T’D.’s bopping little Shovelhead bobber is an exercise in fine finishing and detailing with an eye towards the blingtastic and a bit of fun outrageousness setting of the whole show-winning package. If you haven’t already, check out Jumpin’ Jack Cofano’s photo gallery of The Brass Chimp and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Yep, there are a whole lot of handmade brass bits and pieces laid out tastefully everywhere you look. The deeper you look into each photo, the more brass bits you’ll see and they’re simply stunning accents. I’m particularly hooked on the knurled brass pushrod tubes that emulate the look of the clean foot control pegs, the hand grips and even the way-cool rear axle spacer.. The pushrod tubes just caught me by surprise and it just goes to show the thought T.D. put into this bike and why it won first place in the tough Shovelhead class at the 2014 Daytona Boardwalk Show.

 

   But getting back to that big, big rear tire, I have to admit it’s a real pretty eye-catcher mounted on that wide white rim. I’m not a fan of actually riding tires this fat, but it sure is good looking in this show application. Plus, T.D. did the unthinkable and somehow made everything look correctly proportioned from front to rear. Even his choice of 60-spoke wires is neat as hell with the tight four-spoke pattern he chose that gives the wide curved rim in white an airy look instead of a spoke-filled look? I dunno, all I know is I like looking at it.

 

  Maybe he way he held it all together so harmoniously pleasing is combining the body, frame, and wheels base colors with the brass (light gold?) and blue panels and gorgeous pinstriping. Again, I dunno, but the whole bike really holds together and that’s not easy to pull off on a short wheelbase bobber without it looking cartoonish, which it absolutely doesn’t. No matter where you look, it’s a pleasant experience. Even T.D.’s take on Diamond Heads cutting is something I’m not sure how it was done as it’s a pretty huge cutting and not the run of the mill stuff we’ve seen for years. I also think the chromed rocker boxes must have been left dipped in the tank overnight as the chrome is so deep. If you’re not going to leave them raw which is my personal natural preference, then chrome the living hell out of them just like these.

 

  Just in case you’ve not read any of out past Barnett’s Magazine Online articles about Rods & Rides Motorcycle Company and think T.D.’s a one-trick pony or too-blingly for you or whatever, check out our story on his Rad Rat Trike or his Golden Rod bobber or his nifty Black & Chrome Board Tracker. If that ain’t enough, then click on over to his website http://rodsandridesbytd.com/ and see the huge resume of bikes he’s built over the years.