The quintessential shot of a man and his hand built machine. This is a story of a guy who built it exactly the way he wanted it, and he’s loving every second of it.
I had a plan in my early twenties to build a V-twin based motorcycle that wasn’t already seen scootin’ around town on a daily basis. I wanted something different, I wanted to build it and I didn’t want to go into debt doing it. I was first inspired by a bike Carey Hart rode in a Crusty Demons of Dirt video a dozen or so years ago. Shortly thereafter I cracked open my first catalog to check out frames, motors, wheels and such, just to quickly learn that all the components were priced to the moon (my opinion, of course). I was discouraged and pissed that my plan to own or build such a bike would fail before it started, due to the anemic state of my bank account.
Bikes like this emanate cool even when sitting still. Shit, just looking at this beast makes me want to kick back with a beer and dream of a simpler time, back in the day when a man wanted something, he didn’t just buy it, he made as much as he could. This bike’s obvious bicycle influences are in all the right areas.
Years went by entertaining ideas and ways to reach my goal within a reasonable budget. During that time of reading and educating myself with rags, websites and local shops, I saw the entire industry was going nuts because of TV shows. The rise in demand—and cost—for parts was frustrating. Finally, I hit my breaking point and started a new plan. I wanted to build and fab as many parts as possible. I decided to paint, prep, bend, grind, coat, wrench and weld everything possible within the limitation of my tools. I took a second job and hustled for a year and a half to make sure that when I started, I would finish.
Although this is not the original frame, it is a picture I shamelessly ripped off the web to show the readers what a bare bones CFL frame looks like.
West Coast Choppers had a pretty big sale 2-3 years ago. Having always been a fan of the clean, bare bones CFL frame, I ordered that sucker and a rear fender, and it was on! The project was officially underway and there was no turning back.
Having a traditional and digital (graphic) arts background, I mocked up on paper and on screen what I had swirling around in the ol’ head piece. After a month of sketching and thinking, I started focusing on the bigger components.
The initial plan was to use a shovel and a five speed. Half of that plan took a crap when I could not find a decent deal on my planned motor. Months went by with me looking, until I came across a new secondhand five speed tranny that had a couple broken studs in the case, and a modern big inch evo a fellow needed to dump due to hard times. I ended up getting a decent motor with a hundred miles on it, for about half the price of a new one.
Root beer and gold flake, how much cooler can you get?
At this time I had no garage to work in. Turns out, working at a bicycle shop for a decade has its advantages. In my case, it was a place to build my scoot and access to oddball parts. The boss man Bill helped out big time by allowing me to take over a small section of the shop to start the build.
I was good to go after knocking down a wall, building some work benches and a welding table, and setting up a powder coating oven (The oven was a score from the abandoned house next door).
The shop itself has a bit of history in it, too, from farm house, to small-town Harley dealership, to bicycle and skate shop I frequented as a kid. I was pretty stoked to build my first bike there.
Hurst styled shifter making the jockey shift come to life.
I’m a sucker for a nice tank. It’s the first thing I look at on a bike, and it’s the first thing I designed on my own. After hacking a sporty tank and coming out with a solid traditional look, I realized I need to do something different. The second try was built from a ricer cruiser tank that caught my eye on Ebay. I basically trashed everything on the original tank but the compound curves. The brass inlay strip was cut, bent and formed from 3/16″ x 2″ brass plate. I set up the dual shut-off cocks and topped it off with an oil tank bung and vented cap. The tank was finished with only a Hanjin container load of hours in it.
I’ve built bicycle and motorcycle wheels for years, for myself and for other shops in the area. The dying art of wheel building and truing is something I’ve always enjoyed. So I shucked down a wheel set and coated them to my liking. Sport bike brakes went on the front and rear, with a front brake solution supplied by Mr. Fab Kevin to tidy up some clearance issues. Forward controls are made from a European bicycle bottom bracket bearing joint and BMX crank set. I topped the controls off with BMX pegs and pedals.
BMX pegs to go along with the BMX pedals.
After picking up a used sporty front end and extending the tubes, I was ready to have a roller. But—you guessed it—nada. I was still mssing the first component I ordered…the WCC CFL frame. All these months goofing with drawings, tanks, motors, trannys, wheels, controls and front ends… you’d think that I’d have had a frame nearby. Nope. It seemed to me that every Ebay “flip” opportunist had placed the same frame order. After ten months, I finally could get things moving with a frame in hand. However, during that time I changed the direction of the build for the better, so in the end it turned out for the best.
The Sporty front end and brass risers give the bike a touch of class. Mixing the narrow front end with a big twin sets this bike apart from the wide glide crowd of today.
The exhaust was made from the flanges on back with straight and mandrel bent tubing. I finshed them off with some heat wrap, internal tip from, again, an old set of knurled BMX pegs and an external tip from a set of Honda 500 velocity stacks.
I bet these bad boys crack a few eardrums as he screams down the street. Pipes like this make a statement to all the tree hugging environmentalists,” Get the fuck out of my way, bitches!”
I proceeded to make a seat from 1/8″ plate and other raw materials. With a cow shoulder from Tandy Leather and with some good advice from other professionals, I formed up and dyed the leather and pinned it down with brass sex bolts.
Even the seat has small detailed brass tacks holding it together. There isn’t a single piece on this bike that wasn’t planned out with the overall picture in mind.
A host of other small, detailed components and parts were made and worked into functional, detailed pieces. Many hours were spent on my dad’s lathe, then fitting, moving, breaking or redoing this or that, the fun work!
Alas, it was time for paint, the beginning of the end to this project. I’d painted a handful of motocross helmets through the years, so coming off a recent painting hiatus, I was eager to get started. I’d always loved the 70’s vans and modern low-rider paint which inspired the paneled; three stage root-beer-candy-over-gold-flake. Painting was done inside a skateboard bowl inside a buddy’s garage; amazingly, it turned out perfect. All that was left: a name for the bike.
Do you see the intricate detail layered underneath the clear and metalflake?
I grew up riding and racing motorcycles in a middle class neighborhood called Kilby Shores. My childhood and teenage years were filled with riding and racing, building tracks, shoveling jumps, cutting trails, wrenching and basic carefree living. My love for two wheels was born there, so “Kilby Deuce” it is.
The practice leading up to the 23k gold leafed “Kilby Deuce” and pin striping was a long road to conquer, but I’m very satisfied with how they both turned out. A good friend of mine, Danny “doubleD” Dailey, laid the final clear and the bike is donezo… almost.
Beautiful tank with an awesome amount of skill and craftsmanship shown. I love the sight glass styled gas gauge, but it would have worked better on the side of the tank.
As the paint dried, I worked on more detailed and meticulous additions. Aside from the paint and stripping, the engraving / etching in the brass tank strip was a labor of love.
You can judge a man’s profession by looking at his hands; the hardened, praying carpenter hands of Christ is the centerpiece of this machine, of which I’m very proud. “Done.”
The hands of Christ signifying many things to many people. I personally think it’s the perfect touch to top off this wonderful piece of machinery. It almost proves this bike has a soul.
I would like to thank the following:The Almighty for keeping me safe from the crazy street walkers outside the shop at 1 – 2 AM, the shop owners, Brad of Gypsy Choppers, Fab Kevin, and Miller at Nansemond Supply Co., and all that answered my questions at clubchopper.com., supporters and friends Danny, Nick, Trey, Jeff, Josh, Bill, Matt, Will, Baron, Mom and Dad,
who is a great man with a “we’ll figure it out” perfectionist attitude, rather than a “let’s pay someone to fix our crap” one. That attitude and work ethic he handed down enabled me to become a craftsman I would never have become on my own. Thanks Dad!
Bikernet.com Extreme Tech Chart
Regular Stuff
Owner: Marcus Robertson
Bike Name: Kilby Deuce
City/State: Suffolk, VA
Builder: Marcus Robertson
City/state: Suffolk, VA
Company Info: Kilby Deuce (KD)
Address: 1103 N. Main St. Suffolk, VA
Phone: (757) 620-9538
Web site: http://www.kilbydeuce.com
E-mail: marc@kilbyceuce.com
Fabrication: KD
Manufacturing: KD
Welding: KD
Machining: KD
Engine
Year: 2005
Make: Ultima
Model: El Bruto
Displacement: 113ci
Builder or Rebuilder: Hammer
Cases: Ultima
Carburetion: S&S Super G
Air cleaner: Velocity Dude
Exhaust: KD
Transmission
Year: 2005
Make: Ultima
Gear configuration: 5spd
Final drive: 23/48
Primary: BDL
Clutch: Grandeur/BDL
Frame
Year: 2006
Make:West Coast Choppers
Style or Model: CFL
Stretch: 2up
Rake: 38
Front End
Make: HD
Model: Narrow Glide
Year: 2003
Sheet metal
Tanks: KD
Fenders: WCC
Oil tank: WCC
Paint
Sheet metal: House of Kolor
Base coat: Gold Flake (Danny Dailey)
Graphics: KD
Frame: Vanwin Powder Coat
Pinstriping: KD
Wheels
Front
Make: DNA 40 Spoke
Size: 21”
Brake calipers: Tokico
Brake rotor(s): 11.5”
Tire: Speedmaster
Rear
Make: DNA 40 Spoke
Size: 16”
Brake calipers: Nissin
Brake rotor: 10”
Tire: Metz 200
Controls
Foot controls: KD
Finish: P/C
Master cylinder: 03 HD
Brake lines: Russel
Handlebar controls: Top Secret
Clutch Cable: Motion Pro
Shifting: Tank Shift
Kickstand:
Electrical
Ignition: Dyna
Coils: Dyna
Headlight: Bates
Taillight: KD “Hot Plate”
What’s Left
Seat: KD
Site Guage: KD
Gas caps:
Handlebars: KD
Oil lines: KD
Fasteners: Nansemond Supply Co.
