Article And Photos By: Milwaukee Mike
Originally Published In The November 2016 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine
Once or maybe twice in a lifetime a bike like this iconic Evo comes along. But it is never an easy road and this bike is no exception to that set of laws. This bike came to be because of the persistence of its owner, Eric Greenfield out of Denver, CO. A lot of obstacles had to be overcome just to get the bike in his possession. It all started while talking with a O group of guys in the bar one night. Eric had an itch to build a long bike for quite some time, starting with the images from Easyrider imprinted in his brain as a kid. He wasn’t sure how he was going to go about getting all the ingredients together. Somewhere in the haze of the night it was mentioned to Eric that an original Denvers roller was up for grabs in the area, but as I mentioned earlier, it was going to take some doing to get it. So the deal was that it belonged to a 1%er who was very particular about who he talked to and dealt with. So after 2 meetings and a bunch of rigmarole it was determined that Eric was a good guy and all the ducks were in a row. But, alas it wasn’t to be at the time. It took 2 more tries at it. Just when all hope was lost it appeared on Craigslist. After another ballyhoo interview about how he had to build the bike and ride it and never sell it etc., etc., etc., it was finally his to do with as he pleased. Now, the next hurtle to overcome…Eric had never built a bike from scratch. So it was off to get a welder so he would be able to alter tanks, fenders and the like. So after the purchase of said welder he was ready to tackle the tasks at hand. First up was to fab a sissy bar that fit the sheer length of the chassis and after about 5 attempts to get the 2 sides to match he hit the jackpot. Eric is very proud of the way it turned out.
Next, he was ready to tackle the daunting task of building those pipes but to do that a power plant was needed first. In an effort to obtain the power plant, it came back to relying on the network of friends in the Denver area, particularly that of Joe Mayer. Together they found a guy on Craigslist that was selling an S&S Evo motor and tranny for a fair price. After meeting the guy and striking up a deal the seller made them a great offer to take the whole Softail and all that was in the shed for low dough. So the boys took the Viola V-Twin, cleaned her up and checked her out, and declared her ready. So in the frame she went with a ready to go self-cleaning oil system 5 speed behind her. You have never heard of the self-cleaning system on a 5 speed???
All it means is that after a number of tries the tranny still leaks oil so it constantly needs to be checked and refilled, hence the clean oil. A lot of people would be wondering why an Evo…why not a Pan or Knuck for a machine of this heritage??? Well, Eric told me an Evo is the best of all worlds. It’s a rock solid drive train and the best bang for the buck. I personally agree and love my Evos. A simple clean design that has resurfaced to a point in the new Milwaukee 8, but that’s a story for another time, and soon you will hear it from those of us who have ridden it. Now that the heart was installed, the pipes could be fabbed. Eric got some help from his local muffler shop with a mandrel bender. He had some bends made and they didn’t quite fit so he had to go back a handful of times. The kid that was working got sick of looking at him so he gave him free reign on the bender so Eric got to move at his own pace and get everything to fit precisely and the result shows it.
Now that the roller was a runner it was time to lay the color down and in its first incarnation the bike had a customized repurposed Honda gas tank. Many people didn’t care for the look but this bike was built to be a runner and not to have to stop for fuel very often. But I think once he changed to the time proven shape and design of the friscoed Sporty tank the whole design of the ultra-rare Diamond Chassis Company frame built exclusively for Denvers along with the 30 over Denvers springer makes a hell of an impact. It was just one of those days when we got to shoot this machine all the right angles of the sun made the paint dance and everyone gets to enjoy how beautiful this bike truly is. Eric would like to say thanks to all the guys who made this bike happen, first and foremost Joe Mayer. Unfortunately, Joe didn’t get to see the finished product as he shuffled off this mortal coil before the bike was done. Eric said it serves as a great reminder of a great friend whenever he is behind the bars. Also he would like to say thanks to Bernie Stene who made all of this gel and pushed when needed and eased back before the breaking point. And a special thanks to Sean Svatos. Also a huge thanks to his wife and family for putting up with the missed dinners and frustrating times during the build. Eric told me he is now working on a shovel that will surpass this Evo. I hope he is right and when its ready I will bring it to all the Cycle Source faithful!!!
Tangerine Dream Tech Sheet
Owner: Eric Greenfield
City/State: Aurora, CO
Builder: Owner & Sean Svatos
Year: 1988
Model: Denvers Chopper
Value: Priceless
Time: 3 Years, Give Or Take
ENGINE
Year: 84-99
Model: Evo
Builder: S&S
Ignition: Dyna Single Fire
Displacement: 96cc”
Pistons: S&S
Heads: S&S
Carb: S&S Super E
Cam: S&S
Air Cleaner: Mooneyes
Exhaust: Owner
Primary: Open, Ultima 2”
TRANSMISSION
Year: 1988
Make: Harley-Davidson
Shifting: 5 Speed
FRAME
Builder: Diamond Chassis
Rake: 50°
Stretch: 7” Up, 5” Out
Forks
Builder: Denvers Chopper
Type: Springer
Extension: 230” Over
Triple trees:
WHEELS
Front Wheel: Denver Swap Meet
Size: 21”
Tire: Avon Speedmaster
Front brake: None
Rear Wheel: Denver Swap Meet
Size: 16”
Tire: Continental
Rear Brake: DNA Dual Caliper
PAINT
Painters: Biffs Custom, MototrSport
Concepts, John May Customs
Color: Tangerine, Zenith Gold Flake
Type: House Of Kolor
Graphics: Various
Chroming: Quality Plating
ACCESSORIES
Bars: Old Z Bars 10”
Risers: Old
Hand controls: Biltwell
Gas Tank(s): Throttle Addiction
Front fender: None
Rear Fender: Lowbrow Customs
Seat: Bill Murphy
Foot controls: Cheap Knock Offs
Oil Tank: Modified Horse Shoe
Headlight: Two Dixie Standard
Tail light: Cheapo Cat Eye
Speedo: What For?
Photographer: Milwaukee Mike