What Mark started with and what he ended up with are two totally different things. He began with what was probably the epitome of an ‘80s UJM (universal Japanese motorcycle), a 1982 Suzuki GS 1100. After a hell of a lot of tweaking, it was no longer universal in any way, but a non-stock ride that Jack Cofano shot at this year’s BikeWeek Boardwalk Show. Pulling off a build successfully with an inline four in a world of custom V-twins is not the easiest thing to do, but this bike is definitely what the doctor ordered.

  The first thing that had to be done was tricking out the frame’s neck so that a more custom-compliant rake of 38-degrees angles the smooth chrome Duo Glide-like 4”-over MidWest forks tastefully towards the horizon. Mark utilized the stock GS mags, but in a new chromed finish which takes them out of the old UJM mold to a surprisingly satisfying custom appearance. The fat whitewalls do their best to make sure you’d never guess these were Suzuki wheels and if you don’t think so, please tell me when you last saw a Japanese sporty bike with whitewalls? Out back, the swingarm was lengthened a hefty six-inches and dipped in a chrome bath until it sparkled like the forks.

Body-wise, Mark ditched the, well everything, and replaced the fuel tank with the old Fat Bob standby while Arlen Ness joined in the Psy.D reverie with one of his Taildragger rear fenders. Putting the drag in taildragger is a set of chromed air shocks that drop this bike to the ground and then some. Up front, Mark fitted a fender from another mother to match the new happenings happening out back. Toss in the True Fire paint job and Mark had a UJM he could definitely call anything but universal. Topping this off with a set of Mr. Ness’ floorboards in fringe that are long enough to seemingly accommodate a passenger’s feet too in conjunction with a similarly fringed tractor-style seat and he’s ready to go cruising except for one little thing, the 31-year-old engine.

Now if any bike looked like a true cruisermobile, Mark’s definitely does. Sorry Mark if you take umbrage with that, but it does. The power output of the stock 1100cc Suzuki engine would have been more than enough to do a little laid back cruising with interspersed with occasional bouts of WFO throttle. Who the hell would have ever thought that Mark would take this all to the next level with a Stage 1 balls-out build consisting of a 100cc overbore, ported heads, a rack of 38mm Mikunis breathing through velocity stacks, and a race cut/heat treated transmission to handle the 140hp end result? Star Racing in Americus, Georgia, not only provided this 140hp, but topped it off with a NOS kit that provides 175hp when the button is pushed. . Oh, in case you didn’t know this engine was a fire breather, Mark’s 4-into-4 floating fishtails shoot flames courtesy of Hot Licks Flames on Command Exhaust setup.

   This laid back cruiser has a split personality possibly like a certain Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde fictitiously did back in the late 1800s in London (Makes you wonder if Dr. Mark has a “Mr.” name too?). One minute it’s a kinda flamboyant cruiser and the next second, it’s an ornate knife-shifting road killer. I may not have the required scholastic accreditation, but I think I know what’s going on here. Mark’s not just some stodgy and well-educated shrink like a lot of his compatriots, but a nutty Lou just like the rest of us motorcycle fanatics. He’s a guy that takes his own medicine as well as prescribes it and motorcycling is one medication we all can’t get enough of.