Many internationally known custom builders headed to Sturgis to compete in the 2011 World Championship of Custom Bike Building but it was a relatively unknown customizer that took the top honors.
After working on his bike for 3-1/2 years Ken Tabata, of Tavax Engineering, Yao City, Osaka, Japan, appeared in Sturgis and now he is preparing to leave as the 2011 World Champion of Custom Bike Building. He describes his winning bike, TAVAX2011V, as being designed to look like a Cheetah about to pounce, all dynamic movement and power.
TAVAX2011V effortlessly combines sculpted aluminum bodywork with one-off hand-made pieces that form the suspension and replace the stock engine and transmission covers. At the rear of the bike the swingarm pivots from behind the rear cylinder, arcing over the transmission, and carrying a linkage system operated single shock, a design similar to that found on many modern sports bikes.
At the front of the machine the suspension begins at the axle as a leading link fork, which then changes via a pair of links to finish as a Springer fork.
To demonstrate the performance potential of his bike Ken has forgone tall and wide wheels, favoring instead a pair of Marchesini 17in sport bike rims carrying floating rotors and Lockheed brake calipers.
Taking a less complex styling route, Larry Houghton, of Lamb Engineering, secured second place with Son of a Gun. Based around and eBay find 1951 BSA single cylinder engine and Talon motocross wheels, Larry built the rest of the bike himself often collecting material from the scrap bins of friends in the engineering trade. His careful recycling of material meant that he was able to build a World Class custom motorcycle for less than $9,000, including the gold candy of silver metalflake paint.
When it comes to building bikes Satya Kraus' motto is always for the bike to have everything it needs and nothing it doesn't. It's an ideal he has ably demonstrated on Bolide, the bike with which he placed third in the World Championship of Custom Bike Building.
He achieved his aim by putting a 93ci S&S Shovelhead motor in a one-off frame carrying a mono-shocked swingarm, telescopic forks and 17in Alpina spoked wheels shod with Metzeler sport bike tires.
Sport bike influences are also readily evident in the styling of the winning bike in the Performance Custom class. Jim Giuffra and the girls of AFT Customs rebuilt a 1970 Honda CB750 as café racer inspired custom complete with RaceTech suspension, Beringer brakes and numerous one-off pieces. The influence that café racers are having on the current custom scene can also be seen in the design of the top placed Production Manufacturer class bike. Best known for its line of Chops and Bobbers, Darwin Motorcycles has built what it describes as an American muscle bike. Powered by a 132ci S&S X-Wedge V-twin, the RLX carries a full range of top spec components including Öhlins suspension, Beringer brakes and BST carbon fiber wheels.
A first in 2011 for the World Championship was the entry of a sidecar outfit and it was this outfit, Abnormal Cycles' Union, that took the honors in the Modified Harley class. The Model 'U' powered outfit features a stock frame fitted with a custom sidecar body and a leaf spring Indian style front end, which includes a pair of handlebars created to also look like a leaf spring
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Freestyle Class
One-off, ground up customs. Any design or modification is accepted.
WINNER AND WORLD CHAMPION IN THE FREESTYLE CLASS 2011 ISTAVAX ENGINEERING WITH TAVAX 2011V
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| World Champion Freestyle Tavax Engineering ' Tavax 2011V' |
TAVAX ENGINEERING: TAVAX 2011V
Builder Ken Tabata
Owner Ken Tabata
Location Yao City, Osaka
Country Japan
Website z1.itrobo.net/tavax/index.html
Bike Name Tavax 2011V
Year/Model 2010
Engine Make/Size S&S SH93
Drivetrain 5 speed / Primo belt drive
Frame Make/Type Tavax original
Front End Tavax original
Rake 25
Stretch none
Swingarm Tavax original
Wheels Front 375 x 17 Marchesini modified
Wheels Rear 625 x 17 Marchesini modified
Tires Front 120/60-17 Dunlop
Tires Rear 190/55-17 Dunlop
Brakes Front Lockheed 2 pod
Brakes Rear Lockheed 2 pod
Painter Ken Tabata
Chroming/Plating none
Additional Info Rainer Maria Rilke quotes: "Surely all art is the result of one's having been in danger, of having gone through an experience all the way to the end, where no one can go any further".
2ND PLACE FREESTYLE
AMD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OF CUSTOM BIKE BUILDING STURGIS USA 2011 IS:
LAMB ENGINEERING WITH ' SON OF A GUN'
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| Lamb Engineering ' Son of a Gun' |
Builder Larry Houghton
Owner Larry Houghton
Location Salisbury, Wiltshire
Country UK
Website www.lamb-engineering.com
Bike Name Son of a Gun
Year/Model 1951
Engine Make/Size BSA 500 db32 Goldstar
Drivetrain BSA M21 gearbox
Frame Make/Type Steel one-off
Front End Telescopic one-off
Rake 26 deg
Stretch None
Swingarm Steel one-off
Wheels Front Talon 17
Wheels Rear Talon 17
Tires Front Dunlop 17x 90
Tires Rear Metzeler 17x 140
Brakes Front One-off hyd/cable hybrid
Brakes Rear Hydraulic one off
Painter Del Whittaker
Chroming/Plating Dorsetware Nickel
Additional Info All components machined and fabricated by myself. The engine is from an old racing 1951 BSA. All materials were sourced from a friends scrap bin, and all parts (engine, gearbox, wheels etc.) from eBay.
Amall TT carb brakes and all parts made and designed by myself. The design ideas are probably a cross between 60s racing Hondas, FSIE Yamahas and British motorcycle heritage.
The build time is in excess of 1400hrs, although monetary costs fairly small, approx 9000 dollars including paint.
Like many British motorcyclists of a certain age, Larry Houghton, of Lamb Engineering, began riding as a 16-year-old aboard a Yamaha FS1E. The little Yamaha two-strokes have always been known by owners in the UK as Fizzies and it was this bike that Larry thought about when he began to build his latest custom - Son of a Gun.
After picking up a 1951 BSA 500 db32 Goldstar engine on eBay Larry began to think about a bike he could build to house the former racing engine, and then was when he remembered his first bike - the Fizzy.
While the general outline of Son of a Gun certainly reminds many Brits of their teenage rides, the construction is another story. Using a combination of CNC machined parts and steel stock the slim line frame was brought together.
Larry then turned his talents to the front end and making further use of his CNC kit scratch built his own USD front end, complete with cutouts on the insides of the legs to expose the springs.
When it came to rear suspension, Larry began with a conventional swingarm and then got creative, mounting a pair of transmission chains under the swingarm and around the bottom of the gearbox and then back up and over the transmission to a pair of pull shocks.
3RD PLACE FREESTYLE
AMD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OF CUSTOM BIKE BUILDING STURGIS USA 2011 IS:
KRAUS MOTOR CO WITH 'BOLIDE'
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| Kraus Motor Co ' Bolide' |
KRAUS MOTOR CO: BOLIDE
Builder Satya Kraus
Owner Javier Quirós
Location Cazadero, CA
Country USA
Website www.krausmotorco.com
Bike Name Bolide
Year/Model 2011 Kraus Motor Co.
Engine Make/Size S&S Shovelhead / 93"
Drivetrain Baker Powerbox / BDL Primary
Frame Make/Type Kraus Motor Co. Monoshock
Front End Adjustable Telescopic
Rake 28°
Stretch 0
Swingarm Monoshock
Wheels Front Alpina 17x3.5
Wheels Rear Alpina 17x5
Tires Front Metzeler 120x70-17
Tires Rear Metzeler 170x60-17
Brakes Front Beringer Dual 6 Piston with floating rotor
Brakes Rear Beringer 4 Piston with oversize floating rotor
Painter Zane Cullen, Cotati Speed Shop
Chroming/Plating Modesto Plating
Additional Info Designed in the spirit of Tourist Trophy. Engineered and built as a complete road ready and high performance machine.
Bolide has a classic look, top of the line performance components, and a raw metal finish. It has everything you need and nothing you don't.
Everything you see was hand made by Kraus Motor Co.
Modified Harley-Davidson Class
Stock frame and stock or Screamin' Eagle engine cases. The stock frame/Harley platform geometry must be maintained; the only modifications allowed are weld smoothing and other moldings and sheet metal additions, tab and or bracket relocation or removal and arising smoothings/moldings (such as exhaust bracket relocation for example). Swingarm/rear-end changes, of any kind, including replacement swingarms, are permitted; fat or skinny rear end conversions are permitted; as is frame or rear-end lowering or raising - provided the basic stock frame geometry is unchanged. Case internals can be replaced, along with cylinders, heads and internals. Turbo chargers, super chargers, NOS kits etc are permitted. Frames and cases can be from two different Harley-Davidsons.
Modified Harley-Davidson Class
AMD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OF CUSTOM BIKE BUILDING STURGIS USA 2011
1 ST PLACE AND WORLD CHAMPION MODIFIED HARLEY-DAVIDSON IS:
ABNORMALCYCLES: UNION
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| Abnormal Cycles 'Union' |
Builder Samuele Reali
Owner Samuele Reali
Location Bernareggio
Country Italy
Website www.abnormalcycles.com
Bike Name Union
Year/Model Harley Davidson "U"
Engine Make/Size 74"
Drivetrain stock
Frame Make/Type stock
Front End Abnormalcycles lift
Rake stock
Stretch stock
Swingarm stock
Wheels Front Jonich wheels 18"
Wheels Rear Jonich wheels 18"
Tires Front Ceat 18"
Tires Rear Ceat 18"
Brakes Front Kustom Tech drum
Brakes Rear Kustom Tech drum
Painter Zucchelli Paint
Chroming/Plating Special Chrome
Additional Info Handlebar, shifter knob, ront fork, pipes, sidecar body, fenders, oil tank, grip, sidecar light, ront light, system of seat ammortization, wood in the sidecar.
Throughout the history of the World Championship of Custom Bike Building trikes have been a regular sight on the show floor, and 2011 is no different with two trikes on display. However, what is different this year is the appearance of a sidecar outfit, the first time one has ever been shown in the Championship.
The groundbreaking outfit is the work of Abnormal Cycles out of Bernareggio, Italy, who have attached a hand-made, Art Deco inspired sidecar body, lined with wood, to a '42 Harley-Davidson Model U. An Indian inspired leaf spring fork was then built, complete with two springs to compensate for the additional weight and the package was finished off with a full set of three chrome and brass drum brakes from fellow Italian manufacturers Kustom Tech.www.abnormalcycles.com
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| The Italian ' Union' crew proudly show their World Champion tattoos! |
Performance Custom Championship
A class designed to showcase customs of all or any kind, of any platform or drivetrain, air-cooled or liquid-cooled (or even alternative energy) bikes, where the primary intention of the customizer is to improve performance and/or showcase his/her performance engineering and techniques. Open to 'streetable' performance work, drag strip, circuit racing, off-road racing or 'Bonneville' race projects and bikes. Open to 'metric', Whitworth/AF, and SAE measure bikes. Open to all kinds of performance engineering and enhancement techniques, including super charging, turbo charging, NOS etc.
First place and WORLD CHAMPION in the Performance Custom Class
AMD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OF CUSTOM BIKE BUILDING STURGIS USA 2011 is:
AFT Customs / Custom Girls with their 'Sentoh' Bike
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| AFT Customs / Custom Girls ' Sentoh' |
AFT CUSTOMS: SENTOH
Builder Jim Giuffra / AFT Customs Girls
Owner AFT Customs
Location Jackson, CA
Country USA
Website www.aftcustoms.com
Bike Name Sentoh
Year/Model 2011
Engine Make/Size Honda 836
Drivetrain Honda/Barnett
Frame Make/Type TPJ Customs / Cafe
Front End Yamaha R1
Rake 28*
Swingarm TPJ Customs
Wheels Front Custom 19"
Wheels Rear Custom 18"
Tires Front Avon Cobra 120/70 x 19
Tires Rear Avon Cobra 180/55 x 18
Brakes Front Beringer oversize 6 piston
Brakes Rear Beringer
Painter Riff Raff Customs
Chroming/Plating Pacific Coast Anodizing
Additional Info Full custom Cafe style CB836CR Honda. Every component on this bike was made for this bike. 50% of this bike was made by AFT Customs Girls.
Special thanks: Miller Welding, Avon Tyre, Dynatek, Bell/Easton, Joker Machine, ace Tech, Grip Ace, Beringer Brakes, Web Cams, Clear Water Lights, Shorai Batteries, Leo Vince, Motion Pro, Works Connection
Like any good custom shop Jim Giuffra's AFT Customs has a full crew of staff. However, the staff at AFT Customs also happen to be glamour models, not that they're there simply to look good they also weld and wrench on the builds in the workshop.
Sentoh, one of the bikes the AFT models have worked on has come to the World Championship of Custom Bike building to take part in the Performance Custom™ class, having recently won top honors at the LA Calendar show.
Originally a 1970 CB750 Honda, Sentoh now boasts a one-off café racer inspired frame, RaceTech suspension, and Beringer brakes. The motor has been rebuilt with a hand-made, four-into-two exhaust system and a custom inlet manifold to mount a Mikuni HSR45 carb.www.aftcustoms.com
‘Sentoh’
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| Jim (AFT Customs) and the Custom Girls, here seen modelling for us, built 'Sentoh' Clockwise: Shelby, Jim, Katy, Cyndi, and Nalani |
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| If all custom bike builders looked like Katy, business sure would be booming... |
Second place in the Performance Custom Class
AMD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OF CUSTOM BIKE BUILDING STURGIS USA 2011 is:
Fuller Hot Rods with their Honda 'Rodan' Bike
Fuller Hot Rods
Builder Bryan Fuller and crew
Owner GME
Location Atlanta, GA
Country USA
Website www.fullerhotrods.com
Bike Name Rodan
Year/Model 1969 Honda CB750
Engine Make/Size Honda 836
Drivetrain Honda
Frame Make/Type Honda with Fuller Hot rods Tail Section
Front End Honda
Stretch n/a
Swingarm Yamaha Seca II
Wheels Front Buchannan Spoke 3.5 x 18
Wheels Rear Buchannan Spoke 5.5 x 18
Tires Front Avon 110/80-18
Tires Rear Avon 180/55-18
Brakes Front Beringer inboard rotor
Brakes Rear Beringer inboard rotor
Painter JDK
Chroming/Plating Pro Plating Atlanta
Additional Info Built for Cafe Racer TV on HD Theatre; Stainless Exhaust with Cone Engineering mufflers; CR racing carbs; oil tank built into swingarm; Honda tank with knee cutouts and aircraft cap; aluminum tail section with cast aluminum tailight; Beringer hubs and brakes; Stainless clip ons with Beringer controls and LA Choprods internal throttle; cast aluminum headlight with Buell lense and ring; Speed Cell racing battery; Cut down, shaved and polished Honda forks; aluminum seat pan with red leather by Slick Creations; Fox rear shock with Hyperco spring; Stainless and chrome rear sets; stainless 12 point Arp fasteners; Stripping by Papa Studios; Machine work by Sam Mize; Powder Coating by Millers Power Coating
Production Manufacturer Championship
Entry must be based on a production motorcycle with multiple units of the model projected or produced annually. Any modifications are accepted. Class is designed for entrants whose principal business is manufacturing production motorcycles - evidence of this may be requested before an entry is accepted.
First Place and World Champion Production Manufacturer Class AMD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OF CUSTOM BIKE BUILDING STURGIS USA 2011
is Darwin Motorcycles RLX
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| Darwin Motorcycles RLX |
DARWIN MOTORCYCLES: RLX
Builder Dar, Tim, Bryan, Justin
Owner Dar Holdsworth
Location Oklahoma City, OK
Country USA
Website www.brassballscycles.com
Bike Name RLX
Year/Model 2011 RLX
Engine Make/Size S&S 132" X-Wedge
Drivetrain Baker 6, Baker King Kong clutch
Frame Make/Type Racing Innovations Muscle Bike
Front End Ohlins Road/Track
Rake 25 degrees
Wheels Front Brock's BST Carbon 19"
Wheels Rear Brock's BST Carbon 19"
Tires Front Dunlop Sport Max 120mm
Tires Rear Dunlop Sport Max 190mm
Brakes Front Beringer
Brakes Rear Beringer
Painter Manny's Ink & Air
Additional Info Entire bike designed and developed at Darwin Motorcycle headquarters. Hand formed body. Machined top clamp using Summit Machine mil. Includes
Stack gauge with progressive shift light, lap timer, speedo. Also incorporated is radar detector. Custom seat by Hix design. Vortex foot controls, bars and sprocket. Beringer Hand controls. Joker machine mirrors. Braille carbon fiber battery. MoFlo air cleaner. Motion Pro cables. Alloy Art headlight. Custom, Stainless 2 into 1 into 3 exhaust made in house with support from D&D exhaust. This American Muscle Bike was built to pay tribute to Bobby Rahal & his storied racing career. This bike is being raffled to support 2 military focused charities, Steel Anchor.org and Pros4Vets.org. Go to www.DarwinMotorcycles.com to get tickets.
Second Place in the Production Manufacturer Class
AMD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OF CUSTOM BIKE BUILDING STURGIS USA 2011is Icona Custom Cycles with 'Challenger'
Builder Steven Iacona
Owner Steven Iacona
Location Brooklyn, NY
Country USA
Website www.iaconacustomcycles.com
Bike Name Challenger
Year/Model 1996 / XL
Engine Make/Size HD / 1200cc
Drivetrain HD
Frame Make/Type HD / Sportster
Front End Springer /custom
Rake Stock
Stretch 0
Swingarm none
Wheels Front Invader / 21x3.50
Wheels Rear Invader / 18x5.5
Tires Front Metzeler / 120/70/21
Tires Rear Metzeler / 200/50/18
Brakes Front ISR / 250mm caliper
Brakes Rear ISR/ 250mm caliper
Painter Nub Grafix
Chroming/Plating none
Additional Info Hand formed fuel tank, rear fender tail section, oil tank, exhaust pipes, handle bars and mounts, rearsets, headlight number plate, seat suspension, tail light, battery box, steering damper mounts, motor mount and many more details.
Ignition coils are located near battery box along with all electrical connections. Brake and oil lines are hand formed stainless steel. Oil cooler has been mounted behind front number plate. Frame has been converted to a hardtail. Engine rebuilt using Buell heads and cylinders, dual 30mm Mikuni carburators, stainless steel hardware and has been re-powdercoated.
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| Shelby, Kati and Nalani pose with the Clallenger |
ALL STUDIO, SHOW AND STAGE PHOTOGRAPHY BY ONNO WIERINGA
Thanks to the AMD Crew,
Sturgis Events Crew,
all the Competitors in the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building,
The AFT Custom Girls, Katy, Shelby, Nalani and Cyndi,
and the Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Great selection here, I work restoring antique bikes and automobiles, I'm having trouble at the moment coming across the right type of custom fasteners to use on the body at the moment though unfortunately. Looks like you guys have some brilliant bikes though. Good luck in your future endeavours!
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