Work started at his shop, Chandler Originals in Lake Worth, Florida, the old fashioned way by cutting up a perfectly good Paughco frame. “We cut the ass end off and we ended up using only the wishbone part. A lot of people think it used to be a softail frame,” said Adam. “My guy Gumby (Roy Hall) and I made those plates so it would be structurally sound and not break. I took a piece of Schedule 40 tubing and made that arm that holds the wheel and brake.” That arm also doubles as an oil tank. Adam wanted to hang a ’49 Ford wheel off this arm so a bit of mechanical wizardry was called for. “We took a ’49 Ford front spindle and made a hub for it. Then we took a sproter brake sprocket, cut out the center and welded that onto the hub,” he said. A Performance Machine caliper hides behind the fat tube and provides the only braking in sight. Adam wrapped the 15” wheel with a 165/75 Coker car tire and capped it off with a Moon hubcap for that fresh from a hot rod look. “I thought the Moon disc really pulled it together. Originally I thought, ‘Should I put a ’49 Ford hubcap on it?’ and I’m like, ‘No way!’ Gotta have a Moon,” he said. “I wanted to get the damn thing in a whitewall, but nobody made whitewalls in that size.” Up front, a DNA springer was installed on the 30-degree neck and gives a simple look like a straight tube leaf spring front end on a rod does. Adam stuffed a brakeless, MT90 covered Harley disc wheel, chosen for its car-like appearance, between the forks.
With the rolling stock in place, it was time to put the hot in hot rod into Trade Secrets. “I like to use big motors, I try and get guys not to do a stock 80” Evo, but a 100” or more,” said Adam. On Trade Secrets, he built his 93” shovel-style engine from the ground up with S&S cases and internals, Harley jugs, and STD heads. “I made sure I put it together well with what I’ve learned from experience. A friend of mine, Al Maeyens, helped me do it, he’s really good with motors,” said Adam. The stroker engine gulps air through a retro-style air cleaner reminiscent of those Stromberg scoops I thought were so cool. An S&S Super E carb adds the volatility and a Crane electronic ignition lights it off before sending it out the exhaust valves to the waiting Chandler-made, header-wrapped crazy pipes that sure look loud. “Yeah, they’re wide open, took about twenty minutes to make ‘em, real simple,” Adam said laughing. BDL supplied the open belt primary and clutch that sends 93” of shovel power to a Harley 4-speed tranny after the kicker hanging off the end pokes the whole thing in motion. “A lot of guys tell me it’s not Old School to be running an electronic ignition. Well, bullshit. I put that ignition in that thing cause I want it to not even spin over one revolution and fire up,” said Adam. “It either starts first kick or takes eight or ten. Typical, typical shovelhead.”
Tin can come from the unlikeliest of places, like the 1967 Yamaha tank Adam got on eBay for $40. “That’s original chrome on that tank, the side-panels are original rubber, I just painted the center,” Adam said. “I collect ‘em. If I find a cool one I grab it. I probably have twenty or thirty of ‘em, something like that.” For a rear fender, he just rolled a piece of stock until he had a classy shape he was happy with. You’d never guess that big headlight didn’t come off a ’34 Ford, but it’s actually from a CCI catalog. With tinwork complete, he sprayed a gold base coat to set off the candy apple red topcoat with lots of different-size metal flake in between.
Adam then fabbed a set of low, purposeful bars with GMA controls. Those way cool H-D floorboards with Choppers Inc. inserts have their own story. “Billy started doing those inserts for baggers and that’s actually the prototype set he got back. I’m like, ‘Dude, I need those,’ and he’s like, ‘All right, I’ll send ‘em right down.’ They say, Choppers Inc., Trust No One.” DJ’s Interiors made the seat and battery box underneath it out of a blemished piece of ostrich which was treated to a bath in ATF for a “real nice texture and color.”
“My bikes are hot rods. If you want to ride it to Texas, you’re going to hurt yourself,” Adam said. “Cruise around town, do a few burnouts, make your friends smile, and then you go home. It’s a nice little bar hopper with a decent motor for under 20K. It is what it is.”
Builder: Adam Chandler
Chandler Originals
Adam Chandler likes to stay ahead of the curve whether he’s riding his bikes hard or making his business, Chandler Originals, stay at the forefront of styles and tastes by simply creating what he thinks is good for his customers. “I’m doing a pair of Sportsters and they’re going to be called Sportfighters, kinda like Streetfighter-style Sportsters, for around $13,000 to $15,000,” said Adam. “I’m also doing his and her Sportsters, one a 1200 and the other an 883, on a nice powdercoated trailer for $25,000. Trying to do some stuff to mix it up and keep people interested in buying and especially riding.” In ten years of customizing bikes, he’s managed to stay ahead of the trends, sometimes to his detriment. “I did a custom bagger almost two years ago. I thought baggers might be a new thing, but I think I was a little premature,” said Adam. “That bike wasn’t easy to sell at the time, but, don’t get me wrong, yeah, I would do one again if somebody wanted one.” Currently he’s right where the market is with modestly priced one-offs that reek of fun and performance. His bikes have always stood out for their imaginative design versus just throwing on expensive billet parts creating a bike that’ll never be ridden. “With one of my bikes, you could ride to a nice restaurant with it or ride it to a bar and lean it up against a wall,” said Adam.
It’s not all about one-offs, though; Adam does service work, paintjobs, and modifies Harleys too. Not only to pay bills, but because he enjoys anything to do with bikes. Frankly, he’s really a funny bastard. “I’m never really smiling ‘cause I’m always thinking,” said Adam laughing. “I’m really just a big wimp with low self-esteem. That’s why I have all the tattoos.” He’s a cool guy. Type www.chandleroriginals.com or call 561-540-2500 for more info.
This bike feature originally appeared in Barnett’s Magazine issue #62, June-July 2008.
SPECIFICATIONS | |
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Owner: | Adam Chandler (or you, for sale) |
Year/Make: | 1975 H-D/ 2007 Chandler Originals |
Fabrication/ Assembly: | Adam Chandler and Roy Hall (AKA Gumby) |
Build time: | 30 days, a million hours |
Engine: | 93″ Shovel |
Cases/Rods: | S&S |
Pistons: | KB |
Cylinders/ Heads: | H-D |
Heads: | STD |
Cam: | S&S |
Ignition: | Crane |
Carb: | S&S Super E |
Pipes: | Chandler Originals |
Air Cleaner: | S&S |
Transmission: | H-D 4-speed w/Kicker |
Primary/ Clutch: | BDL |
Frame: | Chandler Originals |
Rake/ Stretch: | 30-degrees/None |
Forks: | DNA Springer |
Fork length: | -2″ |
Front Wheel: | 16″ H-D solid |
Rear Wheel: | 15″ 1949 Ford |
Front Tire: | 165/75×15 Coker Tire |
Rear Tire: | MT90x16 from the local tire store |
Rear Brake: | Performance Machine |
Fuel Tank: | 1967 Yamaha |
Oil Tank: | Chandler originals |
Fenders: | Chandler Originals |
Handlebars: | Chandler Originals |
Headlight/ Taillight: | CCI |
Hand Controls: | GMA |
Grips: | Old School |
Foot Controls: | H-D floor boards |
Pegs: | Choppers Inc. inserts |
Electrical: | Gary Schmitgen |
Painter: | Adam Chandler |
Color: | H.O.K. Candy apple red |
Graphics: | Striping by Sir James |
Polishing: | Gumby |
Molding: | Adam Chandler |
Seat: | DJ’s Interiors |
Special thanks to: | Roy Hall, Billy Lane, Mike D’amelio, Gary Schmitgen, Crazey Eddie, Smiley, DJ, and Sir James. |