I immediately knew I'd like to feature it and early next morning I was able to. The Knuckle was actually being prepared for the day when I approached the guy polishing all the brass work and cursing the sea air which every day was tarnishing it. The guy was Ford Stell, Chrome Specialties' Technical Advisor and he very kindly stopped work and allowed me to photograph the machine there and then. Afterwards he had time to answer a few questions and fill out Am-V's infamous spec sheet.

Commissioned by Chrome Specialties, in Fort Worth, Texas, much of the actual one-off building work had been carried out by just one guy: Chica out of his own business, ChicaCycles. The motor is brand new - at least for a Knuckle it is, it's a bona-fide 2001! The 'Knucklehead' engine is manufactured in Sweden by a company called Knucklehead Power and it would be safe to assume that it boasts not one genuine Harley-Davidson part to its name. In fact, to even say that the motor is pattern would be pushing credibility a little too far. Just for a start the engine displaces a huge 103 cubic inches and sports a robust 4-speed RevTech transmission, utilising a BDL primary drive and Rivera clutch, all enclosed by a primary cover sourced from New York Custom. So in reality it is a modern motorcycle engine, built to modern tolerances which, albeit extremely accurately, resembles a Knucklehead. But don't think for one minute though I'm turning my nose upwards as I relate this information, I'm definitely not being all Harley purist or snotty about it, after all, who among us would not be more than happy with a brand new and seriously sorted Knuck? And Sweden's Knucklehead Power can provide one.

The 'Knuck's' ignition is courtesy of Crane and the single carb with its extremely impressive velocity stack is an S&S item. However I'm not certain whether the stack is S&S and then plated later or is in fact a one-off by Chica, or indeed, erm, what.

The motor sits neatly in a lowrider type classic style goose-necked Jammer hardtail frame raked out to 45-degrees. Chica then further modified the frame on receipt of it, taking care of all those miriad big and little jobs which separate a job simply done from a truly good bit of custom building. It was he that also built the one-off oil tank and even took care of the petrol tank too, before going on to blend it all in sweetly with some seriously meticulous moulding.

Still alluding to his modern ideal of a classic lowrider look, into the rear of the frame, Chica opted to fit a Chrome Specialties laced 18-inch rim, shod with a 180 tyre. Tolle, another Swedish firm, provided their very neat all-in-one sprocket/disc brake for the rear too while the attractively styled minimal rear mudguard was provided by Chrome Specialties. Unsurprisingly Chrome Specialties provided the 21-inch laced front wheel too, which is pulled up in check by their own front brake set-up. But Chica himself built the stock length 39mm telescopic forks that hold the wheel in place, as he did the yokes and turned brass risers which in turn, support a set of Chrome Specialties pullback handlebars.

A sort of symbiotic thing going on, while Chica did the wiring, much of what is actually wired in is Chrome Specialties, both the headlight and rear light for example. And while it was Chrome Specialties that provided the forward set controls, Chica turned out the pegs and a joint effort too saw the tiny, but effective, single sprung leather seat.

A great part of the attraction of Brass Knuckle is in the gorgeous black, gold leaf and polished metal finish, which manages to look up-to-date while firing all those triggers of pre-1960 classic motorcycles too. While there is quite a lot of brass work, much that I immediately assumed was brass plating, is in fact gold. So while say, the kicker pedal is solid brass, like the risers, the end plate on the oil tank is gold plated.

Perhaps the final touch was added by Ford, he actually found or created the set of brass knuckles which are mounted on the hand gear-change instead of the usual knob, a fitting finish to a great concept leading to a great bike with an equally great name.

Chrome Specialties
4200 Diplomacy Rd, Fort Worth, Texas. TX 76155
Tel: (01) 817 868 2000. Fax: 817 868 2095
www.chromespecialties.com