As with building anything, when the correct components are put together, everything seems to work. When everything works, it's easier to enjoy the finished product, since you can be assured that nothing is going break down. That's the way we felt about the '06 Back Road Chopper (BRC) Streetfighter during the time we had to test it. Just looking at the way the bike fit together spoke volumes about its quality, from the tight, rigid frame, minimal yet stylish sheetmetal, conservative rake, and average-size (by today's standards) yet reliable motor to the aggressive stance.
The Streetfighter is BRC's "old-school"-styled bike with modern performance. BRC took a rigid frame with a little stretch in the backbone and stock rake, added a standard-length Springer to the neck, and finished off the suspension with a sprung seat. No front fender is used, but a decent-sized fender covers the rear wheel, and a CCI "Salinas Boyz" tank with a flush-mount gas cap was bolted to the backbone with a unique oil bag nestled within the frame tubes. For those of you into colors other than red, BRC offers the bike in gloss black, satin black, and orange. Wider tires with tall sidewalls were used to absorb some of the bumps in the road, with an 18x5.5 spoke rim sporting a 200mm Metzeler in the rear and a 21x3.5 spoke rim wrapped in a 120mm Metzeler tire in the front. A two-piston caliper clamps down on a polished, stainless-steel rotor in the front, and a four-piston caliper squeezes a matching rotor in the rear.
BRC offers a variety of choices and upgrades for the motor and primary. A standard enclosed wet primary or (as on the one we tested) a Primo 3-inch open belt drive can be ordered for the machine. Different companies and an assortment of sizes can be requested for the motor, including S&S or Revtech. Ours came with a 100-inch natural-finish RevTech. A six-speed, left-side-drive transmission is also standard, and it shifts smoothly, too!
The BRC Streetfighter is a bargain at $21,999, and it comes with an incredible warranty: two years for the bike and three years for the motor. While BRC is a newcomer to the production custom market, the people behind the scenes have been in the industry for years. How else could they put together such a great bike for such a low price?
Back Road Choppers
(209) 669-3824
www.backroadchoppers.com