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Wicked Brothers "Lethal Strike" The winning Pro Builder Class bike at our 2005 LA Calendar Motorcycle Show went to John Franco of Wicked Brothers with this low rider springer named by John " Lethal Strike" because of its rattlesnake theme, highlighted by the rattlesnake skin down the center of the tank and a headlight shade like a snake's tongue. At this year's LA Calendar Bike Show there was a record turnout of some 50 bikes in the Pro Builder Class, and so many incredible bikes, judging was very difficult. Many of the customs, though, were just so over worked, gaudy, polished and chromed and candy painted it came to a point many just went beyond good style and taste. We, the judges, eventually selected John's "Lethal Tike" because it was so well executed while being clean and simple. Everything on the bike just looks right and flows together, and the beautiful STD retro Panhead engine with unpolished cases is a perfect compliment to the brushed metal finish on the rest of the bike. It wasn't until I meet John a month later in downtown Los Angeles to photograph his Show winner with beautiful model Cora Skinner for the next edition of the Iron & Lace Calendar, did I learn many incredible details about the bike which we judges, and probably no one else even noticed at the Show. John showed us the gas tank over the engine is not a gas tank at all, but an empty shell housing the battery, engine electrics and an air pump for the rear suspension! So where is the fuel kept? No, that tank hanging on the front downtube is for engine oil. The fuel tank is inside the 1-piece rear fender and swingarm! That's really unique. Where do you fill the tank you ask. If you look on the rear fender, just under the saddle, you will see a filler cap. To get at the cap you need to push the button which activates the air pump to fill the hidden softail air shock, which in turn raises up the bike and saddle high enough to get access to the gas filler cap. Mounted on top of the transmission is an electric fuel pump which brings fuel from the swingarm tank to the higher carburetor. One really nice thing every likes on the bike is the dull Black paint job with a hint of Maroon red in it, set of by a slightly gold pin stripping, And the lack of chrome, or so we thought. In fact all the exposed metal parts like the springer forks and handlebars were chrome to begin with, then John sat down and spent hours (or days) hand rubbing it with a Scotch Brite pad to give all the metal a beautiful brushed stainless steel like finish. Awesome bike, John!
Pro Builder Class winner John Franco and "Lethal" Strike" from Wicked Brothers with Performance Machine's Ted SandsBikernet.com's Keith "Bandit" Ball, Calendar Angels "Rockin' Robin" Cunningham, Andra Cobb, Christina Linderman, Dominique Layafette. Photographed by Jim Gianatsis. Return to Iron & Lace Garage Index
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