Lightning Rod Oro Fundido by Steve Kelly Photography

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

This entry was posted in 45dgree Staff, Featured Bikes, North American Bikes, Steve Kelly and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

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