Another Visit To Conte Kustoms!

After Spenser left GarCo Saturday I figured it was to early to head home so I headed on over to Conte Kustoms. to see Raf. As usual they were busy making cool stuff happen. They had Raf's brothers Marauder torn down and getting painted. They are also finishing up a 750 Shadow ACE that is looking pretty bad ass. The main bike of the day though is this Sporty that was recently finished. This bike is so kool that it was recently featured on the Lowbrow blog. Kinda makes me proud to know these guys. Check out the pics and if you're ever in town check out the shop. I know Raf will be at Bama Swap & Drag Nov. 12th & 13th at Sand Mtn Dragway so try to catch him there if you can.

A customer came by to look at the Sporty so Raf took it for a blast up and down the road to show what she has. This bike IS for sale, give em a call or go by and check it out 205-757-7238

Going back the other way.

The 750 ACE being finished up. I personally put over 67,000 miles on mine. This one has less than 3k so it has a long life ahead of it.

The Sporty in all its glory

Look at these clean lines. Classic beauty with modern dependability.

Even the headlight was changed.

Call em to say hello or go on by to hang out. You're sure to have a good time.

Latest Project From Conte Kustoms

Last weekend I rode by Conte Kustoms to see what they're up to. It turns out that Raf got a killer deal on this bone stock 883 and had to get it. Work is well under way to make this into a much better looking bike than the factory ever envisaged. Raf even ended up selling all the take off parts for enough to cover a big chunk of the cost of the new stuff.

For you metric guys don't worry, Raf hasn't abandoned you. He will still more than happily work on and customize your metric cruiser. If you're looking to get your bike squared away at a more than reasonable price swing by and check these guys out!

You can see in this pic that work has started. The headlight and speedo assembly is just hanging there waiting to be cut away to make room for a cool new light. The fender is a classic ducktail bobbed fender rotated WAAAY forward of where it usually is.

You can see the new bars in this one. I told you this bike was virgin, the original air cleaner and exhaust pipes are still on it. The solo seat is going to look great on here.

Really good view of the bars in this shot, plus you can see the extreme angle of the fender here.

The tank came from Pandemonium and is ready for the sight gauge to be mounted. Keep checking back I'll post more as it progresses.

Conte Kustoms Revisit!

Finally got a chance to stop back in at Conte Kustoms. Been trying to get back by there since the Open House, but weather and circumstances kept getting in the way. I'm glad I made it by, they have some exciting stuff about to happen and I'll get to see it all from the start and of course through me, so will you. First thing, if you've tried to get in contact with them and had problems that's because Raph had a minor accident in a cage and got banged up a little. He's OK, just beat up a bit. He's back at it now and ready to help you with your bike. The shop is just getting things rolling after moving from Raph's garage into a real shop so we spent a lot of my visit talking about the ideas they have and with me sharing with them things I've seen work from 20 years of riding and 10 years in the print industry. Keep your eyes open for them to start showing up in a lot of places both in the cyber world and the real one.

Part of the work area. This is a bike that the owner built but needed CK to help him out. They rewired the bike, mounted the new gas tank and did a few other things. Now it's up to the owner to finish what he started. That's the beauty of a shop like this. They're happy to help you get through a part of your project or to build the whole thing for you. Bring them anything from a simple service to a full blown custom (or should I say Kustom) build and you'll be happy with the results. I can guarantee you that you'll save money on your service if you bring it here instead of a dealer.

Another section of the shop where the goodies are kept. I saw a lot of good stuff stashed over here. It's a nice workbench and a place to keep the extra stuff. Up on the shelves are some sheetmetal and other stuff just waiting for a new place to ride.

The next shop project. It's a '74 CB750 SOHC (I had my notebook with me this time). The bike came as part of a trade for some work and it's all there. I can't wait to see what direction it goes in. I'll be posting updates on this one as it progresses.

The other side. You can see how rough it is, but I've seen much worse starting points that ended up show quality.

All the missing stuff is in a box. The motor turns and has good compression so we're hopeful that it's good inside.

Told you it was rough.

This bike is for sale! It's a Honda VLX and is a killer little bike that will keep up with any cruiser out there AND will last for over a 100k miles. Give em a call and buy this beast so they can fund the next project!

Conte Kustom
643-A Stuart Lane, Pelham, AL 35124
(205) 757-7238
www.contekustoms.com

Conte Kustoms Open House and Grand Opening!

There's a new shop in my area and I was lucky enough to make it out for their Grand Opening Party. The shop is called Conte Kustoms and they are building some damn nice bikes. We all know my first true love is Harley, but after getting 67,000 trouble free miles from my old Shadow ACE 750 I have a soft spot for some of these bikes. Also, they are one of the most economical ways for younger guys to get into custom bikes without needing a ton of cash and a full tool box full of Snap-On's best. What they do is take late model metrics such as the previously mentioned ACE or Honda VLX 600's as well as Marauders and Aero's and any other suitable donor, strip them down and make them look a helluva lot better than the factory ever did. These bikes are a lot of fun and will let the newer guys and even some older ones get out on the road and enjoy riding a custom bike while they learn the ropes of maintaining their own ride. I've always said the last thing a new rider wants is a damn old Ironhead Sportster if you expect them to still be riding in a few years. And of course for a couple of grand the only Harley you'll find is an old mistreated Sporty. I LOVE ironheads, but most of them have been neglected and jury-rigged to the point of needing a LOT of TLC to be ridden regularly. These metrics take that pressure of the young guy and lets him enjoy the bike and the ride. I took a bunch of pics of their bikes, but I'm not happy with most of the shots so I plan to get back by and reshoot most of them. A few pics DID come out pretty good so I'll share those with you. If you want to see more in the meantime check out their website Conte Kustoms or their Blog.  I have a feeling you'll be seeing more of their work on these pages in the future.

Hanging out and enjoying the free beer and food.

The band was set up inside the shop near the beer coolers of course. They had a nice little crowd that filtered in and out all day. Not a bad turnout for a new shop without a large marketing budget.

The Honda ACE I talked about earlier. It's done right, they mounted a flat rear fender with a slight lip on the rear to keep it interesting. The fender is mounted to the swing arm so that it sits down nice and tight on the wheel. The pipes are stock head pipes with custom ends done in the same way that I had done my own. The VW bus is a friend of theirs that stopped by. It looked cool so I snuck it into the picture.

Nice little VLX with the rear fender mounted in a similar way to the ACE, the paint is a beautiful House of Kolor Silver metallic. It also has custom exhaust and a cool looking air cleaner to help bring out the lines of the engine, the sissy bar is handmade and really works with the p-pad seat combo.

This is the rear fender on a Marauder, I've always liked this style of fender mounted on the rear like this. It sits up at a nice angle and really sets off the rear of the bike.

Give these guys a call if you're interested in their work. They'd love to hear from you.
Conte Kustoms  (205) 757-7238
643-A Stuart Lane, Pelham, AL 35124
www.contekustoms.com