XtraPix: American Flyers #22 - First Look

Resurrection, that’s the watchword for our January issue’s “American Flyers” story, the 22nd installment in our long-running series on customs, specials, one-offs and oddballs.

Dave and Anne Hartleip’s “His & Hers” Ducati Singles set the tone. His, a 1960s Monza 250, was left to rot in first a barn and then a chicken coop for 25 years. Hers was a scruffy 350 Scrambler, ridden hard, put away wet and forgotten, the fate of too many dirtbikes.

Rodney Aguiar’s “Revelation” is a cross-species rebirth. The motor, a Mazda 13B rotary, came from a neighbor’s wrecked RX-7, while a parted-out BMW 1100GS provided the transmission, swingarm and rear wheel. A pranged Gixxer 750 contributed its front end.

Jeff Terry’s sweet little Suzuki 125 roadracer was a product of the SoCal speed scene, and a quarter-century after it had been relegated to the far reaches of a dark garage, many of those same people helped it live again. A team resurrection.

Ken and Dustin Boyko, father and son, contributed a couple of bikes to the mix. Elder’s was inherited from a dear friend, the late Jimmy “Jive” Lewis. It’s 1976 Bill Bell C&J-framed Honda XL350 desert bike—forerunner of today’s all-conquering Thumpers—restored to the state it was in when Lewis last rode it, dents, scratches and all. Younger’s is a classic Triumph bob-job that started out as a basketcase 1966 TR6C. Nicely done for a kid who just turned 18.