Bobbers
He removed the motor from the Discovery bike; it started out as a 92” S&S Indian mill with round cylinders. Greg kept the displacement the same, but machined the jugs and heads in a hexagonal shape, polished it, and topped it with a set of square shaped rocker boxes that were brushed to bring out a color similar to the stainless steel pieces on other parts of the bike resulting in a completely different look than it had in its previous incarnation. Hr made a set of two-into-one stainless steel hand made exhaust pipes with a brushed finish. “I threw in a hotter cam, Dyna 2000i ignition, and a 42mm carburetor so it would have a little more power,” Greg said. He installed a BAKER 6-speed Torque Box transmission that receives input from a Performance Machine two-inch wide, open belt drive with covers he machined to match the design of the five spoke billet wheels.
Greg also had some new ideas for a frame. He wanted to eliminate the traditional oil tank location, moving the lubricating fluid to the lower frame tubes, and through a beehive oil filter housing at the bottom of the down tube. Under the seat area where the oil bag would normally rest are the front and rear brake master cylinders, controlled with cables connected to the hand lever and right side foot control with a series of cables. The 35-degree raked neck is the mounting area for a German reproduction of a VL springer. Using the stock length front end as a starting point, Greg redesigned the pivots, narrowed it, fabricated PM 2-piston caliper mounts and wire brushed it to create its unique finish. Performance Machine Gasser wheels were fastened to either end of the bike with a tall 21-incher in the front and an 18×5.5” in the rear.
The minimalist approach that Greg had taken with the design of the bike required very little tin in order to make it functional. He fabricated a three-gallon gas tank and a small rear fender — and that was it. Greg was able to add a fair amount of color, with relatively few surfaces to work with, by painting the frame and headlight the same color as the sheet metal. Adding to the detail, Greg’s painter, Marcos Garcia, was able to create the innovative wood grain graphics on the tank and fender.
Four months later, Greg brought the bike to the Artistry in Iron show in its latest form. People at the Las Vegas based show were impressed with the bike— and no one recognized it as the one from the cable TV program. So will Greg rebuild the bike for a third time? “I will absolutely not take this bike apart again. I’m very happy with it now,” Greg said.
Builder: Greg Westbury
Certainly it takes a lot of self-confidence to even entertain the idea of grabbing a bare frame and building a first-time ground up, never mind what it takes to actually complete a build. It’s one thing if you have a background of mechanical experience, but when your expertise is in woodworking you’ve got to have confidence in your abilities to think outside your own box and tackle new skills. Delbert Soucier was fearless about his determination to replace his stolen bike, not with a new factory model, but with a ground up custom worthy of being a magazine feature bike that’s been created on a strict budget. “I have a bad habit of saying I’m not buying something somebody else built ‘cause I can build it myself,” said Delbert. “In my field of work, if I can’t stay on budget, I’ve got to find a new field to work in.”
That was easier said than done as Delbert said, “It became difficult because there were some issues that came up that forced me to do a different avenue, but I just ended up learning how to use a lathe and a mill to keep it on budget.” Yeah, little things like making a set of museum-quality foot controls utilizing BMX pegs or adapting a sprotor because the wheels you liked and got such a deal on required it, but didn’t allow normal chain adjustment. “I had to offset my engine sprocket 3/16” which pushed my sprotor right into my frame. I had top lock my rear axle in place and build an adjustable chain idler which works great,” he said.
Oh, in case you wanted a set of Mean Street forks, keep your eyes on eBay. “I’m building a girder for this bike, I’ve got the jigs built,” said Delbert. Remember, he’s got that budget to keep.
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