Then it dawned on me, that’s not a 30-inch wheel, but a 32-incher and all the proportions are just slightly larger to accommodate it. Maybe you don’t feel the same way, but it looks slightly larger scale than what I’m used to seeing. Apparently Dennis is a firm believer like all good Americans that big is good, but bigger is better. Just like the American automakers of old that always touted their new models as longer, lower, and wider year after year, so goes the world of naughty custom baggers. I never ever would have thought we’d get to 30-inch wheels hanging off the front end of bikes, but as usual, I was wrong. Bigger is badder for bagger freaks and maybe we’ll see 36-inch hoops after a bit. Nothing would surprise me anymore ─ except maybe a 38. That’s where I draw the line.

   Keeping everything in proper proportion was relatively easy as Dennis fabbed up all of the bodywork you see anywhere on this bike from metal, not plastic composites. That’s a lot of fabrication and hard work to get it so perfect from side to side. It’s one thing shaping a relatively small tank, but it’s another when you’ve got saddlebag acreage to contend with especially when it’s as smooth looking as this set. Plus I gotta add the guy’s got a good eye for style too.

   The photos I saw of this bagger in raw metal were fascinating. Seeing all that sheet metal being turned into voluptuous curves with panels as smooth as silk to lay the paint on is mind blowing to me. Personally, I wouldn’t be upset just to see it cleared over and enjoy all the handiwork involved. The way the whole back end, including the cascading rear fender and melded side covers, all flowing together gives the bike an entirely different feel than parts and pieces of glass trying to do the same. Or maybe it’s the sharp edges that are tough to pull off in a plastic composite. Either way, you know you are looking at something entirely different than the run of the mill bagger if you can call any big wheel bagger run of the mill.

   California Custom Wheels in Orange, California, supplied that one-off wheel and it’s a doozy. The ten spokes shoot straight pout from the hub growing ever so slightly as they reach the rim and this adds to the illusion of being bigger than usual at first glance. From the right, it’s all wheel while on the left a big six-piston Performance Machine grabs a similarly big single custom wheel-mimicking rotor. The played down satin finish keeps it from jumping out too much, just the right classy amount. It’s all covered by a Heritage-style fender that only lends an even bigger look when it’s dropped down on its lay frame and the tip of the fender almost touches the ground too. In the great American idiom, it’s about as low as you can go.

   Dennis’ tank is quite a piece just by itself. The shape is its own and the way it carefully blends into the frame must have required a lot of patience. One quick look tells you it was all worth it, though. The grill inserts on the sides are a beautiful and thoughtful touch that brings the class to this all metal build. The respect of metal is even shown in the choice of a headlight off some old car that’s been nicely repurposed here. I mean, how can you not like a vintage headlight that has its own light mounted right on top? Not crazy about the headlight visor, though, but then I’m just personally not a fan of visors on anything so maybe I should just shut up and move on.

  Bigger is better philosophy also pertains to the engine in this bike too as this is not just a big incher, but it’s got a turbo plumbed in to make big dyno numbers. Believe it or not, Dennis rides this bike including riding it to shows where he consistently wins awards like his recent one during Myrtle Beach Bike Week where he took first place radical class at the Suck Bang Blow Show against stiff competition. That’s a nice bit of vindication for all the metal work involved in this build, I got a feeling that materials do matter especially to show judges and even the admiring crowds.

  One interesting consequence of all this metalwork is that when it came time for the painter man, Dennis took a very different tack than what we’re used to seeing on a custom bagger. Instead, he kept it smooth relying on a tasty and graphic-free flat red paintjob that keeps the design and the lines whole while showcasing his metal shaping talents. You’d never appreciate those crisp body lines if this thing was muraled-out in a clash of crazed colors and graphics. This bike exudes all the quiet confidence of a young Clint Eastwood just staring into the camera without saying a word. It’s good looking and it knows it and it’s up to you to wither like it or not. It doesn’t care one way of the other ─ quiet confidence.

   Dennis Troll hit a home run with this metal monster and it will be interesting to see what he’s up to next. How you top a build like this is not going to be easy and it’s not going to be quick. All that metal shaping from scratch would be a once-in-a-lifetime project for us, but for Dennis, kit’s just another day at work.

  For more info on DZ Kustoms, visit http://dzcustoms.com/ or do that Facebook thing.