Published In The July 2015 Issue Of Cycle Source
Article By: Jeremy Cupp Photos By: Holly Marcus
Louie and his chopper have both seen quite a few “transformations” since 1998. Really seems fitting that the power plant for his machine is an evolution. Let’s stop there for a minute, Lyle Sprouse is the man’s name and rumor has it that someone once thought his name was Louie, it just seemed to stick. I have since affectionately abbreviated Louie into Lou-Lou, but all of this is beside the point….just so you know who we are talking about. So anyway, on with the story, it was all before my time. The story goes that Louie, like so many of us, made a few not so good decisions that truly almost cost him everything. Fortunately he is a smart guy with a heart of gold. Just like his bike he has spent the last 10 years getting a little bit cooler one step at a time. A lot of this transformation is due to the help of our friend, Bruce Walker, who to me at least is kind of like the big brother of the group. You know the guy who just seems to have it all together and I think the one lots of folks like to lean on when everything gets all squirrely. All that and he’s got an eye for a cool motorcycle! Speaking of motorcycles, let’s talk about that for a while shall we? Louie bought the bike in 1998. It was a pile of take-offs and aftermarket parts that the parts guy from a local Harley shop had put together. Brand new Harley EVO and 5-speed in a Midwest soft tail frame. Shortly after Louie purchased the bike, he had Brad White of Gypsy Choppers in Waynesboro, VA do his magic to the heads and swapped the stock cams out for EV51s. In 1999 the bike went under the knife for the first time when Brad raked the frame out to 47 degrees, swapped the original frontend for a 2 over wide glide with FL legs, and remounted the rear fender to the swing arm. Fast forward 7 years, you get the first time I ever met Louie, Bruce, or the bike. I was putting gas in my Sportster when in rolled these guys on big black choppers, a couple of dread-head bad asses I thought. I remember Louie’s bike in particular because it had lime green flames on a sportster tank. We didn’t really say much that day because those guys had all grown up together and I was the new scooter trash in town. There are only a handful of “our people” in my area, so it was only a matter of time before I wound up meeting up with these guys. Eventually I even got let into the circle. I am really thankful for that because these have turned out to be the best group of friends I could ask for. Somewhere along the way Bruce helped Louie with narrowing and mounting a BKC rear fender and strutted the softtail frame. I first got my hands on the bike sometime around 2009. I hardtailed the frame, and I have to admit that something just wasn’t quite right. Everything was lining up, but the chain was way too close to the frame. The bike kind of sat around the shop for a few years, interest was lost, and Louie got a Road King. You know how it goes….. I would bug Louie about once a week to let me take the bike back to see what I could figure it out. I never realized then, but I think he was worried about how to pay for anything…like I said before bad decisions can cost a lot. Trouble is I just wanted to see him and his bike on the road again. I believe God gives each one of us talents. We are supposed to use those talents to help our friends. Finally in the winter of 2012 I was able to get her back into my shop. After I had done a proper hardtail on the frame, Louie and I got to brainstorming. I was really getting into the bike. I made a new seat and remounted the fender. Louie cut the starter stuff off of the transmission while I re-machined the inner primary to match. I reworked the pipes and foot controls, made a new tail light, sissy bar, and motor mounts. Next I mounted a new oil tank and an anti-gravity battery. Our friend Shane Ramey threw in a Frisco-sportster tank that I topped off with one of my new Galaxy Fuel caps. The frame was powder coated and Bruce did the paint work. Louie swapped the stock rocker boxes for EVO Sportster ones, and Brad swapped the factory ignition for a new Morris Mag.
We all thought this was the point at which we were done, until I got an email from Chris Callen asking me to take part in his “Hillbilly Invitational” show at last year’s BMR. Hell yes I wanted to be there, but there was a catch…the bike was supposed to be one that had not ever been shown before…bummer. Suddenly a solution came to mind so I called Louie and he was all for it. We would give the bike a little more attention to detail and take it to the show. Once I got the bike back in my shop we went back over it with a fined toothed comb. Louie did the wiring up nice and I made a new air cleaner. Not to mention, a lot of metal finishing. We got the bike finished about three days before the Big Mountain Run, just in time to ride 150 miles in the rain to the show! I am not going to say that it was the most over the top build at the show, but beautiful in its own right. I am pretty sure however it was the only one that got there under its own power. This coming from the guy who usually rolls out the trailer queens, it felt really great, it was the grass roots of this thing all over again. Just like the way things were before there was any kind of business involved. It was simply three friends on three handmade bikes rolling through the hills of West Virginia. All in all, this bike has been for me, more than just another bike. It is a testament to hard work, faith, and brotherhood. I am happy to see the bike and its owner running the back roads once again! In closing I wanted to add that these cats are a great bunch and it’s always our pleasure to have them in the magazine. Jeremy is super busy trying to get bikes finished, get the other half of his new building finished after just completing the build he took to the “Hand Built” show in Texas. LC Fab is exactly the kind of shop we started the Hillbilly Invitational for and we were super stoked he competed last year. We look forward to see what he will bring to Vegas for Artistry in Iron this year and wish him the best of luck!
Cycle-Resources: LC Fabrications
EVOLUTION OF LOUIE TECH SHEET
Owner: Lyle Sprouse
Fabrication By: LC Fabrications
City/State: Staunton, VA
Year: 1998
Model: Softail
Value: Priceless
Time: 16 yrs
ENGINE
Year: 1998
Model: Evo
Builder: Brad White/Gypsy Choppers
Ignition: Morris Magneto
Displacement: 81”
Carb: S&S
Cam: Andrews ev51
Air Cleaner: LC Fabrications
Exhaust: Cycle Shack Drags
Primary: Open Belt
TRANSMISSION
Year: 1998
Make: Harley-Davidson
Shifting: Jockey
FRAME
Year: 1998
Make: Midwest
Rake: 47 Degrees
Stretch: 2”
FORKS
Make: Harley-Davidson
Builder: Owner
extension: 2 Over
triple trees: Stock
WHEELS
Front Wheel: Harley-Davidson
Size: 21”
Tire: Avon
Front Brake: GMA
Rear Wheel: Midwest
Size: 16”
Tire: Avon
Rear Brake: GMA
PAINT
Painter: Bruce Walker
Color: Black / Green
Type: Chroma
Graphics: Bruce Walker
Molding: Bruce Walker
ACCESSORIES
Bars: LC Fabrications
Risers: LC Fabrications
Hand Controls: Nissin/GSXR
Gas Tank(s): Frisco Sportster
Front Fender: N/A
Rear Fender: BKC
Seat: LC Fabrications
Oil Tank: E-Bay
Headlight: Headwinds
Tailight: LC Fabrications
Speedo: N/A
Photographer: Holly Marcus
