Speaking of lines, take for instance the copper fuel and oil lines coming off the rear right side of the twin tanks he built. It’s pretty amazing how three lines of 90-degree-angled tubing flows with the lines of the unbelievably pretty springer Chris made and the surprisingly not out of place sorta sissy bar fender strut. Those lines are a simple, yet very powerful design statement that ties the bike to the ground, but also gives a subtle sense of forward motion at the same time. The pleasing forward angle of the bung mounts coupled with the shape of the tank itself makes the winner of both the 2011 Las Vegas Bikefest’s Artistry in Iron Show and 2012 Long Beach Ultimate Bike Builder Show look like it’s about to bust a move even while it’s sitting still. And in a way it is as winning the Long Beach Show gets Benji Stacks a direct pass into the AMD World Championship Show in Sturgis this summer.

Chris’s mastery of combining old and new pieces into one cohesive design comes through nicely with his use of a genuine 1927 Harley-Davidson JD-H frame that he modified to fit the 21st century 84” Knucklehead replica engine. The cool twin carbs with scoops from a Triumph drum brake as velocity stacks looks like something a local speed king might have done back in the day. His little detail of using 1927 Mercury Head dimes on the top tube doesn’t seem like any kind of desperate vintage tie-in to me as I remember seeing then-vintage motorcycles in the fifties that used coinage as decoration. I distinctly remember an Indian I saw as a kid with bright red rubber mud flaps that featured molded holders for Indian head nickels that the owner had proudly filled. It looked to pretty cool to me and for the life of me, I don’t know why. But it did and so don’t the dimes.

Normally when builders put a twin carb setup on a V-twin it becomes an in-your-face-I-got-twin-carbs styling showcase. Chris’s setup that features an imaginative use of cooling scoops off a Triumph drum brake as velocity stacks really looks like a high-performance update done by the local speed king back in the day. Another little thing I gotta give up to him is possibly the best use ever of a sprocket brake setup on a custom. With the brakeless spool hub 23” front wheel and the what-appears-to-be-brakeless rear 19” wheel out back, it really preserves the brakes-are-none-of-my-business board tracker look. The just-a-belt primary is a nice touch too and showcases the pretty engine cases on the way back to the 4-speed tranny that sits behind the seat tube.

All the board tracker styling cues from the upside-down low bars with just a throttle and nothing else in sight to a sprung saddle with leather by Riff Raff Leather evoke the right feelings of period correctness without reaching hard. Even the gloss black and copper flake paint job with gold leaf graphics by Headcase Kustom Art looks right although I certainly understand they weren’t using flake back then. But, if they did, that’s how it probably would’ve looked so kudos to Headcase on that one.

LA Speed Shop’s take on what has become a somewhat tired board tracker trend gives it a fresh new look as far as I’m concerned. Other than seeing a perfectly restored classic or an amazing barn find, I think Chris not only nailed it with Benji Stacks, but nailed the custom board tracker door shut for me.

For more info on Chris Richardson’s LA Speed Shop (which is actually located in Alhambra, California), visit www.laspeedshop.com.