The same basic performance theory of big power in a smaller package applies to our feature bike called Salt Flat that is a collaboration between ProCharger’s product manager, Walt Sipp, and Mentor, Ohio’s most talented resident and all-around nice guy, Scott Webster of Leroy-Thompson Choppers. Walt gets the pleasure of showcasing his company’s ProCharger supercharger setups in some neat-o custom bikes like the 167hp supercharged Electra Glide Standard previously featured in Barnett’s Magazine(Summer 2010 issue #72) that he also gets to ride the crap out of under the guise of testing. “This project was to further showcase our carb systems because on a bagger it’s so well hidden you don’t see anything, The intent with this bike is to show the components and it’s a cool platform where we can say ‘here’s the carb, here’s the fuel regulator, here’s the pump, here’s how to route the hoses and all that stuff,’ ” said Walt. “It’s so much better than showing parts on a table. It also shows builders you don’t have to look at our products as just something for stock bikes, but that it will work on anything you want to put it on.”

If you’re looking to team up with a builder, it doesn’t hurt to pick out a guy that not only marches to his own beat, but makes plenty of his own parts and pieces that are instantly recognizable and high quality. “We put our heads together and had some pretty crazy ideas at first and tuned it back a little bit. Scott does stuff out of the norm, not cookie-cutter stuff,” said Walt. “Scott did the bulk of the build, all the painting and assembly at his shop. What we did was the detail work like the fuel line routing, gauges, and carburetor stuff.”

Work began with one of Scott’s steeply-raked (27-degrees) rigid frames chosen for its quick handling that would appeal to the road racer in Walt while showcasing his own talent with cool details like the beefy, through-holed downtube. Wheels and brakes were just a walk away to Scott’s parts room for a pair of 23” Leroy-Thompson wheels that look like they belong on an old Indy roadster with Brembo calipers grabbing perimeter brakes front and rear. A set of Mean Street inverted forks made it a roller and ready for bodywork.

The tank’s off an old Norton and sports a Leroy-Thompson cap while the Chopper Shox-equipped saddle (“It doesn’t kill you when you ride”) sits in a sweet little sportbike-style tail section Scott whipped up. Basically, just about every single tasty part and piece you see on this bike is directly from Leroy-Thompson’s inventory including that gorgeously massive headlight that looks like a searchlight from Captain Nemo’s fictional sub Nautilus. S&M Auto Body sprayed the orange and black paint while Zero 7 Design Concepts laid down the racing stripes.

The heart of this bike is not some monster motor built to squeeze every last horse out of it, but a pretty mild mannered mill that nearly doubles its stock output via ProCharger’s bolt on supercharger kit. “It’s a stock 88” engine out of a Softail Deuce and makes about 120hp and 115 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheel. We needed an engine and Scott’s brother had a Deuce and they’re like, ‘Hey, let’s steal it out of there,” so they did,” said Walt laughing. “With a rigid frame and rigid mounting, the counter-balanced B motor definitely suits it well.”

From conception to completion in only three months, Walt says the project is not only a great showcase for ProCharger’s carb setup, but a fun bike to ride. “We haven’t weighed it, but it feels about the same weight as a Sportster or less. It handles pretty nicely with the 23” wheels because the sidewall is pretty short and turns in really well, but it’s not unstable. The brakes work really well,” said Walt. “It’s definitely a love or hate kind of motorcycle, but that’s the cool part about Scott. When he puts his mind to something, he builds it ‘cause he likes it. No matter whether people love or hate it, it brings them in to look at it and it’s a great showcase for our superchargers.”