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| Archives - Custom Motorcycles | |
Custom Bike Review: Custom 2005 Honda VTX1800F - From RoadBike May 2006
Your New Bike By Jessica Prokup
The cherry-red hot rod you see here is the work of Kyle Bradshaw of Cruiser Customizing, Marc Wolfram of Küryakyn, and me of, well, if you don’t know, I’m not going to help you. We transformed an ’05 Honda VTX1800F into a cool, ridable custom that sparkles from head to tail. And we did it in just three days — at least, on camera. About four days in real time. You see, the whole process was filmed at Cruiser Customizing’s shop in Livermore, California, for an episode of ESPN2’s Chopper Nation, set to air this spring. Cruiser Customizing provided the bike, Küryakyn supplied the parts, and Kyle, Marc, and I did the wrenching while the cameras watched. With some smart product choices and relatively painless installs, we created Everybody’s Custom: a sharp-looking bike that a lot of people can afford and almost anyone can build. And, soon, we’ll bid it adieu.
Piece Of Cake Knuckle-busting aside, most of the work was quite easy, sometimes as simple as tightening a few Allen bolts or pressing adhesive tape into place. It’s safe to say that most bike owners wouldn’t have a problem installing the majority of parts. The only areas that caught us out involved connecting some of the lighting to the electrical system. (If you don’t have ample time and patience for the job, leave it to a pro.) In the end, however, the multi-color Lizard lights and lighted spark plug covers were worth the effort — the colors bouncing off the motor really highlight the chrome.
Chrome covers, for starters, get you a lot of bang for the buck, and Küryakyn’s got a wide assortment to choose from. We slathered the engine, the cockpit, the brake components, and a number of fasteners with chrome pieces. Simple change, big impact. For me, what stood out the most was the driveshaft cover, which turned an otherwise unremarkable component into an eye-catching detail.
Up front, the new handlebars make a huge difference in the bike’s stance. The drag-style Cruiser Performance bars fit the VTX-F model’s style much better than the stockers. We spruced them up with Küryakyn grips, levers, and chrome covers, as well as mirrors with built-in turn signals, which helped clean up the front end. We cleaned up the rear, too, with a sidemount license plate holder — good riddance to the black plastic abomination. (What you won’t see on TV, however, is that after unbolting the stock tag bracket, Kyle sawed off some of the fender’s subframe so that it didn’t stick out beyond the fender.) In addition, the sharp little bullet lights we added fit in well with the hot rod style. And they look right at home with the paint. The finished bodywork was the icing on this cake — cherry red with a white racing stripe, beautifully done by Aggressive Designs in California. And nicely priced at $2,500. Add it to the list of accessories, and you’re looking at a little less than $6,500 (plus the bike) for a stand-out custom you could probably build in a weekend. All you need is a little preplanning, a few friends, and some basic hand tools. Then again, you might get lucky and win Everybody’s Custom in the sweepstakes. And that would be very, very good. RB
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On the first day, we gave it more power. On the second day, we gave it more chrome. On the third day, we gave it a new body and lights of many colors. On the fourth day, we figured out how to make the lights of many colors work. On the fifth day, we took photos of it and said, “Damn, it’s good.” Then we fired it up, laid some rubber, and rode into the sunset. And it was really, really good.
Cruiser Customizing has donated Everybody’s Custom, aka the Küryakyn Custom, as the grand prize in the 2006 RoadBike Sweepstakes (see page 27 for an entry form). The VTX will be going home with one lucky winner in September. Just so you know, the new owner of this chrome-laden cruiser will not only be taking home a piece of the action, they’ll also be taking home a piece of me. I wouldn’t call the bike an extension of my personality, or a reflection of my inner being. I’m referring to the pieces of skin I left on a few hard parts. Sorry about that.
Kyle, Marc, and I picked out all the parts with an eye on budget and style, trying to keep a unified theme while adding a few things just for fun. Or compromise, as is the way with custom by committee. In the end, we added almost 50 bolt-on accessories and about a dozen lights. While the sheer amount of shiny stuff looks stunning, certain parts really changed the look of the bike.
Another notable addition was the air cleaner, a Pro-R Hypercharger. This one part adds style and performance: It significantly changes the look of the motor, and, combined with certain exhausts, can boost horsepower by as much as 10 to 12 percent. And it’s easily a do-it-yourself installation — nothing complicated, just follow the directions.