Choppers
Kim Petit started out riding smaller imports and had about four seasons of riding under her belt when she asked Chad to build her a big chopper that would still be rideable and manageable for her 5’5” physique. She didn’t want a bobber, so that meant constructing a handmade chassis with a short stretch. Visibility was a tricky obstacle to overcome, so Chad hand-formed a gas tank to feed the 100” Ultima El Bruto powerplant and completely buried it around the backbone. “There’s probably only a half inch to the top of the tank so she can see over it, just enough to get a fuel nozzle into it.”
Aesthetically, Kim wanted something Old School yet classy. Chad drew his inspiration for Pin Up from the timeless lines of a vintage Corvette or a Chevy Bel Air. The simple yet stunning Candy Apple Red and vanilla paint job, accented by Tex McDorman’s pinstriping, stays true to the 50’s theme.
Chad chose to retain the clean lines of Twisted Chopper’s FTS rigid but took the edge off the ride with a scissor-spring mounted seat. Kim feels like the hardtail offers her a more responsive ride and swears she won’t go to a softail until age dictates it for her. According to Chad, the “responsiveness” doesn’t phase her a bit, nor does the ambient heat of the bike’s wrapped two into one exhaust, nor the chopper’s lack of gauges. Kim does, however, make a special effort to keep her pants out of the open primary. Sorry Mrs. Petit, but no bell bottoms for you!
Chad is really proud of the way Pin Up turned out and swears that Kim loves it. So I was more than a little surprised when I noticed it listed for sale on Twisted Choppers’ website. I just had to bust him on it. “Well, she wants the opportunity to have another one built for her and the sooner this one sells, the sooner she can implement the ideas she has for her next bike, which is gonna be even bigger and better.” Why was I even surprised to hear this? Women! I swear, you gotta love ‘em because if you didn’t…(sigh)
Builder: Chad Petit, Twister Choppers
Chad Petit considers motorcycles to be a big part of the culture in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he grew up. He zipped around on dirt bikes as a kid and started playing in rock bands at the age of 14. “The motorcycling lifestyle and musician lifestyle is about the same attitudes of independence, pride and respect, which appeals to me in a huge way. If you don’t live the lifestyle, it’s very hard to be involved in it. This is not a job to me,” said Chad. As the marketing guy at Twisted Choppers, Chad wanted to try his hand at designing and fabricating a bike so that he could better understand the company and credits founders Jason Kangas and Kai Morrison with teaching him the trade and ensuring that Pin Up was mechanically wife-worthy.
Stylistically, while Chad admires a quality finish, he doesn’t like a bike to appear so pretty as to be unrideable. Chad believes that unlike a car, being able to see the mechanics of what makes the motorcycle work is half the beauty of it. “I’m partial to rat bikes with attitude that have a lot of the builder himself in them. Those guys aren’t trying to build something that somebody else might like, but trying to build a personal reflection of themselves,” he said. Chad can be contacted at Twisted Choppers 605-498-0105 or check out the website at twistedchoppers.com.
| SPECIFICATIONS | |
|---|---|
| Owner: | Kim Petit |
| Year / Make: | 2005 ‘Pin Up’ Twisted Chopper |
| Fabrication: | Chad Petit, Jason Kangas, Kai Morrison |
| Assembly: | Chad Petit |
| Build time: | 3 months |
| Engine: | 2005 Ultima El Bruto 100 c.i |
| Camshaft: | 248 Duration .625″ lift |
| Carburator: | S&S G |
| Ignition: |
Crane Hi-4 |
| Pipes: | Twisted Choppers – Hookah 2 into 1 |
| Air Cleaner: | S&S |
| Transmission: | 6-speed |
| Primary: | BDL 3″ |
| Frame: | 2005 Twisted Choppers Custom FTS |
| Rake: | 45 Degrees |
| Stretch: | 5 inch up, 1 inch out |
| Swingarm: | Not a chance |
| Shocks: | Hydro Front / Scissor spring seat rear |
| Modifications: | 2 inch downtube, looped seat area |
| Forks: | Pro 1 tubes and lowers |
| Fork Extension: | 16″ over |
| Triple Trees | Storz 5 degree |
| Front Wheel: | Twisted Choppers Xyster/ 21×2.125 |
| Rear Wheel: | Twisted Choppers Xyster / 18x 8.5 |
| Front Tire: | Metzeler 240 |
| Rear Tire: | Metzeler 240 |
| Front Brake: | HHI |
| Rear Brake: | HHi |
| Fuel Tank: | Twisted Choppers/ Jason Kangas |
| Rear Fenders: | Twisted Chopper 10.5 |
| Handlebars/Risers: | Twisted Choppers |
| Headlight: | 7.25 Tribar |
| Taillight: | 32 Ford |
| Hand Controls: | PM Contour |
| Foot Controls: | Twisted Choppers Machine Gun |
| Graphics: | Tex McDorman – TEXEFX |
| Molding: | Color Mystique |
| Painter: | Color Mystique |
| Mirror: | Pro 1 |
| Seat: | Twisted Choppers spring seat |