280 Pro-Street Custom Bike

The Bikers Ball Auction Bike

Those words had to be music to Susan McCart’s ears. After a spirited round of frenzied bidding at last year’s V-Twin Bikers Ball charity auction, Susan’s offer was the one hammered home and, right after that, Susan got to hammer home on one sweet motorcycle. Covingtons Cycle City had done it again. They’d created yet another in their long line of stunningly, clean bikes. Little wonder this one drew all those bids before Susan stepped up with the winner. “Our goal this time,” say the guys at Covingtons, “was to build an extra clean and classy looking bike, something that might appeal to the most people and hopefully draw a good bid for the Boys and Girls Club of Broward County, the beneficiaries of that auction.” We’d say they succeeded on all counts. Susan McCart obviously agrees. This is one sharp looking motorcycle, isn't it? The guys at Covingtons didn’t do it all alone either; they got some pretty heavy hitters in the industry to jump in and help with the sponsoring of this bike, sending along some of the best equipment in the business.

There’s a full-on TP Engineering 124-inch engine in there and that’s a Baker 6-speed transmission right behind it. And, front to back, this machine’s using just about everything you can order out of the Performance Machine catalog. The wheels, the primary, the hand controls, foot controls, mirrors, you get the idea it’s all PM. The overall look of the bike is based on one of Covingtons own frames: an ’05 model 280 pro-street with a 2 inch drop-seat. As you’d imagine, the suspension under all of that is top-shelf. Up front, a pair of Mean Street legs have been slipped into a set of Covingtons triple-trees and out back, Jesse Jurrens sent along a complete Legend Air Ride system. The tank and fenders are pure Covington, giving the bike a look that’s kind of similar to the machine these guys put together for their Discovery Channel Biker Build-Off episode. And how about that paint? Most everyone likes it, as well. It’s Candy Teal, a House of Kolor blend. “When we went on that Discovery Channel ride,” says Jerry Covington,

“we brought along a second bike that was painted this same color. Well, everyone who saw that bike loved the paint, so it was a no-brainer to repeat it here.” Black scallop graphics outlined in silver pinstriping are a perfect accent. And it isn’t all just about the looks. Covington built this bike to be rider friendly, so as goodlooking as this machine is, it comes with the road manners to match.“We got to take our time with this one,” they say. “We got the build assignment early enough to let us really spend some time here. Push come to shove, we could have something like this together in about three months, but we doubled that here, really paying attention to the details.”

The bike was a full shop project at Covingtons with everybody getting involved from the fabrication and mockup, right through to the final bodywork and the shake-down de-bugging. More good news for Susan McCart like she needs it. She knew a winner when she saw it and then did something about it. For more info on Covingtons parts and complete bikes call 580-256-2939 or visit www.covingtonscustoms.com. Joe Kress

Owner: Susan McCart
City: Sarasota, Florida























GENERAL
Designer: Covingtons Cycle City
Fabrication: Covingtons Cycle City
Year/make: 2005 Covington

ENGINE
Model: 280 Pro-Street
Assembly: Covingtons Cycle City
Time: 6 months
Chroming: Peerless Plating
Year: 2005
Rebuilder: TP Engineering
Displacement: 124 cubic inches
Cam: TP Engineering
Carb: Mikuni
Air cleaner: Thunder Stack
Pipes: Covingtons Cycle City

TRANSMISSION
Year/make: 2005 Baker
Shifting: 6-speed

PAINTING
Painter: Lucky 7
Color/Type: Candy Teal/House of Kolor
Special paint: black scallop graphics

FRAME
Year/make: 2005 Covington
Type: drop-seat
Rake: 47 degrees
Stretch: 6 inches out, 2 inches under
Shocks: Legend Air

ACCESSORIES
Handlebars: Covingtons Cycle City
Handlebar controls: Performance Machine
Fenders: Covingtons Cycle City
Headlight: Headwinds
Taillight: Paul Yaffe Originals
Speedo: Dakota Digital
Pegs & Foot controls: Performance Machine
Gas & Oil tanks: Covingtons Cycle City
Seat: Danny Gray, sharkskin
Mirrors & Grips: Performance Machine

FRONT END
Type/Builder: Mean Street/Covingtons
Cycle City

WHEELS
Make: Performance Machine
Size: 21-inch front / 18-inch rear
Brakes: Performance Machine
Photos: Don Rogers