DUNLOP CUSTOMS: CHOP CULT PUBLICATION FOR DC

The Daily: Josh Storms' FXR

Written By: Lisa Ballard
5-6-2013
Categorized in: Motorcycles, News

I had the chance to visit Phoenix for the week and called upon our members for a few features. Josh Storms was the first one to reach out to me with his custom FXR. The best thing about Chop Cult is the buddy system. If a guy can't handle all of the modifications, he reaches out within his circle and gets the issues taken care of. Josh turned to Brock of Dunlap Customs and Ken of Blue Collar Cycle Works to help him attain his vision.

This project started off with a '73 XS650 I had built, a customer of Ken's fell in love with it while it was sitting in his shop - he asked Ken if he thought I would be interested in trading it straight up for his FXR that needed a lot of love.

Brock is a real talented fab guy with a shop in Tempe and Ken runs a garage shop with Joran that does great mechanical work and he also happens to have a huge parts stash. I'm lucky to have friends like that who are skilled in the stuff I'm not. It lets a guy like me still have an active hand in my projects even when it gets into the stuff that I can't do.

So I made the best trade ever just over a year ago and now just got back from a 1350 mile trip from Phoenix to San Diego then the long way to Salton Sea & Big Bear then down the mountain to PCH and back home across the 10. Had a little trouble on the way over thanks to some last minute changes but the bike was dialed in every mile of the trip after a little stop by 24 Cycles in San Diego. I had never met Adam but thanks to Instagram we connected Friday morning at the shop and he totally bailed me out of a pinch and saved my ride. Super stand up guy.

I had the chance to visit Phoenix for the week and called upon some of our members for a few features. Josh Storms was the first one to reach out to me with his custom FXR. The best thing about Chop Cult is the buddy system. If a guy can't handle all of the modifications, he reaches out within his circle and gets the issues taken care of. Josh turned to Brock of Dunlop Customs and Ken of Blue Collar Cycle Works to help him attain his vision.

This project started off with a '73 XS650 I had, a customer of Ken's fell in love with it while it was sitting in his shop - he asked Ken if he thought I would be interested in trading it straight up for his FXR that needed a lot of love.

We started off by stripping off and selling everything except the frame, drive train, rear wheel and controls. Made enough dough off those parts to cover almost all the build. I'm 6'4 so we started off with some tall ass stainless bars that keep me sitting comfy in my natural riding position. Then 2" were sliced out of the middle of a free chunk of fender that I got off of another member, fitted that nicely over the 170mm rear. I really wanted to fit a sporty tank over the square back bone so I rounded up a 3.3 gallon king tank and Brock went to work cutting the bottom out and creating a new tunnel with a flat bottom and a slick little sight gauge. Once it was all together I took the bike to Rex Simon over in Phoenix on a Thursday night and by lunch on Friday I had a one off seat that couldn't have turned out better. The Jay Brake forwards sat way to low to push the bike hard in the twisties so I had some plates machined to raise the controls up 1"and ditched the 1200s rear shocks for some 14" Progressives - problem solved. Just last week we put together a stainless steel sissy bar that matches the angle and design of my bars for road trippin'.So I made the best trade ever just over a year ago and now just got back from a 1350 mile trip from Phoenix to San Diego then the long way to Salton Sea & Big Bear then down the mountain to PCH and back home across the 10. Had a little trouble on the way over thanks to some last minute changes but the bike was dialed in every mile of the trip after a little stop by 24 Cycles in San Diego. I had never met Adam but thanks to Instagram we connected Friday morning at the shop and he totally bailed me out of a pinch and saved my ride. Super stand up guy.

Owner name, location: Josh Storms - Phoenix, AZ

Bike name: Tang

Engine, year and make, model, modifications: S&S Evo 107"Stroker, no clue what else is all going on in there but it's a hot rod.

Frame: 1991 FXRS Fork: Narrow Glide from Ken's stash.

Chassis mods: Frame was cleaned up to make room for the motor by cutting out the channel in the lower neck.

Tire/wheel size and style: 19" 7 spoke up front. 17" solid mag in the back wrapped in Dunlops

Favorite thing about this bike: It's the best of both worlds - I wanted to build something that was one of a kind, but I'm no wrench so I wanted one that I can ride everyday all day with no worries. I really dig older iron but I just don't have the skills to keep one on the road.

Next modification will be: Lots more miles and maybe an FXRT fairing & bags for a little convertible action. Other mods, accessories, cool parts, etc:

Thanks to: Brock at Dunlop Customs in Tempe for being super talented and knowing how to make steel match up with all the ideas in my head. Ken Schmoldt of Blue Collar Cycle Works in PHX for being the mechanic that I'm not and for having a fridge full of cold beers. Dave Knight for being a wizard. Rex Simon of Simon Designs in PHX for the sweet saddle. Mikey at Classic Gold in Tempe that sprayed all the orange goodness. Asher Emerson of Po'Boy Kustoms in Chandler for the dead on pin stripe work. And a huge thanks goes out to the dude that is still riding that XS everyday.