Updated Top Shelf Customs Website

Been working on updating Top Shelf's website.  Busy shooting new bikes that they have finished and getting those bikes posted in the "Photo" section.  Check it out.  Also Top Shelf got new helmets in with some crazy pin striping.  Check out the site at www.topshelfcustoms.com

All new bikes that I shot posted on the site.

New DOT pinstriped and custom painted helmets in stock.

Alex Gray

I did a photoshoot with Alex Gray last week down in the wilderness park in Redonodo Beach, Ca.  We were shooting for Body Glove's ECO2 wetsuit.  It's a environmentally friendly made suit that has more stretch in it compared to last years model.

Sunday Riders

Brawny. Sunday Afternoon. Jan 25, 2009.  

Death Machine

I was up in Hawaii last Wednesday and hung out with Kyle, owner/creator of Death Machine.  Check out his stuff. 

Late afternoon we headed over to Kapolei Skatepark and I shot Kyle skating. The weather was perfect and the lighting was amazing.  We took over a 12 pack and after  he was done skating we sat down and hung out with a couple of his friends and drank beers till the sun went down.  Perfect way to end a day. 

Hung out at his house and got some pics of his bike.

Thanks again Kyle for being my taxi driver for the day and letting me hang out.  I'll be back soon!!!!

Brawny Built

Shot with Brawny on Sunday for a cool little project he has going on. Check out his site at www.brawnybuilt.com.

LFR 11X Part-5

The LFR 11x was something he wanted to build that was fast and functional.

The way he describes himself, “I’m just a motorcycle guy that likes stuff that works. I like something you could really ride and use.”


With the LFR 11X, Dave has acheived his goal for now. He already has been doing research on his next project build. Stay tuned.

I hope you enjoyed this weeks feature on Chopper Dave's LFR 11X.  Thanks to Dave for allowing me to photograph and interview you.  And thanks to Liz for helping me with the riding shots. Everyone enjoy your weekend and be safe.

LFR 11X Part-4

The LFR 11x was finished around the end of May of 08. Right now Dave finds himself more obsessed with the Flat Track stuff more so than the Chopper stuff right now.

“I’m pretty much over the whole chopper thing for the moment. I’m just over unfunctional choppers.

I’m just not in that mode anymore.” He is looking to build bikes that are more fully functional street tracker style as evident in LFR 11X and “The X Wedge” bike he also built recently.

Tomorrow is the final installment of the Chopper Dave LFR 11X feature.

LFR 11X Part-3

The following year Dave planned to take it to Japan, but he didn’t get the paper work fixed up on it so it didn’t go. Because he had other projects going on and he focused on finishing those the bike sat for 3 and a half years. Once he got all his other projects finished up he decided to finish up the LFR 11X. So around April of 2008 he started working on it again.

He sent the frame out to powder coating at Specialized and Harpoon did the paint. Motor is now 11:1 compression. “Tempermental” he says.

As Dave explains, “Only because it’s getting the starting combination. It runs fucking great. It’s a weird combination of cam and compression. So it’s kinda hard to dial in, but I’m getting closer and closer. But it runs super strong.

It’s just getting it fine tuned a little better.” Dave had a quick turn throttle on it, which made it twice as touchy. “You just turn it a little bit and your at full throttle. It was knarly. It’s also got tons of ground clearance, handles bitchin, it’s just fun as shit.” added Dave.

Part 4 tomorrow.

LFR 11X Part-2

“I ran it at Ventura, at the flat track. The motor was wasted. Ton of blow by. Like zero compression. It was impossible to start and of course I had to put a magneto on it.

But I raced it up there and did shitty cause I geared it up way to tall.

I mean, I was at the top of second gear, halfway through the straight, like buzzing, and it’s a short track and I couldn’t shift.

So I did really bad. I did better on my panhead in 2000, but it was super fun.” says Dave of the LFR 11X.

Part 3 Tomorrow.

LFR 11X Part-1

Welcome to Part 1 of Chopper Dave's Street Tracker LFR11X story and photo gallery. This is a week long presentation of Dave talking about the LFR 11X and our day together shooting around Long Beach, Ca. Enjoy

Chopper Dave’s newest bike he built really isn’t that new. He started this project way back in 2005 and built it in a few months. As Dave tells it, “It came together because I had a lot of extra parts and I came across a Evolution engine. All the pieces kinda fell together.

The frame is my old panhead frame, my buddy, Frank Kaiser gave me the wheels. Another buddy of mine, Todd in Hawaii sent me the Ceriani fork pieces I needed.


I kinda mixed all the fork pieces together because it’s partially a dirt bike fork and a road race fork. The rest of the parts came from all over.”

Tune in tomorrow for Part 2.

LFR-11X Story+Photos

Log in on Monday.  Story and Photos of Chopper Dave's LFR-11X Street Tracker bike will be the feature all next week.  Have a good weekend and see you on Monday.

Pac Man Striping

Pac Man striping Mickey's Harley over at Tony Eudave's place.

Downtown LA Photoshoot

Went down to LA this past Monday to go shoot with Cheyne Magnusson for Body Glove Wetsuits.  Working on some new stuff for upcoming ads we are doing this year for SURFER, Surfing and Transworld Surf Mag.  Greg Browning (Director of the Drive Thru Series on Fuel TV) was there also filming to create commercials for Body Glove to use on the web site and Surfline.com.  If some of you watch MTV still Cheyne was on the show Maui Fever.  So when we were shooting a car drove by and yelled, "Beat it Maui Fever!"  We had a good laugh at that because we were more surprised the guy knew who Cheyne was.

Tony Eudave-Buddha Speed & Custom

Tony called me up this past Saturday and I went down to his place to shoot some photos.  Pac Man was there also doing some striping.  So I shot a Sportster that Tony was working on for a customer and some other interesting things.  Pac Man was singing along making up his own lyrics as he striped one of Tony's friends motorcycle.  Tony runs Buddha Speed & Custom in Bellflower.  You can make a appointment at 562.413.6166. 

Customers bike that Tony is working on.

The Sportster he was finishing up.  I'm waiting to get some specs on the bike and I'll post it with some of the photos I took.

Cheyne Magnusson Photoshoot

Here's another shot of Cheyne on the breakwall.  Got lucky to catch the splash on the rocks.  We went out today down to LA to shoot some more lifestyle shots of Cheyne.  I'll post some of those shots tomorrow.  Big swell supposed to hit this Friday and through the weekend.  Cheyne may be headed down to Mexico to do possible tow ins.  I may be shooting around here with Dusty Payne this weekend to get some surf shots.  Haven't shot surfing in awhile so it'll be nice to get some new shots.

Top Shelf Customs Featured in Barnett's Mag

Barnett's Magazine Issue #67 Jan-Mar o9 has my bike featured in it.  Barry Lacour from Top Shelf Customs did the article and photoshoot with the mag.  Should be on newstands now.

Cheyne Magnusson Photoshoot

Did a photoshoot with Cheyne Magnusson today down at the Redondo Beach Breakwall.  We took out Scott Daley and Greg Browning's boat so we can get shots from the water.  Scott had to back up the boat pretty close to the breakwall so I could get the shot.  We were shooting away and way down on the beach the lifeguard must have seen us close so he got on his bull horn and pretty much told us to beat it.  When we got into the harbor the Harbor Patrol was on their way out to bust us.  Scott smoothed things over and we were done.

Heading Out To The Highway

So I'm heading out to the highway
I got nothin' to lose at all
I'm goin' to do it my way
Take a chance before I fall

                                              -Judas Priest