Twin Cam Custom Maximizes Ride-ability
Build style was best described as a game of aesthetic Whack-A-Mole.
Different Street
Some 'think outside the box,' while others just tip the whole thing into the recycling bin. Unconventional and starting from scratch was the approach Alex Lerner took when he set out to build his own unique street machine. He elaborated in a 2018 Hot Bike feature, “I try doing different things. Sometimes they’re successful, sometimes not. This one’s a daily rider.”
Photos courtesy of Mark V Photography.
Wrecked Frame
Different is an understatement. To begin with, Lerner's Twin Cam chopper/dirt bike/cruiser is actually registered as a 1974 FL. Hot Bike described the bike as, “Pinning it down is a game of aesthetic Whack-A-Mole.” The project began with a wrecked chassis with good numbers. Lerner then sawed the neck casting and the swingarm pivot off of the otherwise unusable frame.
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Comfortable Suspension
With salvaged parts in hand, Lerner set about building a custom frame to accommodate his motor. The frame was then bronze plated and antiqued for a subtle yet effective industrial look. When asked what he liked most about the bike, he answered in retrospect, “Everything. It’s comfortable and handles. Before I build, I think suspension. Mine are always suspension bikes.”
>>Join the conversation on this custom Twin Cam right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!
Front Heads
Like the chassis, the engine started out as disparate parts. A set of S&S Twin Cam cases and flywheel make up the bottom end. The top end is where things take a bit of a left turn. Lerner's inspiration for the build is partly drawn from the legendary XR750. Like the dirt track racer, he wanted to run two front heads and dual carbs.
>>Join the conversation on this custom Twin Cam right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!
Rear Mounted
The unusual head configuration led to some interesting pipe routing. The front header comes down, wraps around the motor on the left behind the rear cylinder, while the rear pipe comes out where the intake used to be. Two S&S Super B carburetors, mounted to the rear of each head, administer the necessary fuel, feeding the hungry 4-inch stroke motor.
>>Join the conversation on this custom Twin Cam right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!
Mild Drive
The relocated headers dump into a modified, ceramic-coated Cherry Bomb automotive muffler. Optimum performance was a top priority, so the top end was ported and polished, and bronze guides with black diamond valves were installed. The motor is fitted with G31 Andrews gear-drive cams and a Fueling cam plate that accommodates a Morris Magneto. The engine's compression is a mild 9.6:1.
>>Join the conversation on this custom Twin Cam right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!
Tune Passes
The transmission is a custom-built 5 into 4 with new S&S internals. Setting up the 110 horsepower motor was a bit of a challenge. Lerner recalled, “It was hard to tune with no baseline. We had to dyno it to get one and it took 103 passes to tune.” He also remembered thinking, “This is it, 'gonna detonate right here. We'll have videos of it!”
>>Join the conversation on this custom Twin Cam right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!
Dubbed Build
The stainless steel controls were handmade by Lerner. Öhlins shocks, a 38mm KLR front end, and Brembo brakes round out the running gear. Referencing its broken donor, the Twin Cam street machine was dubbed 'You Lose.' at some point during the build. The title seems contradictory as everything about Lerner's build is a winner—although 'out-of-the-box thinking is required.
>>Join the conversation on this custom Twin Cam right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!
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