Shifting Perspective
SHIFTING PERSPECTIVE
American FLYERS
Arlen Ness hunkers down
BRIAN BLADES
ARLEN NESS HAS HIS eye on sportbikes. and he really likes what he sees. The king of motor cycle modifiers is in no way done with "traditional" cus toms, but he's certainly thinking more about corner carvers. He even has a Kawasaki ZX-12R on order.
"I've been leaning this way for a while," the 61year-old admits. "The sport bike stuff rubs off on you. There's so much of it, and they're such good bikes."
With its kicked-out steer ing geometry and cruiserlike length, Ness' latest effort is no Ri-beater. But that hasn't kept sportbike nuts away from the alu minum-bodied, Victory V92C-powered machine. "They love it," Ness claims. "They chased me all over
Daytona, shooting photos,
asking questions Unlike many Ness projects, the Victory’s engine is mostly stock, save for an altered intake, bumpier cams, a small oil-cooler mounted tidily between the frame downtubes and an underseat exhaust. As for the latter, Ness chuckles, “The engine sounds really crispy, like it’s got big-time compression.”
The FXR-style, twinshock frame is similar to one Ness sells, “but with a little more room and tipped forward a bit.” The rest of the chassis-brakes, controls, mirrors, suspension, wheels-is straight out of the company catalog.
Inspired by Suzuki’s GSX1300R Hayabusa, Ness styled the bike using his
usual method of penciling
various themes on tracing paper laid over a photograph. Ultimately, the gas tank was sourced from a salvage yard (“I liked the shape,” he says), and the bodywork with its airy sheetmetal side-ribs was handformed by Bob Munroe. “I love the front,” Ness says of the finished project. “The back? It’s okay. Trying to get all the proportions right was tough.”
John Nelson paintwork and Steve Fome graphics helped exaggerate the desired outcome. “We tipped everything forward, with all the swoopy lines going uphill,” Ness explains. “Most of my ‘body’ bikes are one color-to better appreciate the workmanship. But I
wanted to wow 'em/ Ness isn’t exactly sold on hunched-over sportbike ergonomics, but is willing to give the narrow-handlebar, rearsetfootpeg look a try. “I don’t know about riding it to Sturgis,” he hedges. “Maybe if I had a tankbag to lean against.”
Next up on Ness’ creative agenda? He hopes to showcase his belt-driven overhead-cam Harley topend kit, which may go on sale next year, in a Sportster-powered spinoff of a Ducati Monster. “I really like the sportbike look,” says Ness, whose son Cory has a Spondonframed special in the works. “You know those bikes are something.”
Matthew Miles
