writer: John Mata Jr.
Having never had the pleasure to personally meet Bruce Rossmeyer, motorcycle guru to the Nth degree, or Jesse Rooke, innovator extraordinaire, I have heard much about both men and their larger than life accomplishments.
It is quite amazing that these two outside-the-box individuals have not hooked up for a custom bike project sooner. The Rossmeyer Flyer encompasses the forward thinking of design and a genuine love of two-wheeled works of art.
Bruce, owner of more than a few Harley-Davidson dealerships-including the world's largest, in Daytona-has been granted sole responsibility for expanding the annual Bike Week celebration to Beach Street, which is where the Daytona shop is nestled. Aside from accumulating a network of H-D dealerships, he has also built Destination Daytona, a 150-acre playground for H-D enthusiasts, which houses two hotels, condominiums, restaurants, motorcycle themed bars, and an amphitheater. Also located in the land of Harley is the Destination Daytona Museum, where the original Rossmeyer Flyer will find permanent residence.
On the other side of this build up-and country for that matte-is the shockingly talented Mr. Rooke from Huntington Beach, CA. He has incorporated his experience with various motorsports into his bike fabrication and had said work featured on Discovery Channel's Biker Build-Off. His ability to blend and adapt influences into the unique persona of each custom he builds is definitely a gift. Always known for his sleek and liberating designs, Jesse utilized a version of his old-school Kali Kruiser frame for the Rossmeyer Flyer original, number 13, and the following three replicas, numbered 1, 2, and 3. These replicas were sold at select Rossmeyer H-D dealerships and delivered during last year's Biketoberfest. The pairing of beautifully executed design and accessible distribution seems to be custom chopper nirvana.
The third component of the Rossmeyer/Rooke collaboration is the Flyer itself. With its streamlined liquidity, the Kali Kruiser 2, or K2, rigid frame has only been produced four times and features a 36-degree rake and a 3-inch stretch. The original Kali Kruiser measures in with a 40-degree rake and similar stretch. The design of this frame and its front suspension closely resembles that of a beach cruiser bicycle so much that I found myself searching for pedals upon first glance. The only suspension equipped on this bike comes from the Rooke Customs' Nanna front fork and shock. Another eye-catching aspect of the Rossmeyer Flyer is the baffle-separated, combination oil/gas tank. Hidden inside lucky number 13 is a 4-quart oil tank and a 2.8-gallon gas reservoir, which can fuel a 100-mile cruise on a full tank.
Wheels are always a major focal point on a custom build. Never one to follow conformity, Jesse treated the Flyer to an exclusive set of rollers, courtesy of Performance Machine. The Jesse Rooke "Seven" wheels have been anodized and lovingly married to Dunlop E3 rubber. The front 21x3.5-inch wheel has been wrapped in a 90/90x21 tire and the rear 18x8.5-inch wheel sports a 250 tire. These beautifully simplistic, seven spoke wheels were produced by PM with direct consultation from Jesse himself. The bike is also equipped with exclusive PM prototype brake systems-rotors and calipers, at both ends. The anodized PM hand controls and Todd's Cycles grips have been matched to the wheels and make for great companion pieces.