Mark must have mentioned the bike to his friends and his wife on a regular basis, because after his visits continued for awhile, Mark’s wife ordered his Chassis Design frame through Top Shelf, making sure that it would be ready for their wedding anniversary. Setting up the foundation of her husband’s custom bike was a task that she took seriously and she consulted with Barry before having it made. They decided (mostly from what Barry had gleaned from the past conversations he’d had with her husband) on a chopper look with deceivingly- small dimensions, it doesn’t look it, but the frame sports a mere two-inch stretch in the single downtube and single-inch added to the back bone, culminating at a neck raked to a conservative 35-degrees.
Obviously, Mark was ecstatic when he received the frame, but he didn’t keep it at home, it went directly to Top Shelf to start his custom bike project. Barry and Al set Mark’s frame on a lift in the shop and sat down with Mark to plan the rest of his build. The wheel sizes were quickly chosen because of the dimensions of the frame, only certain sizes would get the bottom frame rails parallel to the ground. An 18×5.5” PM Domino wheel fit with a 200mm-wide Metzeler tire was positioned at the rear of the bike. A matching 21×2.15” PM front wheel was chosen for the front axle, and also shod in Metzeler rubber. Two-piece rotors with PM’s Domino pattern machined into the carriers were bolted to each wheel hub and are pinched by a pair of 4-piston PM billet-aluminum calipers. Rounding out the rolling chassis, Barry ordered a custom Pro-One telescopic front end built two-inches-over stock length with an additional three-degrees of rake incorporated into the triple trees. According to Barry, the extra rake in the triple clamps was essential to setting up the proper rake and trail of the bike.
The experience Mark had on the other Top Shelf bike left him with a strong desire for a similar motor. Barry ordered him a 113” show-polished S&S engine. “I’m not a huge fan of 96” motors, not that there’s anything wrong with them. I just prefer S&S’ 113” because it seems to vibrate a little less, I’ve never had a single problem with one, and they don’t need to be hopped up. It’s more than powerful enough for most people right out of the crate,” Barry said. An S&S E carburetor was dressed with a Goodson aluminum air cleaner cover and Al fabricated the complex exhaust system. “Al put a lot of work into those pipes, there are a lot of subtle twists and bends. We like to give the customer a product that they’re going to be happy with — and we scrapped two other great looking versions before we and Mark decided on this style,” Barry said. They completed the driveline with a BAKER left-side-drive OD6 transmission with a polished case and a BDL three-inch open-belt primary assembled with more polished billet aluminum.
West Coast Chopper fender blanks were used to cover the wheels, and the long-by-chopper-standards fenders were trimmed and fit to the wheels and frame by the Top Shelf crew. “I like using West Coast’s fender blanks because they do a great job lining up the arc of the fender with the curvature of the tire,” Barry said. Three small, almost hidden, mounts hold the rear fender in place, but were never intended to hold a passenger. Barry and Al fabricated the gas tank and they positioned it relatively high on the backbone, lining up the top of the tank with the top triple tree where it smoothly transitions into the seat area.
After the bike was completely mocked up and essentially ready to ride, the Top Shelf guys tore it down and sent almost every part out for an assortment of different finishes. The frame, top motor mount, and license plate frame were sent to Bright Works for triple chrome plating. A number of other parts such as the foot controls also went to Bright Works for polishing, while the Goodson air cleaner cover was sent to Tay Herrera for engraving. The wheels, rotor carriers, assorted front-end parts, and grips were sent to DanCo for black anodizing. The headlight, fenders, gas tank, and oil bag traveled to Color Zone Designs for ice blue paint. Many of those sheet metal pieces also received a few graphics designed by Barry and Mark that consisted of white panel backgrounds accented by black ice flames. Finally, the exhaust pipes were covered inside and out in a matte black ceramic coating. As the parts returned to the shop with their new finishes, Barry and Al bolted it all back together in a matter of weeks.
It probably would have taken much longer for him to get the project done on his own and Mark couldn’t stress enough how much he appreciates his wife taking the first step for him. Other than telling her, he showed his appreciation by naming the bike after his wife, using her middle name, Nadine. It’s easy to believe that Mark thinks of his wife every time he rides the bike.
Up Close: Top Shelf Customs Mid-Shift Foot Controls
The old adage, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” is exactly how Top Shelf Customs’ Smasher series mid-controls came about. “I was trying to find a set of mids for a bike and I couldn’t find any that were affordable and fit on a custom bike,” Barry said. The only pair that he could find at the time was sold with a $5,000 primary kit, and the controls only bolted to that particular primary. After three or four months of development and testing, he machined the first set of Smasher mid-shift foot controls. “I wanted to keep the design as simple as possible, limit the number of moving parts, and make sure that it would work with most open-belt primaries,” Barry said. The result is the clean and sleek, polished- finish controls seen on Nadine.
Installing the controls is a simple matter, but it does require some mechanical skill. A single hole must be drilled in the motor plate between the motor and transmission for the shifter. A quarter-inch-thick plate of steel that makes up the mounting bracket must be welded to the right side of the bottom frame rail to support the brake lever and peg. The rear brake master cylinder is relocated off of the transmission end cover that tucks it out of the path of the rider’s foot with another billet-aluminum mounting bracket.
Smasher series mid-shift controls are available for BDL, Primo, and Ultima 3” open-belt primaries and Top Shelf Customs just recently released a version for Primo and BDL 2” open belt primaries. Contact Top Shelf Customs for a set of mids online at www.topshelfcustoms.com or call 714-903-8042.
Builder: Barry LaCour Top Shelf Customs
Barry LaCour is the owner of Top Shelf Customs in Huntington Beach, a title and career that seemed to be a natural progression of his life. His dad gave him his first bike, an old Yamaha 60cc that didn’t run. “If my little brother and I could get the bike running, my dad said we could keep it,” Barry said. Eventually, the two got the bike on the road, and Barry has had a motorcycle of some kind in his life since then. “I didn’t really get into Harleys until I had worked at Performance Machine for a few years,” Barry said. His time at PM lasted for about eight years before he started his own custom shop.
It’s been quite a few years since he left PM, but now he’s an authorized dealer of their entire catalog, along with many other parts companies like CCI, Drag Specialties, and Biker’s Choice. His shop is known for more traditionally- styled customs and, through the years of experience, he’s developed his own line of parts and accessories. “I could never have come as far as I have without the people I work with every day like Al Reposo, Mark Kawakami (website designer), and Taylor Schulz (pin striper),” Barry said. “I’m lucky to get to do something that I love and still help people realize their motorcycle dreams.”
Barry keeps himself and his coworkers busy with original ideas and an ever-expanding shop. In addition to the variety of parts Top Shelf already offers, they’re working on a few more that should be available soon; look for a new, innovative set of triple trees and a different style of handlebars as well. In other big news, Barry just moved the shop to a larger facility. It’s essentially located at the same address, just in a larger, more visible spot next to Bolsa Chica Road.
Contact Top Shelf Customs at 714-903-8042 or visit www.topshelfcustoms.com.
This bike feature originally appeared in Barnett’s Magazine issue #67, January-March 2009.
SPECIFICATIONS | |
---|---|
Owner: | Mark Kawakami |
Year/Make: | 2007 Top Shelf Custom |
Fabrication/ Assembly: |
Top Shelf Customs |
Build time: | 4-months |
Engine: | S&S 113″ |
Cases/ Flywheels: | S&S |
Rods/ Pistons: | S&S |
Cylinders/ Heads: | S&S |
Cam: | S&S |
Ignition: | S&S |
Carb: | S&S Super E |
Pipes: | Top Shelf Customs |
Air Cleaner: | Goodson/Tay Herrera |
Transmission: | BAKER 6-speed |
Primary: | 3″ Open Belt BDL |
Clutch: | BDL |
Frame: | Chassis Design |
Rake: | 35-degrees |
Stretch: | 2″ up and 1″out |
Forks: | Pro-One 2″over |
Front Wheel: | 21×2.15″ PM Domino |
Rear Wheel: | 18×5.5″ PM Domino |
Front Tire: | Metzeler 90/90×21 |
Rear Tire: | Metzeler 200/55×18 |
Brakes: | PM 4-piston |
Fuel Tank: | Top Shelf Customs |
Oil Tank: | Chassis Design |
Fenders: | West Coast Choppers |
Handlebars: | H-D 883R |
Risers: | Joker Machine |
Headlight: | Arlen Ness |
Taillight: | Top Shelf Customs |
Hand Controls: | PM Contour |
Foot Controls: | Top Shelf Customs Mid-Shifts |
Electrical: | Top Shelf Customs |
Chroming: | American Bright Works |
Painter: | Color Zone Designs |
Color: | HOK Ice Pearl Blue and White |
Graphics: | Matt Polosky |
Polishing: | American Bright Works |
Molding: | Color Zone Designs |
Seat: | Azteca Custom Seats |