Custom Metric Motorcycles Press

Mad Max Chopper in Cruising Rider - March 2005

"Un-chromed Cool". In 2004, the guys from Coyote Customs decided at the last mintue to make the 13 hour drive to Knoxville, TN for the annual Honda Hoot event. We took our customer Max's "Mad Max" chopper, our green 750 ACE, and Papa Wheelie came along with his custom VTX 1300. When we pulled into the event, a photographer flagged us down and asked if he could take a few pictures of our bikes. About 6 months later we received a phone call at the shop from Bill Stermer, who has written every article about us in V-Twin magazine to do a story on "Mad Max". This bike is a raw, bare bones bike built with nothing special. Just built to be different and cool. It is the motivation behind our custom frames that we will soon be releasing for the Honda 750 line. I like the layout of this magazine because it gives you a price breakdown of what the work cost and who did each item. Make sure and pick up a copy and check out the article. Bill did a great job as usual.

Once upon a time, there was a little bike shop called Coyote Customs in Oklahoma City. Max Showalter worked just down the street, and went in one day to check it out. He bought some parts for his Honda Shadow 750 Spirit, and accepted an invitation to go on a ride with the guys from the shop and some customers. After the ride, Showalter swung back by the Coyote Customs shop, handed the keys to owner Jason Conley and said, “Here, take it, I can’t have a stock-looking bike anymore.”

That’s the way it happens for many riders. We get a bike, install some bolt ons, and then soon realize that’s it’s going to take a whole lot more than a few chromed goodies and such to make our bikes a true expression of ourselves. We’re going to need a minimum of new wheels, paint and a whole lot more.

Showalter gave Conley permission to do what he wanted with the bike within a budget. “Max is interesting,” Conley said. “He won’t baby a bike. He wants to ride it hard; he doesn’t want any chrome to polish.”

Because “Mad” Max didn’t want a thunderous chrome pony, they went in another direction. Conley began with the frame, stretching it 4 inches in the backbone and 2 inches in the downtubes, with a 40-degree rake and lengthened fork for more of a chopper look. The swingarm is stock, but shaved so that a rear disc brake could be installed along with a 200-series rear tire. The engine has been blacked out, and there’s a transplanted set of wheels from a Honda 954 sportbike. Conley also fabricated fenders from sheet metal to match.

With the bike now lengthened, the goal was to lower it. After removing coils from the rear springs, Conley reported, “It rode like crap,” so they installed hardtail struts. Now the tank had to be stretched 5 inches to match the look. That neat seat, with Mad max and the Coyote Customs logo in leather, was worked up by Rage Dave.

Those intriguing pipes are Morton’s Creepers which have been shrouded in header wrap. Uh, Jason, what’s with the spark plugs installed in the pipes? Conley explains that they turn the pipes into flamethrowers. Max can now ride along at speed and hit the kill switch, while leaving the clutch out and throttle open. Because the bike’s in gear, the engine continues to spin and sucks raw mixture in through the combustion chambers and out through the exhaust valves. The mixture collects in the pipes, so when Max hits a switch that activates the spark plugs—kaboom—it’ll shoot a foot-long flame with an appropriate amount of, shall we say, auditory entertainment.

So while Max out there shooting real flames, Coyote Customs is going strong. What started in Conley’s garage four years ago, first expanded to a 1,000-sq.-ft. shop, then to 2,000-sq.-ft. shop, and now to a 4,000-sq.-ft. shop with a showroom to boot. You can learn more about the shop at www.coyotecustoms.com.

Cost of Cool

Coyote Customs
3514 N. MacArthur
Oklahoma City, OK, 73122
405-949-0808
www.coyotecustoms.com

Modified Stock frame 4” up and 2” out……….$750
Custom Gas Tank………………………………$550
Custom-design handlebars……………..……$200
One-off rear fenders……………………………$600
Custom Mad Max seat………………….……...$375
Hardtail plates…………………………………..$150
Custom intake…………………………………..$200
Sportbike wheel conversion………………….. $750
Sidemount tag with taillight…………………..$150
Exhaust flamethrowers (kaboom!)………….$189
Custom paint by Kris………………………....$1,500

Drag Specialties
See your Drag Specialties dealer

4.5” Spotlight……………………………………..$60
Red 530 Chain………………………………….$118
Diamond Grips…………………………………...$60

Dunlop Tires
See your Dunlop Tire dealer

Tires……………………………………………..$349

Morton’s Custom Cycles
5060 Flowe Store Rd.
Concord, NC, 28025
704-788-8010
www.mortonscustom.com

Creepers with header wrap…………………...$695

Performance Coatings
Oklahoma City, OK
405-525-9790

Powdercoated trees, fork, wheels, brakes, Hand controls, foot controls, headlight,
Engine covers………………………………….$695

Performance Machine
6892 Marlin Circle
La Palma, CA, 90623
714-523-3000
800-479-4037
www.performancemachine.com

Master Cylinder.............................................$235

Forking by Frank
Frank’s Maintenance and Engineering Inc.
945 Pitner Avenue
Evanston, IL, 60202
847-475-1003
www.frankmain.qpg.com

8-inch-over fork tubes………………………...$249

Mad Max Chopper in Cruising Rider - Cover - March 2005

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