Cobra's wild take on Kawasaki's V2KOne of the serious high points of the annual motorcycle dealer show held in Indianapolis each year is the unveiling of Cobra Engineering's innovative show bike at the start of the festivities. For nine years running, Cobra's Special Projects Division, headed by master customizer Denny Berg, has come up with a slew of eye-popping creations, each with a different foundation and style. And when the wraps came off at this year's event, the 10th-anniversary version of Cobra's radical ride did not disappoint.
As many had speculated, Cobra and Berg ended up uncorking their largest custom to date-the jaw-dropping "Mad Kaw" machine, created around Kawasaki's Vulcan 2000 V-twin engine. Although the crew did start with a complete '04 V2K, they pulled out the mill, sent back the rest and fashioned the prototypical yet forward-thinking 1970s-style chopper from scratch. But why a chopper? Berg replies, "It's really the only way we could make a bike with an engine that large look proportional."
And matching that massive 2000cc engine translated into some insane figures-from the Paughco Narrow Springer front fork riding a 21-inch wheel to the wide 240 Metzeler tire out back, the bike's wheelbase reaches nearly 84 inches. Berg adds, "When you lead the Mad Kaw up to a standard cruiser, it dwarfs the stock machine." During fabrication, Berg realized the engine would be an obvious centerpiece for the motorcycle, so he had it all polished to accentuate the elemental shapes. When the engine was replaced, it was into a minimal rigid frame of Berg's making with a six-inch front-leg stretch and a four-inch backbone stretch.
Additional super-trick, one-off fabrications include the underseat "bodywork" shrouding the Cobra radiators Berg relocated from the front of the bike and a slightly modified version of Cobra's new Speedsters exhaust system with chromed billet tips. As Cobra boss Ken Boyko summed up, "Out of the 21 Cobra customs we have built, this bike ranks up there as one of the best ever." Now that the veil has lifted, we couldn't agree more. -Andrew Cherney
Inside Indy's Dealer Expo
The annual dealer show in Indy has its share of big-ticket draws and flashy concept vehicles, but the majority of participants at the motorcycle-accessory showcase have smaller, though no less significant, items to unveil. Here are just a few of the more interesting ones we came across. (For more products and information on the show visit www.motorcyclecruiser.com.)
Think Janklow Got
What He Deserved?
Of course not. MotorcycleCruiser.com visitors feel very strongly that the murdering South Dakota ex-senator's sentence was "much too light." In fact 44 percent of visitors are ready to boycott the Sturgis Rally in protest. Twenty-three percent are miffed but not taking action, while nine percent feel his 100-day sentence was "too harsh." And then there's the one-percenters who clicked, "What's a Janklow?"
The Pulse
Yamaha recalled 13,362 Yamaha Road Stars (including the 1999 XV1600AL/XV1600ATL and the 2000 XV1600AM and XV1600ATM models) for concerns that the muffler and hardware components could fall off, thus damaging brake hoses, hindering stopping ability and posing potential traffic hazards. Owners of these vehicles should check with their local dealer.
Harley-Davidson's Rider's Edge program introduced a new training course dubbed the Rider's Edge Skilled Rider Course aimed at current motorcyclists who want to further develop their riding skills. The Skilled Rider Course offers rider exercises, training and practice in controlled facilities and uses the curriculum of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's (MSF) Experienced RiderCourse (ERC) suite. All Skilled Rider Course instructors are MSF- and Harley-Davidson certified. For more information on the Rider's Edge courses, visit www.ridersedge.com.