Trollworx's biggest challenge was fabricating the fuel tank, oil bag, and rear fender to be one with the frame: no seams, and no nuts, bolts, or tricky mounting tabs needed. To accomplish this feat, 16-gauge sheetmetal was massaged and molded into a gas tank that matched the shape of the frame's backbone. The angles of the tank were mated perfectly with the neck angle at both the backbone and the downtube junctions. It had to match, as the tank was seamlessly TIG-welded to the frame. A custom oil tank was fabricated in-house and similarly welded to the area beneath the seat pan and in front of the contiguous rear fender. They were both fabricated as one piece. The only real indications that this is a functional unit are the copper oil lines that exit from the side of the tank. Many of their customers doubted they'd be able to pull off such a job when they described it, but the Trollworx crew pulled it off without a hitch.
Once all the welds were done, Todd prepped the frame and sheetmetal for paint. He carefully sprayed a burnt-orange Valspar acylic enamel basecoat in preparation for the graphics to be laid down. Terry contacted Mike Schartel, his friend of 20 years, to apply the variegated gold-leaf treatment to both sides of the sleek tank. Mike is one of those throwback guys who does all of his handiwork freehand. It's amazing how both sides of the "Vale Madre" moniker match up, considering that no templates were used for the lettering. He's been at it for more than 30 years, applying his trade to fire trucks, among other wheeled machines.
Todd also painted the spring legs of the forks, left motor mount, and the shifter cage and arm with a pewter-colored paint that had a flattening agent added in to give it a dull appearance
With the hard work done, the finishing touch was adding the 96-inch S&S motor into the chassis. Filled with S&S goodies, including a Super E carburetor, the mill is more than enough to propel the rigid quickly down the tarmac. A loud rumble emanates from the Trollworx custom-bent sinewy exhaust pipes. They were ceramic-coated to retain their appearance, with a short stretch of header wrap added to the front pipe to shield the rider's leg from the heat. A six-speed tranny was mated to the motor and is actuated by a hand-shift setup fabricated by Todd. What's the story behind the Tiki-looking head adorning the top of the shifter arm? It's been in the family for years. The origins of the head are a mystery, but Todd acquired it from a '56 Chevy station wagon he once owned. The head was used for the shifter on that old Chevy, so they thought it was an appropriate addition. It also reminded them of the masked Mexican wrestlers, fitting well with the Mexican-inspired name of this bike. The BDL clutch is controlled by an Accutronix hydraulic foot-operated lever.
So, you ask, "What does 'Vale Madre' mean?" In its most easily translated and intended way, it means "fuck it," kind of useless, no good, who cares. It's for all the naysayers who didn't believe the Trollworx team could produce the bike they had in their minds. It was done their way, understated-devoid of the flash often associated with custom scoots. It's what they wanted and they made it work; you have to look at the bike carefully to see how trick it is.