As the name suggests, “Proto Slug” by Frenchman Fred Duban from Dub Performance is a very radical prototype street bike. A very sohisticated machine that required 1 1/2 years of very hard work to conqueer the imagination of all bikers, of all custom builders and this week in Sturgis the favorable votes of the judges of the AMD World Championship Of Bike Building (August 2-5 on Lazelle Street at Champions Park).
And yes, I am extremely objective and I bet that this ultra custom machine is going to reach its main objective: by pushing 
the limits of what can be done in terms of design and technology, to emulate other custom builders around the world to surpass themselves and do even better in 2010. 18 months of sweat, blood, trials and errors later with crew and friends as daily support (it includes weekends), and after spending 250,000 Euros (about $350,000) of his own money, Fred Duban just completed his dream performance street bike. And if you are not in Sturgis to dissect all the tricks included in this prototype I give you the main basic ingredients of this custom building recipe.
“Proto Slug” started as a with a 32-degree neck street frame heavely modified by Dub Performance to accept a 100% hand made carbon fiber body, an aluminum gas tank and a plethora of fabricated or custom modified parts. Motor is 131” 2200 cc from Merch fitted with a Mikuni HSR 45 and coupled to a 6-speed Baker transmission and Primo drive. Öhlins provided the front end before it was also modified, equipped with an 18” front wheel stopped by a Beringer performance brake and dressed with an Avon 120/70. In the rear, there is a massive 18” wheel also dressed in Avon 300/35. Controls, grips, bars come from Italian Rizoma. Most of the other performance parts were made at the shop. The tricks? Will explain to you when Fred let me use it. To follow…Dub Performance.
That’s terrific. It’s great to see a custom designed with performance in mind, as much as looks – although that beautiful exhaust system really catches the eye.
Chris
I specialy like the clean look of his bikes.
(Not to forget the choise of the components)
Hope he will get the high score he deserves !
From the neighbour-country Belgium,
wish you all the best
Gustian
I really like this bike… this is what the Harley line has been missing for years. I hoped the combination of HD/MV Augusta might yield such a machine. Perhaps HD should buy Dub’s design!
AMD has many bikes made by AMERICAN buildersyet they never win…they’re due!
An amazing machine- wowa!!
Looks like a cross between a V-Max and an FXR.
great place for a battery….as long as it isnt hooked up ; )
18″ rims? 300+ tire…. 350,000????
FAIL!
The 350,000 cost kinda freaks me out. Off the shelf engine, gearbox, suspension, controls, bars, wheels, tires, drive and brakes. so where did the other 320,000$ get spent?
yes, it looks great, but I just don’t get the cost. 100,000$ exhaust system?
Will Fred Duban’s bike “compete” in the same category as Fred Bertrand’s “Overmile”? I’ve seen on this blog that “Dub” had posted to say how impressed he was by “Krugger” ‘s latest creation. The workshops of these two bike builders are only 140 miles from each other.
I have seen Dub’s “Proto” early in May in Mecrin, It is very impressive indeed, and workmanship is absolutely superb, but it still looks like a very big and expensive crotch rocket.
Fred “Krugger” Bertrand’s “Overmile”, which I have not seen, impresses me by its sheer elegance, and is certainly equal in terms of workmanship. But I feel it has stronger identity.
It will be interesting to see which one gets the votes from the jury.
Rodent: with respect to this type of bike, you’re right.
The above bike is nice, but why the huge rear? If you’re going for a performance chassis, then why hinder the handling with that beach ball?
This type of performance application for a Big Twin has been done since 1997 by Curt Winter of BTR Moto. He’s in Sturgis now racing a Big Twin hill climber.
His site doesn’t have pics of the HD climber on it, but they are awesome.
Check out the black bike here: http://btrmoto.com/
Looks great but where’s the street version? Is this somekind of race bike? The rear wheel is toooooo big, How would you get it through a corner…
David
lok lik konfedirete wit big tire
copi gato
Frito Bandito
What an amazing price !!!
Looks like a bike called “heretic” from a Scottish builder…
Harvey
I am here at the show this week, and this is truly a nice custom bike. Seeing the bike in person is a great experience. Each one of the bikes at the showcase really proves how artstic ability and custom bike building come together to create these one of kind masterpieces. I would hate to be a judge at this show!!!
PMG
still using evo drive train?
do you have any dimensions/wheelbase etc
seems we need more bikes with shorter drive train spacing to assist overall wheelbase etc
checkout RoadRage Custom New Zealand from S&S 50th , X Wedge with stacked shaft trans and a true 61 inch wheelbase
100 mm of suspesion front and rear, ride height adjustable.
DA