On the frontend of Lucky, a custom-made fork setup was created, taking the idea from an Indycar suspension. Instead of a vertical spring-type fork mechanism, the up-and-down movement of the fork is transferred to a horizontally mounted bell crank. Compression and damping comes courtesy of a single RockShox mountain-bike shock (with 550-pound spring) that's attached to the handlebars. Greg used nickel plating, followed by rubbing with a Scotchbrite pad, to get the brushed look on the forks and the rest of the bike. Bolted to the forks is a one-off 21-inch WHM wheel design sans brake. Out back, a wider 21-inch wheel was used, along with a drive-side sprocket/rotor combination that was machined with Westbury's "W" logo. The only brake on the bike is a custom-made WHM caliper that has an integral taillight built right into it.
While the wheels are clean, what's equally interesting is their burlwood-grain finish. Greg sourced the woody look from a company that makes dashboards for Lear jets. The process was begun with a sheet of the woodgrain material being placed in a tub of water. Then the wheel was put into the same tub, and the "wood" adhered to the wheel. After it dried, Greg sprayed clearcoat over the wood for shine and protection. He was going for a simple wheel that had lots of contrast-we think he succeeded.
Greg wanted to build or fabricate as much of this bike as possible, including the stylish one-off gas tank and the Big Baller crown gas cap. A cut-down Fat Katz rear fender was the only other piece of sheetmetal and is held on with round metal struts that follow the curve of the fender. A really nice touch was Westbury's use of cloth-covered wire. Although the wiring is sparse on this build, the wires going to the taillight are nicely visible and secured by welded-in guides on the frame. This, combined with the colors, taillight, and panhead, adds to the vintage feel Greg wanted to create.
Greg's success and recognition from his friends and peers isn't slowing down. He just wrapped up a fresh build for the Biker Build-Off television series. Keep on the lookout for the show. We hope that-like us-you're looking forward to seeing what else this talented builder has up his sleeve of tricks.