Originally posted on GarageBoyzMagazine.com Issue # 9
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Do you love big inch air cooled push rod motors ? Well Steve Hoffman, the owner of this slick metal flake gold bobber sure does. He has had the bike since the beginning of it's life as a stock 1999 Yamaha Roadstar which was over 82,000 miles ago. It has changed quite a bit since then, 4 times to be exact, and ended up as you see it here today.
At one time is was a beautiful classic looking bike, with a true retro feel. It had plenty of chrome and an elegant silver flame paint job. The bike had a real presence and it made you feel as though you were looking at a machine from the 50's. But Steve, like most true bike lovers was always looking to make changes and upgrades to the bike.
STEVE'S BIKE BEFORE THE BOB JOB
After having the bike for a while and racking up tens of thousands of miles, and wrecking and rebuilding , Steve decided it was time to go big. The retro classic look had to go, and in its place a flamed out metal flaked monster.
The monster comes from the already big 98 inch motor being converted into a belt snapping torque monster 108 incher. This was done with a 108 big bore kit,Yamaha roller cams,Orient Express pistons. The heads were ported by Ken Sexton in NY and Orient Express did the oversized valves. It also features a Nemeses intake and a tried and true S&S "G" carb. You can't expect a motor of this magnitude to be brought to life with the old stock starter, so that was also upgraded with an Ultima starter, which Steve felt was a better choice than the Warrior starter most people use on their big inch upgrades.
THE VOICE OF THE KULTURE COMMUNITY
" Once I cut the frame, I knew there was no turning back "
The open "Nude Pulley " by Barrons really helps give the bobber a minimalist look. Often time guys will use an open primary, but this tends to give a bike a wide look. The open final drive that Steve used adds a touch of raw mechanical presence that lends itself to the look of the bike.
Another major reworking of the Road Star comes from the "de-horning" . Anybody that has ever tried to modify a Road Star knows about these "horns" , they are a part of the frame that act as a seat support, and look downright ugly when you are trying to bob the rear end . The only way to get rid of them is to start cutting away at the frame...and this is what separates a custom build from an accessory job. Steve and his friend Andrew Curtis who helped in the build did a superb job on this section. A custom fender bracket was fabricated with slotted holes to give with the movement in the swingarm. The rear section behind the seat and before the swingarm is so nice and clean, with some trick metal work using 1/2 round to give a seamless transition. The fenders were also done to perfection with a Barons front fender and a Thunder blank shaped and cut for the rear. Another feature that really adds to the look and feel is the custom side covers by S&S Cycles in NY. With their sidecovers , it looks like their is a horseshoe oil tank for a great vintage style.
Steve lovingly and jokingly refers to this bike as "Fools Gold" because of the money and time he has put into a bike that has a next to nothing book value. But ultimately the only foolishness in any of this, is on anybody who looks past this bike because of it's brand. This bike is a solid and incredible build, which I could only hope to come close to when it comes time to do the Roadstar project bobber that is burning a hole in my head. GBM
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