Hank Thibodeau of Widowmaker Custom Design & Repair in Rougemont, North Carolina, is the brain and the brawn behind this bike built specifically to give away. No, not just to anybody, but a raffle bike to support the 4 LUV of Kids organization that helps really, really sick kids. I’d dare say it was a success too as Widowmaker CDR raised a bunch of money. Now, that’s a feel-good Christmas story even if the drawing happened late in September at the Ray Price Capital City Motorsports Expo. It’s nice to know some poor sick kids made out because of Hank’s hard work and a bunch of good-hearted motorcycle industry sponsors. Gives me a good feeling and I had absolutely nothing to do with it.

    One thing’s for sure, Hank’s not afraid to work on anything on two wheels and that includes repair work as well as custom work and ground-up builds. He’s done a lot of great stuff over the years with Harleys and still does, but whether it’s European, Asian or American of any type or model, he’ll gladly take it on. Not too long ago Barnett’s Magazine Online featured another of Widowmaker CDR’s builds and you’d never ever put two and two together that it was one of Hank’s after seeing this one.  Kind of like comparing an apple and a dime.

     Beginning with the first edition Road Star from 1999, Hank got rid of most of the bike and began installing the engine in an Ultima rigid frame with 34-degrees of rake and a four-inch up and a four-inch out frame set up for a 240mm rear tire. I don’t know if that’s Old School/New School or just late to school, but it’s a fat-tire style that’s still quietly popular today. Installing the engine in the frame set up for a Harley Evo engine required a good bit of work and that rear cylinder clearance shows there was just enough to pull it off. Must have been a lot of phew-ing going on when he saw it actually cleared.

   Up front there’s an ultra beefy chromed 63mm inverted fork cradling a repurposed Harley-Davidson Rocker front wheel while out back another holds that 240mm tire that you rarely see now except on a dealer’s showroom floor. A single disc in front and a sprocket brake rear on the now chain final drive keeps those wheels from turning something easily avoided into a problem. Remember now, this is a giveaway bike so you gotta take any long odds into account. 

    I don’t know a lot about the Road Star’s engine from personal experience, but I do know it puts out approximately the same power as a Harley. I do know that Hank mounted on one of his custom forward facing intakes and along with his kick-ass exhaust, it’s got to be letting more horses out of the corral along with a seriously good sound too. You know, the more I look at it, the more I like the exhaust as it’s just different enough to be cool without trying hard plus it’s kinda sporty looking too. Carolina Custom Coating of Raleigh, North Carolina, supplied the ceramic coating.

    Bodywork was simple yet complicated at the same time. That’s not some aftermarket dished tank, but the stocker cut and dished by ol’ Hank hisself. I’ve always liked that look and it sure makes mounting easy while looking custom as hell. Smooth, simple and elegant fenders were used front and rear and I wouldn’t be the least bit worried about riding that bike in the rain. They look wicked cool and they work too, what a pleasant surprise. The Ferrari Testarossa-like straked frame covers are either heavily modified OEM stuff or Hank knocked ‘em out from scratch ─ doesn’t matter because I like ‘em either way.

    Auto Arts Inc., also in Raleigh, provided the silver metal flake paint with a wisp of brown (gold?) flame graphics, but that wasn’t the whole paintjob. The head light and dash have some intense hydro graphics applied by Raleigh Hydrographics. If you don’t know what that is, it’s immersion printing or water transfer printing. You dip a part in what appears to be a vat of water and it comes out looking way cooler. All I know is that it’s a quick, cool and, I assume, inexpensive way to add some art to your ride. I like the contrast of graphics here from the flames to the hydrographics to the lettering of sponsors on the tank. There’s just enough of everything.

    Sitting low and pretty is what this bike is all about and that stylish, yet comfortably fat seat with French stitching is by Jerry’s Old School Auto Upholstery in Butner, North Carolina, makes the reach to the beautifully curved 17-inch apes a bit of a stretch, but as the late actor Fernando Lama famously said, “It’s better to look good than to feel good.” Ah, I’ve just got to realize that not everybody’s vertically challenged like me and they do look good and as Fernando said . . .

    So, yeah it’s not a Harley, but it’s a damn fine Road Star custom and its purpose was to help sick kids which it did to the tune of over $18Gs. Not bad, not bad at all. And, with it so close to Christmas, it’s a feel-good story about motorcyclists doing what they do best ─ charity work for those in need.

   For more info on Hank Thibodeau and Widowmaker Custom Design & Repair, just click on http://widowmakercdr.com/ or check ‘em out on Facebook.