2005 ESCC DS Savage Chopper - East Side Customs

When it comes down to it, most bike builders are just trying to make a living doing what they love. Sure, a few celeb builders have heads full of air or attitudes bigger than a fat rear tire, but that's not what makes the wheels go 'round. Plenty of others are out there with or without TV exposure simply content with making something cool out of metal while earning some dough along the way.

L. Gingras found one such group of builders at East Side Custom Choppers (ESCC) in Walden, New York. Dave Torres, owner of ESCC, and the gang comprised of Mike Caruso and Danny Torres have always been into anything that moved - from building hot rods to bikes. When the shop opened in 2001, they set a goal to always treat customers and their money well because word-of-mouth could flood or flush a business. Gingras went to ESCC after hearing cool things and seeing some of its rides and wanting a long, no-frills chopper that was reliable and roadworthy.

The build started out with ESCC's signature DS Savage frame with 40 degrees of rake in the neck, 8 inches of upward stretch in the single downtube, and 5 inches added to the backbone. The frame is connected to an ESCC swingarm with Progressive adjustable shocks to offer some relief in the rear. In the front, a set of 18-inch-over, 63mm tubes from American Suspension and ESCC limited edition lowers were mounted in a set of 6-degree American Suspension triple-trees. A set of ESCC's pull-back handlebars with built-in risers finishes off the frontend. Rolling along, Weld wheels ride at either end with a 21-incher up front and an 18x8.5-inch out back, each stuffed inside Avon rubber, with the rear wearing a 250. In the stopping department, a four-piston HHI caliper squeezes a Weld rotor in the front, and in the rear, a drive-side, four-piston Weld caliper manipulates another Weld rotor pulley.

The way to a chopper's heart is through its motor, so the crew secured a beautiful, diamond-cut, Ultima 113ci engine between the framerails. An S&S Super G carburetor, along with a custom air cleaner cover that they designed, was bolted to the polished intake manifold, while a Crane Hi-4 ignition provides spark. They finished the motor installation with a set of ESCC turn-out exhaust pipes. For transferring horsepower to the rear wheel, a six-speed Trick Shift transmission was bolted behind the motor with a BDL clutch and a 3-inch beltdrive with a custom drive cover.

When it came time to skin this bike with sheetmetal, ESCC started by meeting the owner's wishes with a stubby front fender from RWD and then focused on the rear fender. ESCC modified a RWD rigid blank to a softail with internal struts and shaped to fit over the rear fatty. Moving on to the gas tank, Gingras wanted the backbone completely covered and the front of the tank to match the width of the rear fender, so the guys broke out a ruler. The measurements were sent to Independent Gas Tank where it was stretched 5 inches. The oil tank was made by ESCC to flow with the frame and then mounted under the seat pan. Next, ESCC tore down the bike and sent the frame to Action Powdercoating where Granny Smith Green was laid over the metal. Then the frame and sheetmetal went to Splatterhouse Graphics where Brian Horstmann matched the tins to the frame color with PPG paint and finished with radical swooping graphics.

With everything dry and back at the shop, the guys got to work adding the final accessories. An ESCC half-light was secured to the front end and its own diamond-shaped taillight/license-plate bracket was attached to the starter housing. To keep the owner's feet off the ground, a set of RPM pegs and foot controls were bolted to the frame. Finally, the crew made a seat pan that was covered with leather by Poly-Pan and secured it to the frame.

As soon as Gingras hit the streets on his first chopper, he experienced something new besides his ride. It drew a lot of attention from onlookers and even other chopper riders. And of course Gingras shared with others his experience at East Side Custom Choppers. Word of mouth is important!