Frank Tatulli, former partner in the well-known New York City chopper shop, Psycho Cycles, likes "old," but Frank's not living in the past when it comes to his cycle. This retro piece is about as far from trendy as you can get. The Psychoholic is all business, and is about as innovative as a chopper can be. Frank knows how to build a no-holds-barred bike.
Although it looks like a shovelhead, the resemblance stops there. Nestled between the tubes of the Chopper Guys rigid frame is an Indian Larry-built 96-inch firebreathin' monster motor. Sporting a complete S&S lower end, the mill is topped with STD heads that have been ported, polished, and flowed by Crazy Horse Speed Shop. Intake and exhaust is handled by an S&S "E" carb, which works in conjunction with the S&S 495 solid lifter cam and pushrods, JIMS lifters, and owner-built HPC-coated shotgun pipes. Spark is provided by a very cool side-mounted Joe Hunt magneto.
Ahead of the big V-twin, we see the chopper's forward controls, which are from Performance Machine. Over on the drive side, there's a three-inch primary belt that's coupled to a belt final. Gear changes are controlled by a four-speed trans filled with an Andrews super close ratio gear set. The clutch is from Bandit, with hydraulic assist and lock-up unit. Action is super smooth; you can pull the clutch lever with one finger!
The Psychoholic's suspension is minimal. In front, the 21-inch Performance Machine Viper wheel carries an Avon tire and PM brakes between the legs of a Cerriani/Storz wide glide fork. Out back, there's a matching 18-inch Viper rim/Avon tire combo, and another PM brake. A minimal Paul Cox hand-stitched leather seat gives Frank a place to plant his backside. It sits on a modified FLT rear fender that's supported by Frank's own struts. The bars are high, but for Frank, they're comfortable. Cool knurled grips are from A.R.T. Racing. And speaking of racing, there's an automotive style oil filter hanging off the left side of the frame.
The paint was squirted by Fritz, who started with a charcoal silver base followed by fluorescent blue, and topped off the base colors with yellow and orange flames outlined in green. The cycle's small graphics are courtesy of Andrea, the well-known NYC-area tattoo artist fomerly with the now-defunct East Side Ink. Nice touch.
Now for those of you who think this bike is slathered in chrome, look again. The keen eyes among you will notice that the S&S teardrop air cleaner and kickstarter arm are chrome, but that the rest of this rigid has a different kind of shine. The kicker pedal is brass, and so is the Frank-built milled taillight, but the balance of the brightwork comes from many hours of polishing.
And in case you think that the guys who have the shops build wild bikes with no regard for riding them, that doesn't apply to this iron horse. Frank's about as hardcore as they come. To prove his steed's mettle, he's ridden this bike out to Ohio and back to New York in the middle of the summer! (Frank says you gotta know how to ride a hardtail. After seeing Frank in the saddle, I'm not going to disagree.)
As I write, The Psychoholic is in pieces on the shop floor undergoing a metamorphosis. I'm not sure what the end result will be, but surely it will reflect Frank's love of "old school" choppers. At that school, poseurs need not apply
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