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Speed Foundry’s Kyle Shorey builds Softail Kits

Kyle Shorey of Speed Foundry creates cool Softail KitsSpeed Foundry is like a mini mall for bikes and parts. The facility is a converted hangar at the largest private airport in the Southwest, Northwest Regional Airport in Roanoke, Texas. Speed Foundry, MOTONE, Shade Tree Fabrications and numerous other firms call it home.

A group of bike builders without direction is like a foot without a big toe. Kyle Shorey of Speed Foundry subdivides the space, facilitates business development and collects the rent and monitors activities. He’s the big toe of Speed Foundry.

We met up with Kyle Shorey the day before the 2016 Dallas edition of the J&P Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show to check out his business.

To demonstrate how his kits can transform a bike, Shorey decided to find the ugliest looking used Softail and make it cool. The bike was called Pinkie, a 1991 bitter and twisted Softail Standard with just 9000 miles.

Once Pinkie arrived at the Speed Foundry shop it became a test bed for all of Kyle’s creative ideas. He disassembled everything except the frame and drivetrain.
It featured a pink, baby blue, and pearl white paint scheme. And the cherry on top was an all-white alligator white pleated seat. Kyle said that the bike was so ugly that he had to ride it around a bit just for the comedy of it.

Kyle designed a rear fender kit that is attached to the rear swing arm and curved fender struts that are connected to the axle. He found a late model 2000 – 2007 swing arm to accommodate a 200 tire. To keep the alignment correct he set up a chain drive. The rear wheel is off a late model Fatboy solid rear wheel.

Custom Rear Fender from Speed Foundry
Custom Rear Fender from Speed Foundry

He removed the saddle and fabricated a new seat pan for a spring seat. He then fabricated a frame cover to hide the electrics.

Kyle Shorey of Speed Foundry creates cool Softail Kits
Custom Seat from Speed Foundry

Next up was the tank. He split the stock 3.25 gallon gas tank and narrowed it 2.5 inches. He then added a set of Sportser bars. The FL front end was lowered 2 inches. He powder coated everything gloss black.

The front wheel is a spoke 23″ by Ridewright Wheels. Speed Foundry also supplied grips, foot pegs shifter and brake pedals. The custom transformation took about a week.

Kyle Shorey of Speed Foundry creates cool Softail Kits
Customized tank: Long and Lean

He received so much positive feedback on his build that he decided to create a fender, seat and tank kit. With just a few hand tools and a couple of hours a guy can transform a Softail bike into a custom sled.

Mission Accomplished – Shorey has created an excellent weekend project. And Pinkie is now a very cool and unique sled.

After I arrived at the shop and we started talking about Shorey’s build I noticed Pat Jansen, aka Progressive Pat, stumbling out of the bus that was stowed in the side of the shop. Pat had flown in the night before and was checking out Speed Foundry and then he planned on stopping in to see a few builders in the area.

Not only does Pat do all the stage work for Progressive, he interviews builders on their latest projects at the J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show.

Trouble at the J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEYw0r6OcJM&w=560&h=315]

Pat found out about an issue at the Ultimate Builder with one of Kyle’s bikes. It was called “nipple gate” and Kyle was labeled a very bad Cowboy.

Kyle Shorey of Speed Foundry creates cool Softail Kits
Bike Build for Bob Kay of 5-Ball Leathers
Kyle Shorey of Speed Foundry creates cool Softail Kits
Next Kit Bike being Built
Kyle Shorey of Speed Foundry creates cool Softail Kits
Outside of Speed Foundry
Kyle Shorey of Speed Foundry creates cool Softail Kits
Former J&P Cycles’ Champion
Kyle Shorey of Speed Foundry creates cool Softail Kits
Custom exhaust, brakes & struts
Speed Foundry's Cast Intak
Speed Foundry’s Cast Intak
Outside the Speed Foundry front door
Outside the Speed Foundry front door
New Motone Triumph being building
New Motone Triumph being building

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