The Vardenchi Skeletor

When passion rules the game! Yes, that is a Scorpion classic and that is what a small outfit that started out as a result of pure passion is now shaping up to. Vardenchi. A group of passionate bikers lead by Akshai Varde from Mumbai, India has rapidly turned heads in India with their iconic designing. You might remember the name from a previous post. In a resource limited country (nice word I picked up working in public health), where to put your passion into artful craftsmanship, you have to rely on only a single brand (read Royal Enfield), Akshai and his talented band has churned out many artful designs on the Royal Enfield each distinctively different from each other. To view some models, visit their website. And then take a look at their blog to see their new creation, Vedic Chopper, it will blow you away! The photos are all there, will definitely post the chopper if I get some more info on the bike. Now Vardenchi is a full fledged custom motorcycle manufacturing company. And similar to their famous cousins in U.S who designs for Hollywood stars, Vardenchi is quite popular among Bollywood stars. Jackie Shroff, a former Bollywood hero had approached Akshai to design a bike in the form of a skeleton after he saw a similar bike on the net. And what you see here is the end result. An example of how to create an obnoxious concept into a stunning visual delight.

Jackie with his bike, the Vardenchi Ghost Rider bike and the bike which Jackie saw

Vardenchi has created a ‘skull’ bike on the lines of the bike that Hollywood star Nicolas Cage rides in Ghost Rider. So I believe that they did have a head start. But that’s the negativity of it. Making a onetime concept is something, improving on it and that too this dramatically… now that’s real talent.
Akshai says "At Vardenchi our philosophy is quality first. It may sound very clichéd but it is the fact. Back in the day when we had just begun I vowed to build to the most spectacular rides the country has ever seen, and along the way I have learnt the importance of many other factors that go into creating the perfect ride like comfort and ride appeal. Today all aspects of customization of the motorcycles is looked into and we hope to create a custom motorcycle that will be world renowned and put India on the map in one more field."

Like all custom bike builders, there are some basics Vardenchi always follows. Their technical uniqueness is the single sided swingarm with integrated disc brakes and the belt drive. If you know India, you will know that besides Royal Enfield, the biggest bike in terms of ‘cc’ that is completely made in India is the Bajaj Pulsar 220, a 220cc single cylinder engine. The Royal Enfield stable horses are not much different either when it’s about the machine as all are single cylinder air cooled 2 valve engines with twin suspensions at the back. A throwback at the 60s… Aah! And that’s the reason why we really need to even more acknowledge Vardenchi’s work as they have to make everything in house, they cannot out source anything even the paint or the cost would get sky rocketed. The Vardenchi choppers are a perfect blend of classic and new age motorcycles. They will provide you with such a range of varied styling options that you will feel like a young boy at the candy store. You can just tell the gang on your preferences and the bike will be probably better than what you had conceptualized. There will be only one thing similar, the distinctive styling of Vardenchi.

They use the finest qualities of paint and chrome available to give that world class finish to the motorcycles. The client is kept in very close interaction during the entire process of design and building.
As for the Skeletor, Akshai says “This is by far one of the craziest builds we have done. Took us 3 months to complete this ride and it was one hell of a time. We started on the base of a Vardenchi Classic with a two arm swinger in the back and a decent rake in the front end. What we did after was the nightmare. The skeleton actually has an inner skeleton made of metal wires and plates. This was then wrapped around with cloth for bulk. For the detail in the finish we had to cover the cloth with a layer of Plaster of paris. We then carefully carved out the details in the plaster of paris to get it to look very realistic. It took hours and hours of creative labor to get us there. For a hard outer layer and to prevent any damage to the POP we then applied a coat of fibre glass hardening compound. This is what gave it the smooth bone like look. Again hours of grinding and and finishing were required to get the effect close to the real thing. The reference we were given was a pretty similar bike but when we looked at is closely it had no front suspension and no rear chain drive. So essentially it was a dummy. For us the challenge was to get skeletor to ride. So we put pivot points in the arms which come down along the forward suspension which allowed for movement during suspension. The final look during a run was so wild it looked like the skeletor was actually on the road, running! We gave the skeleton a final finish of a metal matte silver paint job. And he was ready to go. I’ve never got so many stares on a motorcycle before.”

Akshai Varde adds "We took the engine of a Royal Enfield Thunderbird and began creating the skeleton with a rough framework of metal structure. Several layers of plaster of Paris packed with fibre glass compound created the fine look of dry bone on the bike's surface. After days of work, we had the beginnings of a skeleton. The silver finish is unique as it is neither gloss nor matte but seems as if it was cast from aluminium. The hands and legs have pivot joints so that when the rider rides it, the bike gives an impression of a galloping skeleton. The final touch was the LED light in the skull's eyes so that we could scare people at night. The bike is a lot of fun to ride and gets more stares than you can imagine."
Way to go Akshai and your band of bikers Vardenchi. The thing about this Skeletor is that you must have seen a few bikes with the same concept, but this actually is a beautiful bike. It really is. It has all the look of a chopper and it also has the concept allthrough the bike. It really is a beautiful fusion. I mean you can either make a beautiful cjopper or else make a beautiful bike in the form of a skeleton. It’s the fusion that is really enthralling.
Also a special note to from where I got the pictures. XBHP is a motorcycle forum which has its roots in India. This article had appeared in a link on the forum. Here is the original post. Sunny or Sundeep Gajjar, the man behind XBHP, is the guy who took the photos. He is an amazing photographer and one just can’t ignore, but mention his beautiful photography. Is it really his photography or the bike I don’t know, maybe both, but the Skeletor is one definite stunner.
Visit Vardenchi to know more about their work. Here and here are 2 links to posts about the bike with Jackie Shroff.

Is Lucifer's Hammer 3 coming?

This month has been great. Couple of weeks after I made a post on the very rare DUCATI Supermono, I got a letter from a gentlemen who 'owns' one of the DUCATI Supermono and I made a post of it on the blog. Some time back, I made a post on the even rarer Lucifer's Hammer and just a few days back, I got another letter from a gentleman, Mr. Steve Ledsham who mentioned that he has more info the Lucifer's Hammer or rather on LH2. I requested Steve to send whatever info he had and surprise! surprise! He actually owns part of a Lucifer's Hammer! Part of? Did I say? Well, read on. Below is Steve mail. However I would request you to read the Lucifer's Hammer post first so that you dont miss out the story.

Lucifer 2 (LH2- Buell)

Regarding Homologation query raised in a previous post: In the mid 80's to achieve AMA homologation a manufacturer had to present a bike largely complete and meeting existing regulations, in this case to the AMA and demonstrate financial and manufacturing ability to build another 50 machines. However the AMA might have allowed a little latitude to an American manufacturer using Harley Davidson engines to take on the might of Europeans manufactures in BOT racing!

A little history: In the early mid 80's European manufactures had successfully argued that the CC limited should be raised from 750cc to 1000cc thus allowing Ducati, Moto Guzzi and others to race their bikes competitively, however this made Lucifer 1 (750cc) too slow to be a front runner against bigger capacity of the European works bikes. Lucifer 1 need to grow a little therefore, the engine was enlarged mating (as you state) XR750 bottom end with XR1000 top. The extra power produced demanded a better chassis and Erik Buell was asked to build the chassis which later became known as the RR1000. The bike was developed / raced showing great promise and made some "what might have been" headlines but ultimately failed to win a major in the USA. Alas Gene Church got hurt racing LH2 and ultimately retired from racing and Don Tilley's interest in the project waned. When manufactures successfully argued a reduction in the engine capacity limit from 1000cc to a new limit of 900cc the Buell / XR750-XR1000 was effectively outlawed and ended BOT racing and Buell Lucifer 2 story. There was some thought of reducing the capacity of the Buell framed bike to maintain eligibility but I don't believe this happened. The final variant of Lucifer 2 using the same configuration XR750/1000cc engine but in a XRTT chassis was not to my knowledge raced in BOT due to the CC limit but was successful in other classes (possibly BEARS).

I have a great interest in the Lucifer 2 Buell story or rather the bikes whereabouts. Let me explain.

Some years ago I bought an early Buell, the chassis is an RR1000 and has 02/86 forming part of a short chassis number; Note all of the production RR1000 carry a full VIN number but mine does not. Erik described this chassis in correspondence (c1991) as one of two lightweight chassis he built for his own race efforts in 1986. These two chassis predate the RR1000 road bikes and from a variety of sources I have been told that RR1000 chassis 2 went to Don Tilley and became Lucifer 2.

My chassis 02/86 including swing arm, front fairing sub-frame, engine mountings castings, isolastics and tie bars, Ohlins rear shock, breather / separator, seat and a complete race prepared XR1000 engine, primary, gearbox and exhaust came from Erik Buell in 1991/2; basically a bike less forks, brakes and wheels. The bike pictured was completed in 1993 and competed in the Italian round of the Battle of the Twins championship. I purchased the bike from builder / owner in 2004.

Several years after purchasing the bike and in an attempted to locate period race parts and advice I sent an email to Don Tilley. In a response from Tilley Harley Davidson; Don asked another to respond on his behalf they stated that their Buell project only lasted a couple of years and that they had "nothing left" and suggested I speak with Henry Duga of Buell. What exactly Don's statement "nothing left" means I don't know but it does sounds like he doesn't have the Lucifer 2 Buell variant or at least the chassis. I do know that the second incarnation of Lucifer 2 (XRTT framed version) does exist and Don's workshops reassembled this bike quite recently using the original engine (I am advised). If this is the case then rationally the existence of Lucifer 2 Buell variant is not possible as the engine can only ever be in one chassis and very recently Lucifer 2 using the XRTT frame was being paraded at the race meetings in the USA.

On the evidence I have; my early Buell chassis 02/86, correspondence supplied when I purchased the bike, emails, some rational and educated guessing I think I might have Lucifer 2 Buell chassis but I can't be sure. I do know that my chassis is one of 2 preproduction bikes and the debate surrounds the interpretation of the chassis number; either 02/86 refers to backup or race chassis 2 or 02/86 refers to the second chassis To be produced. In my limited knowledge the 1st chassis made is always stamped 1 and so forth.

Some time back I was sent some photographs of an RR1000 chassis under construction with a modified xr750 fitted and the low oil tank (road RR1000 had their oil tank under the seat). Henry Duga has confirmed that these photographs are of Lucifer 2. Using the head stock length and diameter and also known engine dimensions as data points I scaled off frame dimensions and tube positions and compared them to my chassis: The dimensions are the same. Also comparing later photographs of the completed Lucifer 2 and comparing bracket positions e.g. coil and fairing sub-frame again proved to be the same.

I have been in correspondence with the Buell factory in an attempt to establish which bike I have but Henry Duga advises no records exist of non VIN bikes so establishing which chassis went where is difficult therefore but I am sure there is someone out there who could shed a little more light on this subject.

My bike is currently being rebuilt, the engine is overhauled and the black paint removed, the manifolds and inlet ports are being reworked. A Motoplat ignition is being sourced, new under sump oil tank and fuel tank are being manufactured, I have Dymag wheels, correct forks and AP brakes. I have also fitted and XRTT fairing which has been trimmed and now fits great and looks superb. I just need to decide on the colour scheme. Any suggestions?

Dear Steve,

Best of Luck on your project and if it is not possible to create LH2 without Don, we are very sure with your dedication and passion, we can expect Lucifer's Hammer 3, the Steve Ledsham creation very soon. All the best. And yes, can we have more photos? Please?

Also requesting any reader if they could anyway help Steve. You can reach him by email at lledlaw@aol.com or you just might want to write to him to know more about the project.

PHANTOM Motorcycles - The Ghost Who Rides

In 1929 the last motorcycle rolled out of the Phantom Manufacturing Co. works near Cambridge shortly before the mysterious disappearance and surmised deaths of the three founders of that great company. Yet, despite this seemingly unsurmountable obstacle, the company has been able to recently reopen and has produced its first new vintage motorbike since that fateful day in 1929. But how is this possible? The only surviving member of that original company, Mrs. Mabel Ramsbottom, will be 119 years old this year!
Okay, okay, where are we going? What is this? I wanted to know something about a bike company by the name of Phantom I had chanced upon on wiki and as I googled into a possible link of the one I was looking for, The Phantom, (http://www.thephantom.co.uk/) I read what I had copy pasted above. It was one of those ‘what-the’ things, but thought let me ‘continue reading’ and so…
For those of you familiar with the history of the Phantom Manufacturing Company, you will be aware that Mrs. Ramsbottom, company secretary, has been in spiritual contact with the three founders, Erasmus Thump, Enoch Podsnap and Titus Bottomly for many years now. Just recently, the location of the lost key of the Phantom works was revealed to her by none other than the spirit of Erasmus Thump himself!

This was getting way weird, in the search for a vintage motorcycle, I stumbled upon a fiction! But it is turning out to be interesting, so… Mrs. Ramsbottom carried out subsequent commands from the founders with an eye towards reopening the works as a going concern. After locating the lost trust accounts of the firm, missing since 1929, she hired a team of industrial cleaners and mechanics to spruce up the old works and bring back the existing production machinery to working standard.

Don’t ask me, I am a lost as ever and really hoping soon everything would make sense. Continuing... That work being accomplished, Mrs. Ramsbottom, together with the spirits of the founders, interviewed a selection of men to undertake the production tasks in support of the designs and plans of the founders. In due course, three somewhat grizzled men named Richard, Edward and Mark were selected, (owing in no small part to the fact that they were the only candidates willing to work for half a crown per month). Their task is to make in metal, the visions of the founders, and ensure the finished product is sold and supported for the betterment of The Phantom Manufacturing Company.
These chaps have been beavering away quietly in the works for the better part of two years, and now the time has come to unveil their handiwork -- the first new Phantom vintage motorbike since 1929....code-named, 'Erasmus' Gamble. Okay, so there was a company by the name of Phantom Motorcycles way back in 1919 formed by 3 gentleman and a lady and now after almost a century, some passionate guys from the U.K (see the website, they are from U.K) are bringing back the brand from the dead. Now it is getting interesting, but why a brand which probably very few have ever heard of, leave along seen it.

This is where it gets scary, the sole surviving founder, Mrs. Ramsbottom has been hearing voices/ talking to spirits (howsoever you may take it) for the last 5 years or had the ‘first contact’ 5 years back. What happened way back in 1929 was that after the founders decided to work on a new bike, they hired some staff and later one day, the staff were given a salary for a month and asked to leave. Then the trio locked themselves in Erasmus laboratory where the bike was being made and not until the next day when Mrs. Ramsbottom came to the office did they leave the lab. What happened then is even eerier. They were never seen again, and what happened in between no one knows. So after all these years, the then company secretary (now she is over 110 years old)started hearing the voices as to where the trust account are and all and then she contacted these gentleman which was also decided by the spirits/ voices. The 3 gentleman, Mark Frost, Ed Wimble and Dick Smith have their own motorcycle shops and are quite well known in the U.K with the name of Ace Classics and Baron’s Speed Shop. Incredibly, communications from the founders then began to reach these gentlemen via email. The messages brought instructions, drawings and a plan for building this bike Phantom EG.Whether you believe it or not is entirely up to you, I am just writing what I read. Anyway, the website if you have noticed is in the blog format and so as I started reading it wanting to know more about the brand. This is what I got to know in a nutshell. The brand was formed by the four founders, Mr. Erasmus Thump, Mr. Titus Bottomly, Mr. Enoch Podsnap and Mrs. Mabel Ramsbottom in the late Spring of 1919. Each of the founders had his/ her own responsibility. Mr. Thump was responsible for invention and exploration while Mr. Bottomly was the spanner man and giving shapes to the bike overall frame and design. Mr. Podsnap was responsible for testing the bike and helping out the other founders and Mrs. Ramsbottom was the company secretary.

Apparently, the gentlemen trio were the first inventors of the chain drive system which they mentioned as 'flexible, steel, ladder belt' drive system. “They also devised a crude gearbox, consisting of seven different cogs on three spindles, connected by four forks and two large clock springs. They called this amazing device, the 'Noddle Box.' It gave their machine three ratios so that operators would be sure they could climb any known hill and take full advantage of flat areas to achieve mind bending speeds.” Okay so designed the first gearbox, is it? They also designed a pulse-jet motor. Which was not very successful and so settled for the standard internal combustion engine. A kind of carburetor was developed which they called 'The Sneezer'. All in all, they experimented a lot. By this time, I was really keen to have a look at what the bike looked like and despite a thorough search, I could find only a picture of the bike and that too surrounded by the members and yes, there is also a video in a language I am not familiar with. So that was not of much help. But to continue on the story, the voices wanted the bike to look what they have dreamt of and so if this is what they had envisioned, wow! That is quite a bike. It looks like a pre WW II board track racer, only too damn beautiful.

So how does the new mortal trio build this bike? We build the Phantom EG the way we have always built motorbikes -- by the hands of skilled artisans. Our lads specify or form every piece of the machine. Of course, no two clients are the exact same shape, or have the exact same taste. As a result, every Phantom is unique, 'commissioned' as would a piece of fine art. The EG was designed from the start as an homage to those amazing machines that spunky gentlemen (and ladies) used to set speed records at Brooklands and board track racer circuits back in the 1920s. The Phantom EG is not for everyone. There are other motorbikes that are faster, and still others more comfortable.
Okay, they are being quite frank here, so for whom is the bike targeted at? It is obviously for fanatics (like me and you, but since we are a little sold out on cash, so…), its for vintage collectors, only that it can be ridden, and as ‘Erasmus Thump’ mentions, “A Phantom owner stands out from the crowd. He treasures the spirits of the past, and wonders what those pioneering riders, if they were still alive, would be riding today. It is not about being a purist with a desire to simply ride something from the past. It is to embrace the spirit of exploring speed and holding on to the best of the past, whilst embracing enough of the new to make the experience memorable again and again. What sets the Phantom EG apart from all others, is the abundance of soul. The spirits of The Phantom's founders, along with those legendary riders of the day such as Harry and Charlie Collier, W. D. Chitty, Bert Le Vack, Jake De Rosier, Jack Emerson, "Barry" Baragwanath, Gwenda Stewart, and scores of others both famous and not, run through every part of a Phantom EG. All these riders may have passed into history, but their presence is felt every time you sit astride a Phantom EG".

The features of the motorcycle will take you back to the golden days with its handmade lugs, a rigid rear end and machine-turned engine plates. The engine doing the work here is from a Norton 750 twin and the bike’s overall look is similar to a 1920 Norton BRS ‘Brooklands Race Special’ which was the world's first production racing bike and is beautifully fabricated. The frame has been designed such that it can accept different engines by changing the engine plates. Don’t know, if the riding position would be acceptable to a lot of bikers, but it sure looks that the back will get some tumble after a few kilometers and not to mention the shoulder blades. The forks are Girdraulics, while the wheels are 21-inchers wearing modern Michelins. The bars seem and actually are quite low, which for a race might be easy to handle but it will be surely very difficult for more than 20 to 30 minutes. Actually this bike is completely on the lines of the 20s broad track bikes and it is not meant for long rides and how much would you go with a less than 6 liter tank in a 750cc engine anyway? To get a feel of what a broad tracker bike might have looked like, visit Timeless Motor Company. If at all you want to convert it into a road bike, just pull up the handle and raise the seat, that’s all. Gears are in your hand and they are expected. Everything except the brakes belong to the 20s, but even the disc brakes up front and the one piece disc and sprocket rear brake seems so right in the bike.

The modern ‘founders’ will make up to six bikes a year and all these hand made bikes has to be ‘commissioned’. The enthusiast can choose their own specific wheels, brakes, engine, colours, seat, handlebars, etc. So the bike can be according to your whimsical and fancies but it would still look like ‘The Phantom’. And so how much is it going to cost? If you supply the engine, they will credit you back with £10,000 from the whole bike which they are retailing at £30,000. As mentioned, these guys are quite frank. Trump, the founder says “Some people who are not familiar with The Phantom Manufacturing Company have asked me if we will build a reasonably priced machine. My answer is that all our machines are reasonably priced and have always been so. But I would add that we will never be inexpensive either.
Let us be clear about this and get right to the point - the Phantom EG owner will be a gentleman of means. Prices for the Phantom EG range from $30,000 (approximately £20,000) to just over $100,000 (approximately £62,000) depending on component selection and finishes. We do not possess any financing capabilities”. The frames are hand built from the best steel. The fuel and oil tanks and tube joints are double butted and bronze gas welded. These hand crafted machines are made with consultation with the client which also includes taking the dimensions of the client so that they can design the proper "posture-triangle" positions of the hands, feet, and posterior. “In this way we can design the best compromise of speed and comfort, whilst maintaining the proper centre of gravity of the machine and rider. We then specify the type of motor and suspension we feel best meets the requirements of the client based upon the information collected. And, finally, we agree a final colour and detail design for the finished machine. The buyer is then required to place a deposit equal to one-third the price of the machine and a delivery date range is agreed. The buyer is provided images of their machine as it passes through the various stages of production and notified of the exact final delivery date 30-days prior. Final payment is due upon delivery. We are happy to ship your Phantom EG to you at cost by the most reputable of providers. Or, if you prefer, you may pick up your machine directly from us.”

Of course, as much as you are, I am also equally intrigued to know whether there was actually such a machine in the 20s. Nothing in the net suggested that, I do not have antique motorcycle books, but the ones I have of vintage and classic collection doesn’t mention a Phantom. The only picture I got was from wiki and it is here and it doesn’t seem like the same logo at all. The videos in the website don’t mention of the Phantom and the photos given of the erstwhile founders could be anyone. Search for an Erasmus Thump in the net and you will know what I mean. So all these can also be a fictitious story, right? Who cares! Three gentlemen has made a brilliant looking antique/ vintage motorcycle and let us just appreciate their love for the craft and of course the extraordinary skills they possess. This is a nice looking bike and if there is an interesting story to go along with it, it is that much better. A little spice always ‘spices’ up your life. So what s it about The Phantom that is ‘different’? When we began this adventure in 1919 (there ‘we’ go again), Enoch, Titus and I decided that we would not try to compete with the mass production companies that were in vogue at the time. Everyone we knew at the time who was running these companies spent more time with bankers than they did with their products or customers. We have vowed never to let that happen to us. We would rather shut our doors than do such a thing. So our company remains small, our machines are still hand built – often by commission, to a very high standard. As a result, our machines are priced significantly higher than any machine you can buy out of a high street dealer.

The machines that these dealers sell are all much of a muchness as far as we can see. Go from one to another and you will see that this is true. These large conglomerates cannot afford to be different. They have huge quantities of capital and huge numbers of shareholders that demand growth in the volume of sales and profit. We are small, but it is only our own money at risk. We answer only to ourselves and our customers. If we keep both of these groups happy then all is well. In fact, if we continually satisfy the customers, we will be rewarded in the end.
As a result of all this we must and will be different to all the other brands. We have our own distinctive strengths in design and manufacture. And we feel we have, dare I say it, a spiritual connection with our customers, and the machines that fire their imaginations. Our customers recognise this and that is why they stand by us year after year, generation after generation, regardless of the price of our bikes or their scarcity.
And then again, maybe it is all true. So here we are, ladies and gentlemen, a 1929 bike, brand new after 80 years in the making. This is … what the world calls… A Time Machine!!!

Specifications
Engine -750cc, air-cooled, four-stroke, OHV, push-rod parallel twin
Bore x Stroke - 73 X 89mm
Carbs - Sneezer Ulysses (Amal Type 2) carbs
Ignition - Magneto
Clutch - Multi-plate diaphragm
Gearbox - 4-speed
Chassis - Steel tube BRS frame
Suspensions - Girdraulic front suspension & leaf-sprung saddle rear suspension
Brakes - Integrated Speed Retarding (ISR) brake disc system –six-piston front, two-piston rear, rear ‘sprotor’ disc
Top Speed - 120mph (claimed)
Maximum Power - 56bhp
Weight – 136kg, 300lbs
Wheelbase - 1778mm
Saddle height - 787mm
Fuel capacity - 5.9-litre
Story, pictures and information sourced from The Phantom website
Source of photos – Gallery of South Siders M.C and August 2009 edition of Classic Bike Magazine

Johnny Pag's cute lil' Custom Choppers

Small things can be beautiful, right! But in general, in the motorcycling world, big is better, right again! Welcome to the world of JohnnyPag who is about to prove that small things even in the motorcycling world can be beautiful compared to their big brothers. And it is not just beautiful, it is so beautiful that it looks very desirable and a thing of 'must-haves'.
The bike you see here is a custom chopper from Johnny Pag. This is the Pro Street. And contrary to our belief, Johnny knows that a chopper is a chopper and he also knows that neither is it official nor one has ever mentioned or made it official that a chopper has to be a big V-Twin.
Yes, it looks pretty big and of course has the typical chopper attributes, but guised under it is a small 300 cc engine. This Southern California-based bike customizer went from building high dollar, one-off choppers to affordable two-wheeled transportation for the masses. And what a looker of a mass transporter!
So, what is the thing here? Why does he make such attention to detail beautiful small engine choppers? Johnny in his website says, "Custom choppers have been the love of my life since I was just a young boy. My first job I was 13, I worked for a company called Bikers Dream out of Orange County, California. There I watched my father build custom chopper after custom chopper. Most of his clients were very wealthy and a large majority was professional athletes or musicians. I thought nothing of it at the time. My job wasn't exactly a high profile one like my dads. I had the thrilling job of stocking parts in what felt like a hundred degree warehouse. When I was lucky, I would be able to clean the mechanics tools. Everyone has to pay their dues somehow. I am extremely grateful for starting at the bottom sweeping floors; it taught me that you have to work hard for everything in life."

"Over the years, I was able to get more involved in the bike building aspect of the business. I had the privilege of working under my father and learning from him. Together, we did a lot of one-off projects and a few limited edition production bikes. Working under him for so long, I believe, gave me the eye for detail that I have today."
You can say that again Johnny. Click on the thumbnails and make sure you click on the small ones. His 'eye for detail' has to be seen to be believed. The bike almost looks like a factory produced motorcycle.
The Pro Street has a 300cc liquid-cooled, dual overhead cam parallel twin-cylinder 4 stroke engine. It breaths through two 26mm Keihin Vacuum carburetor. It works out through a 5 speed transmission gear mated via a multiplate clutch to a maximum power of 23.8 hp @ 6500rpm. Having a carburetor gives you the advantage of adjusting the idle via a small black dial next to the carbs,
Rich in features like inverted forks which meet the 21-inch alloy front wheel with a 38 degree rake, it has dual adjustable hydraulic shocks at the rearwhich are beautifully hidden behind the frame. (See pic). The rear has a hardtail look which comes across as fairly beefy thanks to 16-inch, 160mm rubber. Stopping power comes from a single-disc rear brake setup and a dual-disc front arrangement. The bike has a curb weight of 360 pounds. Yes this bike is very much for beginners, the ergonomics has been designed such as a light clutch and an easy-to-find neutral. There is a beautiful single pod for sppedometer with small indicator lights for basic info—neutral, high-beam, etcwith a typical stretch out cruiser riding style. The centre of gravity is kept low to inspire confidence. You can see ‘Johnny Pag’ scribed to the engine and the bike has an overall slick appearance. There’s a somewhat large gap between the engine and the fuel tank which gives away of a small engine otherwise it guises well for a big bore in line twin. Expectations for its road test are as expected from a 300cc mill with 20 odd bhp. It has a deep exhaust note for an engine of its size. It is a decent bike to ride around town, it won’t and can’t scare the newbie. Top speed is about 80 mph (135kmph) but it is not meant to be ridden that high. Basically it is a fun bike which will get you a lot of attention for sure.

Well, it is more show than go. But that is what Johnny wants his bike to be. No doubt, their primary customers are begginers and the female riders. This is also reflected in their mission - to get riders on the road. That doesn’t mean that a experienced biker will not enjoy the JP customs. For sure you will get noticed. "Whether you are interested in a cool around town chopper like the Barhog, or want a beach cruiser like the Pro Street, one thing you can count on is that you're going to get a lot of attention on your new bike." Buf of course! Choppers are natural head turners and these JP choppers seem to be one up ahead. Although haven’t read any reviews, but customers have mentioned that the bikes are reliable. Actually that is a big plus for smaller bikes. And being a new rider, you most definitely do not want a complex bike. His attention to detail is really mind blowing. Everything is so clean, the footpegs, the handle bar, the mirrors, everything and I use the word mind blowing is because of the price. Here you are getting a chopper just like any other albeit a smaller engine at a price which is equal to mass produced smaller bikes. The engine has been tuned such that it will give you an estimated 65 mpg or 27 kmpl which would be good enough for 225 miles or 360 kms with a full tank on the 3.5 gallon fuel tank. All the bikes as mentioned carry the same engine albeit different chassis, suspension and dimension. On the flip side, there have been some reviews where reliability has been an issue and also mention of heavy vibrations on a high rpm.
Visit Johnny Pag's website and you will find many choppers there, all carrying the same engine. Along with the Pro Street, you will find the Spyder, Barhog and Raptor X in the chopper/ cruiser mode, while there are also the Raptor and Escort more in the tourer mode. Interestingly, don’t miss the FX-3 which is a naked street fighter bike.
He credits his father for the artistic genius inside him and believes that these bikes "are a reflection of all the past work my father and I have done". His brand is spread over the U.S, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Caribbean, Bermuda and brazil, but we have been unfortunate not to know about him. Their corporate headquarters is in Orange County, California. Probably the thing is that he doesn't make 'big' bikes, the media probably doesn't find him exciting enough, but the people does. He has sold a lot of bikes as evident on the member's page. These bikes are one of the coolest 300cc bikes I have seen. They have their own customers and a lot of female bikers and young first timers too for obvious reasons and it seems these JP bikers have a certain expectation from this brand.

They also support the JP bikers with appropriate apparels and accessories for different bikes so you can customize these beautiful bikes to your own taste. You can also select different colour schemes for the models. For the ladies, there is also the option of pink in some models.The bikes looks good and the better thing is that they are affordable. Now you don’t have to sell off one of your kidneys to get that damn chopper. The bikes range from $3399 for the FX-3 to $4699 for the Pro Street and other models. Recently, Johnny Pag was on SPEED TV getting the title of "Perfect beginner bike". He is also into charities, for example the brand had auctioned a chopper, New York Yankees to the Children’s Craniofacial Association and the Jorge Posada Foundation. The gas tank has been signed by all of the New York Yankees, and was auctioned live at a Celebrity Gala in June 2008. It has been only 3 years since he started and seems to have done quite well. The bikes comes with a one year warranty. Though their bikes are designed in the U.S, each country produces the bikes at their place which cuts down cost. You must be still wondering how this bike manages to hit its price point with this kind of a equipment list, and the answer is that these bikes are assembled in China and shipped back to America for distribution among 120 dealerships. As such, they are not yet certified for California emissions, but Johnny expects CA-legal versions soon. Whether you want it as your first bike completely depends upon you. Of course, it cannot give you a Honda reliability, but if you just want to learn the tricks of the trade for a couple of seasons before shifting to the big league while getting the feeling of being one of the boys, this bike might just be your answer.

Specifications for Pro Street
Engine- 300cc liquid-cooled parallel twin-cylinder 4 stroke
Bore and Stroke- 57.0mm x 53.0mm
Compression Ratio- 10.2:1
Valve Train- DOHC; two valves per cylinder
Ignition & Induction- CDI & Dual 26mm Keihin Vacuum carburetor
Engine Lubrication- Forced Lubrication
Maximum Power and Torque- 23.8 HP @6500 RPM & 18.5 Nm @ 6500 RPM
Transmission & Final Drive- 5-speed & Chain
Clutch- Multiplate oil bath
Front & Rear Suspension- 37mm forks & Dual shocks (fully-adjustable)
Front & Rear Brake- Dual-disc with twin-piston calipers & Single disk with twin piston caliper
Front & Rear Tire- 80/90-21 & 160/90-16
Front & Rear Rim- 21x2.5” Chromed Alloy & 18”x4.5” Chromed Alloy
Rake- 42 degrees
Wheelbase & Seat Height & Ground Clearance- 73 inches & 20”-23” inches & 6 inches
Curb Weight- 360 lbs
Fuel Capacity- 3.5 gallons/ 16 litres, including 0.75-gallon / 3.5 litres reserve
Fuel Economy- 27kmpl/ 65 MPG

Source of photos : Johnny Pag Motorcycles @ About.com
Also visit Johnny Pag Motorcycles at You Tube