BMX

May 17 2010

Tony, the owner of CJ Cycles, likes to do things a little differently. In addition to repair, service and restoration to all makes and models, Tony and his staff get in around 10-15 custom bike builds per year. Most of the builds are specced out by the customer, with the end result pretty much known from the start. But once in a while, when the guys in the shop a have a bit of time on their hands, they gather a few miscellaneous parts together and build something out of the ordinary.

As they started to build this bike, Tony didn’t know where the project would take him, and no one really knew what the final result would be. His only thought was he wanted something fun to build and that it had to look old. Without a real plan in place, he grabbed this Paughco rigid wishbone frame as the starting point of the build and began adding to it.

While Tony would have liked to use an original knucklehead engine – he has a couple kicking around, one in one of his personal bikes and the other destined for a different project – he decided to stuff a hundred-inch Revtech mill into the frame.

Lacing up a couple of 21-inch wheels, the bike began to take on a vintage board track racer theme. Tony tracked down a snug-fitting fender from Chica to finish off the rear end.

The leaf-spring front end was created in Tony’s shop and is in keeping with the vintage racer look. While not common, this type of suspension did grace the front end of many production Indian motorcycles.

Next on the agenda was an oil tank, but Tony didn’t want just any run-of-the-mill oil tank. He decided to make his own oil can and mount it up front between the frame and front wheel. All that was needed now was to run some custom-made copper oil lines.

The fuel tank was a special find in California, thanks to eBay. Originally from an Indian mini bike, it gave the build a BMX bicycle look. Out of the whole bike’s development, the fuel tank gave the biggest headaches. After the bike was built, Tony realized that the old Indian tank leaked. After many attempts to fix the leak, the tank was eventually cut in half and sandblasted clean, the pinholes were fixed and it was welded back together.

Tony admits he isn’t now, nor has he ever been, into BMX bikes, but it just goes to show that sometimes it’s better not to a have a plan and just to see what happens in the end. MMM

 

Owner CJ Cycles
Make: Custom
Model: BMX
Builder: CJ Cycles
Time to Build: Four months

Engine
Builder: Custom Chrome
Displacement: 100 cubic inches
Cases: RevTech
Heads: RevTech
Lower End: RevTech
Carburetor: Mikuni
Air Cleaner: Custom
Ignition: Dyna Single Fire
Exhaust: CJ Cycles

Transmission
Type: Five speed
Case: Harley-Davidson
Clutch: Late model
Primary Drive: Chain

Frame
Year: 2000
Builder: Paughco
Type: Rigid
Rake: 34 degrees

Front End
Year: 2008
Builder: CJ Cycles
Type: Leaf spring

Painting Stevie at Hot Rod Hell

Restoration CJ Cycles

Wheels
Front Size: 21 inch
Builder/Manufacturer: Custom / CJ Cycles
Tire Make and size: Duro 3.0 x 21 inch
Rear Size: 21 inch
Builder/Manufacturer: Custom / CJ Cycles
Tire Make and size: Duro 3.0 x 21 inch

Essentials
Gas Tank: Indian
Oil Tank: CJ Cycles
Fenders: Chica
Seat: CJ Cycles
Handlebars: CJ Cycles
Headlight: H-D Fat Boy
Taillight: Custom antique replica
Oil Lines: CJ Cycles
Brakes: Harley-Davidson
Mid Controls: H-D Dyna modified

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