The inspiration for a custom bike can come in many forms. Sometimes it's an idea for a gas tank, while at other times it may be a fat rear tire or a certain paint scheme. The inspiration for the "Green Reaper," built by the guys at Deep South Choppers (DSC) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was from an oil tank-and not just any oil tank, we might add-but more on that later. Dennis, Brad, and Chris Mannino, along with their friend Troy Tull, started DSC about three years ago when they wanted to build a bike to showcase their combined talents.
The guys started the business with a solid background in fabricating custom hot rods. They all had personal motorcycles and had worked on them, as well as building custom parts for their rides, but none of them had ever really built a bike from the ground up. Because of these factors, the guys figured that it would be smartest to get a kit bike and use it as a starting point for their group project. Dennis called Big Bear Choppers (BBC) and ordered a Reaper kit-the same one that anyone can get from BBC. Of course, the guys did not want it to look like the same old kit bike that Joe Blow might build from this kit. They planned to make it their own the second they ripped open the box. After the frame was on the lift, the drivetrain was installed, along with the frontend and wheel. Just as a kit bike should, the parts came together easily, allowing the crew to really get down to business. What would set this bike apart from any other would be the custom sheetmetal.
Brad went to work on building a custom oil bag that was fabricated into the front downtube and featured sharp-looking pointed edges. That was all it took-this bike quickly evolved into a beautiful work of rolling art called the Green Reaper. According to Brad, "When you see artwork depicting the Grim Reaper, the theme is always sharp edges and points, all the way from his sickle to his cloak. That is the look we wanted to achieve with the oil tank." That look would ultimately become the theme for the entire bike.
With the oil bag now part of the downtube, something had to be done to fill the void where a traditional oil can would have resided beneath the seat. Dennis designed sheetmetal "filler," carrying the points theme on the oil can into the empty spot left on the frame. He then turned the idea over to Troy, who beat, bent, and welded the newly designed bodywork into place.
Once the bodywork filler was finished, the guys at DSC turned their attention to the gas tank. The pointed, menacing look was now well-established as a theme and needed to be carried over to the gas tank as well. Starting with a somewhat smooth and traditional-looking Big Bear Reaper tank, the Manninos and Troy began to modify the tank to achieve the sickle-like look they wanted. The finished tank had a more menacing appearance, which features the Reaper blade-like points on the leading edge of the tank.
Troy then shaped and cut down both fenders, based on a design by Chris. Everything had to flow together to create the Grim Reaper-theme look for the entire bike. "The fenders were cut to continue the Reaper look as well," says Chris.
The guys at DSC turned their attention to the finer details of their Reaper bike, creating a number of one-off pieces to finish off the new chopper and its unique look. Those pieces include a hand-built custom headlight housing, a chain shift linkage, a license-plate mount, and a taillight housing.
Dennis and Chris handled the filling, sanding, and priming of all the components. Once everything was perfectly smooth and ready for paint, it was then handed over to Brad, who laid down the in-house custom-mixed, candy-green finish.
Once the final paint had dried, Troy picked up his airbrush and added all the Grim Reapers to the paint. He got his ideas from some comic books he had as a kid. When you think of the hooded Grim Reaper as he's most often depicted, you usually don't get to see his face. Wanting to be different, Troy designed his Green Reaper riding a bike with sunglasses and a smile. A few more morbid images were added to the side panels and fenders of the bike to really set it off. Dennis and Brad handled the rest of the assembly, with Chris adding the final touch-a custom-cut (and, of course, pointed) green breather for the carburetor.
The Green Reaper started as way of showcasing the talents of a young company, but it accomplished much more, according to Dennis. They are a very family-oriented shop. Sometimes a project like this can cause problems and disputes, but that was definitely not the case here. Instead, this project brought the brothers closer together as they learned to appreciate one another's talents and abilities. While Troy Tull may not be related by blood, the Manninos all agree: "He is like a member of the family and an honorary Italian."
With this build and about 20 others under their belt, the guys at DSC have become a dealer of Big Bear Choppers kits and assembled motorcycles, as well as building custom bikes. They're currently in the process of designing their own frame.