Fusion Drive

Custom Chrome asked Martin Becker to build a bike – and what a bike it is!

- Doc

Martin Becker’s stunning Heidelberg hot rod had its genesis when Custom Chrome Europe (CCE) called Martin and asked if he was interested in the 2018 BOAR (Bolt On And Ride) lineup.

You see, over the last 10 or so years, Custom Chrome Europe has been presenting many of its products to the public via the yearly BOAR bikes. Customisers taking part are supposed to only use parts from the Custom Chrome catalogue, which was not an easy one for Martin since his build signature is usually unique. But he obviously accepted, or you would not be reading this.

The invitation had come at pretty short notice, and it took some time to get all the necessary parts together, so he only had two months to finish this bike before it was supposed to spend the next year touring to different exhibitions and shows around Europe!

Challenge accepted. The donor bike was an H-D Softail and CCE wanted him to build a chopper out of it but a chopper didn’t feel right to Martin. So he came up with his own design, which was low and sleek, more like a racer than a raked out chopper.

It took quite some convincing since he had virtually turned their whole concept on its head. But such is his stellar reputation, and his rock-solid conviction, that CCE gave in.

Martin also insisted that the usually strict ‘bolton-principle’ had to find room for at least a little tolerance. Thus it was that the gas tank was handmade and a Sportster fuel pump fitted in, the seat lost a bit of its formerly bulky volume, foot pegs from Biltwell were combined with foot controls from Easyriders Japan and the headlight came from a V-Rod. Fitted to 4in under forks with Ness risers and a 6 deg rake increase is a set of RSD Clubman handlebars.