Some motorcycles seem to be sacrosanct when it comes to customizing, while others are fair game. So you see quite a few Triumph Trophy customs, and not many Nortons.
But Jason Kidd, owner of Flyrite Choppers, has no qualms: his extraordinary ‘Double Trouble’ custom has not one, but two 1960s Norton Atlas 750 twins nestling in the frame. (By my calculation, that means an output of 110bhp or more.)
It could have been a monstrosity, but the result is clean, classy and attention grabbing. And given that it’s hard enough to get a single-engined bike looking good, this is quite an achievement. Flyrite’s down-to-earth philosophy no doubt plays a part—as befits an NHSTA-licensed manufacturer, their bikes are soundly engineered: on Double Trouble, there’s a place for everything, and everything is in its place.
“At Flyrite Choppers we build bikes the way they used to be: basic, bare bones, wrench-on-it-yourself for the real motorcycle rider. We have basic principles that we adhere to when building a bike.”
Despite taking top honors at last year’s Harvest Classic European and Vintage Motorcycle Rally in Luckenbach, there are surprisingly few images of Double Trouble around—so we have Texas-based photographer Bill Fraser to thank for sending these in.
Tech Sheet
Engine: Two Norton Atlas 750s
Builder: Ken Armann Restoration in Santa Clara, CA.
Exhaust: Equal length headers by Matt Quinn at Pipeworx
Primary: Chains and Sprockets
Transmission: 5 Speed Kick
Frame: Flyrite Choppers one-off
Front End: Betor Forks
Triple Trees: One-off Flyrite Choppers
Wheels
Rear: Re-pop HD16″
Front: Flyrite spool 21″
Tires: Avon Front and Rear
Brakes: Re-pop HD
Paint
Painter: Jason Kidd
Color: Black
Pinstriping and Gold Leaf: Von Franco
Accessories
Bars: Short Drags
Risers: Flyrite Choppers one-off
Gas Tank: Hodaka—Chopped and sctioned with an oil tank down the center
Rear Fender: Ford spare tire ring
Seat: One-off seat by Dave Martinez
Foot Controls: One-off mid-controls by Flyrite Choppers
Headlight: Bates with Flyrite Choppers side mount brackets
Taillight: Cateye with Flyrite Choppers Tag Mount
