Secret Weapon

SECRET WEAPON

AMERICAN FLYERS

Breaking the mold

WHEN YOU GO BY THE name "Chopper Dave," people are going to assume certain things up front about your preferred mode of two-wheel transportation. Meet Dave Freston, owner/operator of Chopper Daves Casting Co. (www.loudfastrules.com) located in Long Beach, California, and builder of a bike he calls "Secret Weapon."

In speaking with the talented 38-year-old, you soon realize the man has a deep-rooted affinity for oldschool craftsmanship, and cast metal in particular.

“Cast parts have soul,” he explains, “while a CNC’d part is ‘perfect,’ no flaws, exact dimensions. Every bit of asymmetry, uneven lines and inclusions from the casting process give a piece of cast metal real life. In a

world where everything is the same, it proves that a person is involved in the process with his or her own hands.” So, yes, Secret Weapon is a calculated salvo aimed at the heart of today’s CNC-machined mindset. Fueling the battle is an alloy Sportster-style gas tank cast in two halves. The cap is cast, as are bronze badges, the latter done in the lost-

wax process.

“I’ve wanted to build a full-on early-’70s Friscostyle club bike for years,” Dave says of his inspiration for this build. “But I just haven’t had the right motor or the time.” That all changed with the arrival of the 117-inch X-Wedge VTwin along with an invite to debut the new S&S mill in Japan’s annual Cool-Breaker Custom Bike Show.

“The first thing we did was the frame because the motor mounts are all different (from a Harley-style motor),” he says of his collaboration with the tubebenders at BYC.

Secret Weapon’s wheels are the product of another joint project, this time with Jeff Wright at Church of Choppers in Des Moines, Iowa, who suggested wheels patterned after early-’70s BMX Motomags. Proving he’s not totally averse to today’s technology, Dave took his friend’s idea and had wheels cut from aluminum billet-then taped the rims and blasted the spokes to achieve a cast appearance.

A 21 -inch Avon Speedmaster leads the way while a dirt-track skin resides on the business end. “The Dunlop K180 is my favorite tire of all-time!” enthuses Dave. “They’re unbelievable on the street and I love the look.

I’m a narrow-tire guy.”

Pretty surprising coming from a man who spent four years in the employ of Jesse James’ West Coast Choppers.

“I built all the wide-tire stuff when I worked for Jesse; now I’m sticking with what I really like,” he says. “I want stuff that handles, stops, goes and has lots of ground clearance. This bike is superfunctional. It hauls ass and it handles as good as you can make a rigid handle.”

Credit a sensible 30degree rake and 39mm Harley FXDX cartridgestyle fork carried in stout Mullins triple-trees, with further support from a Fab Kevin fork brace.

There’s a symmetry of simplicity, functionality and performance that runs throughout the bike, although such artful balance remains lost on some. “It’s not a Harley motor, so it’s a tough sell for a lot of people,” Dave says. “To be honest, a lot of the time during the build I wasn’t sure it was going to work. The X-Wedge is huge. I just hoped I could find a way to pull it all together so it wouldn’t just be, BAM! there’s the motor.”

Most viewers agree that he’s hit the mark, not that Dave is looking for adulation from the masses. Not his scene.

“I built this bike for me, not to impress anybody else or win any contests,” he says. “Other people seem to like it, so I’m happy, and it’s a fun bike to ride.” -Don Canet