Located in Lake Villa, Illinois, north of Chicago and just south of the border of Wisconsin, DD Custom Cycles wasn’t far from Jay’s house. When he made the trip to the shop to check out what his friends said about Dave, Jay was thrilled with what he found. “I was impressed with the detail Dave put into each bike. Over the years his style has evolved into low and long, with a wide rear tire, flowing sheetmetal, and hidden transfer lines — exactly the kinds of detail I wanted on my bike.” He continued about his first impression upon meeting the owner of the shop, “Dave was straightforward and seemed trustworthy. He gave me a completion date and promised he’d stick to it.” A few days later Jay returned to the shopwith his dusty parts.
The parts Jay brought to the shop for his build included a beautiful polished billet, round cylinder 113” Patrick Racing engine, a set of Paul Yaffe foot controls, and a variety of odds and ends he hoped to integrate into the finished bike. “Dave doesn’t skimp on parts, he only uses the best of the best. I wouldn’t have had him build me a bike if he did it any other way,” Jay commented.
The skin for Jay’s bike consisted of the type of sheetmetal work that DD Customs is known for. The gas tank flows into the seat and oil-bag area then on into the rear fender creating what appears to be a single piece of metal, yet each part can be removed from the bike separately. Fortunately, MNK Custom Works delivered the paintwork on time and presented the sheetmetal coated in a House of Kolor black and candy gold with graphics designed to complement the curves and angles of the sheetmetal and frame. Finally, Letters, Lines, and Designs pinstriped the bike before it was shot with a thick clear-coat to bolster the sheen and the illusion of depth in the paint.
The bike was finished on time and Jay was more than pleased with the outcome. “Dave told me what the bike would cost and when the bike was finished there weren’t any surprises. The final number on the check I signed was the same we agreed on ten weeks prior.” Dave’s final words about Wando’s bike convey how much he enjoys his work, “I had fun building Wando’s ride because he let me do my thing and trusted my instincts about what parts to buy and how to make the bike look like it was planned instead of pieced together. He even let me choose the paint for the bike, so I had to put some thought into it, but I’m pretty sure he’s happy with the way it turned out.”
Builder: Dave Dupor
Dave Dupor Custom Cycle
For a small company, building 12-16 bikes a year is a tall order. Thankfully, Dave’s wife, Gordana, is the co-owner and according to Dave, the backbone of the shop, “She works three days a week, but gets more done than most people do in five days. She also works all the shows, but mostly she works on the books, billing, clothing orders, and keeping the shop in order. She’s my biggest supporter, and the reason I left my safe, corporate mechanical engineer job to start this shop.” He opened Dave Dupor Custom Cycle in 1999 and was able to do it full-time in 2002 — since then the shop has only grown. “I got into bike building at the right time, before all the TV shows and public interest. Just after I established the shop, the general public became interested in the motorcycle scene and that’s when competition got really fierce. But the good thing about competition is erthat it breeds a higher standard of work, and my work is the best form of promotion for the shop. I want every customer to come back. Business is better than ever, so I must be doing something right.”
In the future, Dave hopes to expand the shop and reduce production time of his bike builds. He’d like to bring more work in-house and right now the only things the shop doesn’t do is chroming and painting. Dave laments, “When more people and businesses are involved with the work, there’s more chances that something can go wrong.” He’s very adamant about deadlines, a quality that happens to be rare among typical builders. Call Dave at 847-356-8053 or visit www.ddcustomcycle.com.
This bike feature originally appeared in Barnett’s Magazine issue #56, July 2007.
SPECIFICATIONS: | |
---|---|
Owner: | Jay Wando |
Year / Make: | 2006 DD Custom |
Fabrication/ Assembly: | Dave Dupor/ DDCC |
Build time: | 2 months |
Engine: | 113″ Patrick Racing |
Cases: | S&S |
Pistons: | Patrick Racing |
Cylinders: | Patrick Racing |
Heads: | Round Patrick Racing |
Cam: | Patrick Racing |
Ignition: | Crane Hi-4 |
Carb: | S&S Super G |
Pipes: | Grumpy’s |
Air Cleaner: | Thunder Cycle Design |
Transmission: | Accessories Unlimited 6-speed RSD |
Primary: | Tauer Machine open belt |
Clutch: | Tauer Machine |
Frame: | 2006 Pro-Street Frameworks |
Rake: | 45-degrees |
Stretch: | 2″-up, 7″-out |
Forks: | American Suspension |
Rear Suspension: | Legend Air |
Wheels: | RMD Billet |
Front Tire: | 120/70/21 Metzeler |
Rear Tire: | 300/35/18 Metzeler |
Front Brakes: | American Suspension |
Rear Brakes: | PM Driveside/ DDCC |
Fuel Tank: | DDCC |
Oil Tank: | Pro-Street Frameworks/ DDCC |
Fender: | DDCC |
Handlebars: | Paul Yaffe Pit Coolers |
Headlight: | Cobra |
Taillight: | DDCC |
Hand Controls: | PM |
Foot Controls: | Paul Yaffe |
Electrical: | DDCC |
Chroming: | Meclec Metal Finishing |
Painter: | MNK Custom works |
Color: | HOK Black/Candy Gold |
Graphics: | MNK Custom Works |
Seat: | Vintage Stitch |