The first thing to accomplish was the construction of the frame. With the aid of the young and skilled Randy Blaze of LACC, the goosenecked, single-downtube cradle was combined with a dual, multi-angled backbone. The upper part of the backbone extends all the way back to the hidden dropouts at the rear of the frame. An interesting take on the venerable pogo seat utilizes a backbone-mounted lever attached to a welded-on tab. All attachment points for the various bolt-on parts-including the gas tank, oil tank, license-plate mount, center stand, motormounts, rear brake caliper, and battery box-were welded to the frame. Hand-drilled gussets were added to key points of the frame for both strength and aesthetics. The completed frame and forks were sent to Andrews for the distinctive green powdercoating that goes well with the brass-plated fasteners.
Continuing with the chassis, a custom-made Garder frontend (a cross between an old Indian leaf-spring fork and a girder frontend) was fabricated in-house. While we're on the front suspension, it's worth noting that Gard utilized three bicycle RockShox to smooth out the bumps in the road. Another RockShox unit was used to soften the rigid's ride under the custom-made leather seat. Rolling duties are taken care of with a set of spoke rims carrying vintage Avon tires.
There's not much sheetmetal on this scoot; a gas tank and side-mounted oil bag and air-cleaner cover are the only metal items. They were constructed out of bead-rolled aluminum and left unpainted. Double-top frame tubes contain the gas tank, while the oil bag is mounted on the right side of the swingarm. Oil is fed through copper tubing to a vintage Hildebrandt oil filter/cooler before entering the Shovelhead mill.
Other interesting twists on an old theme can be found in the left-side-exiting, stepped exhaust pipes. Gard also modified the PM primary to be completely open; this highlights the slick PM mid controls while keeping with the exposed look of the entire bike. Front and rear brakes are handled by the European outfit ISR. On the rear, the caliper clamps down on the combination rotor and chain sprocket. Bolted to the LACC handlebars are hand controls, also by ISR. They are some of the cleanest, lightest pieces out there, adjustable for different hand sizes, and completely unique.
We hope you've gotten a feel for what Gard-and his LACC crew-is all about. Nothing on this bike was neglected or hidden. It's pretty amazing what can be created in two weeks' time. With elegance and power, the LACC crew fused tradition and innovation by designing one of the most captivating modern-retro creations on two wheels.
When you're ready to break free of the pack, L.A. County Choprods has the creative engineering to make you an original. Tune in to the Speed Channel to check out this build and the beautiful "wrench" who tried her hand at building a dream bike. It could be you next. Do you have what it takes?