Delighted to compete in the build-off using S&S’ three-cam X-Wedge motor, Mike had to have it in his shop before he could build the frame because of the new motor’s wider mounting footprint. The 117” fuel-injected motor, the X-Wedge, was built completely in the 21st century. “I absolutely love the X-Wedge motor, it’s so powerful and so smooth. It’s solid mounted in the frame, but it feels like it’s rubber mounted,” Mike said. He modified a Sputhe transmission case to fit closer to the motor with a shortened Kiwi/Sputhe primary.

Mike built a frame designed as a foundation for a nostalgic-looking bike interspersed with inconspicuous modern technology. He raked the steering neck 27-degrees for light and nimble low-speed handling and upgraded the plunger-style suspension attached to the rear axle with hydraulic damping. Oil feed and return lines are housed in either side of the downtubes, (the next paragraph will explain why), and he powdercoated the frame for a durable finish. The Kiwi girder front end combined with the telescopic seat-post suspension makes for what Mike calls, “The perfect touring bike that is as comfortable as a Cadillac.”

His clear vision of the completed machine made it easy for Mike to design and fabricate the tanks, fenders, guards, and covers. He built the gas tank first, incorporating the oil tank in the front of the right side of the gas tanks. “The motor oil circulating at the leading edge of the gas tank is cooled a little because it gets a lot of wind over the surface. Extra surface area is created by the long oil lines that run through the frame; the right frame leg has the feed line, the left houses the return line,” Mike said. He intended the bike to be ridden hundreds of thousands of miles, and with that thought in mind he understands that eventually some electronic components can fail, so he made the fuel pump in the gas tank accessible and easy to swap out without requiring a mechanic to disassemble half the bike. Adding to the ‘40s look is the sizeable right side, final-belt-drive cover that Mike handmade. He modified front and rear fender blanks cut to mount on his front end and rear section of the frame, designed to hide the brake calipers under the front fender skirts. Instead of a traditionally mounted battery under the seat, Mike cleverly hid it in the leather-covered toolbox on the left side of the bike.

Once it was finished, the bike would be competing on a world stage so the paint had to fit with the looks. The metal was painted by Maverick Custom Paint using Kiwi maroon and cream colors that were mixed by Nostalgia Restyling, recalling the two-tone paint of bikes built after World War II. Wiring was intentionally left outside the frame tubes, like the big OEMs, so if after thousands of miles there is an electrical problem it is easier to diagnose and repair. He was hoping the bike would catch on with the right people and as he built the bike, he created jigs so he could reproduce identical parts for a production line of high-end, classically styled bikes with a reliable and powerful engine. Everything about this bike was done the old-fashioned way with Kiwi and American blood, sweat, and tears,” Mike said. It may have caught on; he’s taken a few orders. Hopefully we’ll see more production Kiwi Indian’s retro-American bikes on the road.