Gent Bent Customs Rigid Chopper - Big Nasty

Originally shot in Daytona back in '04, this silver chopper, built by Get Bent Customs in Rapid City, South Dakota, was owned by Tim VanLiere. He used to barhop on it whenever the weather permitted, and he had it down in Florida for Bike Week so he could continue that proud tradition in Southern comfort while winter still had its icy grip on his home state.

Fast forward a few months later. The chopper left Tim for another owner, Jeff "Big Nasty" Bollman who, at 6' 6" tall and 400 lbs, is anything but small, which is good because neither is this bike. When Tim originally had it built, he wanted this rod to be BIG. Large motor, long profile, neck-in-the-sky, hey-world-check-me-out big. But that was then, this was now, and he eventually decided this chopper would be better for his colossal buddy who was more than happy to take it off his hands. Since then, Big Nasty's put it through its paces all over South Dakota but while he's very happy with the chopper and proud to ride it, he has even more enthusiasm for the shop that created it - Get Bent Customs in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Shop owner Billy Barnett has a ton of experience, and Big Nasty talks about him as an unsung hero of the custom car and bike world whose creations have garnered top honors in several shows, including a Vette with a carbon-fiber body that he built from the ground up.

With a resume like that it's no wonder Jeff is happy with this big ride that fits him to a capital T. It's a blockbuster of a machine with a 124-inch TP crate motor mated to dual Mikuni carbs and shoehorned into a rigid frame that's raked 45 degrees and stretched 5 inches up and out. Get Bent created its long look by stretching a set of Harley Deuce legs 12 inches and beefed up the backside with an Avon 250 tire.

Barnett also crafted the very clean sheetmetal for this ride; the tanks and fenders were all his creation, as were the bars which he also drilled in order to hide the cables. He turned the raw metal over to Ricky "The Dog" Kuhnert who coated it in silver paint with black tribal graphics. The end result of final assembly was this chopper that exhibits a high level of professional craftsmanship coupled with huge dimensions.

It's funny how bikes sometimes take on lives of their own to find owners who match their personalities, instead of the other way around. So be good to your bike like Big Nasty is, and it will be good to you.