Michael talks about how his dog, Hank, is a bit of an old soul, but I think he’s projecting himself on Hank as he’s a bit of an old soul himself. They’re both old souls. Like some other builders whom I would classify with a term I take seriously, but in a fun way, Michael’s a pretty damn hip guy who you might think was born at a wrong time.  But, actually I think he was born at a perfect time as what he’s doing and what he’s building are finally being appreciated by not just a handful of special individuals, but by more and more people who want something real and beautiful to cling onto in life. His girlfriend, Robbin Holden, has to be a great asset to what he’s working to accomplish with her artistic take and taste in life. Somehow they’re a couple of totally different, but extremely similar peas in a pod so to speak. The same way that motorcycles and art can (not always on either) be classified as one in my opinion although I never had a professor in art school feel the same way. Machines as art? Absolutely! “My goal with this build was to create something elegant, but with attitude,” said Michael. “Nothing too flashy, but definitely worth spending a few minutes to examine all the hand-crafted details.”

 

  What caught my eye about our feature bike that photo-boy Jacko Cofano shot at the Artistry in Iron Show in Vegas was the useful simplicity of it. It would be hard just to approach it and stop and stare like most stationary showbikes whereas the reaction I would have would be to approach it, through a leg over it, fire the mother up, and ride the hell out of it. I don’t even think I’d check to see if there was gas in the tank because this bike looks like it should always have a full tank as part of its design process. Gas is as important as metal to this bike and you can’t always say that about custom bikes. Gas fumes, blued pipes, and dirty tires would only enhance this bike for me.

 

  “The owner of this bike, Jeff Walker, rides it weekly. Everything from around town to a-couple-hundred-mile cruises,” said Michael. “The bike handles like a champ. That is an important aspect to all the bikes I build, to be sure they not only look good, but are built to ride as well. All the bikes I build have roots in my childhood ─ hot rods, dirt bikes, and Harleys.”

 

   Possibly why I like this bike is because it’s something I would build from a cost, practicality, and visual standpoint. There’s no doubt this is a motorcycle. A motorcycle a guy would ride, maintain, and enjoy. With an 80” Evo engine pepped up with a mild cam and an S&S Super E carb breathing through an always cool velocity stack, there’s plenty of usuable power audibly coming out of the header-wrapped SBC exhaust. All of the tinwork is by Michael and sits on a tidy Paughco frame with basically stock dimensions and that’s not a bad thing if you really intend to ride a motorcycle as well as look at it. The paint by Chris Morrison of Chris Morrison’s Custom Paint in Harbor City, California, is simple and subtle yet striking with just a touch of pinstriping by Jeff Styles. Any brightwork including the laced wheels is nickel plating which brings warmth to the just-shiny-enough-to-be-shiny bits.

 

   I can see how owner Jeff Walker spends some serious time on this ride as he’s got not only a comfortable riding position, but a strut air bag seat suspension by SBC to smooth things out. ISR hand controls are top notch and comfy to use while Accutronix foot controls are no slouch at cleanly doing their job. Real brakes front and rear keep the pucker factor in check and that makes for more miles and more miles makes for more fun.

 

  And, fun is what it’s all about and why we all got into this whole two-wheeled silliness in the first place. It’s fun to ride a motorcycle. It’s fun to hear a motorcycle. It’s fun to look at a motorcycle. It’s fun (usually) to work on a motorcycle. Motorcycles are about fun and fun is something that Michael Schreiber and South Bay Customs are all about.

 

  For more info on Michael and Robbin’s version of American Motorcycles and Artist Gallery conveniently located under one roof, please visit www.southbaycustoms.net.