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Feature Bikes

Ass Gas Or Grass – Dale Yamada’s Shovelhead

Published In The August 2015 Issue Of Cycle Source

Article By: Will Ramsey Photos By: Ryan HK

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The majority of my writing for Cycle Source is concentrated around tech articles. Although I enjoy the “teaching” aspect of writing instructional techs, every now and then I get the opportunity to write about a builder that I truly admire and draw inspiration from in my own work; a builder who builds a motorcycle with a “purpose”. When Chris asked me if I would be interested in writing a feature on Dale Yamada I didn’t hesitate to say yes. Dale is one of those builders that really “gets it” in my opinion. He’s not building bikes to get rich or famous, but because he truly loves the trade and his respect for his craft is second to none. Just one look at Mad Jap Kustoms’ shop in Calgary Canada on any given work day will convince anyone of the professional manner in which Dale conducts his business. The shop itself is a showpiece, and every inch of the workshop is as clean and pristine as the bikes rolling out the front door. Dale has an “all or nothing” attitude about everything from the way he manages his shop to the individual details on each bike he builds. For him this is not a hobby or a past time. Yamada sold a successful business in order to fund the startup of Mad Jap Kustoms and has set a standard for himself that he will not deviate from in either cost or production. Dale has no reservation about speaking his mind. He has a very strong opinion about the motorcycle industry because he is very passionate about his trade. It is his passion that drives him to build with a purpose. I first met Dale five years ago in Sturgis at The Broken Spoke, where I was immediately drawn to his bikes. They were clean, balanced, colorful, and powered by gorgeous shovelhead motors. I followed his work closely over the next five years and watched as his hand made parts and engineering ideas evolved into show stopping bikes that can actually outperform many bikes on the road. Dale was a Canadian Professional Superbike Racer until 2004, so he knows how to really put a bike to the test. He has spent the last 4 years testing parts (particularly motor components) on his personal “unicorn” bike. In Dale’s opinion, the heart of a motorcycle is in the motor. As a motor builder Dale’s purpose is to strive for intricate perfection in assembling a motor. And he refuses to cut any corners in the process, including conducting his own R&D in the parking lot. If you follow him on social media you will see a multitude of pictures of Dale doing wheelies on his stretched out chopper. Now as cool as those pictures are there is actually a method to his madness. After doing everything he can to abuse his motor and transmission, Yamada yanks the entire drivetrain back out and disassembles it just to identify the weak link components. Now that is truly working with a purpose in mind.

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The ground-up custom builds being hand crafted by Yamada have such attention to detail that in the end the customers always walk away with a unique and dependable machine. The bike featured here is no different but does have an interesting tale of evolution. The story of Ass Grass or Gas began when a young man showed up at Mad Jap Kustoms with his father’s worn out old super glide and asked Dale to build him a monster shovelhead motor for the bike. Yamada went all in and built his new customer, Jake, a polished, blueprinted 104’ dual plugged, magneto driven monster. Once the motor was installed back in the old Super Glide it took less than a week to trash the transmission. Since the motor itself was an absolute work of perfectly tuned art, his customer asked Dale to go ahead and build an entire custom bike around the motor. The only request from Jake was that he wanted long 70’s style tall exhaust pipes. So with total creative freedom Yamada set out to design and build yet another stunning Mad Jap Kustom’s chopper. Hand crafting detailed one off parts, like the polished stainless mid controls and that oil tank to fit the lines and design concept of that classic chopper frame is what sets apart a build with a purpose from something just thrown together. Believe it or not the finished bike had a different set of handlebars and exhaust pipes. After finishing final assembly Dale decided he was not happy with the overall look. So he made a new set of handle bars before modifying the pipes and sending them out to be chromed again. “It’s just not finished until it’s finished.” From my personal perspective that purpose and integrity is what brings true value to the custom bike culture.

Cycle Re-sources: Mad Jap Kustoms Calgary, AB 855-250-7919 www.madjapkustoms.com

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ASS GASS OR GRASS TECH SHEET
Owner: Jake
City: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Fabrication By: Mad Jap Kustoms
Year: 2015
Model: Chopper
ENGINE
Year: 2015
Model: Shovelhead
Builder: Mad Jap Kustoms
Ignition: Morris Magneto
Displacement: 104”
Pistons: Carillo
Heads: Dual Plug S&S
Cam(s): Big
Carb: Super G
Air Cleaner: Bison
Exhaust: Mad Jap Kustoms
Primary: Tech Cycle
TRANSMISSION
Year: 1990
Make: Harley Davidson
Shifting: Foot Clutch / Jockey Shift
FRAME
Make: Mad Jap Kustoms
Forks
Type: 35mm
Builder: Harley Davidson
Extension: None
Triple Trees: Stock
WHEELS
Front Wheel: Spool
Size: 21”
Front Tire: Avon
Front brake: Hahahahaha
Size: 16”
Rear Tire: Avon Speedmaster
Rear Brake: Mad Jap Dual Radial Mount
PAINT
Painter: 33 Customs
Color: Green / Gold / Black
ACCESSORIES
Bars: Mad Jap KustomsBars
Gas Tank(s): Mad Jap Kustoms
Rear Fender: Bare Knuckle Choppers
Seat: Mad Jap Kustoms
Foot Controls: Mad Jap Kustoms
Oil Tank:Mad Jap Kustoms
Taillight: Mad Jap Kustoms
Photographer: Ryan HK

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