The sleek tail lamp is a Hotop...
The sleek tail lamp is a Hotop original.
Chesnut was nervy from the get-go, stretching the stock frame 5.5 inches in length and finishing it with orange powdercoat. Adding three degrees of rake slammed the bike to the ground, and massive 63mm inverted Arlen Ness forks on Ness triple trees were extended two inches for an intimidating front end. The cylinders, heads and cases were sent out for polish at Arlen Ness, with Chesnut taking care of random cosmetic chroming himself.
No part of this bike seems untouched, save the internals. Except for the addition of hotter Andrews cams and a K&N Power Commander module, he left the powerplant virtually stock -- although there is that wee nitrous bottle hanging in back, for the occasional on-demand G-rush.
The bodywork is pure Chesnut. He fashioned a fuel tank out of two Harley Fat Bob cells and stretched the finished unit. The rear fender was crafted in the same manner by marrying two anonymous stock pieces to match the massive tire width. Subtle Pro-One turn signals blend into the fender sides.
Hotop stretched and plumped...
Hotop stretched and plumped the sterile swingarm for a bit more character.
Power equals volume you know, so Chesnut bolted on a set of two-inch D&D drag pipes for an ear-splitting roar. Jesse James' slim front fender hugs a 21-inch RC Components front wheel and hub, and a Jay Brake caliper slows the whole assembly. A polished RC Components wheel also supports the monster 250 Avon rear tire, which required stretching the swingarm 1.5 inches and widening it two inches to fit.
The glistening orange paint job? Chesnut tells us it's Tangelo Pearl from House of Kolor, which he applied himself. The finishing details -- headlight, taillight, grips and footrests -- were sourced from the Ness catalog. Le Pera supplied that sliver of a seat, and Carlini flat drag bars and high riser topped off the triple tree.
The final product is striking from any angle, and Chesnut tells us he gets as much pleasure out of building bikes as he does riding them. In fact, he's already cooking up a kettle of ideas for his next showbike.
The fact that both these bikes are independently owned by Polaris employees suggests a motorcycle company with strong loyalty in its ranks. We haven't run across many custom Victorys, but we'll sure as heck be keeping our eyes peeled now. After all, we know which DNA characteristics to look for.
Don's Speed and Custom
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