Kody and his talented crew consisting of Bryan Willis, Richard Urias, Gerald Baca, Ricardo Urias, Butch Satzinger, Dave Omelia, in-house painter Cory SaintClair, Gnarly, and pit crew boss, Kracker, have exploded onto the custom bagger scene from their home base in Phoenix, Arizona, with bike like our feature bike called Check Mate. There is one more individual involved and that’s Matt Andrews of Hypnotic Airbrush in Phoenix, Arizona, Validation came in the form of winning first place in the pro category at the Arizona Baddest Bagger 2013.

 

  With the beyond-all-belief radical changes builders make to create a cutting-edge custom bagger, I’m always left with trying to find out what they started with. Just because it might look like a bat wing fairing doesn’t mean it’s based on an original bat wing or whatever Harley model or even a touring bike. There are so many changes involved from start to finish in Kody’s build where the baby almost gets thrown out with the bath water that I’m never sure what he started with. But, for all of you that insist on knowing what the model was so you can see your potential stocker’s transformation if you won the lottery, Kody began with a 2013 Harley Road Glide. Over a build period of roughly nine months, Kody had an award wining bagger that will knock your socks off in looks and your eardrums might never be the same.

 

   Just take a look a the top view of Check Mate where the imposing eight speaker setup almost looks like it’s holding the bodywork together like the rust flakes on my truck do. They’re everywhere and shockingly impressive. The current bagger obsession with spectacular audio systems is not part of my personal motorcycle lexicon, but the stuff that’s being done is impressive nonetheless. Just the way Kody mounted the speakers in his unbelievable iPhone controlled mechanically actuating bag lids is beyond my limited imagination (and budget), but it’s still damn cool no matter how you look at it. 

 

    The stock Twin Cam provides more than enough ooomp for a custom bagger, but Kody’s upped the exterior bling with a set of Diamond Cut cylinders and heads along with one of the most visually pleasing and totally unique air intakes. It also wouldn’t be a 

true VooDoo custom without one of Kory’s one-off exhaust systems that have a look and sound all their own. Just in case you didn’t notice them with all the other modifications to check out, Kody can grab your undivided attention with flames on command shooting out of the snaky set of pipes. Oh it’s been done many times before, but gas-fueled flames shooting out any exhaust always grabs my attention like it’s the first time. The late, great Arthur Brown would definitely have approved of Kody’s flaming pipes and maybe it’s something Kody should play on that mega-stereo when it comes flame time.    

 

   Besides the de rigueur modifications any custom bagger worth its bagger lids has to have like a giant front wheel, extensive frame modifications, heavily modified stock or aftermarket body pieces, air ride front and rear, apes, and, well, you know the others if you’ve been keeping any eye on the current custom bagger scene, Kody worked with Hypnotic Airbrush on a paintjob that stands alone. Hypnotic’s Matt Andrews’ graphics doesn’t slam you in the face trying to grab your bagger attention, but subtly grows more intensely with every step closer. The beautiful lines still flow uninterrupted from front to rear with an added piece of eye candy in the skull-based graphics that asymmetrically adorn the bodywork for interest close up. It’s like an added benefit after a walk-around.

 

   Be sure to check out Barnett Magazine Online’s Jack Cofano photo gallery to really get a handle on what’s up at VooDoo and what makje Check Mate special. IN the meantime, if you’re looking for more information of Kody and the lads at VooDoo, click on http://www.voodoobikeworks.com/ or visit their Facebook page.