Pro-Street
The ever-debonair Jack Cofano, Barnett’s YDKJ columnist and all around motorcycling bon vivant, saw this one coming when he wrote in Barnett’s April 2007 Issue #54, “Tim Franks has got the bikin’ bug bad, real bad. So bad, that the ol’ bass boat is sitting in the yard collecting spiders. I have a strange feeling that the Gladiator [Tim’s Heritage feature bike] is the first of many projects.” Well Jack, you hit this one on the head just like you do half the time.
One of Tim’s stated goals with his softail custom Viper was to build something that other Harley riders could warm up to and see their own bikes in his. “There’s a lot of stuff on that bike that people could do to theirs. There’s a lot of bolt-on parts, but I had ‘em custom painted and stuff like that to make them special. Things people could do without tearing the whole bike apart,” said Tim. “It’s not overwhelming, but just nice and the design flows.”
It’s no surprise that Tim, who’s not a wrench-twisting builder, went with his previous feature bike cohorts at TCX Customs in nearby Matthews, North Carolina, for round two. Tim said, “I’m comfortable with them and they do good work. Brian, Jeff, and all of them are great.” TCX’s Steve Brown was chosen as lead man on the project. “I’ve worked a lot with Steve, he’s helped me a lot with that bike making sure everything was right. Steve’s very intelligent on this stuff,” said Tim.
No, that’s not a Harley Softail frame as eagle eyed readers have already picked up on, but an aftermarket job that Tim can’t even remember the name of. At least it had nearly stock H-D dimensions sporting a 35-degree rake so the H-D silhouette still fools most into thinking it’s a product of Milwaukee. Keeping it looking real is the 103” H-D Screamin’ Eagle B motor they stuffed in the no-name frame. Never leaving anything alone, Steve said, “We disassembled it when we got it to powdercoat it and polished the cases instead of powdercoating everything, it just pops a little more.” The heads also got the bling attention from Diamond Heads to make sure it popped while the man known only as Clock at TCX ported and polished them and then put S&S gear drive cams in for a finishing touch. Vance & Hines supplied the exhaust that still has its baffles. “We just like to keep some backpressure in them, they’re more tunable that way,” said Steve. The first point of entry for supplying the eventual V&H sound track is that nutty-cool Wimmer dual-runner air cleaners perched on the H-D EFI.
A stock H-D primary keeps it clean and reliable while BAKER’s LSD 6-speed spins the 18×3.5 Xtreme Machine Viper rear wheel via belt. Tim apparently liked this wheel so much he used it up front too. The only difference is that one holds a 130/60 Metzeler while the rear sports a 160/60. Another example of Tim’s two-timing? Here’s another. Hawg Halter’s chromed 4-piston calipers, front and rear, join the Doublemint fun. Tried- and-true H-D forks anchor the front after a dip in the chrome vat while a Legend Air Suspensions Softail setup works with the chromed swingarm to provide a smooth ride and a low custom look at rest. “I really like the way the bike rides. I can set it to make it whatever comfort I want,” said Tim. Not to be left out, Steve added, “Oh that thing’s phenomenal with the Air Ride and the 18’s. It rides a little rougher ‘cause it’s got less sidewall, but as far as cornering, it just seems to corner a lot more precisely.”
Maintaining a custom-stock look is a Harley tank stretched by Terry Faulkner Designs that just makes it look like how it should have been in the first place. Tim almost strayed from the silhouette when it came to fenders. “He had two front fenders, a smaller one that fit the tire better, but we just kind of liked the way that the Heritage fender wrapped around it ,” said Steve. Doubling up with another H-D fender out back ended this drama. Keeping the stock profile intact, but just different enough, is Tim’s choice of a large but sleek Headwinds headlight and dual running lights. A subtle and effective move that just looks right.
You can do all the custom tricks you like, but paint makes the bike. Well at least that seems to be the general consensus of riders I meet. It’s pretty hard to beat a Terry Faulkner Designs spray-up and he’s another repeat from Tim’s Gladiator bike, so this was a no-brainer except for the scheme. “I like blue and silver and the parts were Harley blue and silver when I got them, but I wanted a prettier blue and silver,” said Tim. “I really like the cobalt color and wanted a tribal design on it too, so I worked up a sketch.” Obviously, Terry’s not one to disappoint and to paraphrase Steve’s earlier quote, “It just pops!”
Tim spends a lot of time on the alligator-covered seat made by Butch Watson of High Rollers Custom Seats. “The year-and-a-half I’ve owned it, I’ve put over 8,000 miles on it,” said Tim. “By the way, I’ve got another one coming. It’s going to be a beautiful bike, root beer and gold . . .” Yes Jackie boy, you were right, again.
Up Close: High Rollers Custom Seats
It’s always a fun thing to find someone who’s managed to eke out a good living in this industry and it’s no surprise that it always seems to involve imagination, high quality work, and a desire/need to be involved with motorcycles. When you run into a polite, honest, down-to-earth guy like Butch Watson, owner of High Rollers Custom Seats, who’s been active in this custom two-wheeled segment of life for over 30 years, you gotta wonder if he’s just extremely talented or crazy. After checking out the seat on Tim’s Viper and perusing his website, it’s easy to make a choice. Butch is one talented son of a gun.
No big surprise that Tim, after the gorgeous alligator seat Butch made for Gladiator, went back for another High Rollers’ seat. Probably the hardest part of getting your own High Rollers’ seat is trying to make a final decision on what you want as the array of styles, skins, and intricate details from hand tooling to stitching Butch has done over the years seems limitless.
If all you have are ideas, that’s cool, as Butch will custom build a seat pan for your bike or he’ll walk you through the steps of making your own. Got a stock pan or aftermarket seat that ‘s just not cutting it or needs repair? No problem, Butch will work with you. When it comes to the covering, your choices span the extreme spectrum of exotic hides and materials including faux exotic hides. Looking for custom and comfort? Butch installs Pro Pad polymer seat inserts so it is possible to have your cake and eat it too.
There’s a good reason for Butch’s 30-plus years career, check out why at www.highrollersmotorcycleseats.com or call 336-788-4842.
Builder: Steve Brown TCX Customs
For all of you keeping a scorecard of mistakes, yes that is the lovely Tim Franks in the picture, but Tim wanted the builder sidebar to focus on TXC’s Steve Brown instead of his really nice guy, Southern self. This is the second time that Tim Franks has called upon The Cycle Xchange (TCX Customs) in Matthews, North Carolina, to bring his imagination to a rolling, running, piece of sculpture on two wheels.
Steve Brown was Tim’s go-to person at TCX to make his dreams become metal reality. Steve’s resume of all things custom includes a stint at a well-known builder. “ I got my start with Jim Nasi, we went to college together,” he said. As far as his involvement with this build, Steve humbly said, “My main thing is just kinda orchestrating everything. Mike Kelly did all the fab work and our tech Clock did all the engine work and assembly.” Sounds simple, but after speaking with Tim, this wouldn’t have been finished without his expertise. “Steve’s the best,” Tim said.
TCX Customs was a wise choice for Tim as they have a background in all sorts of motorcycles and picking on their knowledge of all things two wheeled brings a lot to the table. Owners, Jeff and Brian Clark, have an extensive mechanical background that involves not only motorcycles, but also experience in the wild world of NASCAR where they were part of two successful NASCAR teams. At TCX, they’ve been turning out a steady supply of customs that range the whole spectrum of styles and claim to be “the Premier Custom Bike service center in the Charlotte area.” Judging the finished products on their website, they could just be right in their claim. Find out for yourself at www.tcxcustoms.com or call 704-708-5828.
| SPECIFICATIONS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||