February 05. On a long night trip back home, I urgently need to fill-up gas and myself. Next exit is a truck stop (even on the road, not necessarily the best food destination). On the other side, surprise: the waitress is extremely young and hot looking. Must have no Hooters in town.
Don’t know why, all at once I remember the song from the band “The Byrds” (I am a baby boomer). “Who never fell in love with a truck stop girl.” Being not a too-old baby boomer, I even remember the lyrics, ”Taillight flickering as he pulled up to a truck stop. He was on a ten cities run, in love with a Truck Stop Girl. Her hair piled up high and she had a look in her eyes that would turn any good man’s blood to wine. He was so young and on a 10 cities run, just in love with a Truck Stop Girl.”
Don’t know about other custom builders, but my inspiration is always words, colors and shapes. I have the words (from the Byrds), the colors (of the taillights and neons in the night), and the shapes (of the girl). Immediately I try to imagine the bike, I should arrive on, to impress this truck stop girl. It has to be a bobber with both clean & sexy lines, to be both reminiscent of the past but looking young, with a dose of paint job humor to make her smile and start a conversation.
One week sooner, Steve from Pin Up Girls Wheels had the good idea of emailing to me pictures of his weird new wheels. I immediately imagined my bobber wheels all red except pinup girls sparkling in polished aluminum, in each and every spoke.
I don’t read many motorcycle magazines (to not be influenced by what my fellow builders are doing), but I know all the parts on the market. So, even far from the office, I can, in front of my pretty waitress, address a list of all basic parts I needed to get started: A rigid goose neck frame from Santee, an Evo TP engine (for reliability) dressed with Pan Style Rocker Covers from Exotic for the retro look, a narrow primary drive from PM to mach the small size of the bike, an Exile chain sprocket system for simplicity, and my new parts that I need to show for the 1st time: Z bars, spade sidemount, Spikee coil bracket, and Springer front end.
Wondering about my scribbling on the napkin, the pretty waitress asks me if I need directions (probably also because my accent can make her think I am a tourist). I answer, “To go back home, No. To design a bike, Yes.”
So, she says, ”You are like O.C.C?”
I said, “Yes and No.” Then, I sketched the bike for her, but kept the sketch for my collaborators.
The bike made its first trip on the show tour in September during Las Vegas Bikefest. On my display, Lynn Jones, a former client, discovered it, signed the deal by just shaking my hand, and bought it the day after during the Fremont Street Bike Show. “Kiss My Wheels” won 1st place, and the young pretty truck stop girl won my heart for helping me design with this bike.
–Cyril Huze
Owner: Cyril Huze
Designer & Builder: Cyril Huze
General
Fabrication: Cyril Huze Customs
Assembly: Cyril Huze Customs (Gary Schmitgen)
Year/Make: 2005 Cyril Huze Special Construction.
Chroming: Atlantic Coast Plating.
Frame
Builder: Santee/Chica Modified Huze
Type: Rigid Gooseneck
Engine
Year/Model: Pan/Evo 2005 TP Eng.
Displacement: 114 CU
Pistons: TP
Cases: TP Polished
Heads: TP Polished
Cylinders: TP Powder coated Spicy Candy Apple
Lifters: TP
Oil Pump: TP
Carb(s): S&S G
Pushrods: TP
Motor Mount: Huze
Rocker Boxes: Exotix Pan Style
Air Cleaner: Huze
Pipes: Huze
Transmission
6-speed
Painter
Artwork: Chris Cruz
Accessories
Mirrors: Huze
Risers: Huze
Bars: Huze Z-Bars
Clutch: Hydraulic In Frame
Hand controls & Grips: OMP/Huze
Foot Controls & Grips: OMP/Huze
Coils Bracket: Huze
Front Fender: None.
Rear Fender: Huze
Gas Tank: Huze
Gas Cap: Huze
Oil Tank: Killer Chopper
Headlight: Cyclone
Taillight: Huze Spade Sidemount
Primary: PM Contour Painted
Seat: Jeff Phipps
Forks
Springer Narrow
Wheels
Front:
Type: Pin-Up Girl Wheels Painted.
Size: 21”
Tire: Avon Venom 80/80H x 21”
Brake: PM.
Rear:
Type: Pin-Up Girl Wheels Painted
Size: 18 ”
Tire: Avon 180/55 x 18”
Brake: Exile Chain Brake Sprocket.
