The first time I laid my eyes on this motorcycle I fell in love with it. I was fortunate enough to be involved in the judging at a local benefit run. This bike would take first place. I commented to a friend that at first I thought it was a Big Dog, but on closer inspection, I found it wasn’t at all.
Chris Fields calls it a “Chopster.” Pagan Gold is the color. Adorned with ghost flames and an eye-catching Danny Gray Stingray inlay saddle designed by Chris, this ride is definitely candy for the eye.
Chris is happily married to his wife Lisa of 15 years and has a son, Cameron. Chris has been riding since he was 8, his first bike being a Honda Mini Trail 70. But times have changed, and in addition to the Chopster, Chris also has a 2006 Harley-Davidson Street Glide.
The process of building the bike started off as an interest in a kind of bike that Chris couldn’t afford to buy, like the aforementioned Big Dog. Taking matters into his own hands, he figured he could save some money and learn something. His pet project started with a rolling frame by MC Works of Olathe, Kansas which included tires, wheels, oil tank, fork tubes and triple tree. The frame is a chopper style Sportster XL. Chris began in June of 2002 and took the first ride in February of 2003. From the Fat Kat front fender through the highly modified Jesse James “Villain” gas tank (stretched 4.5 inches and smoothed) to the modified Russ Weirmont rear fender, Chris did all of the assembly and paint and had a friend of his, Randy West, help with the wiring.
The bike weighs in at about 400 pounds with a length of 9 feet sitting happily on a 21-inch front and 240 rear tires. Stopping power is supplied by GMA calipers over Russell rotors. The frame is 5 up and 3 out with a 38-degree rake and 12 inches over front end.
The power plant is a stock 1200cc Sportster twin with a K&N filter and Joker Machine breathers. And to make the bike more noticeable from a distance, Chris added a set of Wicked Brothers pipes. Chris made the swept back bars and placed them on risers by Indian Larry and set them off with Eddie Trotta grips and BDL controls. Forward controls are also BDL with the pegs by Kuryakyn. Joker Machine also supplied the shift linkage.
Chris spent a lot of time on the details of the frame, smoothing, polishing, integrating the rear fender and fabricating a bracket for the Paul Yaffe tail light. He manufactured the seat pan for that fantastic seat he designed. Attention to detail is definitely one of Chris’ strong suits.
While there are no immediate plans for going into business, Chris said he wouldn’t mind building a bike for someone. I would definitely advise everyone to keep their eyes open and watch out for Chris Fields. Great job, Chris!
Ride Safe!
By Michael Lousha
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