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Green Over

Mirage

Thunderlick

customized Thunderbike Freestyle Frame

The story of Martin Lecane

Text by Thomas Emky

On June 14, 2007, the phone rang in sales at Thunderbike. My colleague Freddy accepted the conversation, came to me with the phone and said: “Some English-speaking guy – you do it, he has some special wishes! 20 minutes later I said: “He wants to come by tomorrow – from Ireland.”

Since you make such phone calls one or two times, I honestly didn’t expect a visit, but the next day at 11.00 a.m. Martin came to Hamminkeln, one day before the famous Jokerfest. A fat folder under his arm, filled with many sheets from magazines all over the world. With “Hey Thomas, we talked on the phone yesterday, about the bike” a somewhat unusual conversion job was to come about.

There he stood before me the Irishman, with a flame shirt and long shaggy hair, quite inconspicuous… I just thought: “Let’s see what this is going to be…”

He has a “Harley dream” and has been travelling all over Europe since the beginning of 2006 to find a partner who can make it a reality. After having been with all the well-known customizers, he finally found in Thunderbike the company with the best know-how and the best team to make this dream come true.

He painted and told, showed again and again different things on motorcycles, which he had seen in said magazines, in order to present his ideas. After hours of discussions and consultations he made his decision late in the evening and gave us the order to build his custom bike. A 12-hour consultation is a rarity after all.

I now had three DIN A4 pages of notes, scribbles, copies of some bikes and bike designs etc. on my desk and an order in my pocket. In the next 12 months, during several visits and constant design suggestions, the motorcycle was manufactured exactly according to Martin’s wishes.

Own wheel design, special frame, and again and again the “tongue” – the defining element of the whole motorcycle. Even details like the mirrors were provided with the logo and are even illuminated. Ingo Kruse from Kruse Design then perfectly implemented the paint ideas of the Irishman and surpassed his imagination by far! A perfect Custompainting with many details, which are only with the second or third look in the eye (or better flash). Martin is a strange guy who often appeared in eye-catching clothes, which he celebrated to perfection at the Jokerfest 2008. Always attached to the Irish tradition, with the Leprechaun (the Irish goblin) and the neck he distributed Shamrock Pins (cloverleaf pins) – probably the most famous Irish landmark. He was dressed really colorful again, even the children always wanted to take a picture with the “clown” – and we had a lot of fun.

After Major Healey let the last reef fade out at about 01.00 o’clock, the Jokerfest came to an end… We thought! Because at about 02.00 o’clock Martin arrived with a Hummer Stretchlimo to distribute Jägermeister from a basket.

Fotos Andreas Kirsch – Wikinger.com

You can find Thunderbike Parts and original Harley-Davidson Parts  in our online shop.

The Making Of

  • Construction Year 2008
  • Engine Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle 103 CUI
  • Fuel System Mikuni HSR 42
  • Gearbox Harley-Davidson 5-Gang
  • Footrests Thunderbike Over
  • Hand Controls CCC
  • Air Cleaner Rebuffini
  • Exhaust Thunderbike Dragpipes
  • Frame Thunderbike Freestyle Frame Kit
  • Rake 38 Degrees
  • Fork Thunderbike Timecrack
  • Swingarm Thunderbike Singleside RS
  • Suspension Tricky Air
  • Front Rim Thunderbike Thunderlick Special 4.5×18
  • Rear Rim Thunderbike Thunderlick Special 10×18
  • Front Tyre Metzeler ME880 130/60-18
  • Rear Tyre Metzeler ME880 300/35-18
  • Front Brake Caliper Thunderbike 6-Piston
  • Rear Brake Caliper Thunderbike Perimeter Brake
  • Front and Rear Brake Disc Thunderbike Triple
  • Painting Ingo Kruse, Kruse Design

Your Contact

Schnepel

Nico Schnepel

Customparts, Dealer Support

0049 2852 - 6777-30
Send an email

Reiners

Roman Reiners

Customparts, Dealer Support

0049 2852 - 6777-30
Send an email

Segler

Julian Segler

Sales, Financing, Rental, Custombikes

0049 2852 - 6777-41
Send an email

Emky

Thomas Emky

Custombikes Service Workshop

0049 2852 - 6777-56
Send an email

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