David Armentrout - Custom Bikes

David and Patricia Armentrout

2008 Rourke Publishing LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.

www.rourkepublishing.com

PHOTO CREDITS: Matej Krajcovic and Frank Boellmann.

: Flames are a popular paint design on motorcycles.

Editor: Robert Stengard-Olliges

Cover design by Nicola Stratford

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Armentrout, David, 1962

Custom bikes / [David and Patricia Armentrout].

p. cm. -- (Motorcycle mania II)

ISBN 978-1-60044-587-3 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-60694-803-3 (softcover)

[1. Motorcycles--Customizing.] I. Armentrout, Patricia, 1960- II. Title.

TL440.A7433 2008

629.28'775--dc22

2007016375

Printed in the USA

CG/CG

Post Office Box 3328, Vero Beach, FL 32964

Custom motorcycles are as unique as the people who ride them. Unlike stock motorcycles that have standard designs and are mass-produced, customs are either modified bikes or are motorcycles built to order. Custom motorcycles are one-of-a-kind.

Vivid colors and polished chrome are attention getters.

A gas tank gets a custom pinstripe.

Dont be misled by motorcycle manufacturers who use Custom in the model name of a mass-produced motorcycle. They are not true customs.

Most people think of choppers when it comes to custom motorcycles. A traditional chopper-style motorcycle has high handlebars, long , and a small front tire.

Choppers are all about style, rather than performance or comfort. True chopper motorcycles dont have a rear , so they usually look a lot nicer than they ride.

A traditional looking chopper with classic black leather seat, black paint, and polished chrome.

Choppers with extended forks perform well in a straight line, but handle poorly on curves and at slow speeds.

Customizing terms like bobber and chopper were born after World War II when bikers bobbed and chopped off unnecessary parts to improve their bikes performance on the racetrack.

Customizing a motorcycle means changing something on the bike to improve its performance or to change its appearance, or both. A change can be very simple like adding a comfortable new seat, or complicated like switching out an engine or exhaust system. But bikers dont always have to change something on a motorcycle to have a custom bike. Bike builders also build custom motorcycles from the frame up.

Lots of chrome and square forks set this bike apart.

Bold colors and studded leather saddlebags customize this bike.

The first custom bike builders were riders dissatisfied with the way their motorcycles performed or looked. Their only option was to park their bikes in the garage while they bobbed and chopped them to perfection. But now the phrase custom bike builder has a whole new meaning. Custom bike shops are popping up all over.

Special seats are often part of a custom bike builders design.

Custom bike builders strive for high performance and unique design.

Reality television shows like Biker Build-Off and American Chopper are a big part of the growing motorcycle culture. Besides showing how custom bikes are built, these programs are really fun to watch. Fans tune in to be entertained and to see the latest in custom motorcycle design.

The Teutul's of American Chopper fame build a custom chopper for Ford Motor Company.

Orange County Choppers is located in Montgomery, New York, and is featured on the hit TV show American Chopper. Orange County Choppers is owned by Paul Teutul, Sr.

A group of European bikers created the Caf Racer motorcycle in the 1950s. They modified their motorcycles to increase performance, added racing , and adjusted the position of handlebars and footpegs. Next, they plotted a racecourse. The course began at a caf, went to a predetermined point, and then back to the same caf. The object was to complete the course before a song finished playing on the cafs jukebox.

Modern caf racers are still motorcycles that are modified for speed and handling. However, the term also describes a biker who prefers a classic British, Japanese, or Italian-made motorcycle built during the 1950s through the 1970s.

A 1950s era English racing bike.

A motorcycle frame is the backbone of the machine. The frame holds all of the bike components together, including the engine.

Frames are built from metal tubes that are bent and welded together. Sometimes the rear wheel is connected directly to the frame; sometimes to a that connects to the frame.