Choppers
David Shuey ofWest Chester,Pennsylvania, had ridden motorcycles with his brother Bill during high school, but his story of giving them up mirrors so many others. “College, marriage, kids, and other responsibilities put them on the backburner,” said David. After clocking 55 on the age-o-meter and with the constant prodding of his brother, he decided it was time again for a bike. Luckily, it didn’t involve a run down to the local dealership to buy the latest ride, but the planning and execution of a first class custom. David Shuey doesn’t kid around.
Poring over magazines and surfing the Internet led David to choose an Amen drop seat frame, stretched 5” and raked way out there to 53 degrees, as a starting point of the long and low, Matt Hotch-style custom called Outer Limits. Why Outer Limits? “I traveled to the outer limits of my wallet to build it,” said David. Choosing who was going to actually build it was easy as brother Bill worked for P&M Powertrain, a shop known for extracting high horsepower from v-twin engines, in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania. P&M’s Posie Pfaff, had never done a ground-up before, but relished the chance to do something different. “I don’t like to do things that are cookie-cutter,” said Posie. Deciding what type of mill to use led to an interesting choice of a 100” Indian Power Plus motor, not the typical Evo or clone motor. The Shueys’ grandfather had raced Indians back in the ‘20s so it was a nostalgic choice also. P&M is the brains behind the re-engineered Gilroy Indian motors that are starting to pop up as powerful, reliable, and different looking engine alternatives. “We’ve been re-engineering the Power Plus engines to the point where we’ve fixed any problems they had and backed up these changes with thousands and thousands of test miles at GM’s proving grounds in Mesa, Arizona,” relates Posie. “There were 3,600 produced and we’ve gone through over 50% of them. Our modifications have proven successful.” Outer Limits has a Stage II motor that puts out 100 reliable horsepower through headwork, a Crane 314-2 Hi-Roller cam, a German made keyless AMM ignition with P&M’s cam cover allowing installation of aftermarket ignitions, and S&S’s Super E carb breathing through a Forecewinder air cleaner. They’re all working together to make the Paul Yaffe Crack Pipes let the DOT know David’s out for a cruise. Karata’s 3” Intimidator belt drive is safely covered from misplaced fingers as it spins the RevTech 5-speed tranny which turns the sensibly sized 250Avonmounted on a Weld Racing Recluse wheel by belt also. Up front, a skinny 21”Avonshod, Recluse wheel is placed between the sleek, 11” extended Duece fork legs while Progressive shocks keep the swingarm in check. PM brakes, fore and aft, attractively provide the whoa, while the inboard of the sprocket disc allows the wide wheel to show. Accutronix foot and PM hand controls mounted on Arlen Ness bars lets David, perched on Bill Junkins’ fine seat, decide when to be silly or not.
P&M chose tinwork from Fat Katz for the tank and fenders, but not all is as it seems. The front fender was mounted backwards with the front lip reworked to fit. “When I first put it on, it dragged on the ground, so I just turned it around and it looked right,” said Bill. P&M added 14” to the rear fender and frenched in an RWD light/plate unit for a highly visible, but subtle look. That’s the only subtlety about the look as David had a wild idea for paint. Apparently a fan of Swiss surrealist painter H.R. Giger, David decided to go with his work for the wild graphics. For those who don’t know Giger, his work includes the wild and weird album cover of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer’s acclaimed Brain Salad Surgery, which many of you probably spent time staring at through a smoky haze way back when. If you don’t remember ELP, Giger was responsible for the horrific monsters in the movie Alien and others. Suffering from Night Terror, Giger kept a drawing pad near his bed to record the horrendous images from his dreams, never guessing they’d end up adorning a motorcycle in Pennsylvania. “We had the best kept secret in custom paint, Custom Painting by Cliff and Skip in Irishtown,Pennsylvania, shoot the paint and graphics which took 145 hours to complete. It looks just awesome,’ said Posie. To most people, it would seem a shame to risk damaging this work of art paint job out on the open road, but not David. You’ve probably noticed the modified Ness headlight, but this baby’s got mirrors, turn signals, and a Dakota Digital speedo too. These are not pieces that win you show points, but make riding in the real world easier and legal. “I try to ride this bike every chance I get. I take it out at least every weekend and it’s really comfortable, got great road manners, and no wheel flop. It’s easy to drop her down to first gear and make a u-turn with my feet on the pegs,” says David. He enjoys being back riding so much that P&M is now building a couple of Old School bobbers for his son and him. Making up for lost time can be a wonderful thing. Ask David.
Up Close: 100″ Indian Power Plus
The last gasp of Gilroy, the 100” Indian Power Plus, is an interesting and (now) reliable choice for the custom builder. The rounded cylinders and left-side carb cause heads to spin. P&M is an authorized Indian warranty and service center and is responsible for the fixes needed to turn a PP into a viable alternative at a reasonable price. They advise anyone without the upgrades to give them a call ASAP. “The oil pump needs work and the stock flywheel is junk, can’t be trued, just replaced,” said Posie. “I’ll gladly talk with any PP owner, just give a call.” P&M sells a 74rwp stage I engine for the extremely reasonable price of $4,250 while a stage II with 101rwp goes for $5,650 including an S&S E carb, Crane ignition, and 32amp charging system. Both have a one-year, unlimited mileage warranty.
Builder: Posie Pfaff, Mike Kemper, and Miguel Serrano, P&M Powertain
P&M Powertrain is a name you may not know, but one you definitely should. Established in 1995 by hard-core but likeable enthusiasts, Posie Pfaff, Mike Kemper, and Miguel Serrano, to provide high horsepower, go-fast engines that are reliably streetable for a guy of normal means. “I build engines so that Steak Night doesn’t turn into Hot Dog Night,” states Posie. Their elaborately equipped shop allows them to handle everything in-house from regular maintenance to extreme performance work, backed by dyno results, to a sophisticated G.M.D. Computrack system for frame repair and alignment. Quality, reliability, and affordability are the keywords of P&M. “I learned a long time ago that cutting corners costs horsepower and reliability. I’ve built an 80” Evo pumping out 100 rear wheel horsepower that’s got 60,000 miles on it and still runs great,” said Posie. “We do engine work all over the country. I ship our crate to a customer, he ships his engine back in it, and when the work is done, we just ship it back with a one-year, unlimited mileage warranty. We try and make it easy for our customers.” Not only do they do upgrades on customers’ engines, but P&M is bringing out its own 120” motor this spring. “It’ll fit into any stock Softail platform. It’s a runner that’ll keep on running, it’ll have our warranty too,” says Posie. See their informative website at www.pm2powertrainltd.com or call 717-432-1585; you’ll be glad you did.
| SPECIFICATIONS | |
|---|---|
| Owner: | David Shuey |
| Year / Make: | 2004 Amen Savior 250 |
| Fabrication: | P&M and Mark Ritter/Coyote Customs |
| Assembly: | P&M Powertrain |
| Build time: | 11 months |
| Engine: | 100″ Indian Power Plus |
| Heads: | P&M modified |
| Cam: | Crane Hi-Roller 314-2 |
| Ignition: |
AMM |
| Carb: | S&S Super E |
| Pipes: | Paul Yaffe Crack Pipes |
| Air Cleaner: | Forcewinder |
| Transmission: | RevTech 5-speed LSD |
| Primary: | Karata Intimidator |
| Frame: | Amen Savior |
| Rake/Stretch: | 53 degrees, 5″ out |
| Forks: | Harley-Davidson Duece 11″ over |
| Suspension: | Progessive Suspension |
| Wheels: | Weld Racing/Recluse |
| Front Tire: | 90/90×21 Avon Venom |
| Rear Tire: | 250/18 Avon Venom |
| Brakes: | PM |
| Fuel Tank: | Fat Katz for Amen |
| Oil Tank: | Amen |
| Fenders: | Fat Katz |
| Handlebars: | Arlen Ness |
| Risers: | Amen |
| Headlight: | Arlen Ness |
| Taillight: | RWD |
| Hand Controls: | PM |
| Foot Controls: | Accutronix |
| Paint/graphics: | Custom Painting by Cliff and Skip |
| Seat: | BarryJunkins/ P&M |