From Issue 319 Of Cycle Source Magazine. See The Entire Digital Issue HERE Or Subscribe HERE Today And Get A Real Magazine Delivered To Your Door!
Article By: Heather Callen. Photos By: Bob Vitti
There’s something about diggers that refuses to die. Maybe it’s the long lines, the attitude, or the fact that they’ve always lived a little outside the rules. Whatever the reason, when a guy like Duane Ballard decides to build one, you can bet it’s not going to be a nostalgia piece, it’s going to be something wild.
Ballard, a 59-year-old leather craftsman from Lake Elsinore, California, makes his living hand-building custom leather under the name Duane Ballard Custom Leather. But motorcycles have been in the bloodstream a lot longer than the business. Born in Miami, Florida, Ballard grew up watching his father ride with his friends, and that was all it took. By the time he was 16, he was riding too. His first machine wasn’t anything glamorous, just a painfully slow little Honda scooter, but like most first bikes, it didn’t need speed to be unforgettable. It just needed two wheels and freedom.
Not long after, Ballard started building bikes of his own. His first real build was a CB750 chopper called Funkenstein, and from there the projects kept getting bigger and stranger in the best way possible. There was a full-body CB750 digger named The Pink Taco, followed by Kosmosaki, a KZ1000 digger built from a retired CHP bike for Born-Free 5. Later came Xanadu, another CB750 built on an old Santee Velvet Ride frame for Born-Free 10, along with a couple quicker builds based on a Yamaha Bolt and a Ducati Scrambler.
But when Born-Free’s 15th anniversary rolled around, Ballard knew he wanted to swing for the fences.
His tradition had been building an invited-builder bike every five years, and this time he had a specific vision: an over-the-top digger inspired by the wild pro-street show cars of the 1980s. More specifically, the legendary Pontiac J2000 built by Rick Dobbertin. If you remember that car, you already know the vibe, bright colors, outrageous stance, and a look that seemed more spacecraft than automobile.
Ballard found his starting point in the backyard of a local seller, a forgotten 1989 Yamaha FJ1200 sitting out in the elements. The big Yamaha made sense if horsepower was part of the equation, and Ballard definitely had horsepower in mind.
What followed was eight months of nights and weekends in his home garage, squeezing work in between running his leather business. He made a point to touch the project every single day, even if it was something small, just to keep the momentum going. Bit by bit, the pile of parts began to turn into something real.
The custom frame took shape with help from Johnny Branch, who stepped in when things got tricky, while Mikey at Santoro Fab Works handled some critical welding to keep everything safe and solid. The rest of the fabrication; gas tank, fake oil tank, controls, fender modifications, stainless bars and foot controls, was all Ballard working away at home.
Ballard jokes that he doesn’t really “shape metal” in the traditional sense, saying most of what he builds ends up looking like it belongs on a spaceship. He’s quick to admit he’s no Cole Foster, but that doesn’t matter much when the end result hits exactly the style he’s chasing.
The motor became a centerpiece of the project. The 1989 FJ1200 powerplant was punched out to 1219cc with Wiseco pistons, breathing through Mikuni flat slides and a custom WebCam camshafts. The heads were heavily modified and ported, and the entire engine package was backed by machine work from Jay Eshbach at APE Race Parts.
Eshbach had been part of every Born-Free engine Ballard has built over the years, and this one would carry extra meaning. It was the last motor Jay worked on before his unexpected passing. To honor him, Ballard added a side cover bearing the APE logo and Eshbach’s name, a permanent reminder of a man who shared his knowledge freely and helped keep these old motors alive.
Despite all the experience Ballard had gained through past builds, this one nearly broke him.
“This one tried to kill me,” he says. Between dialing in the frame and fighting the motor toward the end, the project became the hardest build he’d ever tackled. Still, with support from friends like Johnny and constant encouragement from his wife Lisa, who Ballard calls the biggest cheerleader on earth, he pushed through.
Then came the moment every builder waits for. With family and friends packed into the garage, Ballard fired the bike for the first time. The engine barked to life through the custom stainless exhaust, and the room filled with noise and fumes. His buddy Alex just stared at it and shook his head. “You have lost your mind.” Maybe he’s right.
Finished in a wild mix of yellows, blues, pinks, greens, and orange laid down by Pete “Hotdog” Finlan, the bike looks exactly like the 1980s pro-street fever dream Ballard set out to build. Chrome shines everywhere thanks to Willy Shiney, while details like the custom stainless bars, handmade tanks, and Ballard’s own leather seat tie the whole thing together.
Ballard named the bike Khan, and after spending a year showing it, he’s finally putting miles on it like it was meant to be ridden. As for the value of the bike? Ballard laughs and refuses to answer. “I’m not incriminating myself.” Fair enough. Some things are better left between a builder and the machine that nearly killed him.
Kahn Specifications
Owner: Duane Ballard
City/State: Lake Elsinore, CA
Builder: Duane Ballard
Year: 1989
Model: FJ1200
Value: I refuse to answer this and incriminate myself.
Time: 8 Months
Engine
Year: 1989
Model: FJ1200
Builder: Duane Ballard/APE
Ignition: Dyna
Displacement: 1219cc
Pistons: Wiseco 10:25-1
Heads: Mod & Ported – Beuntiempo/APE
Carb: Mikuni 38mm Flat Slides
Cam: Custom By WebCam
Air Cleaner: K&N
Exhaust: Custom Stainless Steel
Transmission
Year: 1989
Make: Yamaha
Shifting: 5 Speed
Frame
Year: 2024
Model: Custom
Rake: Not supplied
Stretch: Not supplied
Forks
Builder: CCE
Type: Stock HD Lowers
Triple Trees: Pro One
Extension: 4” Over
Wheels
Front Wheel: Harley Rocker Chromed
Front Size: 19”
Front Brake: PM 4 Piston
Rear Wheel: HD 2017 Fat Bob Chromed
Rear Size: 16”
Rear Brake: PM 4 Piston
Paint
Painter: Pete “Hotdog” Finlan
Color: Yellow/Blue/Pink/Green/Orange
Graphics: Pete “Hotdog” Finlan
Type: PPG
Chroming: Willy Shiney
Accessories
Bars: Duane Ballard
Risers: Biltwell
Hand Controls: Kustom Tech
Foot Controls: Owner/Biltwell Pegs
Gas Tank(s): Duane Ballard
Oil Tank: Duane Ballard
Front Fender: Modified Harley
Rear Fender: Modified Klock Indian Fender
Seat: Duane Ballard
Headlight: Drag
Taillight: Motone LED
Speedo: Speedhut GPS/Duane Ballard
Photographer: Bob Vitti