The release of the new Iron Man 3 movie reminded me that Tony Stark owns a chopper from Zero Engineering. If you haven't heard of Zero Engineering, then a good place to start is with the book, Zero Chopper Spirit. I picked up my copy over 10 years ago when it was first available in the US and was blown away by the motorcycles that this Zero Engineering had been producing in Japan. Up until that point, I have never seen anything like them. Nowadays, you've probably seen motorcycles that try to capture the Zero Engineering style, but it's a tough form to get right. To make things easier, Zero Engineering has produced a line of production motorcycles, but even those don't live up to the original one off motorcycles they are known for.
I've chosen ten of the motorcycles from the book that really capture the Zero style. I've also added the spec sheet for each motorcycle. What I find interesting is that they are made using mostly stock H-D parts which have been modified in house. These motorcycles were definitely not built from a catalog, like a lot of today's "custom" motorcycles. The level of craftsmanship needed to build these motorcycles is simply amazing.
Transmission: H-D Stock 3-Speed
Frame: H-D Chopped Rigid Frame
FrontFork: H-D VL Springer Fork
Drive: Primary: Stock Chain / Secondary: Stock Chain
Brake: F: Stock Drum / R: Stock Drum
Carburetor: Linkert M52
Electrical: Manual Advance Distributor
Oil Tank: ZERO Engineering One Off
Wheel & Tire: F: 16" Spoke AVON MK II / R: 16" Spoke AVON MK II
Transmission: H-D Stock 4-Speed
Frame: H-D Chopped Rigid Frame
FrontFork: H-D 74 Springer Fork
Drive: Primary: PRIMO 1 1/2" Open Belt / Secondary: Stock Chain
Brake: F: Stock Drum / R: Stock Drum
Carburetor: KEIHIN
Electrical: Auto Advance Distributor
Oil Tank: ZERO Engineering One Off
Wheel & Tire: F: 18" Spoke COKER 4.50 / R: 16" Spoke COKER Classic 5.00
Transmission: H-D Stock 4-Speed
Frame: H-D Chopped Hardtail Frame
FrontFork: H-D VL Springer Fork
Drive: Primary: PRIMO 1 1/2" Open Belt / Secondary: Stock Chain
Brake: F: Stock VL Drum / R: BSA Drum
Carburetor: Dell'Orto Pumper
Electrical: Auto Advance Distributor
Oil Tank: ZERO Engineering One Off
Wheel & Tire: F: 19" Spoke COKER 4.00 / R: 16" BSA Spoke COKER 5.00
Transmission: H-D Stock 4-Speed
Frame: H-D Chopped Rigid Frame
FrontFork: H-D Stock 45 Springer Fork
Drive: Primary: PRIMO 3" Open Belt / Secondary: Stock Chain
Brake: F: Stock Drum / R: Stock Drum
Carburetor: Linkert M51
Electrical: Manual Advance Distributor
Oil Tank: H-D Stock XLCH Type
Wheel & Tire: F: 16" Spoke FIRESTONE 5.00 / R: 16" Spoke PIRELLI 165SR15
Transmission: H-D Stock 4-Speed
Frame: H-D Chopped Rigid Frame
FrontFork: H-D VL Springer Fork
Drive: Primary: PRIMO 1 1/2" Open Belt / Secondary: Stock Chain
Brake: F: V-TWIN Drum / R: V-TWIN Drum
Carburetor: SU Eliminator II
Electrical: Auto Advance Distributor
Oil Tank: ZERO Engineering One Off
Wheel & Tire: F: 16" Spoke AVON SM MK II 5.00 / R: 16" Spoke AVON SM MK II 5.00
Transmission: H-D Stock 4-Speed
Frame: H-D Chopped Rigid Frame
FrontFork: H-D 45 Springer Fork 2" cut
Drive: Primary: PRIMO 1 1/2" Open Belt / Secondary: Stock Chain
Brake: F: Stock Drum / R: Stock Drum
Carburetor: Linkert M74B
Electrical: Manual Advance Distributor
Oil Tank: CCI
Wheel & Tire: F: 16" Spoke FIRESTONE 5.00 / R: 16" Spoke AVON ELAN II 140-90
Transmission: H-D Panhead Stock 4-Speed
Frame: H-D Chopped VL Rigid Frame
FrontFork: H-D VL Springer Fork
Drive: Primary: Stock Chain / Secondary: Stock Chain
Brake: F: Stock Drum / R: Stock Drum
Carburetor: Linkert M5
Electrical: Manual Advance Distributor
Oil Tank: ZERO Engineering One Off
Wheel & Tire: F: 19" Spoke COKER-K31TL / R: 19" Spoke GOODYEAR D/T
Transmission: H-D Stock 4-Speed
Frame: H-D Chopped Rigid Frame
FrontFork: H-D Stock 45 Springer Fork
Drive: Primary: PRIMO 1 1/2" Open Belt / Secondary: Chain
Brake: F: Stock Drum / R: Stock Drum
Carburetor: Linkert M74B
Electrical: Manual Advance Distributor
Oil Tank: CCI
Wheel & Tire: F: 16" Spoke COKER 5.00 / R: 16" Spoke COKER 5.00
Transmission: H-D Stock 4-Speed
Frame: ZERO Engineering One Off
FrontFork: H-D 74 Springer Fork
Drive: Primary: PRIMO 1 1/2" Open Belt / Secondary: Stock Chain
Brake: F: JB 2-Piston / R: Rockheed 4-Piston
Carburetor: KEIHIN
Electrical: H-D Stock
Oil Tank: CCI
Wheel & Tire: F: 16" Spoke COKER 5.00 / R: 16" Spoke COKER 5.00
Transmission: H-D Stock 4-Speed
Frame: H-D Chopped Rigid Frame
FrontFork: V-TWIN 45 Springer Fork
Drive: Primary: PRIMO 1 1/2" Open Belt / Secondary: Stock Chain
Brake: F: HONDA CB250EX Drum / R: Stock Drum
Carburetor: ZENITH
Electrical: Auto Advance Distributor
Oil Tank: CCI
Wheel & Tire: F: 18" Spoke COKER 4.00 / R: 18" Spoke COKER 4.00
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