Sputhe also provided the bulletproof transmission. There was no need for a six-speed with this bike; the standard five-speed would more than suffice in transferring power to the ground, and the belt drive is a beauty of a part. All of the naked aluminum on the bike was rubbed down with Scotchbrite by the intrepid builders, giving the bike a rich, lustrous look.
After that, it was all in the details. As an example of bending to the wishes of their customer, the bars made in-house were reminiscent of beach bars; this is not necessarily the way that HBMC would have gone, but they work well and are comfortable. The seat, a police unit, was stripped of its leather cover and re-covered to the specs of the builder. Mated to the seat is an Exile suspension seat post, pricey but necessary for a rigid in this day and age.
The paint was all Laurent; he's loved the "stars & bars" forever, and this was his chance to get them applied to a bike that was just dying for a patriotic touch-to keep it simple, he used the same red that the wheels wore. The ceramic-coated, HBMC-built two-into-one pipe has some of the vintage mojo the partners wanted to sprinkle on the bike, and the Goodson air cleaner tops off the build in a period-appropriate style. In stepping back and looking at the Dept. 85 bobber, it is clear that the partners succeeded in creating a new-tech, old-style type of bike that is timeless and well put together.
As it turns out, this was the first and last bike that Joe and Chucky would collaborate on as partners. Joe, having had his fill of the SoCal scene, decided to beat feet and head off to clear his head and regroup. Chucky stayed the course and soldiered on, continuing the tradition that he and Joe started. In the end Joe started his own company, which can be found at www.Garage864.com, and plans to keep building bikes. He and Chucky remain friends and still work together on occasion, proving that friendship and collaboration are the motivating factors behind success.