Fitting that Artistry In Iron builder bill perfectly is a really likable guy from Akron, Ohio, who goes by the name of Austin Martin Andrella and owns a shop called Austin Martin Originals. Richard Rawlings of Gas Monkey Garage fame would be happy with this name as he can’t seem to say the name of the James Bond carmaker’s name correctly and always refers to it as “Austin Martin” instead of Aston Martin. But that aside, Austin is truly an original and his builds show it. For a guy who spends all day as a union sprinkler fitter and nights (every night) in his backyard shop building bikes worthy of being invited to AIR while also attending to his lovely family of four, you’d think he would be some stressed-out dude who couldn’t get much done, but you’d be wrong. He’s a self-taught, one-man show and capable of handling just about everything thrown his way.
His latest build based on a 1976 Yamaha 650cc twin shows the guy’s got the chops and this ain’t no typical backyard build. This is one truly ground-up build from the Austin-made rigid frame to the one-off, svelte girder fork and just about anything else you see. Basically everything started out as something else and Austin, redesigned, re imagined and rebuilt what was left ─ exactly as he saw it in his head until you have this stunner of a bike that quietly screams board tracker without trying to duplicate one of the originals.
The frame is a masterpiece of delicate, curved tubing that owes nothing to nobody except Austin. I particularly like the detailing in the head tube area, but that region behind the engine and rear triangle is captivating. I wasn’t sure if it would be strong enough at first, but Austin does make his show bikes with equal parts street riding in mind too. Plus, I saw a video of Austin out riding it and it looked pretty awesome and sounded spectacular too. The mini-shock girder fork is about as clean as you could build one and I’ve no doubt about its ability to handle the relatively light weight of this bike. Plus, how good looking is that piece of fabricated suspension art? Austin’s curved and clean as a whistle handlebars flowing out of the top of the fork is simply something to behold and stare at. Really well done stuff.
Wearing laced 21-inch wheels with a pretty aggressive-tread tire, it looks ready to rip up a dirt track even if that’s not its prime objective. The front spool hub is completely brakeless in all its glory while out back the only brake on board is an unusual setup. Austin rang up Paul Lyndall of Lyndall Brakes in Orange, California, and had him make up one of the busiest rotors you’ll ever see. Take a good look, the fully-floating rotor is something else with its “wavy” design and crown-cutting. The lattice-like carrier adds a little more design business than I’d usually go for, but here, all the different parts work together in their own little cosmos.
The XS650 vertical twin engine has been fodder for more choppers over the years than you might believe. Over a 16-year production run where not too much changed engine-wise, there are a ton of ‘em around waiting for the restoration or eventual chop. Austin had this engine not only rebuilt, but re-phased too. What was once a 360-degree crank, full of vibration, has been twisted to a 270-degree unit eliminating most vibration and sounding more like a Ducati at full bellow than a Triumph Bonneville. A win-win all around plus he added another 50cc as who doesn’t like additional displacement?
Even if you hate metric bikes, it’s absolutely worth checking this one out as the detailing is massive and gorgeous. From speed-hole engine plates with all the Allen head bolt sockets lined up perfectly to the plethora of machined engine covers to the knockout hand shifter/foot clutch setup, it’s all about the details for Austin. Never mind those impossibly short headers that have as many twists and turns as any exhaust out there. The word tight is not tight enough to describe how they fit in the space provided. And, no, in case you’re wondering, they weren’t welded into place. I don’t know what they really do to performance, but, damn, they sure sound good with that 270 crank. Mark Barnett would approve.
Bodywork is minimal, but what’s there is quite nice. Austin grabbed a Sportster tank, cut it until it was so slim and thin that it’s barely recognizable except in profile and made the engine’s twin cylinders stick out more like a four-cylinder than a twin. I can’t imagine what it holds, but it’s probably perfect for a ride like this anyway. Its range might drive you crazy on a long ride, but it sure looks delightfully skinny at rest. By the way, I think this was his first-ever tank build and you gotta give him a lot of credit on that. Building tanks on TV is easy, building them in real life ─ not so much. Don’t ask me how I know.
Other little bits like the one-off sheet metal battery box where you’d expect an oil tank or the Scotch-Brited aluminum rear fender with stays and mounts worth checking out. There’s extreme detail thought and work going on everywhere you look.
Austin kept himself in check when it was ready for paint and came up with what I’d refer to as dove gray for the frame and a sharp, dark blue for the tank and battery box. The frame color only accentuates the delicacy and curves of the frame while not fighting for attention just for itself. The dark blue of the tank really pops and that may be because Austin had Alex Hamilton of Hamilton Design Company hand paint Austin Martin Originals’ logo right on the side sitting loud and proud. Kind of a take on an old Sportster graphic, it couldn’t have come out nicer. Little streaks of dove gray flanked by thin red pinstriping on the tank and battery box are the only other graphics you’ll see and all that are needed. It’s a very classy look and inspired the name of the bike ─ Timeless.
If you’ve followed his work, it’s no surprise that this back yard builder from Ohio was invited to Artistry in Iron. His work is impeccable and his design insights are right on the money. Now if we could only get him to build a Knucklehead . . .
For more info on Austin Martin Originals you’ll have to rely on Facebook, Instagram or Mr. Google.