Lacucaracha

LaCucaracha

Chopper on the cheap

'95 KawasakiVulcan 800$1500

PITY THE POOR SHOP RAT, unwanted, unloved and, in this case, unridden.

In bike-biz parlance, this 1995 Kawasaki Vulcan is a “crusher,” that is, a pre-production bike brought over with no intention of re-selling, meant to be destroyed when its duty is done. Part of those duties included a stint at Cobra Engineering being fitted for various doo-dads and thingamabobs to be sold through Kawi’s “Fire & Steel” accessories division. Fitting-room chores done, the Vulcan was pushed behind a CNC machine. And promptly forgotten about.

Six years later, Denny Berg, Cobra’s ace fabricator, was sniffing around the shop and damn near tripped over the bike’s silent carcass. A big fan of the 800 V-Twin-leaner than the 1500 and with a hardtail-look rear end-he decided to make a personal project of the forlorn cruiser. Unlike his usual cost-is-noobject, show-winning customs, though, this one would be done on the cheap.

The design ethic was simple: “It’s styled after the mid-’60s choppers made famous in all those cheesy outlaw-biker movies, before long forks and exotic paint jobs,” says Berg. “The kind of bike an owner would make in his garage with very little cash outlay.”

Inspired by the Mount Rushmore of early customizers-Von Dutch, Big Daddy Roth, Dick Hirshberg and Norm Grabowski-Berg set to work. One month later, this is the result, a transformation so convincing even One-Percenters are fooled until they get right up on the chopped ’Saki (okay, the tacked-on Harley “popsicle” kickstarter and dummy voltage regulator help with the ruse). Total parts bill, maybe $1300.

Underneath the apehangers and sissybar and cocktail-shaker mufflers, the bike remains amazingly stock. Engine, brakes, fork, wheels, instmments, headlight-straight from Kawasaki. Gas tank, too, though its seams have been smoothed. A Cobra lowering kit sucks height out of the rear suspension.

Back fender is a repro from the front of a 1936 Harley Seat and pillion pad are LePera from Drag Specialties. Harley toolbox and tail/running lights are likewise from the catalog-“though I really shoulda gone to a truck stop for those,” says Berg of the latter. Period items like the rear-fender rails and “spoon” passenger pegs came straight from Berg’s extensive parts bin, no cost.

Under budget, Berg put down his rattlecans and had a pro apply the paint. Zeak’s Custom Paint in Riverside, California, sprayed the requisite satinblack, set off by campy Von Dutchstyle pinstriping. Cost? A friendly $200, mainly because it was fun to do.

Fun to ride, too, accompanied by a soulfully loud exhaust note and the kind of street cred that makes the average overdone Harley custom seem a little silly.

“This kind of bike looks better with use, as it earns a patina of road grime and scars,” says Berg. Clean-ups, should you be so moved, are a snap. Knock off the big pieces with a garden hose, then get out the Windex-the matte paint hates wax!

Moved to emulate the Kawa-kustom, but don’t have a handy donor bike sitting in the comer of your garage? Check the want-ads. Good Vulcan 800s can be had all day for as little as $2500, meaning you can be scaring citizens on your own righteous little chopper for about $4000. Hey what’s stoppin’ y a? -David Edwards