With this project, Flat Side Chuck wanted to achieve a subtle variation on the norm. His '66 generator shovelhead had served him well over the last seven years, but lately everyone and their mother was building bikes that looked a bit too much like it. It was time for a change, and Chuck was ready for it.
The mildly raked and stretched old Jammer straight-leg rigid frame first had everything forward of the center post removed. Then a new front half was jigged and welded up courtesy of Andrew at Departure Bike Works in Richmond, Virginia, to fit the 20-inch over '48 replica Big Twin Springer fork that Chuck scored from Kurt at 45 Parts Depot in the Netherlands.
Chuck luckily acquired one of the first ones, complete with prototype cast rockers sized for a late model 3/4-inch axle.
Andrew and Chuck sat down together, and the result was an 8-inch out, 11-inch up monster that would end up with 46 degrees of rake after figuring in the 6 degrees of rake built into the fork. Chuck wanted the rockers to actually work, unlike a lot of the long Springer forked chops we've seen, where too much rake results in fork flex for suspension. What good's a rocker if it only works when you run into a wall?
Well, Andrew turned out a masterpiece. The TIG welding on the neck gusseting is beautiful. A stationary engineer by trade, Chuck then returned to his little boiler room shop and began eyeballing the frame on his bench. He had specific ideas for this sled, and he set to work making things happen.
First, a KCM split Sportster tank was pressed into service. Chuck again called on Andrew's TIG welding talents, enlisting him to recess some hidden mounts and to convert the left side tank into an oil bag, complete with threaded bungs for sight glass ports. Chuck then mocked the tank halves precisely where he wanted them and welded the mounts in place
From a scrap pile, Chuck scrounged some steel and a section of expanded metal, and set out to make himself a dash. After welding it up, he then cold-rolled it over a section of 10-inch water pipe until he got it to conform perfectly to the tank's radius. The expanded metal gives the dash a look that is reminiscent of prison window mesh (don't ask), hence the word "Guilty" painted down the backbone in gothic lettering. Chuck then mocked the fender mounts which were welded to the frame in order to clean up the under seat area. He also fabricated a vertical side mount with a specific 1/4-inch thick bracket to mount the tool bag securely.
After a short trip to the local auto parts store, Chuck returned with a few lengths of 3/8-inch stainless brake line and a cheap handheld bender, and proceeded to bend the hard lines which were then powdered silver in keeping with the bike's industrial look. Welded bungs in the underside of the backbone secure the lines through the use of Adel clamps.
Buck at Goblin Millworks cut and knurled a beautiful piece of solid aluminum round stock on which a pair of Paughco 3-inch dog bone risers were mounted. The risers were also powdered silver, complete with black fasteners to add detail. Silver powdercoating with black fasteners was used for many of the components on this bike that would normally be chromed, lending to its blingless appeal. A pair of 10-inch rise Z-bars with a welded mirror stem were widened 1.25-inches, just clearing the dropped risers, in order to keep that area as narrow as possible.
After all the frame tabs and threaded bungs were welded up, the frame was sent to Darren at Metal Refinishing Systems in Eldersburg, Maryland, for a complete blasting. After it returned to Chuck's shop, he set out lightly molding all the welds with JB Weld, which he had been told was compatible with the powdercoating process. Four hours of tedious hand sanding later, it was ready for powder. A silver vein textured finish with an overlying clearcoat was chosen to offset the paint scheme he had in mind for this build.