In case this bike might seem a bit familiar, Barnett’s Magazine Online recently featured another one of the Lexington, South Carolina-based Chop Shop’s called The Temptress that had some of the same style points as Blue Streak. Things like the bespoke Chop Shop frame featuring a single-sided swingarm available for viewing through the right-side “saddlebag” whose cover lifts up as a viewing and maintenance port. And definitely a style point. These two may be the only big wheel custom baggers where I can verify that the stock FL rear wheel isn’t being used. By the way, the left bag swings out and encloses electrical stuff and who knows what else to make a motorcycle run. Maybe tunes too like Richard did on The Temptress. Either way, don’t look for a place to put your jacket or whatever, they style points and Richard gets points for thinking a bit outside the bag.

 

   As usual for the tire frying lads at the Chop Shop, Blue Streak features another built-to-the-hilt 155-inch engine with high performance pieces by the legendary high power kids at R&R Cycles Inc. in Manchester, New Hampshire. But even with all the internal and external mods, Richard had one more power adder up his sleeve. Hanging off the right side is a Magnuson supercharger with a forward-facing So-Cal Speed Shop cut-from-billet Typhoon carb sucking air through a velocity stack that looks a bit like a cartoon hearing horn. It’s big and doesn’t miss a thing just like the rest of this bike. Oh, I should add that Richard claims it’s putting out 304 hp. I don’t know if that’s at the rear wheels or on an engine dyno, but either way ─ 304hp? That’s roughly the rear wheel output of 4.5 late model Harley big block engines in one Diamond Cut twin-cylinder engine. That’s big HP.

 

  Speaking of big, it’s easy to see there’s a big 30-inch wheel up front per current custom trends, but there’s a also a big wheel out back too. Not big as in tall, but big as in wide like a 360mm tire is wide. I have no idea what the wheel and tire combo is like to ride, but apparently Richard is part of “Go big or go home” crowd. I’ve ridden a 30-inch front wheel and a 360mm rear, but not at the same time.

 

   Blue Streak wouldn’t be my personal touring choice to ride across state lines even Rhode Island (37-miles wide!). But, I sure would love to run it up through the gears at least and make that supercharger whine its whiniest over the sound of the pack of snakes open pipes. There’s certainly a lot of sucking, stuffing, and spewing going on mechanically here that’s got to be a blast to feel and hear while holding on for dear life and trying to look not the least bit frightened doing it. If there was ever a runaway amusement park ride on two wheels, this is about as close as one could get.

 

  One thing this bike is severely lacking is glued-on composite pieces making up the bodywork. Richard and his talented crew made everything you see from scratch from sheet metal. May not be the quickest way or the most cost effective way, but it sure gets your attention when you realize that everything you see is handmade from steel and finished to the highest standards. Same goes for the paint that got sprayed on within the Chop Shop’s walls and not farmed out. Richard’s own custom blue blend is simply lovely to drink in and the stark white paneling really sets it off. It’s a looker from any angle.

 

   So you gotta wonder, where do radical baggers go from here? Extremely tiny bags? Bags within bags? Front bags? Inflatable bags plumbed into the air suspension? Bags that slide out like fancy RV walls? Nothing would surprise me and it would surprise me even less if it came out of Richard Wright’s Chop Shop. You never know what Richard’s got up his sleeve, but if he shows his cards, you’ll see it here on Barnett’s Magazine Online.

 

For more information on Richard Wright’s Chop Shop, mosey on over to his Facebook page.