It's been said that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but Doug Robinson is proof of just the opposite. Although he didn't ride for the first 50 years of his life, Doug decided that he wanted to try out the open road, and five short years later he realized that he absolutely loved it.
While he may not have been riding them, Doug did grow up around bikes. It was shortly after the World War II that his father bought a '37 BSA. Doug watched his father and brother ride, but at the time he wanted nothing to do with it.
Fast-forward a few decades-Doug was attending an insurance seminar in Hawaii. There he heard a speaker from Harley-Davidson discussing the branding of the company and the benefits of riding. The speaker must have been a good salesperson, because Doug decided right then that he was going to get on a bike. After practicing on a bike for more than 60 hours in the parking lot of Utica National, Doug earned his license, and he wasn't going to waste any time getting his own wheels. He went straight for a custom build. A friend had recommended a local custom shop, and Doug got them working on what he thought was his dream bike. But when he got the finished product, he wasn't happy at all.
It was then that Doug went to one of the most respected men in the field, Dave Perewitz of Perewitz Cycle Fabrication in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. The two met at the Niagara Thunder Motorcycle Rally in the summer of 2004. Dave had a reputation for being an honest and hard working guy. Also, being on the Discovery Channel's Biker Build-Off series didn't hurt, either. Dave looked over Doug's bike and pronounced it down for the count. Still, there were a few things that could be salvaged from it, including the motor and the frontend.
Dave took the parts back to his shop and worked hard to get the new bike ready for delivery in the summer of 2005. Doug was flabbergasted, not only by the fabrication but by the paint job as well. Dave Perewitz's reputation had not been blown out of proportion.
It didn't take too long for Doug to decide that he wanted to get another custom bike started. Thinking back to his dad's old BSA, he wanted something more old school. So Doug went to Dave and asked him to build a bobber. At first Dave was a little skeptical, since that wasn't exactly his specialty. Doug knew there wasn't anything Dave couldn't do and realized that stretching Dave creatively would probably result in a one-of-a-kind bike.
Dave wasn't going to turn a customer and new fan down, especially when 70 percent of his business comes from repeat customers. Dave said he'd build something with a fat front tire and a rear tire that wasn't much larger. He also suggested a bulletproof motor with an Accurate Engineering panhead in mind. Also, Doug wanted some copper oil lines and a sprung leather seat. They worked on the basecoat color together. It was a surprise to both of them that in the shop the color looked green, but outside in the sunlight it took on a dark root-beer tinge. Then Dave and his crew came up with the idea for the gold-flaked scallops.
Finally, the big day came for delivery of the new Perewitz bobber. At his booth at Daytona Dave unveiled his masterpiece, and for the second time Doug was blown away by the work that Dave and his crew had done. Flashbulbs went off, and everyone complimented Doug and Dave on the bobber. Sure, it was a build for Dave, but Dave never lets a customer down. As Doug pointed out, the compliments he gets are really a testament to Dave and his incredible work. And Dave added that a whole chapter of a coffee table book called Advanced Custom Motorcycle Fabrication and Assembly by Tim Remus is dedicated to the bobber build.
Although the bobber looked like a work of art, Doug soon learned that it was functional as well. He had planned on riding that bad boy, and Dave's masterpiece definitely didn't disappoint. All of Dave's bikes are fully functional and can handle the wear and tear of regular riding. That works for Doug, because the winding roads of upstate New York need a bike that can really handle!
| THE VITALS: |
| GENERAL: |
| OWNER: | DOUG ROBINSON |
| YEAR/MAKE/MODEL: | '06/PEREWITZ/BOBBER |
| FABRICATION: | PEREWITZ |
| ASSEMBLY: | PEREWITZ |
| ENGINE: |
| YEAR/TYPE/SIZE: | '06/PAN/88CI |
| ASSEMBLER: | ACCURATE |
| CASES: | STD |
| FLYWHEELS: | S&S |
| RODS: | ACCURATE |
| PISTONS: | ACCURATE |
| CYLINDERS: | ACCURATE |
| HEADS: | STD |
| VALVES: | STD |
| ROCKERS: | STD |
| ROCKER BOXES: | ACCURATE |
| PUSHRODS: | STD |
| PUSHROD TUBES: | ACCURATE |
| LIFTERS: | S&S |
| CAM: | S&S |
| CARB: | S&S |
| IGNITION: | ACCURATE |
| EXHAUST: | PEREWITZ/PAUGHCO |
| TRANSMISSION: |
| YEAR/TYPE: | BAKER SIX-SPEED |
| CASE: | BAKER |
| GEARS: | BAKER |
| PRIMARY DRIVE: | BDH |
| CLUTCH: | BDH |
| FRAME: |
| YEAR/TYPE: | ROLLING THUNDER |
| RAKE: | 34 DEGREES |
| STRETCH: | 2 INCHES |
| SUSPENSION: |
| FRONT: | H-D SPRINGER |
| BUILDER: | H-D |
| LENGTH: | STOCK |
| TRIPLE-TREES: | H-D |
| REAR: | N/A |
| SWINGARM: | N/A |
| SHOCKS: | N/A |
| WHEELS,TIRES, & BRAKES: |
| FRONT: | H-D 16X3 |
| TIRE SIZE: | 130/16 |
| BRAKES: | J-B |
| CALIPER: | J-B |
| ROTOR: | J-B |
| REAR: | H-D 16X51/2 |
| TIRE SIZE: | 200/16 |
| BRAKES: | J-B |
| CALIPER: | J-B |
| ROTOR: | J-B |
| ACCESSORIES: |
| HANDLEBARS/RISERS: | FLANDERS/12-INCH |
| HAND CONTROLS: | JAYBRAKE |
| FOOT CONTROLS: | JAYBRAKE |
| PEGS: | JAYBRAKE |
| HEADLIGHT: | H-D |
| TAILLIGHT: | LIMP DICK-LEDS |
| FRONT FENDER: | NONE |
| REAR FENDER: | PEREWITZ/RWD |
| FUEL TANK: | PEREWITZ |
| OIL TANK: | H-D |
| MIRRORS: | N/A |
| GAUGES: | H-D |
| MOLDING: | P.C.F. |
| PAINTER: | JAY/PEREWITZ |
| COLOR: | PPG LIQUID CRYSTAL |
| GRAPHICS: | DAVE, BIG RON, GOLD LEAF, |
| | KEITH, AND HANSON |
| SEAT: | DANNY GRAY |