I had an idea to put the word out that I would be looking for custom bikes to shoot while I was in Florida for Daytona’s Biketoberfest. By far the best place to further this goal in 2009, was to inform Cyril Huze, so that the plea could go out on the industries number one blog. It turned out to be one of my better inspirations, and threw up some stunning gems like this Buell Bobber.
Steve Carr, contacted me after reading my advert, informing me that he runs a small bike building company called Lightning Rod Motorcycles based in Pinellas Park, on the West Coast of Florida near Clearwater. His e-mail said that he had just finished his latest build, and gave me all the details. I was hooked, even though it meant driving clear across the State. I’m glad that I did, because when I got there, I found not one, but three Lightning Rod built bikes to shoot!
It turns out that Steve Carr is a telephone engineer by day, and bike builder by night, creating his masterpieces out of the garage of his family home in a peaceful shady neighbourhood. Simply put, had it not been for Cyril’s blog, I would never have found this builder! Oro Fundido, literally means Molten Gold in Spanish, and that is just what the awesome paintwork on this chopper looks like. As I cast my eye over the bike, Steve told me about his life long love of motorcycles, an infatuation that began when he was just nine years old. His father bought him a Z50, and the freedom it gave got under his skin. For the next seven years, Steve took up motocross racing, and graduated to bigger and bigger more powerful motorcycles, then aged sixteen he discovered girls and fast cars. The next thing he knows, he has a full time job, a wife and a whole heap of responsibilities, but no time or cash for a motorcycle. It stayed that way until Steve reached his thirties, when he found his way back to motorcycles as a way to fill a void in his life.
In 1994, Steve bought his first Harley-Davidson, an entry level 883 Sportster. He tricked it out the best he could, and enjoyed flashing around the neighbourhood. Eleven year’s later, in 2005 he attempted his first full custom build, that bike, he simply called Daytona Special. He must have done something right, as it scored third place at the Boardwalk Show during the following Daytona Bike Week. Steve is just a regular guy, so to bankroll each build, he has to sell the previous bike, but Oro Fundido is taking Steve and his (silent) partner Rick Bonin in a slightly different direction as it was built as the first research and development prototype towards producing Lightning Rod Motorcycles first production chopper, which they aim at pitching to the market for something like $15,000. No, I couldn’t believe that low price tag either, but that is exactly what they have since charged for this bike when it was sold to a new owner from Raleigh North Carolina.
Steve saw an advert for a non-running Buell X1, the price was right, so he bought the 1203cc bike, sight unseen. When he arrived to pick it up, it was stuffed into the back of a shed, and looked like it had been there for some time. After trailering the V-twin home, he tore out the motor and sold off everything else. A Paughco rigid frame was ordered, as was a set of Paughco stock length springers, and so the build began. Fine attention to detail, is the key to accomplishing a show stopping finished bike, but Steve and Rick take that ethos to a whole new level. A beautiful 23-inch Dux Industries stainless wheel shod with an Avon tyre heads up the front end, and the hardtail is held off the floor by an eighteen-inch hoop wearing 200mm rubber. The sheet metalwork included a heavily modified, ultra sleek Cole Foster petrol tank, and a curvaceous Detroit Brothers wide rear fender. The plate and diamond shape grill that is welded in between the two front down tubes, is an idea that came to Steve while he enjoyed a cold beer in his garage one night. He has used the same stainless steel mesh in the construction of the grill, as used on dirt track race cars, but what I really love, is the fact that they chose to replicate the diamond shape again on the fuel tank, when they had the bike painted. It is such carry through ideas that lift the look of the finished bike, taking it head and shoulders above more mediocre home built choppers. It is however; hard to call this a ‘home built chopper’ in the way that most of you will understand the term. Steve has definitely left such realms, and long since entered the world of professional bike builders, it just that he has found a way to keep his overheads down, and his passion alive.
While the metalwork went off to Attitude Custom for paint and graphics to be applied, or to Space Coast for polishing and chrome Steve finally turned his attention to the tired Buell motor. He had the heads ported while they were off, and has fitted stainless steel valves, other than that, the engine just needed cleaning up and a new set of pistons and rings to bring it back to life. To say that the Buell X1 engine is peppy is an under statement, Steve and Rick have constructed a lightweight bullet of a bike, that has you grinning from ear to ear as soon as you settle your butt into the killer leatherwork of the Duane Ballard saddle. I’m still struggling to get my head around the price of this bike, not least because of all the time it took to build, but also because of the top shelf items used in its construction, items such as the Mikuni HS42 carburettor, a Fab Kevin dual rear brake set up and the Jay Brake foot controls. Then there is the expensive paint job to consider, and the acres of high quality chrome, plus the aforementioned Duane Ballard hand tooled leather seat. Steve must be doing it for the love of the build rather than trying to make any money!
Don’t go discounting the model that I used to pose when shooting this bike as a piece of fluff, Mollie Griswold is in fact Steve’s sister in law (to be), but she is also Lighting Rod Motorcycle’s main financial backer. Backing that has allowed them to become a fully licensed American motorcycle manufacturer who can even sell their bikes with a warranty.
Specification Sheet
Owner Todd
Builder Steve Carr
Model Oro Fundido
Year 2001
Motor 1203cc Buell X1
Model Oro Fundido
Ignition Dyna 2K1
Pistons Buell
Crankshaft Buell
Connecting rods Buell
Cases Buell
Cylinders Buell
Heads Ported Buell
Valves Stainless steel
Camshaft(s) Stock
Carburettor Mikuni HS42
Air filter Velocity stack
Exhaust Pipe Dreamz
Transmission/Gearbox Buell
Clutch Buell
Primary Buell
Final drive Chain
Chassis Paughco rigid
Builder Paughco
Rake 35 degrees
Alteration Many
Forks Paughco Springer
Handlebars 12-inch Apes
Risers Paughco
Rear fender Detroit Brothers
Struts Lightning Rod
Headlight V-Twin
Taillight Young Choppers
Handlebar controls Todd Cycles
Forward controls Jay Brake
Petrol tank Cole Foster
Oil tank Coyote Gear
Seat Duane Ballard
Front wheel 23”DUX Industries
Rim Stainless DUX
Tyre Avon
Rear wheel 18” Paughco
Tyre 200mm
Rotor/sprocket Fab Kevin
Calliper Fab Kevin twin
Finish Pagan Gold
Painter Attitude Custom
Graphics Attitude Custom
Molding Attitude Custom
Chrome Space Coast
Polishing Space Coast
Written October 2009
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