While admitting the robust metal seat requires a better than
average tolerance for the hard ride, Cooper said at speed, nothing
treats you better than the small interlocked loops of metal,
that for centuries was the mainstay of any soldier in battle.
"You have to have a warrior's butt to ride this thing,"
he said. "On a hot day, there's nothing better than this
seat. The air rides underneath and right through it."
Cooper recalled his initial infatuation with the powerful
ride came as much through the looks and performance of the
bike as it did through the price tag, in a story befitting
any bargain hunter in the city.
"I went into the shop to get replacement mirrors and
turn signals, and the price was half off. So, being a Winnipegger,
I couldn't pass that up," Cooper laughed, attributing
his keen eye for a deal to his bloodline. "If I did pass
it up, my mom wouldn't have let me hear the end of it."
Starting with a strictly stock bike gave Cooper the chance
to do as he wished with the project, although some ideas have
worked better than others.
"The whole front end is custom, but taking off the fuel
gauge was a big mistake. Sometimes when you're on a long run,
you forget how long you've been going and it starts sputtering
out," he said.
Dealing with sharks in the wild can be a dangerous affair
for those who don't know what they're getting into, and Cooper
said his landlocked shark is no different, especially when
taking it to the limits of performance.
"Control is out the window at high speeds with the solid
wheels. You definitely don't want to be swerving above 160
(Km/H)," he explained. "When you're going that fast,
the air has nowhere to go through the bike."
Still, even with the machine taking on the aerodynamic characteristics
of an airplane's tail fin at high speed, Cooper has never
been one to shy away from exploring just how powerful his
shark is.
"I've had it right up there," he said. "It's
crotch-rocket fast, but definitely Harley-Davidson cool."
According to Cooper, the coolness of the bike has had its
interesting moments. From ladies jumping on the back end of
the bike in the middle of traffic, to a school bus full of
kids gasping in awe, Cooper takes it all in stride.
"That's actually a proud moment. People have enough
respect now where they look, but they don't touch."
Moments of admiration will be frequent for Cooper's creation
in the future, with plans to alter the back wheel, finish
more chroming, and to enter it into as many shows as possible.
Until then, Cooper said the best show can be found when the
shark is turning a sharp corner.
"Where the pegs are sitting right now, they grind and
spark, but that's okay. Every corner I take, I'll put on a
show."
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