Tony’s approach to the build was different than any I’ve run into, starting with building a set of 10”-over forks that appear to be suspension-less. The twin tubes have a slot cut on the inside that allows the axle to slide up and down in a solid tube shrouded in Teflon within the fork leg pushing against a spring above it. Next, he took an I-beam and added legs to it to build his frame on, as he couldn’t afford the luxury of a hydraulic lift. Sticking a neck on the completed forks, he angled and eyeballed them until he had the look he wanted and proceeded to build the frame behind it tacking it on the I-beam to hold it in place as he built. “The easiest part was the base of the frame, if you turn it around, it looks like a skateboard,” said Tony. This flat plate allowed him to easily center the Sportster unit construction engine for correct balance and good handling. The choice of a Sporty was a natural as it had the right-side drive he was looking for to run a wide tire, no expensive aftermarket RSD tranny needed. The last frame section he made was his signature piece, sculptured downtube which doubles as an oil tank which allowed Tony the room to drop his seat where he wanted it. The 45-degree rake, 6” up and 4” out chassis has a continuous style throughout that keeps you circling the bike looking for details.

The Tony-built fuel tank sits on a curved backbone via an inner tunnel made by cutting another piece of tubing in half and bending it to the same radius as the backbone. Adding sides to the arched tube created a tunnel that hugs the top tube. The finished shape compliments the oil tank and provides a pleasant view from the suede tribal pattern seat by Wicked Cactus Leather. The unusual “fenders” are actually struts Tony made for fenders, but after sticking them on for fit, he ended up liking their bare bones look and skipped the fenders. Mike Lopez Jr. sprayed the candy tangerine orange paint and he and Sal “Chava” Ramirez added the graphics.

Looking at the spec sheet, the Tony-built parts just go on and on. Each time he thought of buying something, he ended up fabricating instead. The bars, foot controls, exhaust, air cleaner, motor mounts, and even the first Sportster tranny brake I’ve seen were all fabricated. So what did he think after he finished his first ground-up custom? Tony said, “I sat back and looked at it and I couldn’t believe I built it.”

This bike feature originally appeared in Barnett’s Magazine issue #61, April/May 2008.