I usually shoot features on hard chopped Harleys. They're my main course meat and potatoes. Long front ends and chopped frames with tons of chrome flashing in the sunlight. Every once in a while I run across a tasty morsel to temp my palette. I call 'em dessert, all fancy, done-up with a cherry on top. Just a little something extra to yank you away from the ordinary.
In addition to a bunch of sweet Harley Choppers, that I'll shoot future features on, I had the pleasure of meeting a guy who took a three-wheeled motorcycle in a totally different direction.
Nick Dagostino of Saratoga Springs, NY wanted to build a bike that would stand out from the crowd. A bike he could park and never worry about a similar bike being nearby. Nick decided to build a 3-wheeler. Yeah, I know, three wheelers are not that uncommon these days. You see a lot of the over 60 crowd going over to Lehman's or MotorTrike set-ups for their comfort, extra cargo and cruzin abilities, but not this 3-wheeler. This baby is an in-line 3 wheeler with the emphasis on Horsepower! I guess growing up in Saratoga, NY, so close to the areas world famous Horse racing track and thorobread horse breeding stables, Nick got the horsepower bug early.
Wanting to be different and never having seen it done before, Nick took a 2003 Suzuki GSXR 1300 Hayabusa and went to town on it. Over the 2003 winter, Nick and his buddies Dean and Rich stripped the Suzuki down to the bare frame. Dean and Rich fully polished the chassis at LBF Cycles in Feura Bush, NY. They picked up a rear fender from Jesse James and modified it to fit the newly fabricated rear-end extension. They then took the stock gas tank and modified it to house a 5-inch LCD color flat television screen and installed a pin hole video camera in the rear cowling to use in place of rear view mirrors. The tin was shipped to Neil at Cuomo's Custom paint in Rotterdam, NY for a four color blue paint and graphic scheme. The Front end was lowered 3 inches and custom triple trees were fabricated to add to the pizzazz.
The kicker was adding a third wheel to swingarm. Nick was intentionally vague about the details, understandably, not wanting to let secrets slip. Keeping the front end on the ground was a major concern. The 1300 cc Suzuki, Hayabusa power plant puts out 160 horsepower. The extra length and flex of the extended swingarm helps keep the ride near the road. Nick installed an electronic over-ride on the bike's rev limiter and the bike now tops off at 196 mph. Not too shabby for a 3-wheeler!
There's one more advantage to Nick's stretched Suzuki and possibly the most important one…
Well, Nick won't have to go away lonely anymore. With this sweet custom Nick can tell 'em, “There's plenty of room for you both!
–TB
GENERAL
Fabrication: Nick, Dean, Rich , Neil
Year and Make: 2003 Suzuki
Model: GSXR 1300 Hayabusa
Assembly by: Nick, Dean, Rich
Time: 4 months over winter
Chroming: Santa Anna Chrome plating in California
ENGINE
Year: 2003
Model: inline 4
Rebuilder: stock, why touch it?
Ignition: stock
Displacement: 1300cc
Lower end: stock
Balancing: stock
Pistons: stock
Cases: chromed stock cases
Heads: stock
Cams: stock
Lifters: stock
Carb: Fuel injected
Air cleaner: K and N
Pipes: Fully polished HMF Dual High mount
TRANSMISSION
Modifications: Stock
Year: stock
Shifting: stock
Engine Sprocket: stock
Trans sprocket: stock
Wheel sprocket: 44 tooth chromed Sprocket Specialties
PAINTING
Molding: Nick, Neil @ Cuomo‚s Custom Paint
Painter: Neil @ Cuomo‚s Custom Paint
Color: Baby Blue, True Blue, Purple, Lighter blue
Type: House Of Kolor
FRAME
Year: 2003
Builder: Stock
Type: stock
Rake: stock
Stretch: stock
Other: Fully polished by Dean and Rich @ LBF Cycles
ACCESSORIES
Bars: Fully polished stock
Risers:
Fenders: Stock front Custom Jesse James rear fender modified to fit
Headlight: stock, hyper blue bulbs
Taillight: aftermarket unit from Clear Lens with LED Bulbs
Speedo: Stock with chrome guage surround..
Front Pegs: Chrome aftermarket Parts Unlimited
Rear Pegs: Chrome aftermarket from Parts Unlimited
Electrics: stock
Gas Tank: stock modified to house a 5 inch LCD color flat screen
Oil Tank: N/A
Oil System: N/A
Seat: Stock wrapped in Black Ostrich
FORKS
Type: Stock fully polished
Extension: none
Builder: stock
Special Features: different weight fork oil. Lowered 3 inches from stock in fully chromed custom made triple tree.
WHEELS
Front
Size: 17 inch chromed stock
Rear
Size: 17 chromed stock
Tires: Michelin Race Pilots
Brakes: Polished stock rotors and fully chromed calipers on all 3 wheels
