Not too long ago, Steve Carr, owner of a Tampa-based business information company, thought it might be nice to have some sort of streetfighter/power cruiser parked between his Road King and the 1972 Honda Mini Trail, modified with a 110cc engine, that'd been keeping him company since it introduced him to motorcycles at the tender age of 9.
Carr-who says his ability to work with his hands comes from his mom, while his dad provided him with the gift of common sense-had a very clear idea of what he wanted to build. It had to be light, good-looking and based on an American V-twin. It also had to be as hot as a two dollar pistol. As a side note, Carr wanted the bike to look like something the factory could have done if only it'd had the will to do it. That being the case, one of his priorities was to start with a donor bike that came stock with lots of high-end components. That way he could simply incorporate them into his project, maintaining a factory look.
Initially, he considered something based on a Sportster. But Sportsters making the kind of tire-shredding horsepower Carr wanted are expensive to build. Moreover, outside of the engine and a few minor items, there weren't many standard XL parts that would have worked well on the type of custom Carr had in mind. Besides, lots of guys have them, and unique was another of Mr. Carr's priorities.
While it may seem somewhat heretical to use a top-of-the-line sportbike as a starting point for a custom, Carr realized early on that a Buell-based bike would be just the ticket. They make plenty of reliable horsepower. They come out of the box with lots of custom-friendly items, such as inverted forks, awesome brakes and good-looking wheels. And last but most certainly not least, clean used ones can be purchased for a relative pittance, at least compared to some more popular H-D products.
A well-maintained 1999 Buell X-1 Lightning with barely 3000 miles on the clock fit the bill perfectly and was priced right. Within a few days the former sportbike lay in pieces on the garage floor. What looked useful went in one pile, while everything else went in another. The engine, which after all was the centerpiece of the project, obviously made the cut, as did the complete front fork, the brakes and the wheels. A new frame was the first order of business. Stock Buell frames garner high points for rigidity and light weight. The new frame, built by Motorcycle Works of Olathe, Kansas, is also light and rigid, though in this case rigid means just that. There is no rear suspension other than what's provided by the tire and the rider's backbone. Mr. Carr reports that the hardtail frame, which uses a 35-degree rake and a 61-inch wheelbase, handles just fine, thank you, and is comfortable enough for short trips, particularly as he does most of his riding on the Sunshine State's glass-smooth roads. He readily admits it might not be the hot tip if you live somewhere with a less-attentive state DOT.
Since the stock forks worked admirably and looked trick, well enough was left alone. The triple clamps were polished till they shone like a baby's butt. Then the OEM front end, complete with a front wheel and brake, was installed just as it had come from the factory.
The rear wheel was a different story. The stock 17-inch hoop just didn't cut it, so off it went to Kosman Specialties. Kosman machined the old rim off the stock hub and replaced it with an 18-incher to accommodate a meaty 280/35-R18 Metzeler ME880, which both contains the X-1 engine's 100-plus horsepower and provides a slight bit of rear suspension. Kosman also supplied spacers for the rear sprocket and brake rotor so they'd clear the tire.