WIDOW MAKER Custom Design & Repair
HazEy Thoughts
By: Ed Cleary Photos: Lincoln Infield One of the most stunning exhibits at this year’s Capital City Bikefest was the custom-built chopper known as “Hazy Thoughts”. At 11 feet in length, and weighing in at around 700 pounds, this monster is just the latest in a long line of custom built motorcycles to come out of the Widowmaker Custom Design & Repair shop in Rougemont, NC. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Hank Thibodeau, owner and builder at Widowmaker, to discuss his latest creation. To say that Hank is passionate about motorcycles is an understatement. The one hour that I had originally planned on spending with Hank easily stretched into three, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it! When I asked Hank to tell me a little about “Hazy Thoughts”, the feature of this month’s cover, he sort of rolled his eyes a little and said that it was the most challenging project that he had ever undertaken at that point. “The project began back in 2012”, said Hank. When a gentleman walked into the shop with a vision of a bike he wanted to build. The client went on to tell Hank that as a boy growing up his father had owned several choppers and he wanted something bigger than life like he remembered his father to have had. So, Hank worked with the customer to hammer out the details of exactly what he was looking for, and the build was on.
Hank recommended using the Ultima 107 EVO engine and 6 speed RSD transmission and a 3.35” drag style open belt primary for the power to move this monster. “Bang for the buck, it’s a great motor” said Hank. With the motor in hand and waiting for a frame, the customer searched for one that would get him close to what he wanted and would fit his budget. He located a PMC rolling chassis that was close enough to fit the needs of the build. The frame, was not only not long enough for the client’s vision but also was built for a twin drivetrain. So, Hank had to fabricate new mounting brackets to accommodate the EVO motor and transmission. Next, came the forks. The fame was built with a 45-degree fork angle but in order to achieve the extreme length the customer desired the forks needed to be mounted at a 67-degree angle. Hank cut and rebuilt the frame accordingly. The original forks selected by the customer proved to have too much weight (as they were 6 ½ feet long), allowing them to twist and flex. Hank reached out to American Suspension and a custom D-66 Dragon springer was made for the bike. Now with the rake and trail Continued On Page 40
Hank Thibodeau
