“I liked the notion of the vintage '30s, H-D Peashooter single,” Roger Goldammer said. “The first effort with a single cylinder was a styling exercise.” Roger, is a clean, good-looking bike building mastermind. His first single, Trouble, was a challenge to develop, yet it won several custom motorcycle competitions. “I like to evolve and change my bikes.” In other words the environmental component designer with a precision knack for motorcycle nirvana, couldn't leave it alone.
He followed the first single effort with Notorious, another carefully crafted single rotated to the stern, 15 degrees, fuel injected with a rear head machined to fit the front cylinder, allowing the intake to be aimed at the bow for a larger more performance plenum intake chamber position hidden beneath the fuel cell.
“A substantial plenum allows any intake to develop terrific top end power,” Roger said. “This bike developed 80 horsepower at the rear wheel.” That wasn't enough to satisfy Roger's need to deliver more than just distinctive class in the battle between style and practicality. “I decided to build a race machine that would compete at the highest level of custom bike building competitions.”
It gave me chills to hear Roger articulate his desire to master and glean Bonneville race history and convey it to a national audience at the exclusive custom builder world championship in Sturgis. “It would be the best case scenario to succeed on both fronts,” said Roger.
This bike, Goldmember, was born with the same configuration Notorious single cylinder engine and transmission. With the rear head mounted to the front cylinder Roger was forced to design and grind a performance cam. The bike would be longer and still utilize the front suspension designed into the elongated frame neck. “I was borrowing from the past, yet making it all new,” Roger said. His base power train was historic pushrod technology from the '30s coupled with a '50s café racer tail section mated to a sportbike faring and a blown, inter-cooled, fuel injected, 965 cc single cylinder engine (60 cubic inches) on nitrous.
The challenge mounted, like a man with a broken leg attempting to climb Mt. Everest. Roger ventured to work with a historically slow engine package, cut it in half and pumped it to 140 hp at the rear wheel. Think about it. A brand new 96-inch California Twin Cam develops less than 62 rear-wheel horsepower. “I still wanted to do it,” said Roger. “It was a challenge around something I love.”
Hang on for the race story. With just 1 mile under the Z-rated tires he rolled to Bubs Bonneville event in September of '07 with his first bare metal version. He immediately blew up his 2-stroke flyer and rolled the untested frame configuration onto the notoriously slick track and ducked as close to the fairing as possible. “Although I broke the primary and the electric shifter,” Roger said. “We still set a averaged record of 147 mph with a top speed of 164 mph during one pass.”
He returned home to Vancouver with a World Land Speed Record, tore the bike apart for powder work, paint, fastener nickel plating, and he set it up to be street legal with lights and mirrors. It immediately won the Artistry in Iron show, then he rolled to Sturgis and the AMD World Championship.
“It was the best case scenario,” Roger said. “I'm grateful that the industry took an open minded approach toward judging. They recognized the appearance coupled with the performance flair.”
The AMD shows are judged by builders and they didn't miss Roger's unique combination of performance technology, machine work, sheet metal fabrication, wheel hub and brake designs, and fit and finish coupled with World Record functionality.
The next year he returned to Bonneville with the new paint and enhanced his two-way averaged record to 150.8 mph.
“I like to keep it fresh and interesting,” Roger said, “a rideable bike with substance.”
When it comes to Roger, that's a vast understatement. He created a never-before two-wheeled historic art object, designed in massive horsepower out of a half-breed engine and set a world land speed record using unmarketable components. “The nitrous still didn't work,” Roger said with notions for the future. “I will dual plug the head, change the timing, for an additional 30 horsepower.”
This year (2009) he has salty dreams of returning to the salt with his 2-stroke, the single H-D, a Softail and a 1098 Supercharged Ducati.
“I like the look of the bare-metal frame and sheet metal,” Roger said. “It's always a huge commitment of thousands of hours, with no customer to fan the flame at the end of the tunnel.” It's all about sacrifice, motivation, dedication, and two-wheeled passion.
Bikernet.com Extreme Goldmember Tech Chart
Regular Stuff
Owner: Roger Goldammer
Bike Name: Golldmember
City/State: Kelowna BC Canada
Builder: Roger Goldammer
City/state: Same
Company Info: Goldammer Cycle Works Ltd
Address: 168 Rimrock Court, Kelowna BC, Canada V1W4J6
Phone: 250 764-8002
Web site: www.goldammercycle.com
E-mail: sjgoldammer@shaw.ca
Fabrication: GCW
Manufacturing: GCW
Welding: GCW
Machining:GCW
Engine
Year: 2007 GCW
Make
Model: : HD v-twin based single cylinder
Displacement: 965cc
Builder or Rebuilder: GCW
Cases: Merch
Case finish: Powder coat
Barrels: Enginuety
Bore: 4.125”
Pistons: Ross
Barrel finish: Powder
Lower end: Merch
Stroke: 4.4”
Rods: Merch
Heads: Enginuety
Head finish: Powder c
Valves and springs: AV&V
Pushrods: Rivera
Cams: GCW
Lifters: Jims
Carburetion: Fuel injection
Exhaust: GCW
Mufflers: haha
Transmission
Year: 2007 Baker
Gear configuration: 6- spd, close ratio top gears
Final drive: chain
Primary: narrowed Rivera belt drive , 2 inch
Clutch: Rivera
Frame
Year: 2007
Make: GCW
Style or Model:
Stretch:
Rake: 35*
Modifications: everything
Front End
Make: GCW
Model: Girder with hidden shock inside frame neck
Year: 2007
Length:-2
Mods:
Sheet metal
Tanks: in tail section
Fenders: All hand-formed aluminum
Oil tank: two of them, under bike
Paint
Sheet metal: aluminum shot by JA design
Molding: none
Frame: powder
Wheels
Front
Make: GCW hub with Buchannon's rim
Size: 19x 3
Brake calipers: Leos Custom Cycle
Brake rotor(s): Leo`s
Tire: Avon
Rear
Make: GCW hub
Size: 23x 4.25
Brake calipers: Leo`s
Brake rotor:Leo`s
Tire: Avon
Controls
Foot controls: GCW
Master cylinder: Brembo
Handlebar controls: Perf. Machine
Finish: Black ano
Clutch Cable:
Brake Lines
Shifting: Pingel electric shift
Kickstand: Matt Hotch
Electrical
Ignition: ThunderMax
Ignition switch: toggle
Coils: Nology
Headlight: small
Taillight: LEDs thru fuel tank
Accessory lights: GCW
What’s Left
Seat: GCW
Mirror(s): Joker
Gas caps: GCW
Handlebars: GCW
Grips: P.M.
Pegs: GCW
Oil filter: Perf-orm
Oil cooler: Lockart
Oil lines: GCW
Fuel filter: in tank
Fuel Lines: GCW
Roger Goldammer Awards
1 st Place Artistry in Iron Las Vegas Bikefest/Hot Rod Bike 2008 (Goldmember)
1 st Place AMD World Championships 2008 (Goldmember)
1 st Place AMD World Championship 2007 Metric Class (ExperiMental)
Canadian Champion of 2007 (Nortorios)
Winner Biker Build of 2006 (ExperiMental)
1 st Place Artistry in Iron Las Vegas Bikefest/Hod Rod Bike 2005 (Trouble)
2006 British Columbia Creative Achievement Award Recipient
1 st Place AMD Wolrd Championships 2005 (Trouble)
1 st Place Artistry in Iron Las Vegas Bikefest/Hot Rod Bikes 2004 (BTR#3)
2 nd Place Easyriders Columbus Invitational Class 2004 (Lowtek)
1 st Place AMD World Championships 2004 (BTR#3)
1 st Place Easyriders Portland Spectator Class 2004 (Fuzzy Logic)
1 st Place Easyriders Portland Judged Class 2004 (Lowtek)
Most Innovatiive Builder VQ/Easyriders Daytona 2004 (Roger Goldammer)
Most Innovative Product Street Chopper 2003 (G Force Component Front End)
1 st Place best Engineered Bike Oakland Roadster Show 53rd Annual 2002 (Project X)
1 st Place Overall Oakland Roadster 53 rd Annual 2002 (Project X)New Product of the Year V Twin Expo 2002 (G Force Billet Front End)
