Mike needed to get the powerplant in the bike before the sheetmetal could get started, so he placed a 131ci fully polished show motor from H&L into the frame. When Burt Baker heard about the bike build, he shipped out a new fully polished RSD six-speed trans to match the motor. Mike tucked it just behind the H&L and coupled the two with a 3-inch Primo belt drive. To keep the bike clean and free of any lines or cables, he installed a Grandeur clutch and a hand shifter complete with a custom-grip handle. He then made a set of custom pulley covers to hide the bolts and give everything a smooth finish. Since the gas tank would be the starting point for the bike's lines, Mike went to work on shaping the top piece to get the right size. He then stepped the top as if it were the hood of an old car and worked the two side pieces to get the two-dimensional look of a round tank, but with a more pulled-in feel. He moved the seat post down where the swingarm meets the frame, covered all the empty space, and then flowed the lines back to the rear fender, giving it a one-piece look. MGS produces a line of spun fenders that fit tires perfectly, so all Mike needed to do for the front fender was pull one from the stock room. An oil bag was made to fit under the transmission while keeping room under the seat for all the electrical.
Mike started on a set of handlebars that would work with the look of the bike and yet still "feel right." He worked on fitting an internal throttle and custom risers to let the throttle cable go through the triple-trees and down though the frame. The next day Mike called Joel Felty with Headwinds and explained what he was building. Joel asked if Mike would use one of Headwinds' new distinctive Mariah model in the build, and Mike told Joel, "That's why I'm calling. That's the headlight I wanted for this build." Joel told Mike, "It's in the next UPS shipment. If you need anything else, just call."
Finally they came to the point where Mike and all the guys at the shop could begin thinking about the paint and color. One of the most important components of this build was the paint. As with most hot rods, the paint grabs the eye first. Only on second glance does the quality of work get noticed. Mike knew he wanted it radical in color and simple in design, hence the name Radical Simplicity. The sheetmetal was radical enough for the paint job to be simple. With most of the mockup done, Mike needed to start the teardown so that everything could get out to paint and back in time for the show. It was coming up fast.
Although the paint job was simple in design, actually accomplishing the incredible finish on this bike proved to be a very tedious task. Dave Little of Little Designs wanted to use a new, very expensive paint from PPG. He turned out to be the first person in the country to use it. After five days of molding and sanding the sheetmetal alone, Dave started with the first basecoat of PPG's Oh-So-Orange. Then he blended the green pearl with the next few coats of orange to get the paint to show off green highlights in the sun. Exactly how Dave managed it is a secret he prefers to keep, but call him and maybe he'll tell you. Dave spent the next six days color-sanding and clearing over and over the base paint to achieve the final look. The photos don't really show it, but this bike has a brilliant green flop in the paint. Dave contributed sweat, time, and that all-important dollar for this creation. He also knew that MGS would pull off a win at the Roadster show.
When this bike was finally viewed throughout the industry, by the public, and by other people in the custom business, the bike got what MGS was after-First Place at the Grand National Roadster Show's America's Most Beautiful Motorcycle event. MGS hopes that Radical Simplicity is seen as a great collaboration. MGS Custom Bikes could not have accomplished what it did without all the help and support that came from the relationships it had built in this industry. Relationships and trust are what really made this bike happen.