Kopteri Magazine

"I felt very honored to be asked again to pick my favourite of the bikes at the 13th AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building. It is really a hard choice between about 100 very fine custom built motorcycles.

This time there were two personal favourites of mine. As I was wondering whether I have to flip a coin, Robin Bradley of AMD helped me out telling that it'll be all right to pick two bikes. I can tell you, I was relieved.

The first one of my selection of two is a Knucklehead named SourKraut. It is owned by Jesse Dickinson and built by Jordan Dickinson of Union Speed and Style at Monticello, MN, USA. The heart of this beautiful bike is a Harley-Davidson 1947 EL Knucklehead motor. The rigid frame is a Union Speed and Style work and the front end is a narrowed Harley-Davidson VL fork. The laced wheels are a classical combo of 19" front and 16" rear, both with old school tires.

I am attracted by the simple clean style of this bike. When you first look at it, you could easily think it'd be an old factory racer or a prototype from somewhere in the 1930s. Of course, pretty much everything in this motorcycle is hand made. But it says something about the good taste and harmony the builder has been able to deliver in this work, that one can play with the idea that this bıke could have been an early one-off work from the Motor Company itself.

Some of the elements to make this bike look so good and have that balanced stance, are fine metal work - for example the fender is exactly right to make it feel like it's from the old days - and the intelligent mix of painted and plated parts.

I'm a big friend of bobber style and when it comes to old motorcycles, I also give a great value to both original and restored stock bikes. At the same time it is refreshing to see a Knucklehead that is built in a rather different way - still distinctly old school. I feel a lot of jazz in this beautiful custom motorcycle the Union Speed and Style have put together. I'm sure this bike looks even better when moving. Just dig it!

The other bike I had especially warm feelings for came to Cologne all the way from Indonesia. Called 'Pantastico' and was built by Kickass Choppers of Jakarta, Indonesia. I was told that the builder is known as "Veroland" and this beautiful bike is owned by "Desu".

The base of this motorcycle is a 1200 cc Harley-Davidson Panhead motor in a full chrome plated 1948 Harley Wishbone frame. It seems like this is a Springer year for my bike picks, as even this bike carries one. The wheels that give so much character to this bike are 18 x 3" aluminium 12 spoke Radirs in the exact style of those old school drag race car magnesium wheels. The tires are traditional style Firestones.

Some of the other components 'Pantastico' features are a small peanut gas tank with a knock off style gas cap and a short rear fender, both with chrome trims and good forms. One of the details to be mentioned done by the "different way" is the left side pipes.

This is a tight bike with successful lines. I guess the Japanese "zero style" might have been some source of inspiration for this build. I like the balance and beauty of the ensemble very much. This includes carefully considered solutions and uncompromising work on the details. I like it very much.