I had actually picked another issue of STREET CHOPPER and selected a whole different topic for this edition of Blast from the Past. Just happens it is Tuesday, and the Speed Channel dedicates this day of the week to motorcycles. So, after watching the show, and how many times they pointed out "today's" big cubic inch Harleys, I decided to dig further for one particular bike that is stuck in my gray matter as an example of a big bore stroker-from 1980! Don't get me wrong, this isn't the first big-inch bike ever built, it is just monumental since it initiated a whole new page in bike building. Hellbound was a kick-start, 100ci Shovelhead street beast capable of making a 10-second pass!
Quoting from the article penned by close friend Bob Clark, "There is nothing more 'macho' in the bike world than a 'bad' big-inch Harley, and when it runs as strong as it looks, it'll draw a crowd and string of followers every time. Hellbound looks almost like a minibike when straddled by Carl Simms, manager of Bay Area Custom Cycles. Actually, the bike isn't that small, though it is stripped for weight reasons; it's just that Carl is so damn big he'd dwarf a dresser. At close to 300 lbs and 6-foot, 6-inches, it takes quite a piece of iron to get Carl down the road, and many a modified four cylinder rider has been made a believer by Carl's 100 incher. When you see this monster go vertical in Third gear you know it's pumpin' some beans."
The bike was built around what was a new pointer case Shovelhead motor, which jumped from 74ci to 100 cubes thanks to the handy work of Donny Rich and Don Gerletti of Rich Products, and an S&S Sidewinder kit. Donny is known for his wizard-like machine work and Don for being able to balance an engine, even of this displacement, so your dentures stay in place. Assembly was handled by Carl, as were many of the BACC builds at the time, adding a few extra tricks to enhance its performance even more. It featured an AP cam, Branch heads, S&S carb, and a Ratley Ferguson magneto. Carl tossed in close-ratio tranny gears from Andrews and big clutch plates for what was coming.
Other chassis components consisted of a 19-inch spoke front wheel and disc brake, lightweight Red Wing forks, drag bars, and a Sportster-inspired tank. Don't know if you're up on bike history, but before the bike tire manufacturers came up with fat rear tires, the big inch boys used 15-inch car radials, this one being mounted to a solid Sifton-spun aluminum wheel! Some builders used this combination for looks; Carl wanted traction!
The foundation for Hellbound was a Paughco rigid frame with stock Harley rake, which is still being produced today. By the way, the paint wasn't even dry when Simms entered it in the Oakland Roadster Show and captured First Place for his troubles.
What I find interesting is that Hellbound was a benchmark for bike builders to copy back in 1980, and given the nature of the beast, would still be a head-turner today. I can look at Carl's bike and imagine the same frame and paint job updated with a 100-inch Evo motor and billet wheels, creating a matching impact in today's chopper market.
The difference is that if Hellbound is still around, it is 27-plus years old! 100ci Harley motors are still news in today's market; however, Carl Simms built and rode one which was featured on the January 1980 cover of STREET CHOPPER! I think I can still hear this Shovelhead coming to life. Damn, it was loud.
I know it never got stolen because no one in their right mind would steal from Carl, and not many men could kick-start this monster to life anyway.Later, Steve