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November 2002 V-Twin...
P. Town Chopper
The Wild Rides Of Outlaw Bikers

As a young lad growing up the San Francisco in the '60s Chris Sullivan watched with excitement as motorcycle outlaw choppers roared through his neighborhood. He dreamed of owning one and livin' the life.

He acquired his first bike at the tender age of 16 and by the ripe young age of 18 had built himself a show quality '65 Sporster XLCH from the ground up. For his whole life he has been enthralled by the "Frisco Style" choppers that he grew up with. Hardtails and high bars, kick starters, big-inch motors, and loud pipes, these are the elements of the consummate chopper. Over the years he has owned several bikes, capped off by the ground-pounder we see on these pages.

Though the son of a police officer, Chris had his share of scrapes with the man and experienced many of the hard knocks of the road. As he matured he decided to go legit and knuckle down to the trades. He has now found his niche as a building contractor doing construction and remodeling. Success in his business helped Chris move forward with his dream of building this bike, and the other toys he enjoys.

Nor content with standing on the sidelines while someone else builds his dream, Chris was intimately involved in the construction of his ride. It was built at Custom Design Studios in Novato, California, and he personally put in many hours over two long years designing and building it. The custom fabrication of the bike was performed by Jeff Castle, and it was assembled over a month by Chris with the help of Norman and Kirk of CDS.

Every bike Chris has owned has been blue. His daily rider is a 2002 FXDS which he also hot rods and street races around town. When his friends see him on a new bike, it always, "another blue one, eh?"

While his love for old school was a primary motor-vatin, design factor, he also wanted to build a bike that was up to date mechanically. That led him to go with the S&S for the 96-inch mill for power and reliability and 4 speed kick start RevTech tranny for smooth shifting. He mounted that rock solid drive train in a Santee rigid frame, confident in its ability to handle all the loose ponies. An Avon 200 tire puts the power to the ground and that 21-inch front tire makes only intermittent contact with the pavement.

Chris' chopper epitomizes, and is a testament to the heady time that the '60s were. It was a time that inspired a generation, and continues to influence builders today.

-Kit Maira