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Choppazilla: biker build-off (tks Jim)
from
16 May 2007
Mark Hinchliffe
A Brisbane-made bike will compete in a new TV show, 'Australian Choppers.'
Called Choppazilla, the bike will compete against three other Australian bikes
in the six-part Discovery Channel Biker Build-Off series later this year.
Bike builder Andrew Erwin of Bowen Hills, previously from New York, said he was
not allowed to reveal who won, but confirmed he came second.
“Out of thousands of bike builders, I was one of four the producers asked to be
in the program,” he said.
The final filming for the shows will be shot in America in August when
Choppazilla drag races the other contenders from Melbourne, Sydney and country
NSW at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, South Dakota.
“It did a quarter mile in 11.2 seconds the first time out, but I think this is a
nine-second bike,” Erwin said.
Choppazilla is powered by a two-litre V-twin engine producing about 123kW of
power and 223Nm of torque.
Erwin said he moved the engine, transmission, oil and fuel forward and gave it a
longer swingarm to prevent the enormous power from making the bike wheelstand.
“It was a real pain to do but it looks beautiful.”
Erwin said he designed and hand-built the bike from scratch.
“Everything is hand-fabricated. That's what I call a custom bike, not just
bolting on parts,” he said.
“People have to look at your bike and go `wow'. This bike is crazy, evil and
sexy.”