98′ Shredder

July 19, 2021

Article By: Missi Shoemaker

Photos By: Chris Callen

Originally Published In The August-September 2020 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine

Tyler Valentik’s love for motorcycles came about, like many others. Valentik started racing BMX bicycles at a young age, and that evolved to riding dirt bikes. During high school, his dad bought a Harley and would let Tyler ride it to school. He was hooked. After graduation, Tyler purchased his own street bike, a cheap ol’ Suzuki, that he rode for a while. Tyler’s love for T 80 August – September ‘20 – CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE BMX transitioned into freestyle. When several of his buddies started riding motorcycles, it led Valentik to buy a Sportster that he rode regularly but didn’t really do much to make it his own. Then in 2017, he decided he wanted a cool ride and picked up another Sportster that he could use as a donor for this build.

The vision for this build changed several times, but one thing Tyler knew was that he wanted a chopper, and he wanted to be able to ride it anywhere. He had seen a chopper that he really liked and based the dimensions of his build off of that. He ordered a Paughco frame, raked 35° with a four up and two out stretch, and went to work. Now, Tyler is the first to admit that he is not a professional builder or fabricator, and he had to seek help in some areas. This is where his friends came into play. Tyler’s friend Josh guided him through the build when needed and helped out with some of the fabrication process as well. They didn’t just use a bunch of bolt-on parts either. They custom-built the bars, motor mount, sissy bar, headlight bracket, and more.

Working as a Service Advisor at his local Harley shop has some advantages, and he spends as much time in the shop as he can. When it came time to go through the motor, he consulted with one of the technicians and, with his help, rebuilt the engine. He wanted to be able to ride this bike without any issues, so anything that needed to be replaced or should be replaced was replaced. The entire build process took about a year, and when it was time to ride the bike, Tyler was ready! He was so full of excitement. He said he was “so confused, and it felt so illegal” to be riding a chopper that HE built!

That excitement didn’t stop. Remember, Tyler built this bike to ride and ride it he has. He took a cross country trip to California! Anyone who has ridden cross country knows that it is definitely an experience of a lifetime. Imagine doing it on a Chopper, a Chopper that you built no less! As with any custom bike, of course, he had a few things break, but nothing that caused him too many issues, and he was able to make the necessary repairs along the way, and you know that just adds to the memories! I think for his first build, Tyler did an amazing job sticking to his plan. He wanted a simple bike, something as simple as those BMX bikes he rides. He didn’t want crazy, he wanted functional, and he wanted a bike to ride, not a “show bike.” Well, looking at this thing, I think he could probably win a show or two, don’t you?