie Trotta footpegs to match the Eurocomponents grips. Brent and Ginger both made their own seat pans and had Bowen's do the tan leather work, while Jerry's Upholstery took care of the gray and purple covering.

When the bikes were finally done, all the tools were put away, the garage cleaned up, and Brent and Ginger took off for Myrtle Beach for the Spring rally. Few other couples cruising the beach could honestly say they built the bikes they were riding, but regular STREET CHOPPER readers will remember the in progress shots they sent us for Chopping Around. This is a relationship destined to last - if they can share tools, surely they can share a life together!

Spec Sheet
General
Owner: Ginger And Brent Nevil
Make/Year: '04/Sinkhole Customs
Fabrication: Ginger And Brent
Assembly: Ginger And Brent
Build Time: Six Months

Engine
Size/Type: 124ci Tp Engineering
Cases: Tp Engineering
Flywheels: Tp Engineering
Rods: Tp Engineering
Pistons: Tp Engineering
Cylinders: Tp Engineering
Heads: Tp Engineering
Cam: Tp Engineering
Carb: Mikuni
Ignition: Crane
Pipes: Wicked Brothers

Transmission
Year/Type: '03/Powerhouse
Case: Powerhouse
Gears: Six-Speed
Clutch: Bdl
Primary Drive: Bdl

Frame/Suspension
Year/Type: '03/Carolina Custom
Rake: 40 And 43 Degrees
Stretch: 3 Out, 6 Up; 5 Out And 8 Up
Swingarm: Carolina Custom
Rear Suspension: Rigid/Progressive

Suspension
Forks: 41mm In Duece Legs/Inverted Rc Components Extension: 10 Inches OverTriple-Trees: Hilltop/Rc