Pro-Street
The James Bond 007 Bike came about after Pat’s firm had provided security for an OCC event at NYC’s Crobar. Having ridden for thirty years and owning a nice collection of bikes, Pat remembers thinking, “I’m the shoemaker without the shoes. I’m running security, my bikes should be here.” The next morning a plan was formed. “I designed a rolling chassis with Paul Yaffee using the front half of his Phantom bike and the rear of Double Trouble to allow a 300mm Avon with a Baker RSD tranny and 1 ½” belt and slammed it down even more,” said Pat. “I ordered parts from all over theUSAand assembled it here.
Peter Holze of Rolling Thunder Cycles in Hempstead,New York, was Pat’s only choice to bring his design to life. A diehard customer of theirs since they opened in 1981, Pat says, “Nobody else touches my bikes.” Peter began work on the 7’ stretch frame installing Yaffee forks angled at 40 degrees so it wouldn’t be too much different to ride than Pat’s Road King. TP Engineering provided one of their renowned 124” engines topped by a 48mm Mikuni sucking air through a Big Bear Air cleaner and Yaffe’s 2 into 1 collector pipes spits out the burnt concoction. “Let me tell ya, I slam through the Stock Exchange and Wall Street areas and with all the buildings, it sounds like a fighter jet,” said Pat. Pedestrians are probably startled not just by that noise. A show-quality custom, with a wild HiTech 4’ Outlaw primary ready to ingest any jaywalkers, cruising the battered streets of NYC can’t be an everyday occurrence. An Arlen Ness front brake and a drive-side PM setup in back keep those suicidal jaywalkers from getting caught under the Phantom Choppers Handcuff wheels. Arlen Ness was again called upon, supplying foot and hand controls, while the Progressive shocks make city potholes annoying rather than debilitating. “It’s a lot more comfortable on city streets than my ’53 Pan/Shovel rigid which I’ve owned since I was 16,” says Pat.
The bodywork, all Yaffee, but designed by Pat, owes nothing to that way ugly BMW that Pierce Brosnan’s (any relation?) James Bond did in Tomorrow Never Dies, thank God. The tribal cut rear fender was heavily reinforced to carry a passenger whose feet are placed on a pair of de-commissioned .32 caliber North American Arms semi-automatics. It took four months of talking with the ATF when Pat told them, “I need these guns for rear footpegs, plus it got worse when I told them I wanted to put in circuitry for pinhole cameras.” A third camera is placed behind the second E of the aptly named vanity plate, EYEONU. Mounted on a bracket by the carb manifold is a small plasma screen which displays a constantly rotating feed from the three cameras. “People see themselves on it and have no idea where the cameras are,” said Pat. “It’s just bling-bling, but cool.” James Bond’s gadget maker Q would have approved of this system designed by Robert Schumann of RTS Technical Services.
Pat turned to another of his old collaborators for the elegant tuxedo black paint by Steve Nunez of Bay Cycles, and it wouldn’t be a complete theme bike without the gold Nunez graphics that successfully promote The Brosnan Group. “It’s gotten a lot of press, been on TV, it’s a wicked sled,” said Pat. “If it didn’t generate one cent, I’d just paint over the graphics and I’d have one wicked bike.” You know, for a guy whose business is all about getting correct information, Pat somehow got left out of the loop when it came to being informed of how a theme bike is supposed to be used (or not) and I’m glad he did. Keep riding the hell out of it, Pat.
Security Expert Patrick J. Brosnan
Patrick J. Brosan has been a busy guy, very busy. Governor Mario Cuomo selected him as the New York State Police officer of the year in 1990, while his investigative skills were described as “a war on crime in New York City.” After retiring from the NYC Police Department in 1996 with injuries sustained from a line-of-duty shooting, he took the 135 medals of valor and his record of over 800 collars (300 involving armed and dangerous individuals) with him and founded The Brosnan Group, LTD. Private investigation is only one facet of what he oversees, TBG provides global security for clients like Rudy Giuliani, Fortune 500 execs, sports figures, and rock stars among others. He’s a frequent consultant on Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, and America’s Most Wanted. Even more importantly, Pat’s a cool guy. He rides the pee out of his five bikes and is no Johnny-come-lately riding side-saddle on a parked theme bike. His services are available at www.brosangroup.com.
Builder: Peter Holze Rolling Thunder Cycles
Rolling Thunder Cycles of Hempstead, New York, has been offering parts and accessories, service, and performance work for V-twins since owners Tom Nelson and Gerard Cerniglia opened its doors way back in 1981. Pat’s “main man,” Peter Holze joined them a year later and relates, “My job is in the shop, fabricating and working on everything that comes in the back door.” Way back when, his first chop was a Norton with a 20” springer and a 15” car tire out back. “I don’t like the term Old School, it’s used too loosely. Old School was just something you built,” says Peter. So what’s he doing now? “Fabrication is what I really like, definitely my forte. Turning creative thinking into something is magic sometimes,” said Peter. You can contact Peter at 516-489-0770 or take the Internet highway to www.rollingthundercycles.com.
Up Close: Hitech Primary
Jumping into the aftermarket V-twin primary business very early on, Hitech Products of Canoga Park, California, manufactures eighteen styles of big twin primaries. From simple, clean units to super exotic, intricately machined models, these high-end products use belts in widths of four to seven inches. Outer bearing supports are used for both sprockets, giving the belt a longer life since the sprockets stay in better alignment. Hitech sells to the public and to dealers. High quality Barnett clutches are employed and models are made in the correct lengths for Softails, Dynas, FLT’s, and FXR’s. Check out their website at www.hitechledproducts.com. By the way, the “LED” in their web address is for the line of LED taillights they produce as well.
| SPECIFICATIONS | |
|---|---|
| Owner: | Pat Brosnan |
| Fabrication: | Peter Holze/Rolling thunder Cycles |
| Assembly: | Peter Holze/Rolling thunder Cycles |
| Build time: | 9 months |
| Engine: | 124” TP Engineering |
| Cases: | TP |
| Flywheels: | TP |
| Rods: | TP |
| Pistons: | TP |
| Cylinders: | TP |
| Heads: | TP |
| Cam: | TP |
| Carb: | 48mm Mikuni |
| Pipes: | Paul Yaffee 2 into 1 |
| Air Cleaner: | Big Bear |
| Transmission: | Baker 6-speed RSD |
| Primary: | HiTech Outlaw 4” belt |
| Frame: | Paul Yaffe Originals |
| Rake: | 40 degrees |
| Stretch: | 7” |
| Forks: | Paul Yaffee |
| Rear Suspension: | Progressive Suspension |
| Front Wheel: | Phantom Choppers Handcuff |
| Rear Wheel: | Phantom Choppers Handcuff |
| Front Tire: | 21” Avon |
| Rear Tire: | 300mm Avon Venom |
| Front Brake: | Arlen Ness/Phantom Choppers |
| Rear Brake: | PM drive-side/Phantom Choppers |
| Fuel/Oil Tank: | Paul Yaffee |
| Fenders: | Paul Yaffee/Pat Brosnan |
| Handlebars: | Yaffee Discovery Bike Bars |
| Headlight: | Paul Yaffee |
| Taillight: | Pro-Fab |
| Hand Controls: | Arlen Ness |
| Foot Controls: | Arlen Ness |
| Painter: | Steve Nunez/Bay Cycles |
| Color: | Black/Gold graphics |
| Graphics: | Steve Nunez/Bay Cycles |
| Seat: | Paul Yaffee |
| Special thanks to: | Peter Holze and Rolling Thunder Cycles, Steve Nunez and the Bronx team, and Rob Schumann |