Six years ago Al Rulton walked into a Toronto Bike Shop on a fact-finding mission. He knew it was time to get serious about building a custom bike, and what better place to go than a location that displayed handmade rolling sculptures. As he walked through the door, standing in the centre of the showroom floor was a bike that Rulton thought was the finest motorcycle he had ever laid eyes on. The iron standing in front of him, seeming larger than life, was a Bourget motorcycle. He fell in love with that bike and all the way home he vowed he was going to build one for himself.

After the measurements, design and drawing stages were complete, Rulton enlisted the help of Jim Campbell from Campbell Metal Specialties. "Jim is a very talented welder, and he had to make a new mandrel system to accommodate some of the bends on the frame tubes for the bike. After 9 months of part time work, I rolled the chassis out of his shop for the next step of the process," Rulton said.

Rulton then took his pride and joy to Scott McCallum at Dyno-Fab Custom Cycle. "Scott and I worked together for close to a year putting the bike and driveline together. Scott and Iggy were fantastic to work with. Scott handmade the tank, and designed and made a lot of the billet parts on the bike. Those parts were sent out to Jerry and Mel at Platemaster who did an outstanding job with the chroming."

Steve Fife finished the job off with a special blue paint featuring a serpent running through it.


Tragedy Strikes

Rulton began to enter his chopper into a few bike shows, coming away with a fifth place in Toronto's 2003 Supershow, and picking up a third place finish at the 2004 Supershow. It was the drive home from the 2004 Supershow, in a January snowstorm, that ruined Rulton's day. A tractor trailer sideswiped his three week old truck and sent Rulton and his trailer into the ditch. His truck came back out onto the road but his trailer, with bike in it, flipped and lay in the ditch upside down.

Al's 3 week old truck was then sent away for repairs and he had to make a hard decision about his bike, collect the insurance money or rebuild it. After years of dreaming about it, designing it and building this bike, he couldn't give up so easily, so the rebuild began.

This time it would be better. "Time and money restraints the first time around didn't let me build it exactly the way I wanted to build it. I wanted a blower on it from day one but I couldn't afford it, so this time I was going to finish it the way I first envisioned it."

Once the bike was ready to be painted again, Rulton used the services of John and Dave Connery of Connery's Custom Paint. "This time the bike was going to be House of Kolor Candy Apple Red with subtle black graphics in it. I spoke to John and Dave and they assured me they knew what I was looking for. Two weeks later, I returned and the paint was exactly what I wanted. It was a perfect experience."

The rebuild took about a year to complete but it was well worth it. Rulton had the bike finished in time to once again attend the Supershow in 2005 where he won first place in the builder's class. Not too shabby.

Next, Rulton showed his bike at the 2005 World of Motorcycles Expo in London, ON, and took home Best in Show and the People's Choice Awards.


From Chopper to Chopper

Rulton enjoys riding this beautiful piece of iron but has recently earned his helicopter pilot's license and is now in the process of building another chopper; the flying kind. "It's the same kind of rush except the red chopper doesn't go up and down like this new one I'm building," Rulton jokes.

Look for Rulton's bike at the North American International Supershow in Toronto on January 6-8, 2006 and The World of Motorcycles Expo in London on February 10-12, 2006. MMM

Photo Credit: Jonathan Bielaski, Light Imaging

Specifications
Owner: Al Rulton
Make: 2004 Custom
Builder: Dyna-Fab / Rulton
Time to build: 3 years

Engine:
Year: 2004
Builder: Dyno-Fab
Displacement: 107ci
Cases: S&S
Heads: S&S
Lower End: S&S
Super Charger: Magna Charger
Carburetor: S&S
Ignition: Headquarters
Exhaust: Martin Brothers

Transmission
Builder: Dyno-Fab
Type: RevTech
Case: RevTech
Clutch: Hitech
Primary Drive: Hitech

Frame
Year: 2002
Builder: Campbell Metal Specialties
Rake: 45-degree
Shocks: Legend Air
Modifications: Oil tank in frame, all wiring and cables in frame

Front End
Builder: Mean Street
Type: Street Smooth Inverted
Triple Trees: Mean Street
Painter: Connery's Custom Paint
Chroming: Platemaster

Wheels
Front: RC Components Wizard - Metzler 90/21
Rear: RC Components Wizard - Metzler 240/18

Essentials
Gas Tank: Dyno-Fab - handmade
Oil Tank: In frame
Fenders: Milwaukee Iron - modified
Seat: Dyno-Fab Advanced Custom Seats
Handlebars: Dyno-Fab handmade
Headlight: Headwinds
Taillight: Yaffe
Pegs and grips: Thunder Cycle - 'Impaler'
Hand Controls: Eurocomponents
Foot Controls: Yaffe
Seat: Leather with Alligator and Snake skin, Gel-pad
Mirrors: Yaffe

http://www.motorcyclemojo.com