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. If you like the bike enough, it can be yours—it’s for sale for $40,000. Email flyrite@flyritechoppers.com if you’re interested. [More shots after the tech sheet below.]
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
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19 Comments
That is one seriously nice custom – he had a great vision for that bike and then he executed it brilliantly – love the paint and the little details
The bike is impressive and looks a little intimidating to try to ride. It’s an incredible exercise in style and engineering. i just don’t understand how 2 motors can be synched to drive one wheel. my mechanical know how stops with one motor. still it is great looking bike and a mechanical feat.
Tony, the engines are chained together. If you look closely at the pic second from bottom, you can see a chain running from the rear engine’s crank running forward to the front engine’s crank. That chain has a couple of idlers to keep it tensioned; they are the round things hiding behind the exhaust pipe. Without those, you’d have to move the front engine forward as the chain stretches.
This bike is reminiscent of the twin engined drag bikes from back in the day. A Google image search for “twin engine drag bike” shows several examples.
Oh Lord, please don’t ask me to kick start that thing!
Great vision! Well executed, and good craftsmanship.
If you think this is cool, you need to check out the Hogslayer ridden by T.C. Christianson and built by T.C. and John Gregory of Kenosha, WI, USA, in the late 60s. It can be seen at http://www.ntnoa.org/hogslayer.htm and at http://www.nationalmotorcyclemuseum.co.uk/museum/exhibits/Norton/1970-Norton-Hogslayer/104/ .This bike dominated the American dragstrips of the late 60s and early 70s soundly trouncing everything it went up against.
It was not meant to be a cosmeticly beautiful bike although it is good looking. It was meant to put horsepower to the ground. And it did with 300 hp going to the rear tire. It used one of the first, if not the first, slipper clutches ever built as well as many other interesting and power developing innovations.
It belongs on this site.
Two words… kick start?
I’ve seen this in person. at Smokeout East in 2009. very impressive bike. but i do remember them kick starting it, and having one heckuva a time getting her going. my knee hurt just watching the poor fella kickin away. he did finally get her going and it sounded really great.
nevertheless, great work.
Some day, custom bike builders will put real *functioning* exhausts on their bikes. As cool as the engineering is, and as bad ass as the bike is – I hope it never comes off the trailer. If it gets fired up in public, I’d love to see it confiscated.
Please, for the love of our ears, and our right to keep riding, stop putting straight pipes on bikes.
I love it. Not a V-Twin Chopper, and not a Featherbed Cafe racer…It’s the exact opposite X 2!!!!
I really like the idea behind this bike & how well they have executed their concept. I can just see this being moved around the country on a kustom built Ed-Roth style vehicle. That would look great & make bump-starting it a lot easier!
Would love to see this launch the line at a nostalgia drag meet, would be in it’s element.
Glorious , mad , bad and it’s got lights as well , in case Mr Plod didn’t hear it coming . Only one thing could spoil this ……………..a fully suited rider ( with helmet & gloves & boots & yellow vest & ………………. )
kent: apparently you’ve never been to wisconsin, especially milwaukee where the brass let motorcycles be as loud as they want, in the summer its hard to tell whats thunder or whats a middle aged yuppie roaring around on his stock harley with baffles removed…that bike would be a welcoming sight around here.
sick sick sick!
soooooo sweet!
I completely agree with WRX. For more multi – engine fun google Russ Collins images. I was only 9 years old when he raced his honda 2250 (750 x 3) but it made a permanent impression on me
to girlie-man kent, I’ll have my bike loud,its saved my azz many times from the Quiet soccer moms and no driving gooks. go back to your communist hole you turkey!!!
I hope to soon to see this typo bike in my hands…..wish me luc
this twins need surgery !! DOCTOR help….
Full-on, bad-ass, old time dragster style. This is the first custom I’ve seen, that pays homage to the ¼ mile maniacs of the sixties. Awesome!