I have known custom builder Larry Curik since the mid 90’s, like him touring the winter show tour, our custom bikes competing for the same trophies and bragging rights. When the big recession of 2008 hit , like so many, Larry had to find another way than the custom scene to make a decent living. So, he launched a new business named Allied Precision Arms and started to market his own riffle Bi-Pod, manufacturing it with the same precision and quality that made his reputation working on custom bikes. Success in this new venture now let him devote again all his free time building building bikes for clients/friends under the original name of his shop, Lone Star Choppers
Especially in Europe, but also in the US, the long modern chopper is still attractive to many. And this one is so sophisticated in its details that you could think that the custom motorcycle hey days of the 95-05 decade were never gone… The project got started with a beautifully finished 93” engine built by Berry Wardlaw of Accurate Engineering. It’s a generator/alternator bottom end that is graced by the only set of billet cylinders ever produced by Accurate. To top that off, 2 rear cylinder heads were used, a job requiring welding, and a custom ground camshaft to move lobe positions. The generator is actually a housing that contains the voltage regulator and rear brake master cylinder reservoir. Larry Curik built the stainless steel intake manifolds holding a Mikuni HSR 42 carb , capped off with gorgeous racing stacks. The Billet covers are one-off parts as well. Tons of trick parts reside within this engine.
Classy two-into-one exhaust system is a one-off made by Larry himself, each stainless pipe being made of 7 pieces beautifully welded together and polished before reaching the collector. Power transfer is by way of a right side drive 6-speed Torque Box tranny from Baker Dtivetrain with a N1 drum, used with a hydraulic actuated Barnett Scorpion lock up clutch connected to the engine with an early Baker FFP primary.
Foundation of this project is a 43-degree rake custom frame conceived by Larry and built by Bill Ford, the only one of this style he has ever welded together. Then Larry formed the gas tank out of sheet metal, deciding to install it as “inside” as possible on the frame backbone for an overall lower bike stance. In the front, a long stainless steel Springer made by 3 Guyz several years ago and that unfortunately they no longer produce. Larry made its own brake brackets to hold early drag bike 4-piston calipers. Rotors are water-jet with a “Circle Star”, Larry’s original Lone Star Choppers shop logo. In the rear, a HHI sprocket/rotor and a 4-piston caliper. Spoke wheels were sourced at Hallcraft.
Foot controls are fabricated from stainless and the control shafts pass through the frame and connect to levers originally intended to shift Baker transmissions. The “Crown” sissy bar was also forged in-house, and to those who state that it’s dangerous Larry replies “so, are motorcycles…”. Below, run/brake lights have been recessed at the end of the swingarm tubes. Seat pan was laser cut and highly polished. On it, “upholstery” consists of a pattern of high-density foam “twinkies” in black leather.
For the license plate mount, Larry conceived a quite ingenious “show/hide” system with the plate curve matching the one of the rear wheel rim, and folding just above it (see pictures) The only chrome plated parts are the wheel rims , hubs , the hand control levers and the headlight. Everything else is polished stainless steel (of course the engine, transmission and primary are polished aluminum) All the polishing work was performed by master polisher Mike Smothers of Smothers Metal Finishing. Paint job was handled by Tom Schneider of Curtis Auto Body. Long live th e(modern) long chopper… Lone Star Choppers Tel: 618-406-1554 (photography @ Horst Roesler for Cyril Huze)
super nice bike, this “style” will long outlive the cartoon big wheels
SWEET!
I like the overall bike, especially the motor treatment on the Pan, running the two rear heads and the twin carbs. Great build.
Good lord ! And thank you . After the plethora of Cafe Racers – Scrambler – Bobber wanna be’s – Metro Retro pastiches – ‘ Donk’ cycles – slammed baggers and rat bikes swarming the internet of late like so many annoying and persistent little gnats seeing an extremely clean and well done chopper is a serious moment of relief .
Not my style. But very well built.
That chopper is sick. Just the time and engineering skill to do the heads and cam are astounding.
What a work of art.
Refreshing after seeing so many pseudo retro creations with knobby tires.
I am not sure about the bars but I like all the rest.
For this style, nothing to be criticized.
Very clean modern chop. Deserving a more “creative” paint job?
End of the 90’s beginning of 00’s. it would have been one of the top custom bikes of the year. This style will come back.
i don’t know why big back tire.
Nice to see someone building a long fat tire bike , they will return soon enough . Great job !!!
Nicely done by two old timers!!!!!???
Very nice clean ole chopper. Not too sure about the bar style and exhausts though. Because of the overall size of the bike, the pipes seem kinda small od to me. The best part is probably the use of two rear cylinders. I wonder if Lone Star ever thought about building and selling these rear cylinders, carb styles and cams as a kit for custom home builders etc.?
Nothing wrong with a cool clean “Chop” !
Back in the day I helped sell a lot of them !
They have always been too cool to completely fade away
Everything old is new again !!!!
Now if we can just get rid of this modern day music
Luv Choppers ( and so do the Ladies)
A good looking bike.
Very nice, just put a real seat on it and fill the gas tank!
Fat rear tires are played out
Nice looking bike Larry. Well done!
Another Class Build by Larry.
One must really look at the attention to detail to appreciate this build.
But then again all the bikes he has built were special.
Congratulations my FRIEND.
I saw this bike project start years ago. Nice to see Larry has finished it. I thought he was out of the Chopper building business.
FE
Addressing comments- It’s great to live in this country. We all get to have our own opinion, and like women, bikes are subject to the one connected to the rider. Haha Even if the bike isn’t “your” style, one has to look at the excellent craftsmanship that went into the build. If we all were to be limited to one style we may as well move to China where our opinions would be dictated to us and variety of creation is eliminated. We all probably have been looking at Easy-rider magazines since we could remember and to think about how many bikes we all have seen and then look at this bike and see stuff one has never seen before is truly amazing. I am not sending this out to stifle any comments, everyone is entitled to their opinion…Just giving a new perspective to viewing “Craftsmanship”.
Build on-Ride on!
Now THAT is a chopper!! peace
Interesting cylinder-head arrangement, but those OCC-like bars have got to go.
-nicker-
Long live the chopper.
Pans and Long Choppers go together like tattoos and mug shots.
get rid of that dumb ass big rear tire and it might be OK. Nice craftsmanship but missed with that big meat. Choppers are narrow…..
takehikes, I’d love to see some of your creations, you seem so knowledgeable about what is “ok” that you must only build masterpieces. This bike is a work of art and should be treated as suck.