Pro-street, GCC style

Gate City Choppers rides toward the future

By Doran Dal Pra
doran@oxxcycle.com

You won't find the number for Gate City Choppers in the phone book, and you can't Mapquest directions to the shop. But it isn't for lack of bikes being built. Owner Frank Smith turns out all of the GCC bikes and is currently collaborating with Irish Choppers of Massachusetts. He has plans to open a Gate City Choppers shop in the near future.



"GCC operates by appointment only," Smith said. "You won't find the place, not yet anyway."

Smith stands in his driveway with four examples of his work, chrome engines and raked forks glittering in the sunlight. Each of his bikes carries a different personality. One of Smith's older bikes is painted dark purple and sports 18-inch ape-hangers. Another is a deep orange and is waiting for an engine transplant, while another is silver with dark gray flames and is almost ready for customer delivery. The brilliant red pro-street-style bike pictured is in the finishing stages, but its sweeping lines, stunning paint and aggressive stance make it a perfect fit for bike of the month.

When it comes to art, especially of the two-wheeled variety, God is in the details, and Smith's bike has plenty of exciting details: the spider-web pattern cut out of the front and rear fenders, the deep red and black paint that integrates intricate flames with the spider-web theme from the fenders, how the gas tank and frame have been blended to form a smooth unbroken line, and the untold number of hand-made parts. As any bike-builder knows, putting together a bike is a lot of work. By December 2008 when Smith talked to OxxCycle, Smith estimated that he had put around 100 hours into the bike and needed another 40 to finish. Work to be done included a custom exhaust system, license plate bracket and getting the bike ready for the road.

But this bike isn't all show and no go. The 300 series rear tire is powered by a 127-cubic-inch twin that makes 145 hp at the wheel. When he was asked where he draws inspiration for his bikes, Smith said, "I basically just go with what I feel like doing. There's no real system to what I do, I'm just in the mood to do what I want to do with the bike." This bike has been sold to an owner from Scarborough, Maine, but will first be making its rounds at local and regional bike shows like the January 2009 World of Wheels show in Boston.

What does Smith like about building bikes? "I just like the bikes. I like the fabrication of it, I like building stuff." Smith's enjoyment of fabricating and engines goes beyond motorcycles. He has also been involved with building and working on cars and has been nearly successful with them as with his two-wheeled creations. His crowning achievement is an 800-hp streetrod — "The thing's a beast," Smith said. Another of Smith's cars was chosen to be in the 1982 TV show Great American 4th of July and Other Disasters, which starred Matt Dillon and James Broderick.

Gate City Choppers has grown from a hobby into a serious business. Smith used to spend nights working on his bikes when he got home from his job, but now he builds bikes full time. In the years Smith has been in the motorcycle industry he has built around 30 bikes, roughly half of which have rolled out under the GCC banner.

"These aren't production bikes. I'm always changing them. This isn't a shop where you have a bunch of the same bikes all lined up with different paint colors," Smith said. The desire to build a unique machine has piqued interest in buyers from all over the country.

"I've had bikes go all over, to Wisconsin, Louisiana, Maine," Smith said.

Trying to choose a favorite bike would be like having to pick one child over the other. When asked which bike he enjoys the most, Smith answered, "All of them. I treat every one like it's the only one."