Bobbers
Keeping his costs low right from the start, Steve procured a’99 Sportster Custom as a donor bike. Other than the driveline, there weren’t many stock parts he planned to use on the final version, but he was able to get the entire bike for less than the price of a Big-Twin motor. He upgraded the 883cc engine with a Dyna 2000i ignition, a Mikuni 42mm carburetor, a set of straight, Pipe Dreamz Jet-Hot ceramic coated exhaust pipes, and a Crossroads Performance air cleaner cover.
A high-tech, complex, and/or expensive frame was out of the question so Steve picked out a Paughco rigid foundation for the bike. The 35-degree raked neck supports an affordable and reliable, standard length Paughco springer front end with a wide stance. He bolted a pair of blacked-out, Paughco 16” 40-spoke wheels to either end wrapped with identical Chin Shin car tread tires. An H-D caliper clamps the stock rear rotor and acts as the sole mechanism for decelerating the cycle.
Steve didn’t want the metal coverings to be exactly traditional and was able to spend relatively little cash to make that happen. He spent a few bucks on a Cole Foster designed gas tank that holds about 2.5-gallons of gas. “I can get just over 100 miles to a tank, depending on how conservatively I’m riding,” Steve said. He also employed the use of a spun aluminum oil tank from Coyote Gear and he heavily modified the ’99 Sportster’s stock rear fender. With a simple piece of sheet metal he added what he calls a downtube main gusset with a series of holes so air can still reach the motor. “I haven’t experienced much, if any, cooling impedance from it. Though I can see why people might think it would,” Steve said.
What sets this bike apart from high-dollar bikes, but keeps it in the same class as the check-writers are the hand-made details. Steve drilled and brushed the stock Sporty forward controls to the point where a casual observer wouldn’t know they once wore the Bar and Shield logo. He also copper plated the steel shift and brake rods and left them raw so they’d develop an interesting patina.
Steve had the bike painted the exact same colors as his wife’s bike, including the design of the graphics and the industrial metal finish. He had a laughing skull painted on top of the tank that says “Boneshaker” in Spanish. “The bike is super lightweight and it’s fun to ride, but it doesn’t vibrate anywhere near as much as its name suggests,” Steve said.
Builder: Steve Carr
Steve works in the commercial telephone business during the day in Florida, specifically in the Tampa Bay area. He builds bikes in his free time for the locals of central Florida, but they’re nothing a person would mistake for amateur. “I think of bike building as an extreme hobby. Sure I make a little money, but nothing I’d call a living — yet,” Steve said. He’s had his arms elbow deep in grease since ’04, attends as many shows in his area as his day job will allow, and he claims that every bike he’s ever built has been featured in a magazine. Not surprisingly, he works very hard, spending every minute that he can in his garage working on bikes for friends and neighboring enthusiasts.
Through his years of wrenching that extend well beyond ‘04, Steve’s found a number of power plant combinations that work well, but specializes in Buell, Harley-Davidson, and Ultima motors. If a person were to take a quick glance at the Lightning Rod website, or have a brief conversation with Steve, he/she would find that he’s got a specific love for Sportsters. In fact, most of his custom builds feature four-cam American V-twins.
He may have earned a number of accolades in the custom bike building world, but he stays modest and keeps his creative energy focused on what he thinks is most important. “We don’t claim to be the best, nor do we want to be the biggest. What we do is honest and original and something you’d be proud to take to the local bike night. We keep the price affordable and we’ll make sure the bike is as reliable as a factory bike,” Steve said.
For more information about Lightning Rod Motorcycles please visit www.lightningrodmotorcycles.com or call 813-416-2666.
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