The L-Thirty

January 14, 2019

To Read The Full Article, Go To www.cyclesource.com

Article By: Jimmy Frizzell

Photos By: Chris Callen

Originally Published In The June 2018 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine

For Jimmie Lee and JC Coen, it’s been motorcycles from day one. Their ability to work seamlessly together as both partners and family has allowed them to fine-tune the way they make motorcycles and parts. Two Three choppers started in 2004 as the full-time job after the full-time job with a goal of simultaneously building two show quality bikes in the time full shops would only produce one. It was their way of making a statement and declaring their intentions of staying for the long haul. Since then, they have strategically made the proper advances to move forward in the cutthroat industry that all but devours the independent motorcycle builder. Their first builds allowed them to set firm roots with a quality reputation showing that you don’t necessarily need to follow the masses to develop a strong customer base. While some builders still depend on repairs and customer fabrication work, these brothers solely rely on the builds themselves to drive Three Two into the future. Jimmie Lee, a former 3-D animator, was able to sever the chains of his full-time gig in 2011 and JC a computer scientist held out until 2016 making the fulltime ongoings of the business become their only distraction. Since then they have moved on to developing affordable wishbone/ hoop conversions for Paughco springers and similar knockoff competitors. On top of the conversions, five years ago they acquired Redneck Springers and now produce roughly twenty front ends annually, always ready for custom orders.

In 2015 a former customer returned looking for his second Three Two bike. It needed to be built for a smaller framed rider with a reliable, reliable drivetrain to match. The Coen brothers designed a drop seat frame using 1” tubing that would cradle an S&S 80” Evo motor with a matching Primo trans. The bike would be based off of the Three Two El Segundo frame with a 30-degree rake. This model would be named the L30. The idea was to have a nice tight bike that someone could easily throw around and that handled like a dream. Three Two are entirely in-house from frame to sheet metal. They let their strong mathematics background be the foundation for every build because they know that if the math is dead on so will the handling of their products. Both JC and Jimmie Lee have their strong points, and they check the egos at the door; letting each other do what they are best at and allowing the other to double check the work. There is only one way anything leaves the shop, and that’s if it meets their standards and if each piece can stand on its own. There are no digital machines, no CNC to fall back, on everything is done entirely by hand and attacked with surgical precision.

The L30’s rear fender was a vintage piece that was altered and fabricated to be accepted by the drop frame. The gas tank was made in-house, and a Moon Eyes oil tank was installed to compliment. The bars and risers which consist of 6-8 individual pieces welded solid are also Three Two Choppers along with the exhaust, and it goes without saying that there is a deraked Redneck Springer leading the way. About 75% of the way through the build, the customer visited the shop to see how progress was moving. Three Two was in the middle of a 71 Triumph Daytona 500 build that was also roughly 75% complete. The customer expressed interest in the trumpet do to a family history with the same bike. A deal was struck, hands were shook, and a trade was made. The Triumph was now going to a new home, and the little Evo wasn’t going anywhere. The trade allowed the brothers to finish the bike how they saw fit. The build in total took somewhere in the range of eight or nine months; it’s hard to say with the ongoing distractions of everyday shop dealings and only the two brothers at the helm. But they wouldn’t have it any other way with no employees they also have no quality issues or unneeded drama. Three Two Choppers sat on the bike for a little while with no real need to sell it when someone visiting their website inquired about the L30. The Evo finally found its home in Minnesota. Three Two Choppers is a fully functioning family business run top to bottom by the Coen brothers; they don’t need to answer to anyone and their blood and sweat ensure that every customer gets the absolute best they have to offer.