White Trash Express-A Speed Junky’s Bar Hoppin Wheelie Machine
Article By: Chris Callen
Photos By: Trish Horstman
Evan played a lot of sports growing up and was always jealous of his one buddy who rode dirt bikes and snowmobiles. He knew that eventually he’d get on two wheels and as graduation approached, he’d get his chance. His old man was into riding when he was young but had given it up for a number of years. During his junior year, Evan’s pops would score a Dyna and relight that old fire. Just out of high school that next year was when he got his first bike and the bike you see here, some 12 years later, is that very same one.
It was a used 1997 Sportster 883 he grabbed from a local dealer that came complete with the full, gold, “Live to Ride” package. That would be the bike’s first modification; he took it home and removed all the classic badging. But that was just the beginning. You see, part of the reason we picked Evan’s bike to feature in t h i s issue is that it so perfectly represents the scene from the upper to eastern Midwest. He never had the money to just buy other bikes so year after year he’d make changes to the one he had. He knew if he sold it he’d get nothing, so he did what so many do, used what he had and made it what he wanted.
The first changes, like I said, came immediately. But not long after he would tear it as far down as his knowledge would allow, at the time. In the back of his parents’ garage he would attempt the first paint job.
Two years later, Evan was getting his degree in manufacturing and was starting to pick up the skills, so along with his former partner, he opened a little business. He decided to remake the 883 again, this time using a Paughco frame but still doing things on the cheap they made as many of the parts as they could by hand: forward controls, a jockey shift; it was real raw and dirty. It never had a real paint job until this incarnation; as a matter of fact, he just let it get ratty over the years. Half of it would always be dirty, some parts would be clean, usually those that were recently worked on or swapped out, but it was real man, and a blast to ride.
That was the other thing that makes this bike fit the scene: performance. Coming from the Detroit area, these cats have a kickass history in drag and street racing so how your shit runs is way more important than how it looks. “We’re speed junkies up here,” is how he put it to me. To that end, Evan took the 883 out to a 1200 with Buell heads, a Barnett clutch and a cam cover he machined. When it was fresh, it made 90/90 and that isn’t bad for a bike that’s not much heavier than a ten-speed.
With the engine in good condition it would still need some more modification to fit the bill he had in mind, so back in the shop it went. This time it would get a set of mid controls, a 23” front wheel with a pretty neat frontend. He took some stock Sportster trees and fit them with legs from a dresser and came up with a 41mm narrow glide. Now the bike had the nimble frame geometry to match that horsepower. You can see the name of the bike on the velocity stack, “White Trash Express,” that came from the song lyrics of a local band. For Evan, it’s like a spin on how these cats feel about riding. In the beginning, he didn’t have the tools to make every part pretty but he always made sure that whatever he did to the bike worked and he could back it up on the street. That was a great foundation to build the knowledge and experience he’s got now. They believe in function first and form second up there.
While Evan’s had a bunch of other bikes over the years, the WTX is the one that will never go anywhere. It has been the main R&D bike for the line of parts that are coming out of the shop, made by Evan and his right hand guy John. The shop has really grown over the years into the fully staffed, fully equipped, 6,000 sq. ft. dealership alternative that it is; it even has a Dyno. “There’s something about the WTX…,” he says. It has personality and no matter where he is with it, love it or hate it, it stands out in the crowd. You can see more stuff from Evan and his shop, Plymouth Cycle and Speed on their Web site. Check ‘em out.
White Trash Express tech sheet
Owner: Evan Edwards
City: Plymouth, MI
Fabrication By: John Hogg-Evan-PCS
Year: 1997
Model: XL
Time: Still Not Done
Value: Priceless
ENGINE
Year: 1997
Model: XL
Builder: Bill Bishop (Back in the Day)
Ignition: Crane Displacement: 1200cc Pistons: Wiseco Heads: H-D
Cam(s): Crane
Carb: CV
Air Cleaner: Velocity Stack Exhaust: PCS/John Hogg Primary: Yup
TRANSMISSION
Year: 1997
Make: Harley-Davidson
Shifting: Hand Shift-Foot Clutch
FRAME
Year: Paughco Make: Rigid Rake: Stock Stretch: Nope
FRONT END
Type: H-D/PCS Builder: PCS Extension: None
Triple Trees: Stock-Bored to 41mm Shaved
WHEELS
Front Wheel: Gift From Bill Dodge
Size: 23”
Tire: $20 Dirt Bike Tire
Brakes: Nope Rear Wheel: H-D Size: 17”
Tire: Avon 50/50
Brakes: H-D Front Caliper Solid Mounted On Back
PAINT
Painter: Jesse Stilson
Type: Hot Rod Flats
Color: Blue w/ Green and Orange Stripes Graphics: Striping-Gibbs Stickers-Everyone molding: Jesse
ACCESSORIES
Bars: PCS
Risers: Part of Bars
Hand Controls: Cheap Throttle
Gas Tank(s): CCI/PCS Front Fender: None Rear Fender: Trailer Seat: Kind Of
Foot Controls: PCS
Mirrors: Small Round One
Oil Tank: Medical Oxygen Bottle
Speedo: Nope Taillight: H-D Signal Headlight: Hella
photographer: Trish Horstman
Cycle Re-sources:
Plymouth Cycle & Speed
Plymouth MI – 734-416-8480 www.plymouthcycleandspeed.com