Sometimes it's hard to figure out why certain builders are chosen for the Biker Build-Off cable show. Other times, it's obvious why a builder is chosen, as with Kendall Johnson-an icon, drag racer, motor builder, and one of the nicest guys in the industry. The only thing to wonder about Kendall Johnson is why he wasn't chosen for the show during the first season.
As with all his custom builds, Kendall was prepared to go all out with this one, but in order to get the bike built in 10 days, he was really going to have to pin the throttle. Not surprisingly, Kendall intended to build a bike with a drag-race heart but with a little more styling than a typical dragster. Kendall and his crew got to work on their favorite part of the build first, the driveline.
Kendall Johnson Customs (KJC) is known for its extremely high-performance motors, since the company's engineers build and modify S&S motors of all sizes. This particular build was slated for a mammoth 145ci motor sporting S&S cases, flywheels, rods, cylinders, rockers, rocker boxes, pushrods and tubes, lifters, and carburetor. KJC modifies or fabricates the heads, valves, cam, ignition, and exhaust and use custom-made pistons from CP. A Bandit 3-inch open-belt primary drive was used to convey power from the motor to the six-speed Baker transmission.
A low-slung and stout Lowlife Softail frame from Independent was used as the support for the powerful driveline. It was constructed with 41 degrees of rake in the steering neck and 5 inches added to the backbone. Since he wanted something lightweight but strong enough to support a bike colliding into asphalt after popping a wheelie, Kendall used a PMFR racing frontend. Less reciprocating mass requires less power to move and a faster e.t. This was the reason he chose super-light PMFR three-spoke wheels (a skinny 21-inch in front and an 18x12-inch in back), rotors, and calipers.
The KJC crew does almost everything it takes to build a custom bike, including sheetmetal work. They constructed a sleek gas tank that follows the curved backbone of the frame, an aerodynamic horseshoe-style oil tank, a small front fender, and a rear fender large enough to cover the 13-inch-wide tire. KJC also fabricated the handlebars, taillight, and all the wiring. With the intention of grabbing attention on TV, the bike was painted fire-engine red and reassembled.
Although they didn't win the show, Kendall and his co-workers were happy to compete against Eddie Trotta and his shop, Thunder Cycle Design. Besides, they were excited to discover that they could build a bike in 10 days with no problem-kind of like building a bike at the same pace as a drag race.