Jason McCudden, the builder of this military Stinger Softail hails from Buffalo, the second largest city in New York. He stayed when most of his high school pals hit it to Charlotte, NC, where the jobs headed.
“I can run into more friends in the Charlotte Sports Bar than I can in a local pub,” Jason said.
Buffalo lost most of its steel industry as America turned on the blue collar world, shut down Republic and Bethlehem Steel and began to buy industrial supplies overseas. The city on eastern shores of Lake Erie and the mouth of the Niagara River, just 10 minutes from Niagara Falls and a stone’s throw from the Canadian border, started to dry up.
“This place was the eighth largest city in the country in 1900,” Jason said, and he ain't giving up on it.
He rode snowmobiles, jumped BMX bikes in the woods and peeled through the streets on three wheelers as a kid. Then he fell in love with a '59 Impala and almost killed himself on a Suzuki Katana sport bike,
“I'll never ride one of those bastards again,” Jason said, and he built a chopper from parts and pieces.
He took machinist training and grabbed a regular job, but when the industry dried up, he returned to welding school and worked in a hot rod shop, a couple of Hog shops, and finally he said, “Why work for someone else when I can do it myself.”
His shop, South Side Customs, kicked off three years ago, and although the economy hasn't backed his play, he's making it, sorta like Buffalo. He started building products and working on bikes, then building customs like this one for the Branson, Missouri, Military Biker Build-Off against the likes of Darwin Holdsworth of Brass Balls Bobbers. Now he's calling this his Stinger base model and selling choppers for $17,000. He plans to build an even dozen this year. By next year, he wants to develop new models and expand his shop to build hot rods.
Buffalo is also growing with new major companies moving in like Geico, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and the Red Cross headquarters.
“It was a rich town once,” Jason said. “They're trying to switch it from blue collar to white, but I'm fighting for the blue.”
He's working hard at it by developing his own Santee-styled Softail frames. His Stingers are available with this chopper tank, a Mustang tank or a Sportster tank. Bikes are available with any paint scheme you want, black and chrome driveline or chromed out.
“I'm the squirrel in this industry, looking for a nut,” Jason said.
His hot rod line will include custom wheels, accessories, air suspensions and complete ground-up builds. He's working hard, like his dad, who was a mechanical engineer and built buildings for Toys-R-Us, Six-Flags, FMC and Marriot. His wife, Charyn, stands right beside him with their two kids, the Lego building maniac son and the artistic daughter.
Blue collar life has a shot at growth in Buffalo. Buffalo has a shot at growth with Indian casinos, the insurance industry and life rolls on. It's all nuts, but the Code of the West dictates that we keep the chopper alive, forever.
Jason is keeping that faith.
Bikernet.com Extreme South Side Stinger Tech Chart
Regular Stuff
Owner: Could be Yours! One of Our Base models
Bike Name: STINGER
City/State: Buffalo, NY
Builder: South Side Kustoms
City/state: Buffalo, NY
Company Info:
Address: 146 Barnard St. Buffalo NY 14206
Phone: 1-800-675-3191
Web site: www.south-side-kustoms.com
E-mail: southsidekustoms@verizon.net
Fabrication: done by South Side Kustoms
Manufacturing: South Side Kustoms
Welding: South Side Kustoms
Machining: South Side Kustoms
Engine 80” Evolution
Year: 2008
Make: Harley
Model: evo
Displacement: 80-inches
Builder or Rebuilder: Harley Davidson
Cases: Stock
Case finish: black wrinkle
Barrels: factory
Barrel finish: black
Head finish: chrome
Valves and springs: stock
Pushrods:stock
Cams:stock
Lifters: hydraulic
Carburetion: S&S SUPER E
Air cleaner: S&S
Exhaust: Straight Headers with Trumpet Up Sweeps
Mufflers: Yeah, Right
Transmission
Year: 2008
Make: VTWIN Motorshop
Gear configuration: 5-speed
Final drive: 1 1/8” Pulley with 125 Tooth Belt
Primary: 3” Open Belt Primary by Tauer Machine
Clutch: Tauer Machine
Frame Built by South Side Kustoms copied from Santee Design
Year: 2008
Make: Stinger
Style or Model: Rigid
Stretch: Sock
Rake: stock
Modifications: Custom Struts for rear fender – brackets made to shoe horn it all in – 4 speed size frame with 5 speed and all electric start
Front End
Make: Paughco style
Model: Springer
Year: 2008
Length: Stock
Sheet metal
Tanks: Chopper Tank
Fenders: BSA Rear Ribbed Fender
Oil tank: Bomb Bag
Paint
Sheet metal: Camo Flying Tigers design ( to compete in Branson, MO Biker Build-Off) by Air-FX Paint and Air Brushing
Molding: Very Little just over welds
Base coat: Military Green
Graphics: Flying Tigers Paint Scheme
Type: Shark Face – Zero’s Kills – Bullet Holes
Frame: Buffalo Finishing Works – Flat Black Powdercoat
Graphics or art: Authentic Pins used by Flying Tigers on neck gusts
Special effects: S&S Air Cleaner Painted
Wheels Ride Wright Wheels
Front
Make: Ride Wright Wheels
Size: 19” x 2.15 80 Spoke
Brake calipers: Tekiko 4 Piston with Fabricator Kevin Springer Bracket
Brake rotor(s): DNA Mesh Rotors 11 ½”
Tire: Avon Gangster White Wall
Rear
Make: Ride Wright Wheels
Size: 16”x3” 80 Spoke
Brake calipers: Tekiko 4 Piston with Fabricator Kevin Bracket
Brake rotor: DNA Mesh Rotor 11 ½”
Pulley: DNA Mesh 1 1/8” 65 tooth
Tire: Avon Gangster White Wall
Controls
Foot controls: DNA Elite Controls
Finish: Chrome
Master cylinder: 5/8”
Brake lines: Russel Brake Lines Stainless Braid
Handlebar controls: Vtwin
Finish: Chrome
Clutch Cable: M&M Clutch Stainless Braid
Brake Lines Russle Brake Lines Stainless Braid
Shifting: round Shift linkage
Kickstand: Corona by DNA
Electrical
Ignition: DYNA 200I Single Fire
Ignition switch: Wires-Plus
Coils: DYNA Single Fire
Regulator: Vtwin
Charging: Stock with EVO
Wiring: South Side Kustoms
Harness: Wires-Plus
Headlight: DNA 4 ½ Tribar
Taillight: Vtwin Horizontal Diamond made to fit and work on adjuster screws Vertically
Electrical accessories: yeah none of those
Switches: yeah none of those
Battery: Mini by Big Boar
What’s Left
Seat: West Eagle seat pan—covered with genuine soldiers duffel bag from WWII
Mirror(s): yeah none of those
Gas caps: Standard Vented Chrome Cap
Handlebars: Builtwell’s Clubman bars – Turned upside down
Grips: Vintage white coke bottles
Pegs: DNA Elite’s
Oil filter: Black
Oil cooler: none
Oil lines: Stainless Steel Braid
Fuel filter: standard
Fuel Lines: black rubber
Throttle: VTWIN
Throttle cables: M&M Stainless Braid
Fasteners: Chrome Bolts –nylon nuts-lock washers and lock tight
Specialty items: Rear Struts made and produced by South Side Kustoms, .50 cal bullets mounted on frame
Comments:This is South Side Kustoms base model STINGER – starting at $17k – choice of paint, pipes seat and other minor details. This version was built to compete in Biker Build Off in Branson, MO against Brass Balls Bobbers, Scorpion Choppers , Coyote Customs
Credits:To our shop Rats TY and Shawn for all their help and AIR-FX for all his efforts.
