If you had to describe J.C. - the driving force behind Chrome and Custom Cycles in Fairfeild, New Jersey -- in just one word, outsponken would suffice. Take the one-word concept further and look for a single adjective to qualify the work J.C.'s shop is capable of and outstanding does the trick. Try to get a word in edgewise about bikes or world affairs when Mr. Outsponken is on a roll and the one-world that comes to mind is impossible. Ron Brown, owner of this former Titan Roadrunner, was used to J.C. and trusted his judgment. So when he wanted to turn the Roadrunner into a low, fat mind-blower, Brown just handed J.C. the keys and told him to call when it was done. It's nice to be able to have that kind of confidence in someone.
The existing 113ci S&S motor and Baker six-speed in the Titan were in great condition, so all they would require was a little dressing up. Ness rocker boxes, pushrod tubes and a velocity stack from World Class Customs left the motor in prime condition. J.C. got his hands on a Karata beltdrive and was ready to find a place to put the driveline.
A Rolling Thunder frame was the selected chassis. With 2 inches of stretch and 36 degrees of rake, it would provide the foundation for a low and fat machine. An American Made/Ness inverted fork in Ness trees handles front suspension duties and a Legend Air system picks up the rear -- and sets it down in the dirt when necessary.
This rolling stock comes from R.C. Com-ponents and Avon. Out in the back, a 16x7 Smoothie is wrapped up in a 230 and up front a 19-inch Tri-spoke is protected by a 100-series tire. Four-piston P.M. calipers at both ends of the bike provide the stopping power.
With sheetmetal construction ahead of them, the Chrome and Custom crew took a step back to really see the chassis for what it was. They built a tire-hugging front fender that mounts on brackets that are almost invisible. A Milwaukee Iron strutless rear fender was trimmed to fit just right and take your eyes to the hand-formed oil tank. The last pieces of the equation came from stretching and shaping a pair of 5-gallon Fat Bob tanks and crafting the chin spoiler below the frame.
The stance was established and it was not working for J.C. He felt the bike needed to be longer in order to look lower, so the metal was stripped off and an additional 6 degrees went into the neck for a total of 42. To balance out the geometry change, the fork was extended 4 inches. A look at the mock-up told J.C. it was now time to paint the machine.
A custom mix of House of Kolor's Blue was applied by JP Graphix to create a base. From there they laid down swoopy single path silver flames across the fenders and gas tank and sent things back to J.C.
The moment of truth arrived -- final assembly. A set of J.C.'s own 1-1/2-inch fat bars, Ness hand controls, and Yaffe mirrors were mounted above the Headwinds headlamp. Titan foot controls, a Yaffe taillight, and a LePera seat rounded out the package. As soon as the last bolt was tightened, J.C. -- Mr. Outspoken -- went out on a test ride. He was happy, knew Brown would be happy, and in a surprise to everyone around, didn't say much at all.