A good example of this is our feature bike called Brutal built by Troy Lepird and Terry Lee of Envy Cycle Creations in Peoria, Arizona. Beginning with a 2005 Firebolt XB12R, the boys stripped down this bike until pieces were all that remained of a once proud ride. The aluminum frame and swingarm were properly disposed of and replaced by a steel tube version from Redneck Engineering that they modified to their own use. It should be mentioned that this was not a rigid frame piece, but one that incorporated a swingarm controlled by a Progressive Suspension monoshock for handling and ride concerns. Up front, the basically stock, high-quality Buell front end with wheel and crazy perimeter brake sits there like nothing ever happened. Out back the stock wheel hosts a Suzuki Hayabusa rear brake with both front and rear rims shod in Dunlop sportbike-sized rubber. No attempt at anything too over the top here, just common sense.

Where things got a little crazy cool are areas like the engine that lost its stock fuel injection to a set of in-your-face 30mm Mikuni carbs breathing through K&N filter pods. Changing over from the stock EFI required a Daytona Twin Tech ignition system that cleans up the stock wiring mess in one fell swoop. As far as exhausts go, it should be no surprise that Envy chose to use one of their own exhausts that they build and sell under the Streetwalker Exhaust brand. This particular twin pipe exhaust snakes its way all around the frame before dumping out under the seat Ducati-style. It would appear this exhaust relies on length versus baffles for decibel control, but I’m a guessin’ on that one. With a front spoiler-style oil tank feeding a side-mounted oil cooler before heading off to a web of attractive copper tubing on top of the cylinder heads, the Redneck frame now completely exposes the engine compared to the cloaking stock wide-beam aluminum frame. I’m pretty sure that with all the super-exposed open area of the Redneck frame, the stock cooling fan for the rear cylinder was absolutely unnecessary now.

With a traditional frame-mounted gas tank now replacing the former gas-tank-inside-frame piece, a tidy little seat/tail section, and a café-style fairing, the bodywork was ready for its Cecil B. CeVille close-up moment. When it came time for finishes, Envy chose a number of topographical coverings from engine-turning to carbon fiber to anodizing along with paint and graphics by Tony Perez. It’s a busy, but interesting look that draws you in at every chance. What the number “72” denotes is known only to the builders, but it sure looks appropriate and cool on this long and low café.

Envy Cycle Creations has sent another stock Buell off to cycle heaven while replacing it with a café-style custom that’s as far from a production bike as you could get. Whenever this bike has gone past its sell-by date on the show circuit it should make for a fine runner for some individual who loves to go as well as show.

For more info on Envy Cycle Creations, please visit www.envycyclecreatioms.com.