We showed this bike once in the lead photo of the Swap Meet and Old School Show at Mecrin, France. Bruno rode it there and back covering over 700 miles. Speaking of riding, the first notification you have that this bike is coming down the road is from the super loud sound emanating from the fishtail exhaust. Then you may see a front wheel stick out from around a building, followed by fork, more fork, more fork and finally after what seems like minutes, the handlebar, tank, and rider.

The project started with a 1991 883 Sportster, a little low on horsepower, but a Harley and a solid base. The rest of the bike was handmade, home made, and hand-hammered, bent from steel tube and scrap metal. It took Bruno six months to finish in his spare time as he’s a teacher of handicapped kids and teenagers during the day.

The massive girder type fork was welded up from tubing and extra wide handlebars give the leverage required to move so much steel. The cross-shaped fuel tank was welded up in pieces; the sissy bar was made from chain, each link welded together. The footpegs were made from decorative cast iron fence top pieces surrounding nearby 18th century castles. The braces in the rear of the frame that look like old sprockets were actually old drive wheels off a French tank cut to size and welded in to strengthen the frame.

Once at speed, with the gyroscopic force of the turning wheels stabilize the bike, it isn’t that hard to ride. But at low speeds, it meanders quite a bit and is a handful. He hasn’t had too many problems with the law. In France, you don’t really ask if something is street legal. It is until some law enforcement official says it isn’t. France is more or less an “anything goes” country compared to most. Bruno passed a few police officers on his long ride to Mecrin. Since they didn’t stop him, he figures it’s legal.