Servicing both Metric & V-Twin!

M/T PERFORMANCE
1800D Ashland City Road
Clarksville, TN 37043
ph: (931) 503-8360
fax: (931) 503-8361
mtperformance@gmail.com

Custom does not always mean rideable.

Over the last few years, the sport bike motorcycle industry has seen a huge explosion within the customizing market, however just in the last three years alone, "so-called" custom builders seem to be popping up on every street corner. PLEASE....BUYER-BEWARE!!

A cool paint job or the addition of a wide tire kit DOES NOT make a custom bike. Sure, it may make the grade of "Trailer Queen" but is it reliable AND safe on the street?

You may be interested in taking a look at some of our jobs we have had in our shop recently to fix problems assoicated with another builder's custom bikes.

A fashion statement?
ABOVE: Lowering the forks through the top triple tree is a super quick fix for most inexerienced builders. This is something we are seeing too much of! If you are looking to show your bike or have people take notice, this will do it...just not the way you hoped for. This method only takes points away from the bike. Hence, your attention is brought right to the ugly nitrate coating showing above the top clamp with chrome forks caps added and a polished top clamp. EWW!
BELOW:
Internally remachining the forks to lower them gives a much neater appearance as well as improved handling.
We feel that the builder should have also either chromed or powder coated the forks and top clamp as well.
Safety was not a concern here!

This was a shocking case of the builder either seriously overlooking safety issues or just lacking experience.
Either way, this bike was sold to one of our customers and needless to say he is very lucky to not have suffered a bad crash or even worse!! Aside from more serious issues at hand, everything on this bike was very poorly done. The bike looks great but was a disaster in the making. The front brakes are so bad, that I would say that the bike has less than 10% of it's normal front braking capabilities.
BELOW: These are the improperly installed components which lead to a serious malfunction of this bikes rear wheel.
BELOW:
Axle tubes on front and rear wheels were too short, the inside diameter of spacers were larger than axle. A spacer was missing from rear hub! WOW...what an oversight!
We machined new axle tubes and spacers for a correct fit.
BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE OLD AND THE NEW!
BELOW: What do you see wrong with this picture?
For starters, there is a 1/2 inch difference between height of the forks. The spacer tube was too short for this application.

But alas.....it gets even better!
BELOW: A shot from top side showing the forks lowered through the top clamp..(UGG). There is a 1/2 inch difference between the forks height.
The forks were not even properly installed, allowing them to slide up/down in the top clamp! WTF????
BELOW: Damage to front forks from not having the triple trees tightened properly.
IT GETS BETTER!!!!!!
BELOW: Radiator damage caused by front fender hitting due to improper installment of front fender..I know...how could you incorrectly install a front fender? Well, using an aftermarket front fender, removing the fork fender mount, wrong hardware and not properly adjusting the forks should be a clue!

A close up....

FRONT FENDER DAMAGE....

The entire rear end was just a mess. Aside from the rear wheel issues, they installed the rear caliper in a cocked position, therefore it was marring the entire surface of the brake rotor. By the way, why not add black braided line to this application instead of plain ones?

BELOW: Rear tail & brake lights as well as LED light were not working. It was not any wonder after seeing a wiring job from hell!
This is what happens when your rear tire hits your undertail. We've seen worse!
BELOW: Overfill on coolant or possible blown head gasket?
BELOW:
A Custom bike needs custom fittings. Cheap hose clamps will work but the sure do look tacky!

Interesting FAQS about customizing.

Wide tire conversion kits do not just "BOLT ON" 1.2.3 as many advertisers want you to believe. Most times, depending upon the bikes model, simple or multiple modifications need to be done to the bike for it to handle properly and safely!
You WILL loose horsepower with the addition of a wide tire conversion kit, it may be a small amount or a good number depending on what size set up you decide to add. Motor mod's are suggested only if you are concerned about the amount of horsepower your bike makes.
The extra weight of your wide tire conversion kit will eventually put wear and tear on your clutch and trans. We recommend simple clutch and transmission modifications to prevent these problems from surfacing later down the road.
Lowering the chasis correctly is another huge problem we see with custom builds. There is a right way and a wrong way.
Aftermarket accessories can MAKE OR BREAK your bike. Choose CAREFULLY the products you want to add! Make sure they add taste and contrast but are also machined or manufactured to OEM specs so that the fitment is correct and you don't have parts falling off when you ride.
The wise but very true saying "CHROME WONT GET YOU HOME" is something to pay attention too. All the chrome in the world will not make your bike a show winner or a reliable bike on the street. Some parts just do not perform the same once chrome plated such as master cylinders housings, brake calipers, bearing surfaces. Of course this has a lot to do with the quality of plating and prep work the plating company does. Using plugs for most bearing areas, proper racking of the parts and damn good polishers can make all the difference in the world. Not all chrome platers are of the same caliper.
Handling IS effected with the addition of wide tire kits, chasis lowering, etc. While most 240 applications handle exceptionally well if installed correctly, the larger kits can really take away from the bikes handling and performance.
Looking good and being reliable do not always go together. You CAN have both if you choose your builder wisely. Why pay big bucks only to be laughed at if your bike breaks...or worse yet, you have an accident due to a malfunction as a result of improperly installed parts?
SAFETY SHOULD ALWAYS BE TOP PRIORTY!