Sometimes you can give a custom bike a thorough look and it becomes clear that the builder isn’t just an ordinary guy with a welder and some handtools assembling bikes. You can notice a certain deliberate style and specifc cues within the bike that indicates either a strong motorcycle racing background or the detailed and artistic aesthetics of an engineer. Looking at this sleek and unique creation from George Tchor of Kreater Custom Motorcycles in Toronto, it’s evident his background encompasses both.
Speaking with George we quickly learned that his infuences in bike building comes from a wide array life experiences on the racing side that include working for a GT1 team on the Rolex 24 Hour and Canadian race team AIM Motorsports in the Grand AM Series, as well as dabbling in some motocross and superbike racing. On the more technical side, George worked as a heavy equipment mechanic before obtaining a degree in mechanical engineering.
Once out of engineering school, the hobby of building bikes as a side business exploded for George and so he decided to go at it full force and make it a full-time career. Now after more than 10 years, Kreater Custom Motorcycles has two shops, Kreater East and Kreater West (both located in Canada), with each shop loaded to the hilt with equipment and staff tackling everything from basic service to full custom builds such as this one.
With an average of half a dozen custom builds going on at any given time, it can sometimes be a waiting game for clients to get their projects into the mix. With an opening in the build schedule and after seeing the sketches George had drawn up for this bike, his client jumped on board.
As any smart person will tell you, it’s best to just let the master do his thing, and that was pretty much the case with in George’s drawing and gave him carte blanche to do whatever he wanted with only a few stipulations. Being a bit shorter in stature, the client wanted the bike to comfortably ft him, which is an obvious request with any build. “This was actually one of my easier clients, there was very little direction, only a few limitations. Mainly seat height and bar positioning,” George stated. “When I look at that bike, it looks tiny in some of the pictures. I’m almost 6-foot [tall]. Originally this bike was supposed to be about a foot longer and 4 inches taller, but I’ve got to accommodate my clients’ needs.”
As you study the sleek lines and raw mechanical nature of this bike, you come to realize that aside from maybe the drivetrain and controls, everything else is one-off/custom-made—and that’s pretty much the essence of a ground-up bike from Kreater. While it’s a pretty astounding bike in its entirety, the frame and gas tank are often what really draw people in.
The unique frame cradles and suspends the engine making the engine cases an integral part of the chassis. Unlike most bikes where the frame is typically all one piece, such as with a rigid, or two pieces (frame and swingarm) with a Softail, this frame is comprised of several pieces bolted together. “The backbone/midsection/rear fender and rear section (what would typically be the swingarm on a Softail) is all one piece. There are four pieces to that front motor mount which is the downtube, two halves, and the top plate,” George noted. “I made it in that manner so that it’s just three bolts and it exposes the oil flter. It’s all hidden, everything is nice and clean. The oil flter is in the standard location, it’s just encapsulated in the front motor mount. You just take the three bolts off then the top plate comes off and the oil flter is exposed so it’s nice and easy for servicing.”
"A Chain Tensioner Incorporated in the under-side of the frame helps keep the final drive chain tight. Vents built into the gas tanks (mesh screens at the front and rear) help dissipate heat generated from the engine.""A Chain Tensioner Incorporated in the under-side of the frame helps keep the final drive chain tight. Vents built into the gas tanks (mesh screens at the front and rear) help dissipate heat generated from the engine."