2004 Blak Flag Custom Chopper - Blak Flag

Harley riders have had the same look for years. There's a new generation of American V-twin loving punks ready to take the reigns of the 100-plus-year tradition with a whole new attitude. Times have changed, if you ride a Harley you're not instantly branded as an outlaw anymore. In fact, ownership is a cultural status symbol more than a mark of rebellion. Fortunately for us, there are builders who are stepping away from the recent cultural expectations of an American V-twin rider - they don't look the same or act the same, nor do they have any desire to. The only similarity between the two is their love for the air-cooled V-twin and a pair of wheels.

Take Blak Flag Choppers for instance. A couple of guys who love the industry decided to quit their day jobs and build bikes. While that may be a common occurrence in today's exploding scene, just a glance at who these guys are will tell you there's something different. When was the last time you saw a guy on a Harley with a Mohawk doing a burnout? That Mohawk belongs to Blak Flag's head builder Derian Drickerson, one half of the Blak Flag duo. The business side is taken care of by a guy as crazy as Derian, but appearance wise he's more subtle, Pat Notaro. They've been bustin' ass for about seven years in the motorcycle scene, but they started Blak Flag about three years ago.

They haven't promoted their shop like most either, they don't want to attract the people that would respond to the same old crap. Blak Flag was interested in bringing in a younger crowd and came up with a plan to reel them in. Instead of advertising in the usual manner, they decided to sponsor a couple of skaters to wear their gear at the skate contests they competed at. They hired two skaters, Tim "Buttons" Buntin and Jay "Alabamy" Haizlip. Buttons is the skater in these pics, he's thought of as the mascot of Blak Flag, exactly the kind of kid they want to get interested in their bikes.

Speaking of their bikes, this copper-framed, flat-black beast is the first official Blak Flag bike. They have built a series of bikes for customers, but they finally had the chance to build a bike to wear their colors so they could show off some of their skills. The build aspect of the bike went like the others, but they wanted to do a copper-plated frame, something they hadn't seen when the bike was being planned. With that idea in their minds, the build was almost completed, except for the paint on the sheetmetal. They wanted to have the Blak Flag Logo on the tank, but thought it would be cool if it matched the frame. Instead of just making a copper-colored sticker, or trying to paint something on the tank, they went the more difficult, but satisfying, route. The WCC gas tank and oil bag were both plated in copper, then sprayed with thick coats of clear so the copper would keep it's shine. The logos were taped off and the tanks were sprayed with a gloss-black base and flat-black final coat.

The bike turned out to be a serious eye-catcher - when we saw it, we had to have it in the magazine. Blak Flag wanted us and all the readers to know, "We're not just another chopper company. We are a lifestyle company born out of frustration. No, we're not a tribute to the band, although we respect their music and what it stands for. Our Blak Flag salutes those who have paved the way and fallen before us. This company is for the fearless independent few. We're about liberation, so those who stand by our side, let's ride."