Reprinted from Drag Specialties Magazine I No. 09 — 06
Over the past year or so lots of magazine featured customs have one thing in common. Dig deep into the specs listed with those features and you’ll find that the frames are coming from Jesse Jurrens’ Independent Cycle, either the swingarm-style Lowlife or the rigid Hardlife. A few months back we Drag featured one such creation, too, a Lowlife creation by Tank Ewsichek.
Now take a look at the other half of that custom equation from Independent Cycle. It’s the Hardlife, a rigid version of that long, low, and super extended frame that’s become so popular as a start for so many of those one-offs by everyone from Chip Foose to Jim Nasi to Kendall Johnson to, well, pick just about any name builder you can think of.
The Hardlife is one heck of a start to a dream machine.Independent Cycle’s made it easy to kick-start that dream into reality, too. Along with the basic Hardlife frame package they offer plenty of the finishing parts to go with it. They’re all in the Drag Specialties FatBook, right along with the frame. There’s the matching Slither gas tank. There’s a slick set of Pullback Handlebars. There’s Independent’s Millennium Headlight Assembly. There’s a trick Hidden Brake Mount and for those ambitious enough to fab up their own gas tank Independent’s got the right start with a Universal Gas Tank Base and Universal Mount Kit. All of those extras are designed to work perfectly with the Hardlife/Lowlife frames and, put together as a whole, form one heck of a start to a true custom bike.
The base for all this, the Hardlife Chassis Kit, comes with a lot all by itself. This stretched and radical drop-seat frame is constructed entirely of DOM tubing and all the bends are smooth and radial. The frame’s ultra-low seat height is exaggerated with an extended, and definitely unique, primary for a radically stretched appearance.
There are narrowed bottom frame rails for improved cornering clearance and the engine and transmission mount are located at the centerline of the bike. The Hardlife is perfectly balanced. With an outboard final drive the biggest 300-Series tire fits right in with no headaches and no extra work, and the Hardlife Frame Kit includes everything needed. The frame comes with a neatly hidden oil tank; the axle with flush caps and hidden fasteners are included; there’s an extended-length one-piece billet primary backing plate complete with pulleys, belt and a Rivera Pro Clutch; and there’s a choice of mid or forward controls. Every part’s been designed to work with everything else, to fit right the first time and nothing’s missing. The machined neck stem comes ready to accept the included bearings; the dj4e transmission plate is a solid 1/2-inch thick, and the battery mount is rubber isolated.
Add in the matching gas tank — designed by Jim Nasi, incidentally or the Universal Tank Base & Tunnel if you want to make your own tank, the big Pullback Handlebars with built-in riser, the Millennium Headlight and the Hidden Brake Mount and the Hardlife is closer than ever to becoming real life. Everything listed here is in the Drag Specialties FatBook. Take a good look at the Hardlife. Pro builders have. Hard to believe that the bikes they’ve built, the ones on all those magazine covers, are based on a packaged chassis kit from the FatBook. This is that kit.
