2005 Count's Kustoms Golden Nub - Count Abducted By Aliens

Ok, so the Count wasn't really kidnapped by aliens and replaced with a clone; we just thought it was odd that after building so many beautiful rigids, Count's Kustoms up and builds a gold softail all of a sudden. And as anyone who's seen a cheesy sci-fi movie can tell you, such sudden behavior changes are a sure sign that someone's been either kidnapped (and/or eaten) by space monsters who've also replaced said victim with a duplicate.

Now, this chopper isn't a first for the shop. The guys at Count's have made a few softails in the past and they totally know what they're doing when it comes to building a chopper - usually outrageous ones with a major emphasis on style. Although this rod, dubbed Golden Nub, is plenty easy on the eyes, Count's Kustoms made a few changes to the creative mold, giving comfortable riding equal billing with eye-catching design (rigids, while really cool and fun to ride, don't take road bumps as well as softails).

Count's started with a Santee gooseneck chassis stretched 2-1/2 inches out to which it added a Sugar Bear front end and Drag Specialties 60-spoke wheels with Metzeler rubber, using a 180 out back to give the bike a little junk the trunk as well as smooth sailing through turns.

At 110 cubes, the bike's motor is also a great balance between modern trends and consistent performance. It's an S&S crate mill that gives the Gold Nub respectable power but not so gargantuan that it requires the same maintenance as a drag motor. By combining it with a RevTech six-speed transmission, Count's smoothed out the ride for all-day highway cruising even at higher speeds.

Even though this bike was made for easy riding, it still has a great deal of style as evidenced not only from the stance of the gooseneck frame and the long springer forks but also from the golden glow that adorns its skin. Ryan Evans shot the gold metalflake paint to the naked metal and followed up with silver flames and red pinstriping to create a color combination that really stands out.

From beginning to end the build took about three months, and it's generated a lot of interest among the local rider folk in the shop's home digs of Las Vegas, Nevada. Some liked it so much they went and put their money where their hearts are; three more softails have been ordered by various customers since then.

We're not 100-percent certain aliens didn't replace the Count with an impostor, but we're pretty certain that whoever's running the place, be it him or his clone, has the Count's great sense of style.