After the kids welded the oil tank with help from good friends and TIG-welding experts Noah and Dan, the tranny (donated by Squiggy at Dumbass Biker) was put in place, matched to a custom-built Evo from Kokesh Motorcyle via a new 2-inch BDL belt drive. After the mock-up was completed the students machined the brass footpegs and grips. A magneto was installed thanks to Buck at Goblin Millworx ,and one of the new totally cool polished magneto covers from Weyland at Solution machining added that special something to make the motor really stand out. A set of Cooper Customs Drunkn' Monkey bars and a Baas Metal Craft stainless steel brass riveted seat with leather tooling from Duane Ballard leather took the bike to a new level.
The final paint was applied by Hering Kustoms of Northfield, MN. These guys do an amazing job year after year, donating the full paint jobs to all the bikes the class builds. The riveted custom-made motor mount and the riveted remote oil filter bracket completed the riveted look of the bike. Any steel parts that were not painted were sent to SE Customs Powdercoating to be given the ultra tough coating. Many thanks go out to all the sponsors for their donations, as well as Fat Boys and Ghostriders/ Renegades for their support for the build.
Through the projects being created in the Chopper Class, Kevin was also presented with the opportunity to write a book on the old school-style builds the class puts out every year. How to Build Old Skool Bobbers includes all aspects of building a bare bones bike, as well as step by step build sequences featuring three of the past high school builds. The book is available through Wolfgang Publications. The class is always looking for new sponsors and help in any way to keep this dream alive, as it continues to change young lives every year in a positive way.
For more information, a video of the class can be seen on the S&S website at: http://www.sscycle.com/iframes/video.php
Click on the Kennedy High School video
The school website can also be seen at http://www.kennedychopperclass.com
Any interested sponsors should contact Kevin Baas at baasmetalcraft@yahoo.com