Dan Starkey's Evo Chopper

ometimes in life, we need to be reminded of lessons that we learned long ago. These are the facts of life that we may not have necessarily forgotten but may not s have been given much thought until we’re forced to confront challenging times in our lives. Every time I look at my Evo chopper, I’m reminded that life is always evolving and that we never know what is around the corner”. - Dan Starkey

Dan had been toying around with the idea of building another bike for a while but didn’t get around to it until 2019 when he unexpectedly lost his job. He was going to be out of work for a while and decided to start the build. He had some parts laying around (wheels, tires, springer front end, and more) that he thought would be a good start. He ordered an Ultima frame that would work with his 200mm rear tire and wheel, and in true chopper fashion, the first thing he did was cut off all the tabs and mounts except the motor mounts and trans plate. He found an Evo motor, a rebuilt 84 transmission and voila, he had enough for a rolling chassis.

As we all know, life happens. Dan found a new job and the bike got put on the back burner. Not just because of the job, but his buddy brought him a chopper project that he needed help with. Dan helped his friend complete the metal work and in exchange his friend was going to paint his new build

when it was ready. Win, Win!!

Dan was an invited builder to the 2019 BC Moto Invitational and took his last build, a beautiful blue Shovelhead Chopper, to the show. Dan told me that after seeing the talent that was in that barn, including some of the builders he had looked up to for years, he left the event inspired and started back on his project as soon as he got back home.

The image he had for this project was pretty simple. He wanted the right side of the bike to look naked. The exhaust and rear brake would be on the left and he wanted ape hangers, but with no risers. He had a set of bent up bars laying around the shop and he straightened them, cut them in half and welded them to the top clamp of the spring after changing its contour. He refurbished and narrowed a Paughco tank that he had ran years ago. The tank and fender were the only things being painted; the other parts were to be powder coated. At this point he started getting the run around from the painter. He came up with excuse after excuse why he couldn’t do it the way Dan asked for it to be done. He no longer did pin striping or gold leaf. Dan was

frustrated and disappointed, and here is where “Things don’t always work out the way you planned, and you never know what’s around the corner” comes into play. In the end, the falling out with the painter just meant it all worked out the way it was supposed to.

Dan looked at his Paughco tank and decided that it wasn’t the look he wanted. He had fallen in love with Bling’s cast aluminum tank halves when he saw them on display at the BC Moto Invitational. He really thought they would look cool if they were hand polished. Starkey called Bill Dodge to get a set. Putting the halves together was a little intimidating, because he had never welded cast aluminum. Dan called in some reinforcements for the job, a buddy who can pretty much do anything metal, Ethan Stiles. Ethan told him to bring his welding hood so he could show him some tricks while he was at it.

While at Ethan’s place Dan met an artist, Litl Bill, who he discussed his idea for the artwork he wanted on the bike and he agreed to do the work. Dan wanted the bike done in a black finish, minus the hand polished tank, of course. He decided on the name “Black Diamond” in honor of Bling’s Cycles famous diamond graphic, which was especially fitting since Bill was not only a mentor to Dan, but a true brother. He sketched out his idea for the graphic on a napkin and sent it to Bill for approval. Bill gave his blessing, and the rest is

Owner: Dan Starkey City/State: Carthage, IN Builder: Dan Starkey Year: 2020 Model: Evo Chopper Value: Make An Offer Time: 5 Months

Engine Year: Model: Evolution Builder: Unknown Ignition: Dyna S Displacement: Unknown Pistons: Unknown Heads: Harley-Davidson Carb: CV Cam: Not Stock Air Cleaner: Velocity Stack Exhaust: Dan Starkey Primary: BDL

Transmission Year: 1984 Make: Harley-Davidson Shifting: Hand Shift / Foot Clutch

Frame Year: Unknown Model: Rigid Rake: 4 Degrees Stretch: 4 Up 2 Out

Forks Builder: Mid USA Type: Springer Triple Trees: Extension: 4 Over

Wheels Front Wheel: Spool Size: 21” Tire: Avon Rear Wheel: Spoke Size Tire: 18” Rear Brake: Sprocket Brake

Paint Painter: Steve Weidner / Litl Bill Color: Black Type: Graphics: Pinstripes / Black Variegated Gold Leaf Chroming: Shelbyville Plating & Polishing

Accessories Bars: Dan Starkey Risers: NA Hand Controls: Internal Throttle Foot Controls: Dan Starkey Gas Tank: Bling Cycles Oil Tank: Round Front Fender: N/A Rear Fender: Led Sled Seat: Adam Croft Headlight: 5” Taillight: Bullet Speedo: None history!

While trying to keep with the idea of the bike being naked, Dan decided that the foot pegs needed to come directly out of the downtubes. His friend, Cecil Murphy, helped him out with the lathe work. Dan wasn’t happy with the aesthetics of the welds on the frame, it was structurally solid, but there were some undercuts that would need to be addressed, especially since he didn’t want to mold the frame. He decided to tig-braze over every weld on the frame using silicon bronze, which he taped off before handing it and the fender over to the new painter.

Once the bike was assembled the engine was ready to be fired up, which was scary, because Dan knew nothing about the motor. All doubts went away as soon as he fired it up he knew the engine definitely wasn’t stock. He put a few miles on it and then loaded it up and headed off to Daytona for Bike Week! The only issue he had with the bike was the pivot for the high shifter was gave him trouble. Bill Dodge and Chris Callen gave him some advice and made changes as soon as he was back home again. Dan hasn’t had trouble since.

For Dan, this build didn’t go as originally planned and threw him some curve balls, for sure. But for Dan, he took it as a lesson, “life doesn’t always go as planned and we never know what lies around the corner, all we can do is stay positive and focus on what’s in front of us.”

Dan continues to put the lessons he learned while building this bike into play as 2020 definitely wasn’t what anyone had planned. Lately Starkey has been utilizing his welding skills to create some amazing art! Make sure to give him a follow on Instagram for more on that and maybe a peek into what he might have planned for the next build… @danstarkey

Article By: Charlie Weisel

it should come as no surprise to anyone that I’ve had my fair share of experience with mechanics and fabricators over the years. Over the years, I have expressed my frustration with what seems to be a complete lack of ability to adhere to a timeline, price quote, or quality expectation, all of which are basic business principles.

More often than not, in the custom motorcycle world, you end up with an average quality product that arrives months after promised, for a price nowhere near what was agreed on. I know no other industry where businesses performing in this manner seem to thrive. Yet, it has somehow b e c o m e acceptable in the motorcycle world.

In my profession, we work in a highpaced, get it done now, get it done for the agreedupon price, and get it done right the first-time environment. No exceptions. Failing to meet these standards would lead to a poor reputation, loss of work, and ultimately a failed business...as it should be. There is a lot to be said for those who are able to perform at this level of standards, however. It shows character, dedication to the craft, and pride in ownership and customer relations. Sadly, this attitude and sense of pride seem to be lost on many of the tradesmen out there. At the same time, we as consumers allow it to continue and have come to consider it normal. No more, I say. I will continue to give people my honest opinion of a product or business

even when it is not a favorable one. I’m not good at candy coating. When I meet a person who does what they say will do, when they say they will do it, I take that to heart and do my best to share my positive experience with others. Hopefully, that shop will continue to grow and prosper. That is a person I want to work with and a person I can respect. That is a person who will get my accolades, referrals, and future business.

Dustin, the Werners House of Horsepower owner in Maize, Kansas, receives these accolades tenfold. I chose Dustin to rebuild my motor somewhat on a whim, but not entirely. I had originally heard about him through my local motor guy who recently decided to retire and, therefore, forced me to start fresh. A bit of an unfortunate situation being as how his shop was just up the road, and he had extensive knowledge of my motor and riding style, but it is what it is, and his retirement is well deserved. I then followed up by calling a few people near Dustin’s shop that I know, and they all gave rave reviews, which I took with a grain of salt, of course, because people love talking up their buddy. I did, however, decide to take the next step and give Dustin a call. Our initial conversation was productive and easy. He listened to my needs

and wants; he listened and took to it heart when I explained the kind of riding I do and what I was looking for. I needed a mechanic who could build me a motor for the long haul; monster horsepower is not crucial. Dustin then gave his thoughts on achieving this, one that made sense and was in line with my way of thinking. With all of the research and conversations now behind me, I decided to pull the trigger even though his shop was 550 miles away and would take some logistical gymnastics to figure out. Before the bike even arrived on his doorstep, Dustin had put together a comprehensive parts list, part numbers included, so I could get the order going from S&S. The list was extensive as I was sparing no expense and replacing literally every moving part inside the motor. I’ve had good luck with S&S in the past, so I opted to stay with what I know works.

When I finally got the bike to Werners House of Horsepower, Dustin told me he would jump on it right away. I had explained to him that I was getting nervous about it being completed before my upcoming ride to Cabo San Lucas, but he assured me it would be done. I was skeptical given my previous experiences in situations like this. At that point, I caught a flight out of Eisenhower Airport, leaving me nervous and skeptical, regardless of the good referrals and promises. You can imagine my surprise when I was already receiving photos of my motor torn apart just days after returning home. The parts would arrive shortly thereafter, and before I knew it, the bike was going back together. As he found additional issues, such as a worn-out carburetor, Dustin would reach out, explain the problem and offer solutions. All of which were valid and expeditious. Just as quickly as the motor came apart, it was soon going back together. Before I knew it, I was receiving videos of the bike’s first heat cycle. I was amazed. I honestly assumed one of two things would happen, I would end up riding my other bike to Cabo, or it would be rushed at the very end, and I would be picking it up at the 11th hour. I the past that nothing surprises me anymore. Long story short, I’m flying back to Wichita in the morning to pick up the bike 3 weeks before I truly needed it. To say I am happy about how this all worked out would be an understatement. I didn’t feel rushed and stressed by the timeline, I was informed throughout the entire process, and the price was more than fair. These are all signs of a reputable business and one that I will continue to support as best I can. I also need to thank Big Gabe Chops for stepping in and repairing a handful of cracks that had formed on my rear fender and modifying my oil tank to resolve an annoying issue I had been having with it. Like Dustin, his work was flawless, timely, and priced reasonably. I have seen his work first hand in the past and met him in person a handful of times at various events across the country, so quality and character were of no concern to me, but I had yet to have a business dealing with him. I would use him again in a heartbeat. Quality work, fair price. I can honestly say that my experience has brought me renewed optimism in the world of custom motorcycle mechanics and fabricators. There are, in fact, honest and good quality shops out there, and when you find them, support them and spread the word about what they are doing. In closing, I’d like to extend a huge thank you to Werners House of Horsepower, Big Gabe Chops, S&S cycle, and of course, Cycle Source Magazine for all of the assistance in helping to keep this ol bike of mine on the road.