American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 170 September 2013 | Page 56

Hidden brackets were made to support the oneoff stainless steel oil tank <<< T he wheel package is finished off with a single Beringer disc on the front and a Rocket Bobs disc on the rear, each gripped by three single piston brake callipers. Supplied by Harrison Billet, the callipers have been modified by Rocket Bobs and mount on custom brackets. The front brake is operated by a Rocket Bobs lever, while the back is activated by a Beringer master cylinder that is pushed by a BMX Photo credit: Axin Yang Pete and Lisa Pearson Each frame joint was taken apart and refinished before being TIG welded, while the addition of a stainless steel brace has been added to the headstock, too stunt peg rotated by the rider’s foot. The Lobster Back handlebars that the Rocket Bobs levers are mounted on were built by Pete from 17 pieces of 316 stainless steel and include integrated risers and an internal throttle. The finishing touches on the bars are the hand sewn leather grips. One of the few pieces on the bike, aside from the frame and drivetrain, not made from scratch by Rocket Bobs is the gas tank, which was originally fitted to a ’70 Gilera scooter. Before being fitted to Gas’d Rat it had a new tunnel fitted along with a Rocket Bobs stainless chimney and brass filler cap, Rocket Bobs Gas Light fuel window, and Rocket Bobs stainless outrigger fuel tap mount with brass Golan tap. The remaining bodywork is a Rocket Bobs Voodoo rear fender, and both pieces were finished in Fire Cherry candy by Art Slade. The same paint shop was also responsible for the Gas’d Rat logo on the gas tank. While Pete and Lisa were disappointed that they couldn’t enter Gas’d Rat in the Modified Harley class at the 2013 World Championship of Custom Bike Building, as originally intended, they were more than happy to discover they had placed third in the highly competitive Freestyle class when the final results were announced. ROCKET BOBS CYCLE WORKS Swindon, Wiltshire UK Tel: [phone] [email protected] www.rocketbobs.biz Art Slade was responsible for the paint and graphics that adorn the heavily modified Gilera scooter gas tank Details on the drivetrain include a sealed mercury cylinder inside the front engine pulley to dynamically balance the motor 56 AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - SEPTEMBER 2013