Screamin' Tangerine
SCREAMIN' TANGERINE
AMERICAN FLYERS
Victory custom No. 1
WHERE CRUISERS GO, CUSTOMIZERS ARE SOON TO follow. For evidence we present the very first chopped Victory, brought to you by acclaimed mod-man Denny Berg.
Commissioned by Cobra Engineering, the Victory started life as a standard-issue V92C. Not for long with Berg spinning the wrenches. The stock gas tank and two Harley tanks gave their lives for the custom’s sexy little fuel cell, fashion dictating its rather unfunctional 2-gallon capacity. Suspension was hunkered down an inch at both ends. The frame is almost as Polaris intended, but with the swingarm cleaned up and an additional 5 degrees of rake kicked into the steering head, the better to work with a 21 -inch front hoop. Joker Machine chipped in with the wheels, plus triple-clamps, handlebar controls and taillight. “All very nice stuff,” says Berg. Headlight is stock Victory, mounted as low as possible and fitted with a Drag Specialities “Dragin’ Eyes” lens cover. Fenders are from the H-D aftermarket. Taylor Design out of San Diego laid on the paint job, sort of a cosmic candy yellow/orange with green “tribal tattoo” accents.
Focal point, though, is the hulking V-Twin motor, freed of its dowdy coat of black. “It looked heavy and bulky before-almost cast-iron,” says Berg, though he warns that home mechanics may want to think twice before polishing their powerplants. Paint removers didn’t make a dent in the Stocker’s ebony powdercoat; it wasn't until Berg got out his blow torch and sand-blaster that the paint relented. “That powdercoat is killer stuff,” he cautions. The bare-aluminum motor then went off to JQI Metalfinish in Palm Springs for a spit-and-polish session.
Unleashed at Daytona Beach, the Cobra Victory soon had the world’s cruiser press lined up for photo sessions (but remember, you saw it here first). It’s enough to make a builder blush.
“It’s just an old-time, skinnied-up bike,” allows Berg in his usual understated, aw-shucks way.
Not hardly, Denny, not hardly.
David Edwards
