Freak By Design
This Chain/Shaft Hybrid Is One Mean Machine

By Jon Langston, Photos By Bob Feather

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” There are those that live by that credo, but Kurt Peterson is not one of them. Like the man who first climbed Mount Everest, the owner of Glacial Graphics and maker of the Sumo-X fat tire kit wanted to do something that had never been done before. He decided to turn his VTX into a chain-driven machine.

“I wanted to see if I could,” Kurt says. And so he did. Drawing on his automotive background and using a gearbox from a front-wheel-drive car, Kurt turned his shaft-driven 2003 VTX1800 into a chained beast. The bike is something of a freak now. And that’s just the way Kurt likes it.

“I built it for myself, just to be different. You should see some of the looks I get,” Kurt says. He admits that most people don’t know the difference. “It’s when I pull up next to another VTX or go to a rally like Sturgis that it gets the most attention,” he says with glee. “As soon as someone who knows these machines sees that it’s got a chain drive, it stops them dead in their tracks.” Imagine how people react when he tells them that he lost absolutely no performance with this modification.

“I’ve got a friend with the exact same bike, and we decided to see if there was any difference,” Kurt recalls. “So we found some open space out here and went for it. Now, the gearing’s a little different — we were shifting at different times, of course — but, I tell you, we were pretty much neck and neck all through the cycle, and we both hit sixth right around the same time and place. No difference at all.” So, we ask, why fix it if it ain’t broke?

“There’s always been talk of bigger tires than a 240 on the VTX,” Kurt explains. “The whole reason for the chain drive was to gain clearance for the 330 tire. I’d tried several scenarios before I did the 90-degree gearbox: double knuckle, transfer case, right-side drive, Gold Wing drive, all kinds of stuff. That 90-degree gearbox configuration fits in a stock frame with no modifications.

“I ended up using a short stub shaft into a gearbox mounted to the swingarm,” Kurt continues, “which allows the gearbox to float up and down with the swingarm. Then it’s chain drive from there to the back.” As he tells it, a straight shaft drive would require a double-knuckle setup, which would mean moving the final drive about 3". “In my opinion, the 90-degree gearbox was the way to go,” he says. “It was the only good way to make final drive ratios an easy change as well. I’ve gained a 3:23 final drive ratio, which makes you feel like you’re really short-shifting. It grabs a whole hunk of second gear and gets a little squirrelly on you.”

In case you’re wondering whether your shaft-drive Kaw or Suzuki might be a candidate for this conversion, Kurt’s got some promising news. “This setup could be universal for different brands of bikes,” he says. “We’re definitely going to pursue this as a kit.”

In addition to the ingenious chain/shaft setup for the wide rear tire, a springer front end ensures that Kurt’s VTX is a beast indeed. “It’s a little left-heavy,” he admits, “but not that bad. It’s not like when those guys used to build choppers and move the whole motor over! The springer screws the handling up more than the fat tire does.” But he also notes that the KewlMetal Bleed Feed air ride system really helps with the handling.

Beast or not, Kurt still loves his ride. “It’s my favorite bike to ride right now, just because it’s such a cow!” he says with a grin. “With the position of the gas tank, it’s got no turning ratio, so you gotta pick your corner a bit. But you’d be surprised how I can just lay that thing right over on the side of the tire. I guarantee you, after a month on this thing, if you go back to your old bike — I don’t care what it is — you’ll think it’s too quick for you.”

Peterson did most of the work on the VTX himself, but props also go to his buddy Mark Amble for helping out. Most of the machining and custom work was done at the Sumo-X shop. Other custom components include a Küryakyn air cleaner, Cobra pipes, Biker’s Choice handlebars, and Radiantz lights and turn signals.

“It’s just a whole different breed of cat, these fat tire bikes. And I think they’re going to hang around, too. If that weren’t the case, the factories wouldn’t be doing more and more of it. Five years ago, people were trashing the 240, saying it wouldn’t handle, blah, blah, blah. Now, they’re all jumping on the fat tire bandwagon.”

“It’s its own animal,” Kurt says of his Honda, though he could also be talking about the fat tire craze. “Something like a VTX is gonna ride a little lazy. It’s a hot rod, almost like a tubbed Barracuda with a blower. Not so great in the mountains, but pretty cool in its own right.” Kurt Peterson’s half-breed VTX might be a cow, and it’s definitely a freak, but we’ll take it over that tubbed ’Cuda any day. RB

TECH SHEET

OWNER Kurt Peterson

HOME Glenwood, MN

BUILDER Kurt Peterson, Glacial Graphics

YEAR/MODEL 2003 Honda VTX1800

TIME TO BUILD Three months

COST TO BUILD Yeah, right

CHROMER AAA Metal Finishing, St. Paul, MN

PAINTER Kurt Peterson

ENGINE

DISPLACEMENT 1800cc

PISTONS Stock

HEADS Stock

CAMS Stock

FUEL SYSTEM Stock EFI

AIR CLEANER Küryakyn

EXHAUST Cobra Engineering

FINAL DRIVE Stock

CHASSIS

FRAME Stock

RAKE 32 degrees total

STRETCH None

FRONT SUSPENSION American Suspension

SWINGARM Sumo-X custom

REAR SUSPENSION KewlMetal Bleed Feed Air Ride

FRONT WHEEL Sumo-X

REAR WHEEL Sumo-X

FRONT TIRE Avon Venom 120/70-21"

REAR TIRE Avon Venom 330/30VR-17"

FRONT BRAKES Stock

REAR BRAKE Stock

FENDERS Sumo-X custom

ACCESSORIES

HEADLIGHT Stock

TAILLIGHT Radiantz

TURN SIGNALS Radiantz

FUEL TANK Stock

HANDLEBARS Biker’s Choice

SEAT Custom

HAND CONTROLS Stock

MIRRORS Küryakyn

FOOT CONTROLS Baron Custom Accessories

TAG BRACKET Sumo-X custom