Ultra Customs
Fred Kodlin’s Born to Die Pro-Street
Story by Mark Barnett
Photos by Horst Rosler
My family met Fred about twenty years ago. He was buying and selling used Harley-Davidsons like everyone else back then. I lose touch for a few years and before I know it, Fred has become the Arlen Ness of Europe. He not only builds custom bikes for customers, but is linked in with Custom Chrome and builds show bikes to display their products. He’s also tackled some of the most awesome show bike challenges I’ve ever seen. He mounted an engine in backwards once with the exhausts exiting on the left side of the bike. He also made and marketed, I believe, a chainless and beltless final drive system, “Look Mom, what do you think is turning the back wheel?” Fred has never been threatened by technical challenges.
The bike we have here is a traditional, hard core custom with a big 124-inch engine and wide 280mm rear tire. Fred is proud that his custom frame was designed with the ability to handle the torque and vibration a big engine produces as well as the weight and torsional forces a big tire generates. In other words, this custom shouldn’t shake itself or beat itself apart like so many hand made bikes do. This rigid, radical frame is built with advanced welding techniques and strong materials.
Only topline components are used such as the TP engine, BAKER tranny, Barnett (nice name, huh?) clutch and primary drive, Mikuni dual carb set up, and of course, many Fred Kodlin parts. Fred painted on the primer and base coating himself and let painter Marcel Sinnwell handle the airbrushing, inspired by 16th century painter Albrecht Durer’s work, “Praying Hands.”
To read more about Fred or see some of his other custom bikes, check out www.kodlin.com lots of good stuff on his web site. Americans could be a little timid about buying something from a European, given the distance and unknowns. But Fred’s the real deal, met him, did business with him, and think he’s a great builder, skilled technician, artist, and nice guy.
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