2004 Lane Splitter 3 - Count's Lanesplitter 3

Over the past several years bigger and beefier have been the bread and butter of modern custom styling. Rear tires have increased in size to a hulking 330 and motor displacement has shot through the roof, with some engines weighing in between 130 and 145 cubic inches. Now this is all well and good - bigger bikes kick ass and take names when it comes to coolness. However, there comes a time with any popular style when a backlash occurs, and cool comes in a variety of flavors. Which is part of the reason why Count's Kustoms in Las Vegas, Nevada, created this coffin-tanked retro ride.

It's the third installment in the shop's Lanesplitter series, a group of bikes meant for riding between cars (lanesplitting) like we do here in SoCal, and it takes its styling cues from going against the new-school grain. You won't find a wide tire out back or a mammoth mill between the framerails, but what you will find is a reminder of the cool styling from back in the day, circa the '60s and '70s.

Just take a look at the huge frontend. It's a sick 25-inch-over Sugar Bear narrow springer that's connected to a rigid frame and a spoked wheel. With 52 degrees rake at the neck, the chassis kicks the forks out even further. Per the old-school doctrine, the wheel is missing the front brake and fender. It's matched out back by a modest 130 tire hugged closely by a pointed fender that covers just enough rubber to keep dirt from flying up onto the rider's back.

On the power side, Count's went with a modest 88-inch RevTech. They wanted endurance over muscle, since a good part of the time in Cali traffic is spent under gridlock, and they didn't want a motor susceptible to overheating when ridden at low speeds (like you do on a freeway during rush hour) or when idling for long periods at a time in case its eventual owner wasn't given to riding between cars. Although Lanesplitter 3 is all about retro when it comes to style, Count's made a modern concession in the form of the RevTech six-speed that keeps power flowing to the rear tire nicely and smoothly. However, since they weren't using a Pan or Shovel, they needed another way to classicize the motor, which is why they chose fishtail pipes.

Count's also went old school with the rest of the sheetmetal and the paint scheme. The shop went with a cool coffin tank from V-Twin that not only forms a smooth line between the bars and solo seat, but also harkens back to the '70s. After the bike was mocked up, it was torn down, and the sheetmetal was handed over to Ryan Evans, who gave it a generous dose of black candy red and followed up with silver gold leaf done in a swirling, pointed pattern, like the crazy paint schemes found on many a magazine chopper from way back.

All told, the creation process took two weeks, resulting in a very cool chopper that, through its rejection of popular style, is somewhat rebellious while paying tribute to the bikes of the past that paved the way for the modern chopper craze. So what's next on the bill for this cool ride? Finding an owner. As this goes to print, Lanesplitter 3 is looking for a rider willing to help it live up to its name.