Chicara Art – The art of championship winning bike building

Zero Engineering established Japan as a country with a unique style of custom bikes. Now Chicara Nagata has taken the innovative style even further with his World Championship winner, Chicara Art.

People come into the world of custom bike building for many reasons. Japanese builder Chicara Nagata, the new World Champion of Custom Bike Building, entered this world by chance. “There are many ways a man can express himself, but there are not many things I can do. Now, I have found something into which I will pour my life,” he says.

Originally a graphic designer, Chicara entered his first custom bike show, the Cool Breaker show in Yokohama, Japan, in 1998 and since that time has been building innovative and visually stunning bikes.

Chicara Art, Chicara’s latest bike, and the one with which he won the World Championship, began life as a 1939 H-D Model-U. However, all that has been retained of the original is the engine, transmission and wheels.

When it came to constructing the frame for this build, Chicara shunned the normal method of TIG welding the steel tubes together and instead borrowed from the world of bicycle construction, using brazed lugs to join the tubes.

And to finish it, not for him paint or powder coating; he had the frame chromed by specialist plater Fukuoka Electro Plating. In order to achieve the desired finish, a very thin layer of chrome was applied, that allows the brass around each joint of the frame to show through the chrome.

The frame design is deceptively complex, and one of the most interesting details is the headstock and accompanying fork design. While most builders of retro styled bikes would simply use either an original Springer fork, or an aftermarket copy, Chicara decided to make his own unique front end.

While the rear lower parts of the forks may look like original H-D Springers, they too are one-offs. The entire system is built around a set of parallel linkages which pivot from a point just forward of the tank. These then connect to a conventional headstock, behind which sits a cut-down Harley shock, located at the bottom of the headstock and the top of the bike’s frame.

Unusual engineering is also in evidence at the rear of the bike with the sprung seat, using a linkage system with the spring anchored to the front edge of the rear fender.

The 74ci Flathead has been left internally stock and is fitted with a Morris magneto and a set of Chicara pipes, which feature baffles to keep them legal in Chicara’s native city of Saga, Japan.

The bike’s original primary drive and three-speed transmission are used, but the primary has been modified to create an open design and the gear box has been relocated. Although it retains its stock position behind the engine the box has been raised slightly, allowing the oil tank to be fitted below it, lowering the bike’s center of gravity and thus benefiting the handling.

The controls for the transmission are another area where Chicara has exhibited his design and engineering skills. The jockey shift uses highly polished brass fittings at each of the pivot points. The foot operated clutch control has a linkage system which runs parallel to the one for the gear shift along the base of the cylinders. The only other control on the bike is the throttle, which again doesn’t follow the usual form. While a twist grip is used, the cable is swept up and away from the bars by a brass roller, another example of the level of detailing on this bike and the reason why it deservedly took top honors at the AMD Official World Championship of Custom Bike Building.

The 18in wire wheels are shod with period style Firestone tires; a 4in on the front and a 4.5in on the rear. The wheels are also one of the few areas on the bike that have been painted, along with the engine and clutch pulleys. The painting was taken care of by JUN Paint Box in Japan. The rear wheel also retains the stock brake and sprocket.

Chicara’s metalworking skills are on show with the bike’s bodywork. The gas tank was beaten into shape to carefully sit between the frames twin top tubes before being given a chrome finish, as were the rear fender and oil tank suspended below the transmission.

The chainguard, incorporated into the fender support and carrying the minimalist taillight, is another example of his mastery of metalwork and careful design.
When AMD spoke to Chicara about his bike and the philosophy behind his building style, he said: “I do not know if I will make it to the end of the road. So all I can do is ride towards that place. A man should take pride in his work and my work gives me confidence. Having courage to stand up and face my dream is the only way to capture it.”

Having now been named the World Champion of Custom Bike Building Chicara Nagata has every right to take pride in his work, his dream having become reality.

top

back to written word