Cobra Customs
COBRA CUSTOMS
JAPANESE CRUISERS, ALL-AMERICAN STYLE
BRENDA BUTTNER
WRAPPED IN BLACK LEATHER FRINGE ABOARD A bike pulsing with purple-painted flames, he rumbled up to the Hondas, squinted, and took a good long look. Maybe it hadn't been such a great idea to bring two Japanese motorcycles to this hard-core Harley hang-out. An admiring smile soon made clear there was no cause for concern. "Sweet. Real sweet," he said slowly. "I like 'em." And with that thumbs-up, the Magna and Shadow passed a
test few Japanese cruisers even attempt: an exacting exami nation by a self-described Harley guy. Cobra Engineering (4760 E. Bryson St., Anaheim, CA 92807; 714/779-7798), designed these
customs with such
scrutiny in mind. The hope is that Hondas-and the other popular Japanese cruisers that make up a rapidly growing slice of the cruiser market—can join in the all-American tradition of molding a stock bike until it fits its owner’s personality like an old pair of faded blue jeans. Using a stock 1994 Honda Magna 750 and Shadow 1100 as base points Cobra experimented to see just how far it could take a Japanese bike.
Far enough.
The Magna practically screams “hot-rod.” A fat rear fender (fabricated from four 1100 Shadow fenders) hugs the back of the bike; another custom fender graces the front. The fuel tank—welded to stretch almost 6 inches farther than the stock tank—flows fluidly into the sidepanels. “We were trying to make it look like the tank and the sidepanels are one piece,” explains Cobra Engineering Vice-President Ken Boyko.
Works Performance Street Tracker shocks contribute to Magna-Fied’s strong silhouette, cutting about 3 inches from the stock seat height.
As any custom should, the Honda drips chrome—some $3000 worth on the handlebar, top clamps, wheels, fins, brake and clutch levers, kickstand, shifter and pegs. Cobra’s Boulevard Slash Cut pipes and hot-rod style bars, a Drag Specialties seat, and a screaming, yellow-and-magenta paint job put the finishing touches on a radical package.
Similar modifications transformed the stock Shadow. Cobra's Boulevard Fatty Shotgun exhaust, along with cus tom handlebar, fenders and seat, contribute to the 1100's unique signature. An explosion of pink-and-orange flames lick the tank and fenders. Add Works Performance shocks and a whole lotta chrome, and you have a Honda that makes a statement all its own.
For the paint and fabrication work on both bikes, Cobra went to the masters of transforming motorcycles into rolling works of art: Damon’s Motorcycle Creations of Brea, California. Damon’s co-owner Tom Prewitt had no trouble understanding why someone would want to customize a Japanese cruiser. “Guys who take pride in what they ride want to individualize their bikes,” he says. “I don’t care if it’s a Harley or a Honda. A motorcycle is a motorcycle.”
And Cobra Engineering expects that this type of custom will soon make its home in garages across the country. In addition to the eight different styles of pipes it now offers, Cobra will soon begin production on custom handlebars, seats, fender kits and special sidepanels created exclusively for Japanese cruisers. “This isn’t magic,” insists Boyko.
“With the proper accessories, anybody could do this.” Anybody with a fair amount of cash, that is. To reproduce either of these cruisers, you’d need just under $20,000 (that includes the cost of the stock bike).
Don’t expect added performance for the extra bucks, however. As on many customs, function is sometimes sacrificed for form. The shorter shocks may give the Magna a lower look and feel, but they also cause footpegs to scrape even in moderate turns. The reach on the handlebars is slightly awkward, too. “Sure, it doesn’t handle quite as well around corners as the stock Magna,” admits a Cobra representative, “but remember-it’s not a roadrace bike. These customs are meant to cruise down the boulevard and be cool.”
And there’s no doubt Cobra’s customs do just that-in allAmerican style.
Just ask the guys at the local Harley hang-out. □
