Perfect Captain America Replica

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Captain Iconic

Craig’s incredible Captain America build.

When Craig Fitzsimons sent us a few pics of his spectacular Captain America build, we simply had to see the machine in the flesh.

Accordingly, I was charged with arranging a rendezvous. A few texts and calls later, we met up just north of Brisbane on a Thursday morning.

We began with a photo shoot around the Glass House Mountains, then sat down at the Woodford Pie Shop so I could get the low-down.

I asked Craig to, “Tell me the why and how.”

“I’ve always been a Harley guy. I had a Wide Glide in the early eighties, had a modern Breakout, and I have a ’51 Panhead and a ’47 Knucklehead now. I just love Harleys.

“So, I think anyone who likes motorcycles has had a poster or photo of the Easy Rider chopper somewhere. I think it’s the most iconic motorcycle in the world.

“And I was looking for a project … I like building things,” he began.

“I thought, ‘Why not?’

“I was initially looking at buying something and doing it up, but then I looked into Paughco in America, a company that sells a lot of the parts that I ended up using.

“Then I went and saw Harry at Harry’s Customs and, after taking advice from him, I ended up getting a custom-built Edlund wishbone frame from Sweden — because they make the best Harley frames there are — and it all started from there.

“I then began looking around for a second-hand Panhead motor, but at the time there was nothing available at the right price, so I ended up opting for an S&S Panhead that is brand new. And, in fact, was better suited to a brand-new build.

“I was initially having trouble chasing parts. I wanted to run a specific tin primary with a kick-start and four-speed gearbox, like the original bike.

“So again, I turned to Harry’s Custom Bike Work and he found a guy in Germany who was making gearbox cases. He got that for me and installed Andrews internals and a JIMS kick-starter, which is probably the strongest you can get.

“Once we had all the parts together, I began assembling the bike. I did all the work — every nut and bolt — except for the paint, which was done by Mark Walker.

“It was quite a lengthy process. I started with the frame and welded all the brackets onto it, stripped everything down and sent all the large parts that needed to be chromed to Class A in Adelaide.

“All the smaller components were sent to a mob in Queanbeyan for plating.

“The seat was trimmed by a good friend, Chris Bakker. He does a lot of street machines and he did a great job, but every nut and bolt — I did myself.”

That Stunning Front End

Next, I asked, “OK, tell me about that stunning front end.”

“The hubs are double-star hubs, with brand-new rims, and it has six-inch overs in a stock ’51 Panhead triple tree. The risers and hardware were sourced from various accessory shops, and the apes were custom-made in Melbourne.

“It has an Avon Speedmaster tyre on the front and a Firestone Deluxe on the rear.”

Both of which look quite authentic.

“The tank is a Paughco, as are the pipes.

“In fact, all of those sorts of parts come from Paughco. The sissy bar, the light assemblies, the upswept fishtail exhausts — all from the States.

“They have a good selection of Captain America components available.”

The Motor

Next question: “OK, the motor details?”

Craig smiles. “It’s a brand-new 93-cube S&S motor with a mild cam. I was very surprised by how strong and responsive it is. It actually has Shovelhead heads on it, but it has Panhead rocker covers and a genuine H-D seven-inch air cleaner.

“It’s also running a Barnett clutch with a belt primary instead of a chain — with chain final drive.

“It has electronic ignition standard on the S&S motor, with a generator and very basic wiring that I did myself — and that was a new experience!”

Three Years in the Making

“So how long did it take to build?” was my next question.

“It was around three years. It took a while to get all of the parts together. In fact, earlier on, when I was looking for a motor, I flew to the States and actually found a good Panhead engine in Alabama. But the cost of shipping it home was … prohibitive. So that’s why I opted for the S&S.

“Then, once I had all the components together, I assembled it for fit, then pulled it down again and started sending parts out for finishing.

“Unfortunately, it took a year for the frame to be chromed and sent back to me, so that slowed the project up. Then there were delays with the seat. In fact, it was only finished yesterday!”

And he smiles again.

“So, it’s a finished build?”

“Yes, it’s all complete now — yesterday. It will probably need some adjustments, like the clutch, etcetera. But it’s done now.”

And right on cue, we looked over to where the bike was sitting on its trailer and a crowd had started to gather to admire Craig’s work.

What Comes Next?

The next obvious enquiry was, “What’s your next project?”

“The Billy Bike — of course! But I didn’t want to start that until I finished this one completely. I already have the bike, and it’s going to be a much simpler project.

“This one was built from scratch, from a bare frame. But for the Billy Bike I’ve got a complete, running Panhead motorcycle already, so I’ll sit it up and work out what I need to do from there … paint, bars, pipes, front guard. It’s really more just cosmetic accessories than Captain America.”

“I’d wanted to build this bike for a very long time, and I put heart and soul into everything I do,” he concluded.

Obviously!

After seeing and hearing about Craig’s incredible work with this build, HEAVY DUTY can’t wait to see them both together. Talk about iconic.

Watch This Space!

Captain America — Custom Built by Craig Fitzsimons

General

OwnerCraig Fitzsimons

ModelCustom built

LabourAll labour by owner

Parts supplied byHarry’s Custom Bikes

Engine

TypeS&S Panhead

CamMild S&S

Estimated power80 hp

Maximum revs5500 rpm

Air cleaner7-inch round Harley-Davidson

IgnitionElectronic

GeneratorCycle Electric

ExhaustPaughco fishtails

Transmission & Frame

TransmissionCustom-built four-speed with Andrews gears

Primary coverStock chromed tin primary

ClutchBarnett

Primary driveBelt

Final driveChain

FrameCustom-built Edlund wishbone

FrontSix-inch overs with stock Panhead triple tree

RearRigid

Wheels, Controls & Finish

Front rim21-inch

Rear rim16-inch

TyresAvon Speedmaster front / Firestone Deluxe rear

Front brakeNone

Rear brakeWilwood disc

CaliperPerformance Machine

BarsCustom apes

SeatCustom made by Chris Bakker

Rear guardMade and chromed

Fuel tankPaughco

PainterMark Walker

Frame chromed by Class A Metal Finishes, Adelaide. Brackets and small parts chromed by Queanbeyan Chrome.