contents€¦ · contents november 2013 ... drag, flat track and road racing machines. so where...

ContentsNOVEMBER 2013

ON THE COVERVolume 23 Number 8 Our 196th IssueThis cover of IronWorks proudly honors two sides of custom bike building:the new and the old. The past is faithfully represented by Bob McKays far-out 70s-style digger, a product of good friends and genuine componentsthat add up to a true piece of American motorcycling history. Meanwhile,Pete Pearson of Rocket BobsCycle Works in the UK offers uphis Gasd Rat Shovelhead, anAMD Championship contenderthat shows whats possible whenall bets are off and the canvas isblank. So old or new, weve gotsomething for you. Dig in!

FEATURE BIKESRocket Bobs Gasd Rat ..........................10A stripped down, jacked up Shovel

Dead-on Digger .....................................20 Authentic down to the details

Rough Crafts Sporty ..............................30Asian beauty with American influences

Hot Rod Three Wheeler .........................36Northeast Chop Shops take on the breed

C&Cs Carbon Fiber FXR.........................44A classy custom with solid racing pedigree

*Reclaimed Indian Hillclimber ................48Well used and proud of it

FEATURE STORIES*Indians Take to the Asphalt!.................18We ride all three new models

Next Gen Bikers....................................26Center stage at the Donnie Smith Show

*Indian Fan-atic....................................34One riders captivating collection

REGULARSMarilyn Stemp ........................................6Think locally, bike globally

Sam Kanish ............................................8Whatd you say?

Rick Fairless .........................................14Table for six, please

*Ed Youngblood ...................................73Floyd Clymers Munch-framed Scout

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DEPARTMENTSLetters ................................................16Readers write

Great Rides ........................................ 52Where are you going next?

Made in the USA ..................................54LeatherLyke Riding Luggage

Ultimate Garage Buyers Guide................68Get your shop together for better productivity

*Seasoned Citizens............................ 76A European Wall of Death 101 Scout

IW GARAGEShop Time with Mike Witt ......................56High mileage hop-up

Badlands Lighting Module Install .............59Lighter and brighter

Whats a Bike Builders Favorite Tool? .....60We asked, they answered

Lincoln Electric Welding Series................64Making mods for safety and comfort

IW Product Review: BLT Flooring.............65One change makes a startling impact

One Mans Ultimate Garage....................66Borrow his tips for your own workspace

IW Product Review: Dynaplug .................69Tire trouble handled

IW Product Review: CruzTools ................71Compact and at-the-ready

IW Product Review: Pingel Products ........72Chocks and tie-downs to simplify life

S&S Cycle Vintage Revival ......................74Sidevalve Sally: Take Two

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*= Exclusive, Expanded Indian Coverage!

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Custom bikes usually have a history tothem; an origin story that weavestogether a builder, a bike, and a fogof other details that eventually become themotorcycle itself. Whether youre on yourfirst motorcycle or your hundredth, weve allheard these stories. Sometimes theyre assimple as dropping a name or mentioningthe shop where you bought your bike. Butother times the path isnt so direct. Per-haps the roller came from one shop, but

the engine was leftover from another pro-ject. Maybe you even have a few rare partsthrown in, like a set of vintage Invadermags or a pair of genuine Japanese Misu-mi risers with stories all their own that be-come part of the finished epic. For theowner of this high performance black beau-ty, Ki Yoon Lee, and its builder Roy Cham-berlin of C&C Cycle in Severn, MD, the lat-ter pattern was the model.

It all starts with a name that echos

broadly in the world of motorcycle racing:Sandy Kosman. If his name doesnt immedi-ately ring a bell, dont be embarrassed;most of us could very easily spend ourwhole riding lives without ever seeing apiece of Kosman hardware on the street.Thats because Kosman spent most of histime engineering equipment for race bikesof all makes and models, starting from abasement shop in 1965. When it came tofull-on race equipment, all the big manufac-

44 IronWorks November 2013

C&Cs Carbon DreamIt all started with Sandy Kosman...Story by Vincent Stemp Photos by Marilyn Stemp

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45IronWorks November 2013

turers went to Kosman to re-engineer theirchassis and suspension equipment fordrag, flat track and road racing machines.

So where does high-end race equipmentfit into the picture? Innovation was always aspecialty for Kosman; they were one of thefirst companies to offer professional wheelwidening for those looking for more tractionon the strip. But there were other venturesas well, including a brief run of FXR-stylechassis for street use. Kosman only built afew of them, and one ended up at Zippersin the showroom, mocked up as a roller,Roy recalls. It had some carbon fiber partson it and really caught Mr. Lees eye, whosnatched it up.

But Zippers doesnt build bikes; they en-gineer engine kits, machine cylinder headsand develop EFI tuners. Mr. Lee hooked


up with Roy to make the roller roadwor-thy, but it was hardly a blank sheet ofpaper. It was a roller, Roy admits, but itwas far from complete. The bikes time atZippers had been spent mostly as a racingprop, it was never fully set up for riding onthe street or otherwise. Mr. Lee wantedit as a street bike, so I convinced him thatan S&S 124 motor would be a better

choice than the huge race motor that Zip-pers had mocked up the bike with, Roysaid. Backed up by a set of Andrewsgears backcut by Zippers in a Delkrontransmission case and a big Banditt raceclutch, the drivetrain was locked andloaded with high-performance butstreetable equipment.

There were other fiddly problems con-

verting the bike for street riding as well.Apparently set up for drag racing, the fueltank was plumbed for dual petcocks tofeed thunderjets that were no longer partof the street drivetrain, along with recess-es for two big batteries that would havebeen necessary to crank a big bore, highcompression race motor. Roy set to workre-plumbing the fuel and oil lines, making

46 IronWorks November 2013


47IronWorks November 2013

mounts, and fitting lights all the whilekeeping the bike sleek. It was time con-suming to wire up everything, hide it andkeep it clean, Roy said.

But the detail work paid off. Check outthe cleanly frenched-in rear lights, and theuncluttered Dakota Digital speedo deftly in-tegrated into the Custom Cycle Controlbars that Mr. Lee picked out. He alsopicked out the hand and foot controls, buthis biggest stipulation was that bike be to-tally black and carbon fiber, even theswingarm and wheels, said Roy.

This was easier said than done. Roy didsome research trying to track down amaker of carbon fiber wheels hed seen ata trade show a few years back, but could-nt find a pair of wheels anywhere. Be-sides, a part like the swingarm would beextremely difficult and expensive to havemade in carbon fiber, so Roys researchtook him in a few different directions. Ilooked into having the parts wrapped incarbon fiber, but then found someone whowas willing to treat the parts with aprocess called hydro-dipping, Roy recalls.

Hydro-dipping, or water transfer printing,allows for an even transfer of pigment to asurface through submersion. The carbonfiber finish was then applied through thisprocess to the wheels, bodywork,swingarm, and other trim pieces includingthe carbon fiber fenders that came with theKosman outfit. The carbon-look finish wasgreat, but the surface was covered in or-

ange peel and I had to have them clearcoated again, Roy recalled. It hadnt beeneasy, but the finish was finally nailed down.

Suspension is all top-notch, a productof the lofty performance potential thatSandy Kosman built into his equipment. Aninverted KTM fork is gripped by Kosmantriple trees in the front, while a singleWorks Performance shock suspends thecustom Kosman swingarm. The result is astreetbike much in the pattern of the origi-nal FXR, but even better. Its quick, itstops and it handles, Roy smiles. Cant dothat with 30 wheels!

In an age of overstimulation and ag-gressive styling cues left and right, youhave to appreciate such a fundamentallystreetworthy bike like this. Its understatedin finish yet purposeful in intent. As moreof us feel the need to spend more time onour machines and less time hanging outnext to them, bikes like this and shops likeRoys decisively point the way. IW

C&C Kosman CustomSpecificationsOwner: Ki Yoon LeeBuilder: Roy Chamberlin, C&C Cycle

GENERALYear, Make & Model: 2003 Kosman STX Assembly/Builder: Roy ChamberlinTimeline: 7 months

FORKSYear/Model: 2003/GCBBuilder: KTMType: InvertedTriple trees: Kosman 54mmExtension: None

ENGINEYear/Model: 2012/S&S CycleRebuilder: NoneDisplacement: 124Lower End: S&S CycleBalancing: S&S CyclePistons: S&S CycleCases: S&S CycleHeads: S&S CycleCams: S&S CycleLifters: S&S CycleAir Cleaner: S&S Cycle w/carbon fiber coverPipes: YaffeIgnition: S&S Cycle IST

TRANSMISSIONYear/Modifications: Delkron case w/Andrews gearsbackcut by ZippersEngine sprocket: 24-toothTrans sprocket: 24-toothWheel sprocket: 39-tooth

FRAMEYear: 2003Designer/Builder: Kosman/Roy ChamberlinRake/Stretch: None

ACCESSORIES Bars: Custom Cycle ControlsRisers: IntegratedFenders: Kosman, carbon fiberGas Tank: KosmanOil Tank: KosmanHeadlight: CCISpeedo: Dakota DigitalPegs: OMPElectrics: ThunderheartSeat: Kosman

WHEELS/TIRESFront Wheel: Came with frameFront Tire: AvonSize: 120/70/17Rear Wheel: Came with frameRear Tire: AvonSize: 180/55/17Hubs: Came with frameRotors: Came with frameBrakes: GMA

PAINTPainter: Cycle FinishColor: BlackPowdercoating: Premier Powdercoating

*RESOURCEC&C Cycle Severn, MD

410-305-0924 www.candccycle.com

Hey, Im18% carbon!

Think youd like to see more? Go to www.IronWorks-mag.com and click on Bikes.

Margaret Astri and Roy Chamberlain of C&C Cycle.


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