Solid Gold

SOLID GOLD

AMERICAN FLYERS

But not a single karat in sight

WHEN SHAKESPEARE wrote, “All that glitters is not gold,” he obviously wasn’t referring to motorcycles. His quote dates back to 1596, but it still offers insight into the spectacular custom pictured here. Based on its color and absence of graphics, this stunning piece of craftsmanship was named “Solid Gold” by its builder, Wide Open Cycles in Daytona Beach, Florida (www.wideopencycles.com), yet there isn’t a trace of that precious metal on the entire machine. The gold-hued paint is just that-paint-and all of the gold-appearing hardware sprinkled around the bike is brass. “Solid Brass,” though, just doesn’t have the sex appeal of Solid Gold.

“Actually, gold wasn’t our theme when we were designing this bike,” explains Dale Parker, owner of Wide Open. “We wanted to create something both current and retro,

something old-fashioned but done in a modem way.”

It’s hard to identify much retro in Solid Gold, but there’s plenty of creativity. The frame clearly has no rear suspension, but Parker insists it is not a hardtail. “See those two big arches leading from the bottom frame rail on each side, back to the axle?” he asks. “Those are designed to flex just enough to help absorb some of the shock of bumps. We worked on this idea for a long time, trying different wall thicknesses and cutouts between the arches to find the best compromise between rigidity and flexibility.” WOC then combined that rear “suspension” with a tiny, handmade solo saddle that pivots at the front and sits atop a small shock absorber. The result is a seat that’s just 16/4 inches high and a ride Parker says is “better than on a lowered Softail.”

He also claims Solid Gold

handles exceptionally well for a bike that’s 9/4 feet long, has a radically raked front end and sits just a few inches off the ground. “We tucked the bottom frame tubes in as far as possible,” he says, “and routed the exhaust inside the frame to exit through two big outlets in front of the rear wheel. The steering neck is angled at 45 degrees and the tripletrees rake the American Suspension fork out another 9 degrees, but the frontwheel trail is only 4.65 inches. So the bike steers nicely and can lean 45 degrees in both directions.”

Impressive. As is the acceleration provided by the 120-inch Ultima El Bruto H-D Evo-style engine hooked to a Baker six-speed right-side-drive gearbox. A Jaybrake J-Four Tranzbrake mounts the rear caliper and rotor on the transmission output shaft, giving the rear wheel a cleaner appearance. Most of the bike’s metal-

work-handlebar, exhaust system, fenders and long, arched gas tank-was fabbed in-house.

Parker is understandably proud of Solid Gold, but he isn’t alone. It was the 2007 champion at the State of Florida Bike Builder Invitational, the second straight year in which Wide Open won that competition. Since then, Parker has built two faithful replicas of Solid Gold for well-heeled customers. “The original bike was worth around $90,000,” he says, “but that included a lot of R&D time to get the concept right and figure out how to build it. We’ve been able to produce the copies for around $60,000 each.”

Although that is an impressive 33-percent cost reduction, plopping down $60K for a custom motorcycle these days brings to mind yet another Shakespeare quote: “My kingdom for a horse.” -Paul Dean