Silver Bullet

SILVER BULLET

American FLYERS

Supermotard for the street

FIRST IMPRESSIONS CAN be like demons: Until they’re exorcised, you just can’t get them out of your head. Just ask Jimmy Dobbs. The first streetbike Dobbs ever rode was his father’s Rickman Metisse, a classic motorcycle with a nickel-plated frame. And the first time he ever saw what we now call supermotard bikes was on ABC’s “Superbikers,” the made-for-TV races that aired from 1979-85. When Dobbs decided last year to build the bike of his dreams, those first impressions were still dancing madly in his head. Not surprisingly, the bike that resulted was a custom supermotard streetbike with a nickel-plated frame.

“I wanted to create something that represents everything I’ve ever liked about motorcycles,” says the 31 -year-old native of Memphis, Tennessee. “I had seen a few customized motard bikes before, but never one

that was fully decked out. They usually didn’t involve much more than 17-inch wheels and a couple of other bolt-on pieces.”

That certainly isn’t the case with Dobbs’ custom. It started life as a 1998 Yamaha YZ400F, but just about every part of it has been replaced or modified in some way. Thanks to the installation of a JE piston kit, the engine is now a 420, with a cylinder head ported by Memphis Motor Works. The big fourstroke sucks through a carbon-fiber airbox and blows via a stainless-steel headpipe and titanium muffler, all from DSP.

To give his YZ-F proper street traction, Dobbs chose Buchanan 17-inch rims and spokes laced to Talon hubs, then spooned on Pirelli Dragon Super Corse sport rubber-a 150/60 in the rear and 120/70 up front. The front caliper and both brake rotors are from Braking, and the braided brake lines came

from Fast Line.

For suspension, Dobbs YZ uses an Öhlins shock, while the fork-aside from being held in TAG Metals triple-clamps-is basically stock with titanium-nitridecoated legs.

When it came to paint and graphics, Dobbs opted for a simple silver base color with black flames, all artfully applied by Bryan King of Colors By Cruiz in Nashville. The gas tank is a 3.5-gallon plastic unit from IMS, fitted with a gorgeous BBR billet cap. BBR also supplied the billet kickstart lever and brake pedal.

Dual headlights lead the way, CATZ high-intensity units mounted on a one-off tubular bracket made by Dobbs Motorsports, a wellknown automobile fabrication/restoration operation in Memphis owned by Jimmy’s father, James Dobbs III.

The little LED taillight neatly tucked up under the rear fender is by Backoff.

Dobb~~atioti might stretch the definition of “street-legal” in some states, but it seemed to pass muster during Bike Week in Daytona Beach, where the local gendarmes are never shy about passing out citations. And if you like what you see, Dobbs will build replicas. “In my shop (Dobbs Moto, 2887 Appling Way, Memphis, TN 38133; 901/371-9151), I can build any kind of supermotard custom anyone wants” he says. “If someone sent me a bike to start with, I could duplicate this one for about $20,000.” Dobbs is adamant, however, that he didn’t build his supermotard just to drum up business. “I used as many off-the-shelf parts as I could,” he says, “so it would be easy for someone else to replicate. No, I built this thing for just one reason: It’s exactly the kind of bike I always wanted.”

-Paul Dean