Racers
The nicest part about this bike to me is that it’s made to handle the twisty roads with bump-strewn surfaces that states with winter climates like Massachusetts have. This is not designed to be a queen of shock only meant to slowly amble down to the nearest watering hole and parked. “I think a lot of builders lost their way with these big tire things and front ends out three miles. What good is that? I did some ‘cause people wanted them and I need the work, but I always thought it was crazy,” said Steve. “I decided to go the exact opposite of what everybody is doing. Instead of raking it out — put 28-degrees in it. I’m trying to make it even lighter by using chromoly instead of mild carbon steel and I can get about 35 pounds off the weight of the frame alone. That’s the direction I’m going.”
The SMC frame on this bike is beefy looking 2” tubing for strength and vibration damping and carries 4.5 quarts of engine oil within those tubes. “It really cuts down on the vibration having the frame full of oil and it makes a big, big difference in cooling,” said Steve. “In some unofficial testing we’ve done side by side with a similar motor, I noticed a 48-degree cooler difference with the increased capacity and the cooling the frame provides. Plus I moved the oil filter to outside the frame and it not only runs cooler, but when you drain it now instead of it running all over the frame like an engine-mounted version, it just goes into the pan no problem.”
Suspension aft is by a pair of Works Performance shocks tailored to Steve’s application. The underseat location makes a prominent statement about performance, but in a stylish way. A 41mm H-D fork shortened 2” cradles a full-figure 130×18 Metzeler on a 60-spoke wheel that levels off the transition from the rear 240 Metzeler in a turn.
Back to that power to weight stuff, Steve’s nicely-modded 95” S&S engine gives a heady 95hp which in combination with a fully-gassed weight of 515lb is like having a Super Glide with a 125hp engine. Getting that much power out of a stock TC 96 is one expensive proposition and even then you’re still hauling 160lb extra which cuts into quickness, handling, braking, and the fun of having something you can just throw around back roads. “We’re experimenting with carbon fiber for the tank and fenders. That’s a six-pound difference with the tank alone and it doesn’t sound like a lot, but a little here and a little there makes a difference,” said Steve. “It’s also kind of a cool thing.” Add that 6 pounds to the 35 saved on the coming chromoly frames and you’re at 474 wet. Even more realistic is how the feel of big torque we love is so much more effective pushing lighter weight. “It’s just amazing to ride,” said Steve. “I thought it wouldn’t appeal to the dresser crowd at all, but it’s been almost the exact opposite. You can see the wheels turning in their head when you explain the power to weight ratio on this bike and how much their dressers would have to put out [approximately 165hp] to equal it.”
In the same way any Indian Larry bike dared you to ride it and not be intimidated by it, so does Steve Stone’s wicked fun to ride bike. From Steve’s hammered out tank to the classy understated paint, it’s also a cool bike to be seen riding, just like a black Tri-Power ’65 GTO was then and still is today. I wouldn’t be surprised if 40 years from now, riders felt the same way about Steve Stone’s bike.
Up Close: S&S Teardrop Air Cleaner
I’m not stuck in it, but I do love it. Oh, I’m talking about tradition, in case you were wondering. I do love a Panhead engine simply for its looks in much the same way an original EL springer fork can’t be beat for honesty of style.
When something looks right in an indefinable way, it will stand the test of time from one generation of riders to the next and so on.
Most of the traditional cues come directly from production models of the past (and usually are from Harley-Davidsons), but sometimes the aftermarket comes up with one of their own. Take the ubiquitous S&S Teardrop air cleaner that’s graced so many bikes over the years that I think even S&S can’t be sure how many they’ve made. This iconic piece of aluminum has graced anything and everything from pro street to long and low choppers to bobbers to dead stockers and anything else you can think of and somehow always looks good doing it.
Like a pair of fat bob tanks, the S&S teardrop air cleaner looks the same even when it’s changed. Over the years, it’s been adapted to fit not only the range of S&S carbs, but also stock Harleys whether they’re of the carburetor or EFI persuasion even including the latest ride-by-wire throttles. That’s sure making an old dog learn new tricks. S&S is not just content with adapting this to fit as is, but even has an improved high-flow version for stock carbs and single-bore EFI throttle bodies.
Like the shape of a Coke bottle or any Halibrand mag wheel, the S&S Teardrop air cleaner just looks right. Find out more at www.sscycle.com or call 608-627-1497.
Builder: Steve Stone Stone’s Motorcycle Company
Steve Stone, fearless leader of Stone’s Motorcycle Company, has been at this crazy custom motorcycle thing since Henry Ford stopped making the Model T or maybe that’s just the way it seems to me. All I know is that once you have to keep track of time in decades, you’ve been at it a real long time. What’s cool about Steve is that he hasn’t lost one iota of passion for making customs and is not stuck in something he did successfully 5, 10, or 20 years ago. He’s busy trying to keep his finger on the pulse of what makes a good custom motorcycle and that especially includes actually riding it. “We lost our way, I think we went on like a big drunken binge and went crazy in every direction. Like 330 and 360 tires, or ‘Oh, 38-degree rake? I’ll make mine 48, I’ll make mine 54.’ All of a sudden we’re suffering from a huge hangover now and everybody’s like, ’Holy shit, that wasn’t as much fun as I thought it was.’ To put it simply, you can’t ride ‘em.”
He’s still not satisfied with what he’s done successfully here with plans for a lighter frame and using composite materials in the next builds shows he’s not stuck in one place. “It handles really good, but the next one I build, I’m doing a 160 or a 180 rear tire,” said Steve. “I have to be different than somebody else. The young guys want something different than we’ve been doing. Nobody wants Grandpa’s old car — or Grandpa’s old bike either. This is a brand new motorcycle, the frame, the front end, the wheels, the engine, everything. I put the engine together myself.” I should add it’s available for under $18K.
Visit www.stones-custom.com or call 508-393-6816 for more info.
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