ROADKILLER

"A ScanBike classic"

Text: Smith - Photo: Thomas

This beautiful bike is built by the owner himself, with a little good help from those closest to him and with a large portion of courage and wealth of ideas in the luggage. It is a small masterpiece from Copenhagen Mike Andersen has been beaten and screwed together. In a time of crisis and cuts, it is great to see such projects become a reality. Striking it stands with its hefty colors, chrome and fierce plow. Scanbike has talked to Mike who has both a past and a present as a tattoo artist and looked the animal in the seams…

Roadkiller's starting point is taken from a small project which was for sale at MC Parts in Søborg. Most people who drive Harley in Denmark and the surrounding area know what good old Frank from MC Parts runs and messes with, so it was a box of quality products Mike stumbled upon when he visited the cozy and well-stocked bike shop on the north side of Copenhagen. The project in the "box" consisted of frame, rims and gearbox and most immediately fell in Mike's taste. Here lay plenty of opportunities and for a sensible penny. From day one, Mike had a clear picture of what he was striving for and wanted. Ideas and inspiration were taken from, among others, Marcus Waltz Hardcore, as well as from various American motorcycle magazines. Suggestions and articles with pictures were flipped and turned in consultation with Mike's good friend, Kenni from Liller's HD workshop, and then the bike was thrown on the drawing board.

Once agreement had been reached between the two comrades, construction began. Estimated construction time was around 250 hours, of which the 30 hours can easily be attributed to the rear fender, but we will return to this when we get further back on the bike. Not a few parts were purchased, from the finest "bolt on" cases to the parts that had to be modified to a greater or lesser degree. Most of the "bolt on" parts are found in various catalogs so they are easy to fool if you go and lack ideas, so we focus on the modified, as well as homemade parts. All the fun!

At the very front, the front fender is so heavily modified that neither Kenni nor Mike can remember the starting point from when they started knocking and twisting. A small detail here around the front fender is that it is single hung on the left side of the front fork. Thereby, the Riks`s rim comes into its own completely. The Air Scoop is of course homemade and in aluminum. It is naughty and fits its, but at the same time it seems like a well camouflaged battery box. A solid piece of forging work is behind it and the Air Scoop is therefore and of course thawed.

From the front we go to the supporting element, namely the Kalle Frame. All welds have been welded up again and at the same time reinforcements have been placed in the vital places. Mike and Kenni insist that it was definitely not a necessity, but rather to complete their finish. The seat bottom is also our own production and again according to Mike's wishes. However, he is not entirely happy with the design. This is because the armrest, which is otherwise a cheeky detail and composed in a way so that it is an intriguing part of the seat, is too short. This means that Mike, when driving for a long time, gets reasonable pain in the region immediately just above a certain part of the body ... The upholstery and upholstery of the seat is made by AM Sadelmageren in Vallensbæk and there is certainly nothing wrong with that work! The design and color choice provide the perfect interplay for the blue lacquering.

The tank was found at MC Parts and then extended by 3 ", this to get a smooth transition from tank to seat. It must be said has succeeded in a nicely executed way and the transition here helps to maintain the sliding curve as clear emerges when you take a few steps back and take a look at the whole bike.

The rear fender is a chapter in itself. It has been remade several times before the two gentlemen were satisfied. Of course, it is also tinned up, so spalling on the part of the painter has been minimal. Here it is also worth noting the rear fender placed license plate holder. Here, many other builders would probably choose to side-mount, but Mike's choice is definitely not bad, it gives the rear of the bike a more solid character. It was hell to do, Mike tells Scanbike, no less than 30 hours, so it has taken a serious toll on the time account.

From the screen to the exhaust system is not far. Here, Mike and Kenni have taken as their starting point an S&S exhaust system developed for drag racing. It is processed by Jesper from Næstved and made of stainless steel - and for those who do not know Jesper, he is one of the leaders in welding in stainless steel. The exhausts only differ from the original system in that you have chosen to use pots. Mike has also chosen to put covers on both outlet pipes, something that sometimes saves on the shoe and trouser front.

The idea for motifs and airbrush is Mike's own and is executed to perfection by TZ-Art. Here, Mike's own background as an experienced tattoo artist does not deny itself. There are, to say the least, small skulls all over the frame and they are made in a way so that they do not appear at first glance, a super naughty detail. The spiritual that is repeated on most of the motifs certainly has its background in Mike's everyday life as owner and tattoo artist in Body Tattoo in Roskilde. Mike's career in body art started more than 25 years ago. At the time, he embarked on five years of work and training in Sweden, after which he sought experience in Nyhavn for a number of years. This has ultimately equipped him for the establishment of his own store in Roskilde. From here, for the last 13 years, he has applied large amounts of color to various male and female bodies. As a final finish, all cables are upholstered with shrink flex that matches the blue color and gives the last part which means that the bike is completed down to the smallest detail.

From the start, it was in the cards that Mike wanted the bike on a Danish record, with the consequent high fees to pay. It has been a difficult process and caused greater problems than first assumed. The bicycle is the sight, as you know, the first hurdle you have to meet in order to get the vehicle registered. This part is redeemed, then he has reached the tax assessment. Here, the tax authorities have further requested approval documents on several parts. Peculiar, you usually have other specialists to take care of! But why really all that hassle of paying tax on a chopper like this. Yes, for Mike, it's a persistent perception that it should be possible, not least in light of the fact that others can successfully detox Hot Rods and other lover vehicles. Basically, you have to give him justice, because what is the difference?

The bike's completion was put under tremendous time pressure when Mike had entered it for competition in the Harley club's Midsummer meet in 2009. It was only ready to be started up on Friday, the same evening as the meet ran off the stack, and it was to compete on Saturday. With a little luck and of course due to skill, it was started the first time and reached with. It put big smiles on his lips and the smile still stood on Mike on Saturday, Roadkiller became No. 1 at the show.