B Keene Built's Evo Bobber

brandon Keene is the kind of guy you feel good about giving credit to because he never expects it. Humility is an admirable trait and getting hard to find in this instafamous world, but somehow he manages to put out killer awardwinning builds and not lose his head. When it comes to this bike, well, he not only took it a few steps up the ladder, he set the bar to a level that few could argue has confirmed his place among the national builders.

Brandon started out with a passion for wandering, spending a good part of his early twenties just roaming around the country. He is a carpenter by trade that builds residential houses. So, you can imagine it’s not hard to find work when he would need to. Keene would just bop from town to town, and when his money would get low, he’d get a job for a while. Perfect make up for the motorcycle life if ya think about it. But he came by that naturally too, so who knows which was first. He started riding a Yamaha 70 at age six, a pretty big bike for a little guy, but like many of us back then, Brandon wasn’t gonna wait until his feet could touch the ground. He’d start off on a milk crate and pop the clutch so the kickstand would spring up, and off he’d go. When it was time to stop, he’d just fall over and then go get the milk crate again. Suffice it to say that he has been riding his whole life.

When it comes to this build, Brandon had gained some pretty serious attention with his Shovelhead that we featured in this magazine and knew that he wanted to step it up for his next build. He scored a 1984 Softail at a cheap price that fit the bill perfectly. He could have an Evo

with a kicker. This would give him a good starting point to build more on this one. More parts made by hand, more of a chance to showcase his abilities. Being a big fan of the Gooseneck drop seat combination he had done on an old Sportster build once, he decided to go that route to achieve the same lines. Brandon strives to not copy other people’s style, or to follow trends, so he focuses on his vision when he builds. All that

was kept from that Softail frame was the cradle. From there, he laid out his own structure. As Keene began to get a good base, Rich Pitoniak would be in charge of the mill. He and Rich had become friends a while back, and this was a chance to get a motor built by him. Brandon couldn’t be happier. It runs great and does the job!

When you look over this little beauty, you will pick up on the kind of details that are apparent from a matured builder. Not that Brandon is old, by any means. I am getting at that once you have done this for a bit, you start to challenge yourself with the little things like mounts and brakes. At first, it’s just a blast to be putting those things on yourself, but later on, like Keene, you start to give them their own personalities as well. You can see that in his pipe mounts, footpeg and shifter perch, and other little touches everywhere on the bike. The triple trees are his design, although his brother-inlaw is the man at the machine who does the work. Brandon gives him the sketch. From there, it’s about flow. He matched the pipe tips to the trees and then found some CE Rocker boxes with the same finned look. At this level, a lot of building is knowing how much or how little to do of something, and Keene has a good eye for that.

Other features that make this a top-notch Kustom like the radiuses top motor mount, the hung bars, and the killer one-off oil tank add up to a build with tons of class. Enough that he nearly swept Sturgis, winning almost every day, Two Best of Shows at the Buffalo Chip that ended up putting him in contention for the first-ever “King Of Sturgis” award. From the nine shows that Buffalo Chip held during

Owner: Brandon Keene City/State: Traverse City, MI Builder: B Keene Built Year: 1984 Model: Evo Value: Time: 8 Months

Engine Year: 1984 Model: Evo Builder: Rich Pitoniak Ignition: Daytona Twin Tech Displacement: 80cu Pistons: Wiseco Heads: S&S Carb: S&S Super E Cam: Andrews Air Cleaner: Speed Dealer Exhaust: B Keene Built Primary: Tech Cycle

Transmission Year: 1973 Make: Harley-Davidson Shifting: Jockey

Frame Year: 1984 Model: B Keene Built Rake: 30 Degrees Stretch: 4”

Forks: Builder: Harley-Davidson Type: 39mm Triple Trees: B Keene Built Extension: None

Wheels Front Wheel: Led Sled Invader Size: 21” Tire: Firestone Front Brake: Rear Wheel: LedSled Invader Size: 16” Tire: All State Rear Brake: Exile

Paint Painter: Open Throttle Customs Color: Purple, Red, Orange Type: HOK Graphics: Chroming: Saginaw Custom Polishing

Accessories Bars: B Keene Built Risers: Hand Controls: Exile Internal Throttle Foot Controls: B Keene Built Gas Tank(S): Narrowed Sportster Oil Tank: B Keene Built Front Fender: Rear Fender: B Keene Built Seat: Leathamy Headlight: FNA Taillight: After Hours Choppers Speedo: Photographer: Michael Lichter Sturgis, each Best Of Show Winner was put into a best of the best by the week’s end. Brandon said that standing in the crowd at the Buffalo Chip, he could hardly believe it when they called his name, he is the 2021 King Of Sturgis, and this is the build that took him there.

But this isn’t something he does alone either. Brandon has an incredible support network that starts and ends at home. If you dig all of the leather accents on this bike, from the grips and pegs to the cool little battery pack and seat, that would be his wife, Amy Keene, who started doing leatherwork about two years ago and travels the show circuit with Brandon. She is his biggest fan, and the two of them are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Good for you both!