Big Dollar Lowdown
How To Build A Bombshell On A Budget

By Bob Feather

Who says a great-looking custom has to be outrageously expensive? In our Stock 2 Custom series, we showed you what expert builders with big budgets and fabrication facilities can create (the finished bikes, both Kawasaki Vulcan 2000s, appeared in RoadBike’s June ’05 and December/January ’06 issues). This time, using the same bike, we’re going to show you what you can do on your own with a few dollars and a little help from an expert in the business.

When Bob Osias, owner of Metric Thunder, decided to customize this ’04 Vulcan 2000, he wanted more than just a warmed-over cruiser with a coat of paint and a few bolt-ons. He set out to build a custom bike that looked unique while retaining some of its signature styling cues.

While working on the Vulcan, Bob developed the Thunder Design Program, which breaks down the customizing process into a series of well-thought-out steps. By pre-planning the entire project, anyone can turn a stock bike into a personalized statement at an affordable price.

We’ve all seen customs without themes that were cobbled together in garages across America, where the parts, paint, and style conflict with each other. To borrow an old adage, most people don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan. Bob’s approach helps the fledgling builder determine the look and style before the first wrench is even turned. But looks aren’t everything. While the sharp ride you see here has won its share of awards, it also has several thousand miles of road experience. The choices made on this V2K are integrated into the whole package to produce a bike that not only looks sweet, but performs well, too.

“All projects begin at the end,” says Bob. “If you don’t have the end in mind before you begin, the only way it will come together as an integrated piece is by chance.” The Thunder Design Program helps a rider make a realistic plan by asking the right questions and understanding all of the costs before the project begins. How does it work? Here’s a quick overview.

First, set your goals and objectives. What’s the purpose of the bike — speed, style, tavern hopping, touring? How important is comfort or performance? What kind of look do you want? Second, what’s your budget for parts and labor? And who will be doing the work? Finally, what’s your timeline — will you be doing the project all at once, or in phases? Following his own advice, Bob decided that his Vulcan needed a seamless, integrated style, all-day riding comfort, and a bad-ass theme. It also needed to be ready in time for the ’05 Sturgis bike rally.

The project started with stripping off all the bulky stock parts, unsightly wires, and cables that flew contrary to the planned vision. Then, since Bob wanted a big, bad-ass cruiser look for the Vulcan, he fitted a set of Baron Custom Accessories Gangster fenders. The rear fender’s wide cross section made the perfect place to showcase the awesome flame paint scheme that Bob had planned.

An Arlen Ness run/turn/brake light setup was mounted on the fender struts to create a clean, functional look that would emphasize the paint (and also keep the bike street legal). A sidemount billet license plate holder from Baron Custom Accessories was fit on the end of the swingarm, where it doesn’t interrupt the lines of the bike.

The exhaust was the next critical decision. With the new, wide fenders and the bike’s overall massive size, Bob needed a set of pipes that were proportional to the rest of the machine. Hard Krome’s 3" Big Straights with tapered tips did the trick.

Next, in keeping with his bad-ass theme, Bob wanted to expose as much of the massive power plant as possible. (The staggered dual pushrods and chromed valve covers on the Vulcan engine make it a real showpiece.) So, a Tornado Air Kit from Thunder Mfg. replaced the stock air cleaner, revealing more of the brutish engine. And the big intake port on the Tornado kit really complements the Big Straights exhaust.

A big bike needs big handlebars. A bad-ass bike needs even bigger ones. Bob wanted a set of bars that not only kept to his style plan, but would also satisfy his other parameter: all-day comfort. To that end, Baron Custom Accessories’ 1.25" Big Johnson bars provided the right bend and look. The cockpit was further cleaned up by running the electrical wiring inside the bars. Then the stock, black, plastic-coated cables and hoses were replaced with braided stainless steel lines and cables from Goodridge. The headlight nacelle was kept in place, because it looks good and is one of the Vulcan’s signature styling cues.

At that point, it was time for the paint. “We view paint as an integrating feature of the design,” says Bob. “The bike needs to look good from five feet away and also grab your attention from across the street.” He recommends checking the flow of your graphic design choices with the seat configuration, fender style, tank shape, and side covers. Each piece needs to work in harmony with the design.

After the Vulcan was assembled for a test fit of all the new parts, the sheet metal was removed and sent out for paint. Bob suggests sending photographs of the raw assembled bike to the painter with the sheet metal. This lets the painter see the bike’s form, which will help him create a color scheme that best enhances the overall shape and style. It also helps avoid having nice paint details hidden by fender struts and other hardware.

Following the Thunder Design Program, the Vulcan took about two months and $7,500 (on top of the bike’s cost) to build. That puts you right around the $20K mark for a super-sweet custom that looks like it has a lot more than 20 grand into it. Best of all, it’s not a “factory custom” or a bolt-up bike made up simply of factory options.

As seen here, the Vulcan is in what Bob calls “Phase One.” This is the point where the basic style and theme have clearly taken shape. All the big parts are in place, and the paint scheme is done. In upcoming project phases, the Vulcan will see engine performance upgrades, extra bling, and refinements that come about after living with the bike for a while. It’s a good idea to make these kinds of modifications in phases, since it lets an owner ride while parts are on order, or while the builder replenishes his Swiss account to finance the next phase. And taking a carefully planned approach like the Thunder Design Program lets you get the most out of your bike with the least amount of downtime.

Finally, Bob stresses that it’s okay to try different accessories, and not feel you’re stuck with them if they’re not right for the look you’re trying to achieve. “Expect to find that not all of your assumptions and choices work out the first time,” he says. “We tried two different exhaust systems on this bike to find the right one.” Besides, there’s a large market for well-maintained used parts. Metric Thunder and several of its customers have sold slightly used, clean pipes and other parts through online bike forums and even on eBay for as much as 70 to 80 percent of the original cost.

As Bob explains, “When you’re putting your personal stamp on your ride, there are no right or wrong answers. The process of achieving the result you imagined is as important and rewarding as the finished product itself.” We couldn’t agree more — it’s about the journey and the destination. RB

The Vulcan is currently moving into “Phase Two” of its development. You can follow the build on the Metric Thunder web site (metricthunder.com).