Featured In The December 2014 Issue Of Cycle Source
Article By: Chris Callen Photos By: Amelia Rose
I have known the young man that owns the sweet little sporty pictured here for quite a few many years now. I met him and his brother Seth, who many of you met through the Smoke & Mirrors art tour last year, through my friends in the tattoo world. Zane is his name and he’s a tattoo artist near the city of Pittsburgh. He’s been in and around motorcycles since he was a kid so in 2005 when he got the chance to get his own, he bought a new Sportser. He rode that for a while but all too soon he figured that it just wasn’t enough for him and he moved up to a Superglide. Of course the sentimental value of his first bike would forbid him from ever selling that Sporty, so he tucked it away with the idea of building a chopper some day. Until then he’d perfect his craft of tattooing and sock away his dough to get ready. Now Zane is the kind of cat that doesn’t learn anything half-heartedly. When it came to this motorcycle he wanted to make sure that he would know it inside and out. That way if anything ever went wrong while he was riding he could roll out the tools and get it running and get to work. When he was ready, he tore the whole motorcycle apart down to the last nut and bolt. Even the motor was torn down so he knew exactly made it tick. It was a slow six month process of learning. His riding buddies Nick Christafano and Justin Kopcak would sit with him and give advice as he did the work. They would never do any of it for him so it was all up to Zane to figure out, as you can imagine that the welds were pretty bad at first with big ass holes in the custom pipes he was trying to make. Eventually his skill level improved and now he knows. They didn’t let up on him either when it came to the motor. The jugs needed to be bored, new pistons, Zane was hands on cause his buddies made him do the work.The hardtail was the work of Pat and the crew at Led Sled Cycle Source December ‘14 65 Customs. While the bike was totally apart Zane sent the frame up to Dayton Ohio and they pulled out the chop saw. The rest of the bike was a product of Zane’s determination. If anything came up, something that was needed or an idea for something neat, they made him grab a hunk of metal, cut it out and make the parts.
The paint was his buddy, Aaron Anderson, at Picasso Autobody. He simply told him he wanted the specific color of gold and that he wanted a psychedelic seventies look, other than that he let him go to do his thing. The paint came out amazing, almost blinding at times it so bright but a tone that also changes as he rolls by. All in all he talks about the whole build like it was a once in a lifetime experience and hopes he gets to do it again. As for the bike, he rides it back and forth to work from his home in downtown Pittsburgh nearly an hour away to Unique Ink where he does body art all day. Zane can’t afford a day off so he has a tool roll on the bike and when it breaks, he fixes it and keeps on truckin’. He finished it in mid July and had 2k miles on it by the end of August as well. Since Zane is one of the young guys everyone talks about these days as to how to get them into motorcycles or whether or not they do things the right way…. Let me just say this. I’m proud to know this young man, proud to watch him come into his own in the custom motorcycle scene and as far as the right way, I think grabbin the bull by the horns and makin your own bike is what it’s about, great bike man.
Gold Machine Tech Sheet
Owner: Zane Leibowitz
City: Pittsburgh, PA
Fabrication By: Owner, Nick Christofano, Justin Kopcak
Year: 2005
Model: HD XL
Value: $10,000
Time: 6 months
ENGINE
Year: 2005
Model: HD XL
Builder: Owner
Ignition: Stock
Displacement: 1200cc
Pistons: Screaming Eagle
Heads: Stock
Cam(s): Screaming Eagle
Carb: S&S Super E
Air Cleaner: S&S
Exhaust: Owner
TRANSMISSION
Year: 2005
Make: Stock HD XL
FRAME
Make: 1/2 Stock, 1/2 Led Sled
Rake: Stock
Stretch: 2”
FORKS
Extension: Springer
builder: Twisted Choppers
Triple Trees: Twisted Choppers
WHEELS
Front Wheel: Spoke
Size: 21”
Front Tire: 90mm
Front brake: Caliper from a 2000 FXD
Rear Wheel: Spoke
Size: 16”
Rear Tire: 200mm
Rear Brake: Caliper from a 2000 FXD
PAINT
Painter: Aaron Anderson, Picasso
Autobody
Color: Gold, Brown, Orange, Black
Type: Candy
ACCESSORIES
Bars: Biltwell 8” MIni Apes
Hand Controls: Stock
Risers: Drag Specialties, 1 1/2 Inch
Gas Tank(s): Lowbrow Customs Peanut
Tank
Rear fender: Led Sled
Seat: We Made It
Foot Controls: Left is Stock, Right is
Custom
Oil Tank: Led Sled
Headlight: Stock
Taillight: Mount Custom, Light is Lowbrow
Speedo: None
Photographer: Amelia Rose
