It should be no surprise then that I’m totally enamored with the sleek black Sporty chop you see before you built by Chop Machine in Toledo, Ohio.

 

   We had a few of Chop Machine’s bikes in our photo gallery, but I gotta admit I locked onto the black bike in a nanosecond, well maybe two nanoseconds as I’m getting a little slower with rapidly advancing age. This bike is not even my boringly preferred style of basic bobber, but the lines just spoke to me in a cohesive way that I couldn’t begin to criticize (and I can criticize most anything on a moment’s notice for just about no reason). It just looked light and lively and non-intimidating to hop on and ride aggressively. I say aggressively because it just looks pretty damn badass in its back in black persona.

 

   This is one bike that makes the frame the big visual in the design and I like that aspect. Chop Machine decided to keep it Ohio-real and called up their buddies at Led Sled Customs in Dayton for not only a frame, but a bunch of other Led Sledelicious goodies for this build. The curved-single downtube frame pulls off a 4”-up and 4”-out modification without looking cartoonish. What makes this rigid frame very, very cool besides the clean, striking lines is that Led Sled makes it without a neck so you can install your old Harley VIN neck. This not only allows you to register it without having to run a paperwork obstacle course, but if you ever wanted to sell it, a bank is just going to look at it as another Harley and not an assembled bike.

  

   While they were on the phone, it was only natural that Chop Machine also ordered up a Led Sled springer to hang off the front end and what a looker that springer is. Simple, strong, stunning, and not trying to be anything other than a traditional springer, what’s not to like about that baby? As always, I will bring up the fact that while it looks great with the obvious choice of a spoked wheel wearing an absolutely period-correct Avon Speedmaster sans fender, I wish it wasn’t sans front brake. Yeah I like the look on paper, but I’m uncomfortable without brakes on every wheel. Hey, it’s just me I guess, but with the traffic and stupid-stupid drivers out there . . .

 

  Bodywise, the Sporty tank lives on, but in a sassy new location with a telltale fuel gauge clinging to the right side of the tank. Led Sled also provided the rear fender and oil bag to the mix which do what they’re supposed to do and do it without fighting for complete attention. Having all your bits and pieces work in design harmony is not as easy as it looks when it’s done right and Chop Machine did it right. Led Sled also shipped out their sprung solo seat kit which fit this build to a tee. Somehow as much as I love money-consuming hand-leatherwork, the pleated insert with white piping seat fits this bike to a tee. 

 

  After a refresh of the 1200cc Sportster engine and a lovely cosmetic overhaul, the only changes Chop Machine deemed necessary was a tiny, but tasty MOONEYES air cleaner on the intake end and a set of Paughco upsweeps on the exhaust. There really isn’t any need for much more as the Sporty’s power is more than ample for the bike at hand. The only thing left to do mechanically to finish this off was getting rid of the practical, but ugly belt drive for a Led Sled chain drive conversion. Belts make wicked sense on a stock Motor Company product, but they just don’t belong on a custom bike, any custom bike, unless they’re hiding behind saddlebags.

 

   After powdercoating the wheels, fork and frame, Chop Machine painted what little was left and slapped on the best possible graphics in my opinion. Well maybe I’m a bit crass in saying “slapped”, but that vintage Harley-Davidson decal on the tank just looks absurdly wonderful. Sometimes I don’t know why Harley bothers to do new H-D graphics at all when they’ve got such a plethora of beautiful vintage decals and badges that look great and never out of date on any Harley. Chop Machine wisely resisted the urge to pinstripe this bike to death and let the lines in metal speak for themselves.

 

 

  Building custom bikes that are just plain beautiful without unneeded tomfoolery adorning them is part and parcel of what makes bikes from Chop Machine distinctive. That they also make these bikes totally affordable to the average real rider out there makes them special. Check out what else they’re up to at http://www.chopmachine.com/ and keep an eye out for more of their work coming up on Barnett’s Magazine Online.