Obviously I’ve kinda been smitten by this bit of bobber brilliance and I’m sure you are too even if you never ever wanted to own a hard-core hardtail bobber especially powered by something straight out of the AMF years. As I said, we never found the owner, but they’re one tough SOB to ride a bike as mechanically overbearing as this, but there is a sweet side to them too. Just look at that thing and tell me it wasn’t designed and finished with a sense of artistic appreciation from the git-go. Having sympathy and understanding for the materials they were working with along with a feel for clean design makes for a bike that just gets my blood pressure racing. I honestly don’t think there’s a line out of place anywhere although I’m sure the builder would bore me with all the things they’d like to change. Builders are the harshest critics, but man I got nothing to criticize about this for a change except maybe for a lack of a front brake. Sorry, I love brakes, but I’m not bitching because I’m sure this is exactly the way the builder wanted it and what the hell do I know?

    This Shovelhead hot rod is all about restrained aggression just sitting there waiting to be unleashed. The stance, the lines and the minimalist approach mixed up with a finish befitting high-end jewelry and an insightful feel for color all contribute to this polished hardcore look in the same way Modern Family’s Sofia Vegara takes over any scene she’s in. Highlighting all the frame’s lug work in chrome is a bit of genius and enhances the Old School appeal of cast lugs tying all the tubing together like no smoothed-out frame can. It’s real, honest, authentic ─ whatever you want to call it, but most of all it’s really, really beautiful. Yeah, I know no hard core builder wants to hear that their bike is beautiful, it sounds so silly, but this tough as nails but beautiful as hell bastard surely is.

    A big part of a successful build is not trying too hard or at least appearing that way. Keeping things clean and simple is not easy when you’re going for a dazzled look, but the builder’s choice of a regular-old hydraulic front fork that’s perfect for what it’s intended for along with a decently-sized laced front wheel wearing modern rubber is spot on. I like how the chromed fork tubes blend right into the chromed head tube lug creating a righteous bit of bling along with the small, but interesting head light. I’m not exactly sure what the color is called that was chosen for the frame tubing, rims, oil tank, handlebars and various other bits, but it looks like what people used to refer to as a hand-rubbed dark bronze finish. Oh I’m sure it’s not, but whatever it is, it really goes well with the chrome and polished dazzle.

   Sitting in the middle of this bike is that engine, the iconic Shovelhead design that makes its own custom statement over every square-inch of its archaically mechanical, but lusted after self. There’s a lot of mechanically busy Shovelhead stuff going on that almost places this engine architecture in the Steampunk category especially with the show-quality finish. The only thing raw about this power plant is the sound from those luscious short straight pipes and the big S&S carb sucking atmosphere through its velocity stack and, of course, all those various metal bits inside making the Shovelhead dance through the whole frame and anything welded, bolted or sitting on it. The perfectly-butch mid-controls and hand shifter setup is simplicity itself and melds right into the now-antique engine design like it should have come that way from Harley-Davidson. Throw in the brass-knuckle kicker and the in-your-face manly magneto and you’ve got a complete package that’ll be a hit decades from now. What’s not to love?

    With only three possible pieces of bodywork, it’s more important than ever to get it right. A fuel tank, oil tank and rear fender is about it, but what’s there is point-on. The fuel tank is obviously the pièce de résistance of the lot with a lot of thought going into the design. I like the way the sits on the top of the top tube at a brazen angle that looks like it could slide back and how the side view of the front of the tank mimics the upsweep of the downtubes. Throw in the exquisite side cut indentations on the tall and skinny tank and you’ve got a Richard Rawlings winner-winner chicken dinner of a fuel cell. It’s muy perfecto! The cylindrical oil tank and the real rear fender are nothing new, but that’s more than okay. They both look right for the build and that’s all that counts.

    Our mystery builder knew what he had when it came time for paint and their choice was a sharply stark white base with a bit of lace paneling surrounded with a nice, slightly thick gold striping. It’s almost like the builder is playing with us as this crisp modern take on Old School owes nobody anything except maybe the first guy to use lace on a motorcycle paintjob. All I know is that it wasn’t me and it probably wasn’t you either and if by some chance it was you, I hope you made millions.

    One nice thing about Smoke Out bikes is that few aren’t ridden there. Oh sure, some builders might have to get out the big trailer to haul all their handiwork there, but that just makes business sense. This bike is equipped with a couple of items like a rear view mirror and a current license plate that no show-only bike would ever be caught dead with. Although I think it’s worthy of any show I’d attend, I love seeing some wear on the tires instead of rubber nubs and that makes this gorgeous specimen of a Shovelhead even way more beautiful to me. Beauty is more than skin deep and this bike proves it. It’s a beauty in every way with not the least bit of bullshit involved.