George Colvin’s Reinbikenated Sportster
Content courtesy of Barnetts Magazine
Photos by Jack Cofano
Reincarnation, the rebirth of a soul in a new body, is always a touchy subject to bring up with opposing groups each taking an impenetrable side backed up with facts, figures, and strong beliefs. I’m not going to get into that subject as it pertains to humans, but I do think that word reincarnation can apply when tweaked a bit to reinbikenation for custom motorcycles. Case in point, George Colvin of Shawnee, Ohio, bought a brand new 883 Hugger back in 1996 and proceeded to ride the living pants off it to the tune of 52,000 miles. Obviously he loved the bike, but like so many motorcyclists he wanted more. More of everything and then some.
Taking a studied approach to future customization, George kept an eye out on different builders’ styles and their attention to detail before finally settling on Robert Gilliland Customs in Jackson, Ohio, to discuss a potential build. “George is an older gentleman and likes the old street rods with long fenders and ’34-style taillights,” said Robert Gilliland. “I studied the bike for a while and talked with him to get a feel and his input on what he wanted the bike to look like.” With a successful meeting of the minds, a deal was struck and George dropped the bike off the day after Christmas in 2009.
Robert doesn’t believe in throwing a few doodads at a bike and calling it a custom, instead preferring to start from ground zero. “I stripped the bike down to the bare frame and the only parts I used off the original Hugger were the frame and engine cases. When George came to pick up all the old parts, he about flipped out when he saw the bike disassembled and just said, ‘Oh my God!’ said Robert with a laugh. “People tend to do that when the love of their life is in pieces.”
Old School’s the rule when it comes to building a Gilliland custom and Robert always uses The Motor Company’s frame as his base, cutting and welding like in the old days until it’s where he wants it. “The frame is stretched 1″ and I dropped the neck 1″ to get the profile I was looking for,” said Robert. What he ended up with was rakish 39-degrees of rake compared to 30-degrees stock, just enough to add a bit of spice to the front end without deteriorating handling qualities. One thing Robert has a real personal problem with is the Sportster’s stock rectangular swing arm, but he’s not just a complainer as he had a fix in mind. “I designed a cool rear swing arm, that’s one of my signature parts,” he said.
You might remember the part where Robert mentioned all that was left of the stock bike was “the frame and engine cases” and he wasn’t exaggerating when he said “engine cases.” There is a good reason for that, as an 883 makes only about 45 horses on a good day. “As with any hot rod, a custom- built engine is in order. I split the cases and purchased a set of ’96 Buell S1 Lightning flywheels (they’re three-pounds lighter than a Sportster’s) and sent them to Revolution to have them dynamically balanced. Then I called my good friend, Dave Fussner, at Wiseco to have 11:1 compression pistons made to install in new 1200cc cylinders. A set of Buell Thunderstorm heads were sent to S&H Plating to be hexed for a killer look and the fins were polished. Red Shift .580-lift cams with custom springs from Woods Performance, JIMS lifters, and S&S adjustable push rods were fitted,” said Robert. “Topping things of was a 45mm Mikuni carb and K&N filter followed by extensive tuning. The motor now produces 112hp and 89lb-ft of torque at the rear wheel. It’s one fast little hot rod.”
After achieving that rather outrageously fun power output, I asked Robert if he thinks of himself first as an engine builder, but he described himself as a sheet metal guy. “I handcraft all my sheet metal so I started pounding out metal until I had new front and rear fenders, a front air dam, and a gas tank,” said Robert. I built a taillight using LED lighting and rad lens material and then built a set of handlebars with a built-in speedo.”
When it came time for paint, there was no discussion as George knew exactly what he wanted and I think you can figure that out for yourself rather easily. “George wanted the bike yellow which is his favorite color and he wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. We chose PPG Concept Chrome Yellow that was done by none other than Mr. Tim Hines in Columbus, Ohio. The small amount of graphics was done by Darrin Allen,” said Robert.
The reinbikenated Sportster headed for the show circuit and put itself out for all the world to see and judge. “The bike won first place at the rat’s Hole Show, first place at Easyriders Charlotte, and six awards at The World of Wheels for Best Fabrication, Best Paint, Best Design, Best Detailed Motorcycle, Best Engine detail, and Best of Show,” said Robert. “George says with this bike all his dreams have come true. I am very proud to have fabricated this bike for him and to see the enjoyment in his eyes when he sits on it. And, a smile you cannot wipe away when he rides. What a build.”
And “no” in case you were wondering, George’s Sporty is not now just a show queen relegated to road time in a trailer. “He still rides it and keeps it immaculate, just like he did before we worked on it. George says it’s the fastest, best handling bike he has ever ridden as well as a total show stopper on the road,” said Robert.
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