I don’t know if Jeremy Cupp of LC Fabrications in Grottoes, Virginia, is into mechanical watches, but I do know he is into mechanical beauty. And I’m not the only one by any means as his absolute mechanical jewel of a motorcycle won the 2015 Las Vegas Artistry in Iron Show against fierce competition. For something other than a traditional Harley-style V-twin to take top honors, it has to be something special, really special. And, it was.
Based loosely around a 1930s Harley-Davidson speedway bike, there’s not much here that previously existed other than as raw metal and a bunch of parts fodder never meant to co-exist within the same space. One of the hardest things about describing the goings on is where to start. Nothing is as it seems and it’s all interesting down to the tiniest part. Just like a great watchmaker, Jeremy knew what he wanted and the only way to get there was to fastidiously make things piece by piece until the whole bike came together cohesively as a motorcycle that makes you get lost in staring. When I saw this bike at the Austin Handbuilt Motorcycle Show last April, I couldn’t stop staring.
Obviously the engine is the first thing to discuss as it’s the centerpiece of the bike, but in this case it’s sorta one of the centerpieces. Loosely based on a single-cylinder Buell Blast case and nicely-reshaped cylinder, the top end is a grafted on Ducati head with a cam chest full of gears turning a belt beautifully crafted to the side of the engine. This simple description doesn’t begin to get into what was involved to make this engine work, but suffice to say, Jeremy used up a lot of gray matter making this speedway-inspired beast run like a Swiss watch. And like a watchmaker who adds all sorts of individual chronographs, moon dials, altimeters, or whatever possibly just because he can, Jeremy got rid of the unitized Buell transmission and added a bit of complexity and beauty along with a dose of reality with a separate Triumph transmission that gets its power via a lovely skinny exposed belt.
Individual pieces like the induction system’s manifold, carb and air cleaner are a work of art unto themselves. There’s so much machine work going on just in these parts alone that you have to wonder how this bike ever got finished with all the incredible amount of time involved in making them a reality. I guess I’m still stuck in the land of the conventional as there’s so much going on, but I’m totally enthralled by the looks of the exhaust which is short, sweet and gorgeous way beyond its apparent simplicity. That pipe alone speaks volumes of the imagination and artistry of Jeremy Cupp.
Just about everything you see other than the tires and maybe a few wheel pieces were hand fabricated at LC Fabrications. The frame began with lengths of steel tubing that thought it had the good life sitting on a rack doing nothing before Jeremy cajoled it into a short, spicy frame that’s another centerpiece of this bike. Curves flow before mating up with straight lengths that are anything but straight as they reach around to connect before ending at the mesmerizing infinity loop rear axle plate. Calling that wheel and perimeter brake caliper locating area on the frame an axle plate is almost an insult. Again, there’s so much going on here, but in an elegantly simple style. The aluminum engine shield mounted on the front downtube is a nod to the original’s competitive heritage, but it just looks right and after seeing it, if it wasn’t there I’d feel something was definitely missing.
Then there’s the fork which took me a minute or two to figure out what’s going on here. Man, what a stroke of genius taking a sportbike-style inverted fork to use the (now-spring-less) dampers inside as shocks to work in conjunction with the exposed top-mounted springs on the forward legs. High-tech inverted sportbike forks as back legs on a springer? Pure genius and a look to kill for. Be sure to check out all the details from axle fittings to the narrow, flat handlebars, controls, and grips mounted up top. It’s a cornucopia of beautiful parts.
Needles to say, Jeremy fabbed up the fabulous tinwork. From the aluminum gas tank with its twin caps admonishing you to “Buy Clean Fuel” to the 3D ribbing trailing behind them to the finned aluminum oil tank, it’s all Jeremy’s brain on aluminum. I also have to give lip service to the tidy rear aluminum fender with the tiny tip of a taillight and the beautiful strut system with a touch of classic sissy bar. Oh, and how can I not mention the miniscule, now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t headlight. They’re all lovely style points that can get easily lost in this adventuresome build.
Unfortunately I can’t help but go back to my watch analogy when it comes time to describe Jeremy’s choice of finish. Just like looking inside a watch casing, the metal speaks for itself with polished, raw and highly worked surfaces. The only real color on the bike, a light mint green on the rims and hubs acts as the face/dial of a watch to me anyway within those knobby-shod wheels. Those same gnarly tires along with the transversely-pleated black seat cover reminds me a bit of the black rubber watchbands that are so in right now on premium wrist watches. All of this handiwork gives me the feeling of a watch turned inside-out or is that turned outside-in? Who knows? Who cares? Not you, you just like this bike for what it is to you.
Jeremy Cupp and LC Fabrications have been on a roll for the past few years seemingly coming out of left field in the ninth inning and scoring the game winning run with a style that would rival the old Bambino’s. Luckily for Jeremy, he seems to be able to top himself with every build and I can’t wait to see the nest one.
For more information on LC Fabrications, visit http://www.lcfabrications.com/ or check out LC’s Facebook page.